Method, system and node

Abstract

To solve a problem in which a node 9 of a block chain network 90 determines whether or not an access right is granted, by receiving and verifying data of a certificate for authenticating grant of the access right from communication apparatus (3a, 3c, 5, and so on); however, if the node 9 acquires the certificate data from the communication apparatus and allows a processing request for generation and change of asset information from a third party who is irrelevant to any provider or a user of the asset such as electricity power and so on, unexpected situation may be caused to the provider or the user, and if the node does not allow such a processing request as generation or change of the asset information from any third party, a specific third party cannot intermediate the asset information.SOLUTION: A node 9 not only verifies whether or not access right is granted by using certificate data, but also verifies whether or not an authority of the processing request is granted to a user of a smart meter 3, an intermediate server 5 and so on for issuing the processing request (such as a generation request, a change request, and so on) regarding the asset information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a node, a trading system, a blockchain network, a processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, green power (electricity produced by renewable energy) has been attracting attention. Green power is produced by using renewable energy resources such as sunlight, solar heat, wind power, biomass, geothermal heat, hydroelectric power, and atmospheric heat. Compared with power generation using fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and liquefied natural gas, power generation using renewable energy emits almost no CO2, which is a cause of global warming, and therefore renewable energy is an environmentally friendly energy resource among resources used for power production. By operating a factory or the like using such environmentally friendly green power, corporate value can be improved. There is also a method of using blockchain for trading electricity produced by renewable energy or the like (see Patent Document 1). Usually, when a user accesses a specific node of a blockchain network using a communication device, an access right that enables access to the node is granted in advance. The node determines whether or not the access right exists by receiving and verifying the data of a certificate that proves that the access right has been granted from the communication device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, if a node obtains certificate data from a communication device and permits a processing request such as creation or modification of asset information from a third party unrelated to the asset provider or user, an unexpected situation may occur for the provider or user. On the other hand, if processing requests such as creation or modification of asset information are not permitted from third parties at all, an issue arises in which a specific third party cannot act as an intermediary in asset information transactions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The invention according to claim 1 relates to a node of a blockchain network. A method according to claim 1, Request to generate asset information Reception do Reception and Proof Whether the certificate is the same as the certificate of the provider registered in advance Check proof do A first verification step and a 、 Assets Contains information about Information provided , including each of the above information Transaction Information and The above Whether the format and content are necessary to generate asset information Check a second verification step to verify that the When the certificate included in the request is verified to be the same as the certificate of the provider in the first verification step, and the provided information is verified to have the format and the content in the second verification step, a first generation step of generating transaction information; Generated According to the transaction information, The above information has been set The method includes a second generation step of generating the asset information, and a distribution step of distributing the transaction information to other nodes in a blockchain network. Effect of the Invention

[0005] As described above, the present invention has the effect of preventing a node in a blockchain network from approving processing requests such as the creation or modification of asset information from unrelated third parties, while at the same time allowing requests for trading asset information from specific third parties. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a trading system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a smartphone. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a smart meter. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the intermediation server. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a smartphone and a smart meter in the trading system. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an intermediary server and a node in the trading system. [Figure 7] 1A is a conceptual diagram showing a user management table, and FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram showing a provider management table. [Figure 8] 1A is a conceptual diagram of a transaction content management table, and FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram of a transaction history management table. [Figure 9] 13 is a conceptual diagram of an asset information generation authority management table. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing a process for registering an intermediary. [Figure 11] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a display of an intermediary registration screen, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a display of an intermediary registration screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing a process for registering asset transaction details. [Figure 13] 13A shows an example of a display of a transaction details registration screen before input and selection, and FIG. 13B shows an example of a display of a transaction details registration screen after input and selection. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing a process of setting an owner of an asset provided by a provider to an intermediary. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of transaction information and asset information. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing a process of setting an owner of an asset mediated by an intermediary to a user. [Figure 17] 11 is a flowchart showing a process of generating transaction information and changing or generating asset information. [Figure 18] 11 is a conceptual diagram of transaction information and asset information when the amount of electricity used is equal to or greater than the tradable amount of electricity. FIG. [Figure 19] 11 is a conceptual diagram of transaction information and asset information when the amount of electricity used is less than the tradable amount of electricity. FIG. [Figure 20]FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing mediation processing of a production method certificate of an asset. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] The present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0008] [System configuration overview] First, an outline of the configuration of the trading system 1 will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a trading system according to this embodiment. Here, a case where electricity is handled as an example of an asset will be described. Note that the ownership of the asset and the type of production method of the asset are managed in the asset information described later.

[0009] <Explanation of each company> As shown in FIG. 1, there is an electricity producer Aa, an electricity producer Ab, an electricity consumer Ca, an intermediary Da, and a certification authority E.

[0010] Producer Aa is an example of a provider, and is a company that produces electricity from solar light, which is an example of renewable energy used to produce green electricity. Producer Ab is an example of a provider, and is a company that produces electricity from oil, which is an example of fossil fuel. Providers also include associations that purchase assets from each producer and resell them.

[0011] Consumer Ca is an example of a user, and is a business that consumes electricity provided by producers Aa and Ab. Furthermore, consumer Ca is also a provider like producer Aa, and is a business that produces electricity from sunlight, which is an example of renewable energy used to produce green electricity. For example, consumer Ca produces electricity himself, but when there is a shortage, he purchases electricity from another business.

[0012] In addition, the user also includes a person who has acquired ownership of an asset in the case where the asset is a non-consumable item such as electricity, such as real estate.

[0013] The intermediary Da is a company that mediates the transaction of electricity ownership.

[0014] The certification authority E is a public institution such as a national or local government that certifies the type of electricity production method. The types of electricity production methods include methods that generate electricity using sunlight, solar heat, wind power, biomass, geothermal heat, hydroelectric power, heat in the atmosphere, or atomic power. Among these, sunlight, solar heat, wind power, biomass, geothermal heat, hydroelectric power, and heat in the atmosphere belong to the broad category of renewable energy. In addition, petroleum, coal, and liquefied natural gas belong to the broad category of fossil fuels. Power generation using renewable energy emits almost no CO2, which is a cause of global warming, compared to power generation using fossil fuels, so renewable energy is an environmentally friendly energy source. In this embodiment, sunlight, solar heat, wind power, biomass, geothermal heat, hydroelectric power, or heat in the atmosphere are used as renewable energy. In addition, petroleum, coal, or liquefied natural gas are used as fossil fuels.

[0015] Furthermore, the intermediary Da performs the intermediary work of sending an application form by mail or the like to the certification authority E, receiving the production method certificate from the certification authority E, and sending the production method certificate by mail or the like to the consumer Ca. The production method certificate, for example, describes the renewable energy utilization rate. This allows the consumer Ca to use the production method certificate to apply for public subsidies based on his / her company's renewable energy utilization rate (CO2 reduction rate) and the use of renewable energy.

[0016] There may be one producer or three or more producers. There may be multiple consumers and intermediaries.

[0017] <Electricity transmission and distribution network> Substation Bx is the nearest substation to producers Aa and Ab, and substation By is the nearest substation to consumer Ca. A power transmission and distribution network 10 is constructed by substations Bx and By, transmission and distribution lines, etc. Electric power provided by producers Aa and Ab is provided to consumer Ca via the power transmission and distribution network 10.

[0018] <Data communication network> Producer Aa has a smartphone 2a, a smart meter 3a, and a power generation device 4a. Producer Ab has a smartphone 2b, a smart meter 3b, and a power generation device 4b. Consumer Ca has a smartphone 2c, a smart meter 3c, a power generation device 4c, and an electric device 8. Intermediary Da manages an intermediary server 5. This intermediary Da is a corporation or an individual (for example, an employee such as the president, an executive, or an IT manager).

[0019] The number of smartphones may be two or four or more depending on the number of producers and consumers. Hereinafter, the smartphones 2a, 2b, 2c are collectively referred to as smartphone 2. The number of smart meters 3a, 3b, 3c may be two or four or more depending on the number of producers and consumers. Hereinafter, the smart meters 3a, 3b, 3c are collectively referred to as smart meter 3. The number of power generation devices 4a, 4b, 4c may be one or three or more depending on the number of producers. Hereinafter, the power generation devices 4a, 4b, 4c are collectively referred to as power generation device 4.

[0020] The number of intermediary servers 5 may be two or more depending on the number of intermediaries. The intermediary server 5 may be constructed by a single computer or may be constructed by multiple computers. The number of electric devices 8 may be two or more depending on the number of consumers.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a trading system 1 as a data communication network is constructed by a plurality of smartphones 2a, 2b, 2c, a plurality of smart meters 3a, 3b, 3c, a plurality of power generation devices 4a, 4b, 4c, an intermediary server 5, and nodes 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d such as computers. Each node 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d records transaction information (data) described below in units of blocks, and manages the same block information in a distributed manner. That is, each node 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d shares the same transaction information. In addition, a blockchain network 90 is constructed by the nodes 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d. The blockchain network 90 is constructed within a communication network 100 such as the Internet. The communication network 100 is constructed by the Internet, a mobile communication network, a LAN (Local Area Network), or the like. The communication network 100 may include not only wired communication but also wireless communication networks such as mobile communication systems (4G, 5G, 6G, etc.) and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). Although there are many nodes 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d, only four are shown here due to space limitations. Hereinafter, the nodes 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d are collectively referred to as node 9.

[0022] Next, the terminals and devices of the producers Aa and Ab and the consumer Ca will be described.

[0023] (Producer Aa's terminals and equipment) The smartphone 2a can perform data communication with the smart meter 3a by short-range wireless technology such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The smartphone 2a can also perform data communication with the intermediation server 5 via the communication network 100.

[0024] The smart meter 3a can perform data communication with the intermediate server 5 via the communication network 100. The smart meter 3a also measures the amount of power provided by the power generation device 4a at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes), and further performs processing such as requesting the node 9 of the blockchain network 90 to generate asset information indicating the amount of assets such as power provided and the owner, etc.

[0025] The power generation device 4a is a device that generates power by utilizing sunlight.

[0026] (Producer Ab's terminals and equipment) The smartphone 2b can perform data communication with the smart meter 3b using short-range wireless technology such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The smartphone 2b can also perform data communication with the intermediate server 5 via the communication network 100.

[0027] The smart meter 3b can perform data communication with the intermediary server 5 via the communication network 100. The smart meter 3b also measures the amount of power provided by the power generation device 4b at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes), and further performs processing such as requesting the node 9 of the blockchain network 90 to generate asset information indicating the amount of power provided and the owner, etc.

[0028] The power generating device 4b is a device that generates electricity using petroleum.

[0029] (Consumer Ca terminals and equipment) The smartphone 2c can perform data communication with the smart meter 3c by short-range wireless technology such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The smartphone 2c can also perform data communication with the intermediation server 5 via the communication network 100.

[0030] The smart meter 3c can perform data communication with the intermediary server 5 via the communication network 100. The smart meter 3c also measures the amount of power used by the electric device 8 at regular intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes), and transmits usage information indicating the amount of power used and the time of use to the intermediary server 5 via the communication network 100. The smart meter 3c also measures the amount of power provided by the power generation device 4c at regular intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes), and requests the node 9 of the blockchain network 90 to generate asset information indicating the amount of assets provided such as power and the owner. That is, the smart meter 3c measures both the amount of power used and the amount of power provided.

[0031] In order to access the blockchain network 90 on behalf of the smart meter 3c, the intermediation server 5 stores in the storage unit 5000 a certificate of the consumer Ca that is required for the smart meter 3c to access the blockchain.

[0032] The electric device 8 is a device that is driven by electricity generated by the consumer Ca itself and electricity provided by the consumers Aa and Ab.

[0033] (Intermediary server of intermediary Da) The intermediary server 5 processes intermediate transactions related to asset information, such as the transfer of asset information, between a provider of an asset such as electricity and a user of the asset. Therefore, the intermediary server 5 can perform data communication with each smartphone 2 and each smart meter 3 via the communication network 100. In addition, the intermediary server 5 can access a node 9 of the blockchain network 90 and perform data communication with the node 9.

[0034] (supplement) The smartphones 2a and 2b are examples of a provider's communication terminal. The smartphone 2c is an example of a user's communication terminal. The communication terminal also includes a smart watch, a PC, and smart glasses. The smart meter 3 is an example of a measurement terminal.

[0035] [Hardware configuration] Next, the hardware configurations of the smartphone 2, the smart meter 3, the intermediation server 5, and the node 9 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0036] <Hardware configuration of smartphone> 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the smartphone 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the smartphone 2 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, an EEPROM 204, a CMOS sensor 205, an image sensor I / F 206, an acceleration / direction sensor 207, a media I / F 209, and a GPS receiver 211.

[0037] Among these, the CPU 201 controls the overall operation of the smartphone 2. The ROM 202 stores programs used to drive the CPU 201, such as the CPU 201 and the IPL. The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201. The EEPROM 204 reads or writes various data, such as smartphone programs, under the control of the CPU 201. The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 205 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject (mainly a self-portrait) under the control of the CPU 201 to obtain image data. Note that the imaging means may be a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or other type instead of a CMOS sensor. The imaging element I / F 206 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 205. The acceleration / direction sensor 207 is various sensors, such as an electronic magnetic compass or gyrocompass that detects geomagnetism, and an acceleration sensor. The media I / F 209 controls the reading or writing (storing) of data from or to a recording medium 208, such as a flash memory. The GPS receiver 211 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites.

[0038] The smartphone 2 also includes a long-distance communication circuit 212, a CMOS sensor 213, an image sensor I / F 214, a microphone 215, a speaker 216, an audio input / output I / F 217, a display 218, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 219, a short-distance communication circuit 220, an antenna 220a of the short-distance communication circuit 220, and a touch panel 221.

[0039] Among these, the long-distance communication circuit 212 is a circuit that communicates with other devices via the communication network 100. The CMOS sensor 213 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data under the control of the CPU 201. The imaging element I / F 214 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 213. The microphone 215 is a built-in circuit that converts sound into an electric signal. The speaker 216 is a built-in circuit that converts an electric signal into physical vibration to generate sound such as music or voice. The sound input / output I / F 217 is a circuit that processes input and output of sound signals between the microphone 215 and the speaker 216 under the control of the CPU 201. The display 218 is a type of display means such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) that displays an image of a subject, various icons, etc. The external device connection I / F 219 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-distance communication circuit 220 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The touch panel 221 is a type of input means that allows a user to operate the smartphone 2 by pressing the display 218.

[0040] The smartphone 2 also includes a bus line 210. The bus line 210 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 201 shown in FIG.

[0041] <Smart meter hardware configuration> Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of a smart meter. As shown in Fig. 3, the smart meter 3 is equipped with a computer, and includes a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, an NVRAM 304, a display 306, a measurement sensor 307, a switch 308, a network I / F 309, a keypad 311, a touch panel 312, a short-range communication circuit 220, and an antenna 220a of the short-range communication circuit 220.

[0042] Of these, the CPU 301 controls the overall operation of the smart meter 3. The ROM 302 stores programs used to drive the CPU 301, such as an IPL. The RAM 303 is used as a work area for the CPU 301. The NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM) 304 is a non-volatile memory that stores and reads out various data such as programs. The display 306 displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image.

[0043] The measurement sensor 307 measures the power provided or used. The switch 308 turns on (closes) or turns off (opens) an electric circuit to pass or stop electricity.

[0044] The network I / F 309 is an interface for data communication using a communication network 100 such as the Internet including the blockchain network 90. ​​The keypad 311 is a type of input means having multiple keys for inputting or selecting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The short-range communication circuit 320 is a communication circuit that realizes short-range wireless technology such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The bus line 310 is an address bus, a data bus, etc. for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 3.

[0045] <Hardware configuration of the mediation server> Fig. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the intermediation server. Each hardware component of the intermediation server 5 is indicated by a reference number in the 500 series. As shown in Fig. 4, the intermediation server 5 is constructed by a computer, and includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, an HD 504, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a data bus 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0046] Of these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire relay server 5. The ROM 502 stores programs such as IPL used to drive the CPU 501. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading or writing of various data from the HD 504 according to the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, a character, or an image. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external device is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a printer. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the communication network 100. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 4.

[0047] Moreover, the keyboard 511 is a type of input means having a plurality of keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513 as an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the medium is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R or a Blu-ray Disc, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515 such as a flash memory.

[0048] <Node hardware configuration> Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the node. Each piece of hardware configuration of the node 9 is indicated by a reference number in parentheses in the 900 range. As shown in Fig. 4, the node 9 is constructed by a computer, and has the same configuration as the intermediary server 5, as shown in Fig. 4, so a description of each piece of hardware configuration will be omitted.

[0049] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of each terminal and device constituting the trading system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the smartphone and smart meter in the trading system.

[0050] <Functional configuration of smartphone 2a> 5, the smartphone 2a has a transmission / reception unit 21a, a reception unit 22a, a display control unit 24a, a communication unit 28a, and a storage / readout unit 29a. Each of these units is a function or means realized by any of the components shown in FIG. 2 operating in response to an instruction from the CPU 201 in accordance with a smartphone program loaded from the EEPROM 204 onto the RAM 203.

[0051] The smartphone 2a also includes a storage unit 2000a that is configured by the ROM 202, the RAM 203, and the EEPROM 204 shown in FIG.

[0052] (Functional configuration of smartphone 2a) The transmitter / receiver unit 21a of the smartphone 2a is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 for the long-distance communication circuit 212, and transmits and receives various data (or information) with other devices (e.g., the intermediary server 5) via the communication network 100.

[0053] The reception unit 22a is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 on the touch panel 221, and receives various selections or inputs from the user.

[0054] The display control unit 24a is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201, and causes various images to be displayed on the display 218. The display control unit 24a also includes a web browser function.

[0055] The communication unit 28a is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 for the short-range communication circuit 220, and communicates various data with a communication unit 38a (described later) of the smart meter 3a. In the case of wired communication, data communication is performed by connecting the smart meter 3a with a communication cable.

[0056] The storage / reading processing unit 29a is realized mainly by the processing of the CPU 201, and stores various data (or information) in the storage unit 2000a and reads various data (or information) from the storage unit 2000a.

[0057] <Functional configuration of smartphone 2c> 5, the smartphone 2c has a transmission / reception unit 21c, a reception unit 22c, a display control unit 24c, a communication unit 28c, and a storage / readout unit 29c. Each of these units is a function or means realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 2 in response to an instruction from the CPU 201 in accordance with a smartphone program loaded from the EEPROM 204 onto the RAM 203.

[0058] The smartphone 2c also includes a storage unit 2000c that is configured by the ROM 202, the RAM 203, and the EEPROM 204 shown in FIG.

[0059] In addition, since the various parts of the smartphone 2c (transmission / reception unit 21c, reception unit 22c, display control unit 24c, communication unit 28c, and memory / readout unit 29c) have the same functions as the various parts of the smartphone 2a (transmission / reception unit 21a, reception unit 22a, display control unit 24a, communication unit 28a, and memory / readout unit 29a), their descriptions are omitted.

[0060] The smartphone 2b, like the smartphone 2c, has the same components as the smartphone 2a; however, these components will not be described in the process described below and are therefore omitted from FIG.

[0061] <Functional configuration of smart meter 3a> 5, the smart meter 3a has a transmitting / receiving unit 31a, a measuring unit 33a, a display control unit 34a, a communication unit 38a, and a memory / reading unit 39a. Each of these units is a function or means realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 3 in response to an instruction from the CPU 301 in accordance with the program for the smart meter loaded from the NVRAM 304 onto the RAM 303.

[0062] The smart meter 3a also includes a storage unit 3000a that is configured by the ROM 302, the RAM 303, and the NVRAM 304 shown in FIG.

[0063] (Functional configuration of smart meter 3a) The transmitter / receiver unit 31a of the smart meter 3a is mainly realized by processing of the CPU 301 for the network I / F 309, and transmits and receives various data (or information) to and from other devices (e.g., the intermediation server 5) via the communication network 100.

[0064] The measurement unit 33a is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 301 for the measurement sensor 307, and measures the amount of power provided by the power generation device 4a.

[0065] The display control unit 34a is realized mainly by the processing of the CPU 301, and causes the display 306 to display various images.

[0066] The communication unit 38a is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 301 for the short-range communication circuit 320, and communicates various data with the communication unit 28a of the smart meter 2a. In the case of wired communication, data communication is performed by connecting the smart meter 3a with a communication cable.

[0067] The storage / reading processing unit 39a is realized mainly by the processing of the CPU 301, and stores various data (or information) in the storage unit 3000a and reads various data (or information) from the storage unit 3000a.

[0068] <Functional configuration of smart meter 3c> As shown in Fig. 5, the smart meter 3c has a transmission / reception unit 31c, a measurement unit 33c, a display control unit 34c, a communication unit 38c, and a storage / readout unit 39c. Each of these units is a function or means realized by operating any of the components shown in Fig. 3 in response to an instruction from the CPU 301 in accordance with the program for the smart meter loaded from the NVRAM 304 onto the RAM 303.

[0069] The smart meter 3a also includes a storage unit 3000c that is configured by the ROM 302, the RAM 303, and the NVRAM 304 shown in FIG.

[0070] In addition, since each part of the smart meter 3c (transmitter / receiver unit 31c, measurement unit 33c, display control unit 34c, communication unit 38c, and memory / readout unit 39c) has the same function as each part of the smart meter 3a (transmitter / receiver unit 31a, measurement unit 33a, display control unit 34a, communication unit 38a, and memory / readout unit 39a), their description will be omitted.

[0071] The smart meter 3b has the same components as the smart meter 3a, just like the smart meter 3c. However, these components will not be described in the process described later, and therefore will be omitted from FIG.

[0072] <Functional configuration of the intermediary server 5> Due to space limitations, a functional block diagram of the intermediary server 5 is shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram of the intermediary server and node functions in the trading system. As shown in Fig. 6, the intermediary server 5 has a transmission / reception unit 51, a determination unit 53, a display control unit 54, a judgment unit 55, a creation unit 58, and a storage / readout unit 59. Each of these units is a function or means realized by any of the components shown in Fig. 4 being loaded from HD 504 onto RAM 503 and operating according to an instruction from CPU 501 in accordance with a program for the intermediary server.

[0073] The intermediation server 5 also has a storage unit 5000 constructed by the ROM 502 and HD 504 shown in FIG.

[0074] (User management table) Fig. 7(a) is a conceptual diagram showing a user management table. The user management table is a table for the intermediary Da to manage each user such as an electricity consumer. A user management DB 5001 configured with a user management table as shown in Fig. 7(a) is constructed in the memory unit 5000. In this user management table, a user ID, a user name, a user address (or residence), and a selectable provider ID are associated and managed.

[0075] Of these, the user ID is an example of user identification information for identifying a user of an asset, such as an electricity consumer Ca. The selectable provider ID is an example of provider identification information for identifying a provider, such as a producer, that can be selected by the user indicated by the user ID. For example, if the user has an address in Tokyo, the selectable providers are limited to those with addresses in Tokyo and its surrounding areas.

[0076] (Provider Management Table) Fig. 7(b) is a conceptual diagram showing a provider management table. The provider management table is a table for the intermediary Da to manage each provider such as an electricity producer. A provider management DB 5002 configured with a provider management table as shown in Fig. 7(b) is constructed in the memory unit 5000. In this provider management table, a provider ID, a provider name, a type of production method of an asset such as electricity by the provider, and a supplyable amount are associated and managed.

[0077] Of these, the provider ID is an example of provider identification information for identifying a provider of an asset, such as a producer of electricity. The type of production method indicates the type of energy used to produce the asset. As described above, the types of production method include methods of generating energy using solar power, wind power, biomass, geothermal power, hydroelectric power, petroleum, coal, liquefied natural gas, and the like. The type of production method may indicate a broad category, such as renewable energy or fossil fuel. The available amount is the amount of assets that a provider, such as a producer, can provide in a certain period (or certain time), for example, the amount of electricity (kWh).

[0078] (Transaction content management table) FIG. 8(a) is a conceptual diagram showing a transaction content management table. The transaction content management table is a table for managing the transaction content of assets set by a user such as consumer Ca. A transaction content management DB 5003 configured by a transaction content management table as shown in FIG. 8(a) is constructed in the memory unit 5000. In this transaction content management table, transaction content information is managed, and specifically, the user ID, start date of use, end date of use, planned amount of use, renewable energy utilization rate, provider ID, provider name, and type of production method are associated and managed. Note that the same item names as those in FIGS. 7(a) and (b), such as the user ID, have the same meaning.

[0079] Of these, the start date of use is information indicating the date on which a user, such as consumer Ca, will start using an asset such as electricity. The end date of use is information indicating the date on which a user will end their use of an asset such as electricity. The planned amount of use is the amount of an asset that a user plans to use over a certain period (or time), for example, the amount of electricity (kWh). The renewable energy utilization rate is information indicating the proportion (%) of assets, such as electricity, used by a user, such as consumer Ca, that are produced using renewable energy such as solar power.

[0080] (Transaction history management table) FIG. 8(b) is a conceptual diagram showing a transaction history management table. The transaction history management table is a table for managing, for each user, transaction history in which the intermediary server 5 has mediated transactions related to assets acquired from providers such as producers. The storage unit 5000 has a transaction history management DB 5004 configured by a transaction history management table as shown in FIG. 8(b). In this transaction history management table, transaction history information is managed, and specifically, the intermediation date and time, the transaction volume, the type of production method, and the total transaction volume by various production methods are associated and managed. In addition, the type of (energy) resource used to produce an asset is, in other words, a "type of production method" that produces an asset using a predetermined type of resource. For example, if the asset is electricity, the "type of production method" indicates a "power generation method" such as solar power. In addition, here, the case where solar power and oil are used as various production methods is shown, but the present invention is not limited to these, and production methods using wind power, coal, etc. may be managed. In addition, a large classification of the type of production method indicating electricity, renewable energy, and fossil fuels may be managed.

[0081] Among the transaction history information, the item names that are the same as those in Fig. 7(a) and (b), such as the user ID, have the same meaning. The intermediation date and time indicates the date and time when the intermediation server 5 intermediates the ownership of the asset by assigning the ownership of the asset acquired from the provider such as the producer to the user such as the consumer Ca. The transaction volume indicates the transaction volume of the asset acquired from the provider by the intermediation server 5 and mediated the transaction to the user, and is indicated, for example, by the amount of electricity (kWh). The total transaction volume indicates the total amount of assets produced by a specific type of production method that are assigned to the user such as the consumer Ca in a certain period (or a certain time period), and is indicated, for example, by the total amount of electricity (kWh). The intermediation server 5 refers to the transaction history management DB 5004 to determine the type of production method of the asset to be assigned to the user such as the consumer Ca. Thus, for example, if the consumer Ca has set the ratio of electricity produced using renewable energy to 40, the intermediation server 5 refers to the total transaction volume in the transaction history management DB 5004 to determine the type of production method of the asset to be provided to the consumer Ca next.

[0082] Note that the planned usage shown in Figure 8(a) (e.g., 20 kWh) is the planned usage per hour, so if asset information is transferred every 30 minutes, the transaction volume will be half of the planned usage (e.g., 10 kWh).

[0083] In addition, although the various production methods shown here use sunlight and oil, the present invention is not limited to these, and production methods using wind, coal, etc. may be managed. Also, large classifications such as types of production methods showing renewable energy and fossil fuels may be managed.

[0084] Furthermore, the type of production method also includes the type of asset production process. The type of asset production process indicates a case where the process until an asset such as electricity is produced is different. As an example, even when using the same resource, the sun, it includes a method of producing electricity using sunlight and a method of producing electricity using solar heat. In addition, another example of the type of asset production process includes a method of producing electricity using a turbine and a method of producing electricity without using a turbine.

[0085] (Functional configuration of the intermediary server) Next, each functional configuration of the intermediary server 5 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6. The transmission / reception unit 51 of the intermediary server 5 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 501 for the network I / F 509, and transmits and receives various data (or information) with other terminals (e.g., smartphones 2a, 2c) via the communication network 100. The transmission / reception unit 51 also serves as a reception unit that receives transaction details (described later) from the smartphone 2c.

[0086] The determination unit 53 is realized by the processing of the CPU 501, and determines asset information indicating the ownership of assets to be transferred to users (transaction mediation). For example, the determination unit 53 determines asset information related to assets produced by a specific type of production method for which the determination unit 53 mediates transactions for users such as consumer Ca, based on the "transaction history of assets produced by users by a specific type of production method" managed in the transaction history management DB 5004 and the "renewable energy utilization rate" previously managed in the transaction content management DB 5003. Specifically, if consumer Ca sets the renewable energy utilization rate to 40(%), the determination unit 53 refers to the total transaction volume in the transaction history management DB 5004 and determines to change the owner of the asset information related to the assets produced by renewable energy from the intermediary Da managing the intermediary server 5 to consumer Ca, so that the utilization rate approaches 40(%).

[0087] The display control unit 54 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 501, and causes the display 506 to display various images, or causes the display 218 of the smartphone 2 to display various images via the communication network 100. In this case, the smartphone 2 displays various images by the web browser function of the display control unit 24 of the smartphone 2. Note that the display control unit 24 is a collective term for the display control units 24a and 24c.

[0088] The determination unit 55 is realized by the processing of the CPU 501, and performs various determinations.

[0089] The creation unit 58 is realized by the processing of the CPU 501, and creates an application form based on the transaction information and asset information to be submitted by the intermediary to the certification authority E. This application form is created in a predetermined format for applying for a production method certificate to certify the type of production method of the asset.

[0090] The storage / reading unit 59 is realized mainly by the processing of the CPU 501 , and stores various data (or information) in the storage unit 5000 and reads various data (or information) from the storage unit 5000 .

[0091] <Functional configuration for Node 9> 6, the node 9 has a transmission / reception unit 91, a verification unit 93, a judgment unit 95, a transaction processing unit 96, an asset processing unit 97, and a storage / reading unit 99. Each of these units is a function or means realized by any of the components shown in Fig. 4 being loaded from HD 904 onto RAM 903 and operating according to an instruction from CPU 901 in accordance with a program for the node.

[0092] Moreover, the node 9 has a storage unit 9000 constructed by the ROM 902 and HD 904 shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows, as an image, a state in which transaction information is linked like a chain. Also, asset information generated based on the transaction information is stored. Each piece of transaction information and each piece of asset information is held by each node.

[0093] (Asset information generation authority management table) Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an asset information generation authority management table. The asset information generation authority management table is a table for managing the authority to approve a request for the generation of asset information and the authority to approve a request for a change of asset information. An asset information generation authority management DB 9001 configured by the asset information generation authority management table as shown in Fig. 9 is constructed in the storage unit 9000. In this asset information generation authority management table, the presence or absence of authority to approve a request for the generation of asset information and the authority to approve a request for a change of asset information are associated and managed for each type of request source. The contents of this table are registered by the intermediary server 5 before asset trading begins.

[0094] For example, asset providers such as producers Aa and Ab have the authority to request the creation of asset information, but do not have the authority to request changes to the asset information. An intermediary such as intermediary Da does not have the authority to approve a request to create asset information, but does have the authority to approve a request to change the asset information. An asset user such as a consumer does not have either the authority to approve a request to create asset information or the authority to approve a request to change the asset information. A provider and user such as consumer Ca, like a provider, has the authority to approve a request to create asset information, but does not have the authority to approve a request to change the asset information.

[0095] (Functional configuration of the node) Next, each functional configuration of the node 9 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6. The transmission / reception unit 91 of the node 9 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 901 for the network I / F 909, and transmits and receives various data (or information) with other nodes of the blockchain network 90 in the communication network 100. The transmission / reception unit 91 also transmits and receives various data (or information) with the transmission / reception unit 31a of the smart meter 3a and the transmission / reception unit 51 of the intermediation server 5. Note that although the smartphone 3b is not shown in Fig. 6, the transmission / reception unit 91 actually transmits and receives various data (or information) with the smart meter 3b as well.

[0096] The verification unit 93 is realized by the processing of the CPU 901, and verifies the certificate and the provided information. The verification of the certificate is a process of judging whether or not the certificate is a certificate of the person registered in advance in the node 9, and is a process of judging whether or not the user (provider, intermediary, or user) has been granted an access right that enables access to the node 9. The verification of the provided information is a process of judging whether or not all of the predetermined format and contents (for example, whether the provider has been entered, whether the time of provision has been entered, etc.) have been entered.

[0097] The determination unit 95 is realized by the processing of the CPU 901, and performs various determinations.

[0098] The transaction processing unit 96 is realized by the processing of the CPU 901, and performs processing such as generating transaction information indicating transactions used to generate asset information and storing the transaction information in the storage unit 9000.

[0099] The asset processing unit 97 is realized by the processing of the CPU 901, and performs processing such as generating asset information in accordance with transaction information and storing it in the storage unit 9000.

[0100] The storage / reading unit 99 is realized mainly by the processing of the CPU 901 , and stores various data (or information) in the storage unit 9000 and reads various data (or information) from the storage unit 9000 .

[0101] [Processing or Action] Next, the processing or operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0102] <Registration process for intermediaries> First, the registration process of an intermediary will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the registration process of an intermediary. Fig. 11(a) is a diagram showing an example of a display of an intermediary registration screen, and Fig. 11(b) is a diagram showing an example of a display of an intermediary registration completion screen. Here, a case will be described in which a producer Aa registers an intermediary Da from among multiple intermediaries. Note that an application for intermediary registration is installed in advance on the smartphone 2a. This application associates and manages an intermediary ID for identifying each intermediary, an intermediary name, and an IP address of an intermediary server owned by the intermediary.

[0103] As shown in Fig. 10, in the smartphone 2a, the display control unit 24a displays the intermediary registration screen shown in Fig. 11(a) on the display 218 (S21). In this intermediary registration screen, a pull-down menu showing the names of intermediaries is displayed in order to select a specific intermediary. In addition, at the bottom of the intermediary registration screen, an "OK" button is displayed which is pressed to confirm the intermediary name selected in the pull-down menu, and a "CANCEL" button is displayed which is pressed to cancel the selection.

[0104] Then, when the producer Aa selects a desired intermediary name from the multiple intermediary names and presses the "OK" button, the reception unit 22a receives the selection of the intermediary (S22). Here, a case where the intermediary Da is selected will be described.

[0105] After the reception unit 22a receives the selection, the communication unit 28a transmits the intermediary information to the communication unit 38a of the smart meter 3a by short-range wireless communication (S23). The intermediary information includes an intermediary ID for identifying the selected intermediary and an IP address of the intermediary server owned by the selected intermediary. The communication unit 38a of the smart meter 3a receives the intermediary information.

[0106] Next, in the smart meter 3a, the storage / readout unit 39a registers the intermediary information in the storage unit 3000a. Then, the communication unit 38a transmits registration completion information indicating that the registration is completed to the smartphone 2a. As a result, the communication unit 28a of the smartphone 2a receives the registration completion information.

[0107] Next, in the smartphone 2a, the display control unit 24a displays a registration completion screen as shown in Fig. 11(b) on the display 218. A comment indicating that the registration of the intermediary is complete is displayed on this registration completion screen. In addition, an "OK" button that is pressed to close this screen is displayed on this registration completion screen, and when the producer Aa presses this button, the registration completion screen is closed.

[0108] This completes the registration process for the intermediary.

[0109] <Transaction details registration process> Next, the process of registering transaction details of assets will be described with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing the process of registering transaction details of assets. Fig. 13(a) is a diagram showing an example of the display of the transaction details registration screen before input and selection, and Fig. 13(b) is a diagram showing an example of the display of the transaction details registration screen after input and selection. Here, a case will be described in which a consumer Ca uses a smartphone 2c to register transaction details of electricity as an asset to the intermediary server 5.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 12, the transmitting / receiving unit 21c of the smartphone 2c transmits a display request for a transaction details registration screen to the intermediary server 5 via the communication network 100 (S41). This display request includes a user ID for identifying the consumer Ca as the user who made the request. As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediary server 5 receives the display request. The user ID is an example of user identification information. User identification information also includes the My Number, which is a number designated by local governments, etc. as an identification number for individuals in Japan, and the telephone number of an individual or a company, etc.

[0111] Next, in the intermediary server 5, the storage / readout unit 59 searches the user management DB 5001 (see FIG. 7(a)) using the user ID received in step S41 as a search key to read out all corresponding selectable provider IDs (S42). Furthermore, the storage / readout unit 59 searches the provider management DB 5002 using each provider ID read in step S42 as a search key to read out each corresponding piece of information (provider name, production method type information, available amount) (S43). Then, the display control unit 54 uses each piece of information read in step S43 to create a transaction details registration screen as shown in FIG. 13(a) (S44). As a result, in the smartphone 2c, the display control unit 24c uses the web browser function to display the transaction details registration screen shown in FIG. 13(a) created by the intermediary server 5 on the display 218 of the smartphone 2c (S45). This transaction details registration screen displays various input fields (the date of the asset (electricity in this case) usage period, the end date of the asset usage, the planned amount of asset usage, and the renewable energy utilization rate), as well as multiple check boxes for selecting the asset provider. Also displayed at the bottom of the transaction details registration screen are an "OK" button that is pressed to confirm the transaction details entered in the input fields and checked in the check boxes, and a "CANCEL" button that is pressed to cancel the transaction without confirming the details.

[0112] Here, the consumer Ca operates the touch panel of the smartphone 2c to input desired values ​​in each input field, and further checks the checkbox of the desired provider and presses the "OK" button, and the reception unit 22c accepts the input and selection of the transaction details (S46). Note that the renewable energy utilization rate indicates the proportion of renewable energy used in the energy used to produce the electricity that the consumer Ca wishes to obtain.

[0113] In this example, consumer Ca selects producer Aa, which produces electricity using sunlight as the energy source used in production, but since electricity is not provided at night, producer Ab, which produces electricity using oil, is selected in consideration of the need to substitute with other energy sources. The renewable energy utilization rate is set to 40%.

[0114] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 21c of the smartphone 2c transmits transaction content information indicating the entered and selected content to the intermediary server 5 via the communication network 100 (S47). As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediary server 5 receives the transaction content information and thereby accepts the transaction content.

[0115] Next, in the intermediary server 5, the memory / read unit 59 manages the transaction content information received in step S47 by storing it in the transaction content management DB 5003 (see Figure 8 (a)) in association with the user ID received in step S41 (S48).

[0116] This completes the transaction content registration process.

[0117] <Process to set the asset owner as an intermediary> Next, a process of setting the owner of an asset provided by a provider to an intermediary will be described with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. Fig. 14 is a sequence diagram showing a process of setting the owner of an asset provided by a provider to an intermediary. Fig. 15 is a conceptual diagram of transaction information and asset information. Here, a case will be described in which the smart meter 3a of producer Aa sets the owner of an asset to the node 9a as an intermediary.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 14, the measurement unit 33a measures the power supplied from the power generation device 4a to the power transmission and distribution network 10 (S61). Then, the transmission and reception unit 31a of the smart meter 3a transmits a request for generating asset information to the node 9a of the blockchain network 90 once every predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes) (S62). This request includes data of an electronic certificate that certifies that the producer Aa as the provider is the person in question, and the provided information, so that the smartphone 2a of the producer Aa who is the provider can access the blockchain network 90. ​​The provided information includes information such as the type of request source (here, "provider"), the provider (here, "producer Aa"), the provider name, the date and time of provision, the (tradable) amount, the type of production method, and the owner of the asset. As a result, the transmission and reception unit 91 of the node 9a receives the request for generating asset information. This provided information is information used to generate the transaction information shown in FIG. 15. The content of this provided information is determined in advance by a smart contract (automation of contract) of the blockchain. The provider name is an example of provider identification information for identifying the provider.

[0119] Next, the verification unit 93 of the node 9 verifies the certificate and the provided information received in step S62 (S63). This verification is a process of judging whether the certificate received in step S63 is the same as the certificate of the provider (producer Aa) registered in advance in the node 9, and whether each piece of information received in step S63 has a format and content required for generating transaction information and asset information. Furthermore, as a part of this verification process, the storage / reading unit 99 retrieves the presence or absence of the corresponding authority by searching the asset information generation authority management DB 9001 using the type information of the request source received in step S62 as a search key. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the provider (producer Aa) has the authority to request "generation" of asset information, so the verification unit 93 judges that the request for generation of asset information in step S62 is valid. Next, a case where the verification result is no problem (good) will be described.

[0120] Next, the transaction processing unit 96 uses the provision information received in step S62 to generate transaction information as shown in Fig. 15 and stores it in the storage unit 9000 (S64). In this case, the transaction processing unit 96 assigns a transaction ID and sets a transaction type. The transaction information includes the transaction ID, information on the transaction type, and provision information (information on the provider, provision date and time, (tradable) amount, production method, and owner).

[0121] Of these, the transaction ID is an example of unique identification information for identifying transaction information. The transaction type is information indicating the type of processing content for asset information. In FIG. 15, since the transaction type is the generation of asset information, the asset processing unit 97 generates the asset information. The provider is information indicating the provider of the asset. The provided date and time is information indicating the date and time when the asset was provided by the provider. The (tradable) amount is information indicating the amount of electricity, etc. that the provider can trade within a specified period. The type of production method is information indicating the type of production method shown in FIG. 8(b). The owner is information indicating the owner of the asset, indicating the ownership of the asset, etc.

[0122] Next, the asset processing unit 97 generates the asset information shown in FIG. 15 according to the transaction information shown in FIG. 15 and stores it in the storage unit 9000 (S65). In this case, the asset processing unit 97 sets the provision information (information on the provider, provision date and time, (tradable) amount, production method, and owner) in the transaction information, as well as the expiration date of the transaction and the transaction status of the asset information. The expiration date of the transaction is set, for example, one month after the provision date. The transaction status is information indicating whether the asset information has been traded (allocated) to a user by the intermediary server 5. In FIG. 15, "Not yet" indicates a state in which the asset information has not been traded (allocated) to a user, that is, a state in which the intermediary has not yet provided the asset information to the user.

[0123] In addition, the transmitter / receiver 91 of the node 9 distributes the transaction information generated in step S64 as a block to the other nodes of the blockchain network 90 (S66). As a result, the other nodes verify the block and add it to the chain of blocks already stored in each node, and then generate asset information according to the transaction information in the same manner as in step S65 above and store it in each storage unit. Note that multiple pieces of transaction information may be stored in one block.

[0124] Next, the transmitter / receiver 91 of the node 9 transmits a response to the request of step S62 to the smart meter 3a (S67). The content of this response indicates whether the process for the request of step S62 has been successful or unsuccessful. As a result, the transmitter / receiver 31a of the smart meter 3a receives the response. Note that, if the verification result by the verification unit 93 is problematic (bad) in step S63, the processes of steps S64 to S66 are not performed, and in step S67, the transmitter / receiver 91 transmits a response indicating failure.

[0125] Next, in the smart meter 3a, the storage / read unit 39a stores the response content in the storage unit 3000a.

[0126] As a result, asset information indicating details such as the asset owner being set as the intermediary Da is managed on the blockchain network, completing the process of providing asset information from the provider to the intermediary.

[0127] <Process of providing asset information from intermediary to user> Next, a process for setting the owner of an asset mediated by an intermediary to a user will be described with reference to Fig. 16 to Fig. 19. Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram showing a process for setting the owner of an asset mediated by an intermediary to a user.

[0128] First, the transmitting / receiving unit 31c of the smart meter 3c of the consumer Ca transmits usage information indicating the usage state of the electricity as an asset via the communication network 100 once every predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes) (S81). This usage information includes information on the user ID for identifying the consumer Ca as the user, the amount of electricity used as an asset, and the usage time of the electricity as an asset. As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediation server 5 receives the usage information. Then, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 transmits a request for all asset information for which the intermediary Da managing the intermediary server 5 is the owner to the node 9 of the blockchain network 90 (S82). This request includes electronic certificate data verifying the identity of the intermediary Da as an intermediary, and information indicating the intermediary Da as the owner, so that the intermediary server 5 managed by the intermediary Da can access the blockchain network 90. ​​As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 91 of the node 9 receives the request for all asset information.

[0129] Next, in node 9, the verification unit 93 verifies the certificate received in step S82 (S83). This verification is a process of determining whether or not the certificate received in step S83 is the same as the certificate of the intermediary (intermediary Da) pre-registered in node 9. Next, a case where the verification result is satisfactory (good) will be described.

[0130] The storage / read unit 99 of the node 9 reads out all asset information managed by the owner as the intermediary Da who manages the intermediary server 5 (S84). Then, the transmission / reception unit 91 transmits all of the asset information read out in step S84 to the intermediary server 5 (S85). As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the intermediary server 5 receives all of the asset information. Therefore, the intermediary server 5 can receive all of the asset information of the intermediary Da that can be assigned to users. Next, the storage / reading unit 59 of the intermediary server 5 searches the transaction content management DB 5003 using the user ID received in step S81 as a search key to read out the corresponding transaction content information (S86). Furthermore, the storage / reading unit 59 searches the transaction history management DB 5004 using the user ID received in step S81 as a search key to read out the corresponding latest total transaction volume (S87). In the case of Fig. 8(b), 20 (kWh) is read as the total transaction volume of electricity produced by solar power, and 160 (kWh) is read as the total transaction volume of electricity produced by oil.

[0131] Next, the determination unit 53 determines the type of production method of the asset related to the asset information to be transferred to the consumer Ca as a user, based on the transaction content information read in step S86 and the total transaction volume read in step S87 (S88). For example, if the transaction content information indicates the types of production method as "solar power" and "oil", the transaction history information indicates that the latest total transaction volume is "20" for solar power and "160" for oil, so the determination unit 53 determines the type of production method to be "solar power" so as to approach the renewable energy rate of "40".

[0132] Then, the memory / read unit 59 adds the contents processed in step S88 to the transaction history management DB 5004 by storing them (S89). As a result, for example, the memory / read unit 59 adds a record indicating the brokerage date and time "2020.1.1 9:00-9:30", the transaction amount "10", the type of production method "photovoltaic", and the total transaction amount for photovoltaic "30" to the transaction history management DB 5004 (see FIG. 8(b)).

[0133] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediary server 5 transmits a change request for asset information to the node 9 of the blockchain network 90 (S90). This change request includes an asset ID for identifying the asset information related to the specific asset produced by the specific type of production method determined in step S88 among the asset information received in step S85. The change request in step S90 also includes information on the type of requester (here, "intermediary"), the new owner name, and the (usage) amount of the asset. If there are multiple assets produced by the specific type of production method determined in step S88, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 transmits a change request for the specific asset information related to the asset whose expiration date is closest to the current date and time among these multiple assets. The owner name is an example of owner identification information for identifying the owner.

[0134] Next, in node 9, the verification unit 93 verifies each piece of information (asset ID, owner name, (usage) amount) received in step S90 (S91). This verification is a process of judging whether each piece of information received in step S90 is in a predetermined format and content. Furthermore, as a part of this verification process, the storage / reading unit 99 reads out the presence or absence of the corresponding authority by searching the asset information generation authority management DB 9001 using the type information of the request source received in step S90 as a search key. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, since the intermediary (intermediary Da) has the authority to request "change" of asset information, the verification unit 93 judges that the request to change asset information in step S90 is valid. Next, a case where the verification result is no problem (good) will be described.

[0135] Next, node 9 generates transaction information and changes (or generates) asset information based on the change request in step S90 (S92). The process of step S92 will now be described in detail with reference to Figs. 17 to 19. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the detailed process of step S91 in Fig. 16, and showing the process of generating transaction information and changing or generating asset information. Fig. 18 is a conceptual diagram of transaction information and asset information when the amount of electricity used is equal to or greater than the tradable amount of electricity (S101 in Fig. 17; YES). Fig. 19 is a conceptual diagram of transaction information and asset information when the amount of electricity used is less than the tradable amount of electricity (S101 in Fig. 17; NO).

[0136] As shown in FIG. 17, the judgment unit 95 of node 9 judges whether the usage amount of the user's asset received in step S90 (here, the electricity consumption of consumer Ca) is equal to or greater than the tradable amount managed in the asset information (S101).

[0137] (When all available trading volume is used) When the judgment unit 95 judges that the amount of assets used by the user is equal to or greater than the tradable amount managed in the asset information (S101; YES), the transaction processing unit 96 generates second transaction information, and additionally stores a block including the second transaction information in the chain of blocks including the first transaction stored in the storage unit 9000 (S102), as shown in Fig. 18. Then, the asset processing unit 97 changes the contents of the first asset information in accordance with the second transaction information (S103).

[0138] Here, the processing of steps S102 and S103 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 18. The first transaction information and first asset information on the left side of Fig. 18 are the same as the transaction information and asset information in Fig. 15, respectively. Here, a case will be described in which the smart meter 3a sets the asset owner to the intermediary Da (generation of the first asset information based on the first transaction information), and then the intermediary server 5 changes the asset owner to the consumer Ca (change of the first asset information based on the second transaction information), so that the intermediary Da mediates the transaction of asset information (ownership of the asset).

[0139] In step S102, the transaction processing unit 96 generates second transaction information as shown in Fig. 18. This second transaction information indicates a unique transaction ID and "asset information transaction" as the type of transaction. The second transaction information also indicates the mediation date and time when the asset information transaction was mediated, the new owner after mediation, an asset ID for identifying the asset information to be transferred, and the usage amount of the asset (here, electricity) received in step S90.

[0140] Then, in step S103, the asset processing unit 97 changes the first asset information as shown in FIG. 18. The asset processing unit 97 changes the "(tradable) amount" to "(used) amount" in the first asset information, and changes the owner from "intermediary Da" to "consumer Ca". Furthermore, since the entire tradable amount has been used (S101; YES), no more assets can be allocated, and therefore the asset processing unit 97 changes the transaction status in the first asset information from "not yet" to "completed". Note that asset information whose transaction status has been changed to "completed" in this way will be excluded from future transactions. Therefore, the transaction processing unit 96 does not include asset information whose transaction status is set to "completed" in the transaction type of "asset information transaction". In other words, asset information excluded from transaction targets will not be transferred again.

[0141] As described above, when the entire tradable amount of an asset has been used, new asset information is not generated, but the asset information is changed.

[0142] 16, the transmitting / receiving unit 91 of the node 9 transmits a response to the request of step S90 to the intermediary server 5 (S93). The content of this response indicates whether the processing for the request of step S90 was successful or unsuccessful. As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediary server 5 receives the response. Note that, in step S91, if the verification result by the verification unit 93 is problematic (bad), the processing of step S92 is not performed, and in step S93, the transmitting / receiving unit 91 transmits a response indicating failure.

[0143] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediation server 5 transmits a response to the transmission in step S81 to the smart meter 3c (S94). As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 31c of the smart meter 3c receives the response from the intermediation server 5. Note that the content of this response indicates the response content (success or failure) received in step S93, and is managed and displayed in the smart meter 3c.

[0144] (If there is surplus available trading volume) On the other hand, in step S101 of Fig. 17, if the judgment unit 95 judges that the amount of assets used by the user is less than the tradable amount managed in the asset information (S101; NO), the transaction processing unit 96 generates second transaction information, and additionally stores a block including the second transaction information in the chain of blocks including the first transaction stored in the storage unit 9000 (S104), as shown in Fig. 19. Then, the asset processing unit 97 changes the contents of the first asset information in accordance with the second transaction information (S105).

[0145] Here, the processing of steps S104 and S105 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 19. The first transaction information and first asset information on the left side of Fig. 19 are the same as the transaction information and asset information in Fig. 15, respectively. Here, a case will be described in which the smart meter 3a sets the asset owner to the intermediary Da (generation of the first asset information based on the first transaction information), and then the intermediary server 5 changes the asset owner to the consumer Ca (change of the first asset information based on the second transaction information), so that the intermediary Da mediates the transaction of asset information (ownership of the asset).

[0146] In step S104, the transaction processing unit 96 generates second transaction information as shown in FIG. 19. This second transaction information indicates a unique transaction ID and "asset information transaction" as the type of transaction. The "asset information transaction" includes not only an instruction to change the owner in the first asset information, but also an instruction to generate third transaction information used to generate second asset information indicating the ownership of the asset of the surplus usage amount when there is a surplus usage amount. This causes the transaction processing unit 96 to continue processing and generate the third transaction information. The second transaction information also indicates the mediation date and time when the asset information transaction was mediated, the new owner after the mediation, an asset ID for identifying the asset information to be transferred (transacted), and the usage amount of the asset (here, electricity) received in step S90.

[0147] Then, in step S105, the asset processing unit 97 changes the first asset information as shown in FIG. 19. In the first asset information, the asset processing unit 97 changes the "(tradable) amount" to "(usage) amount" and changes the owner from "intermediary Da" to "consumer Ca". Furthermore, since the assets for the amount of usage cannot be allocated any more, the asset processing unit 97 changes the transaction status in the first asset information from "not yet" to "completed". However, what is different from the case of FIG. 18 is that there is a surplus of tradable amount (S101; NO). Therefore, the transaction processing unit 96 calculates the surplus tradable amount (S106). In this case, the old tradable amount (here, "10") - the amount of usage (here, "6") = the surplus tradable amount (here, "4").

[0148] Next, in order to newly create asset information for managing the remaining tradable amount, the transaction processing unit 96 generates third transaction information, and additionally stores a block including the third transaction information in the chain of blocks including the second transaction stored in the storage unit 9000 (S107), as shown in Fig. 19. Then, the asset processing unit 97 generates second asset information according to the third transaction information, and stores it in the storage unit 9000 (S108).

[0149] Here, the processing of steps S107 and S108 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 19. Here, a case will be described in which after the intermediary server 5 changes the owner of the assets to the consumer Ca (changing the first asset information based on the second transaction information and generating the third transaction information), the intermediary server 5 newly manages the remaining tradable amount at the node 9 (generating the second asset information based on the third transaction information), and the intermediary Da uses the asset information (ownership of the assets) of the remaining tradable amount as the subject of intermediation in the transaction.

[0150] In step S107, the transaction processing unit 96 generates third transaction information as shown in Fig. 19. This third transaction information has different contents from the first transaction, but indicates the same items. That is, the third transaction information indicates a unique transaction ID and "creation of asset information" as the type of transaction. The third transaction information also indicates the provider of the asset information, the date and time when the asset information was provided by the provider, the (tradable) amount, the type of production method, and the owner.

[0151] Then, in step S108, the asset processing unit 97 generates second asset information as shown in Fig. 19. This second asset information has different contents from the first asset information, but the items are the same. The difference is that the (tradable) amount becomes the amount calculated in step S106 (here, "4").

[0152] As described above, when there is a surplus in the tradable amount of an asset, new asset information indicating the surplus amount is generated.

[0153] After this, the process returns to FIG. 16, and the same processes as steps S93 and S94 are carried out, so that the description thereof will be omitted.

[0154] <Production method certificate intermediary processing> Next, the mediation process of the production method certificate of the asset will be described with reference to Fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a sequence diagram showing the mediation process of the production method certificate of the asset. In order to prove that the type of the production method of the electricity consumed is renewable energy such as solar power, the consumer Ca requests the mediator Da to obtain a production method certificate to prove the production method of the asset from the certification authority E. This will be described below.

[0155] As shown in FIG. 20, when consumer Ca operates the smartphone 2c, the transmitter / receiver 21c transmits a request for a production method certificate for the asset via the communication network 100 (S201). As a result, the transmitter / receiver 51 of the intermediary server 5 receives the request. This request includes a user ID for identifying the user as consumer Ca, and transaction period information indicating the period during which the asset is traded. That is, consumer Ca requests a production method certificate for a specific transaction period, for example, from January 1, 2020 to January 31, 2020.

[0156] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediary server 5 transmits a request for transaction information and asset information to the node 9 of the blockchain network 90 (S202). This request includes the certificate of the user (here, consumer Ca) that the intermediary server 5 previously acquired from the smartphone 2c, information indicating the user (here, consumer Ca) as the owner, and transaction period information. As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 91 of the node 9 receives the request. The certificate of the intermediary server 5 is the same as the content transmitted in step S82 above. Also, the transaction period information is transmitted in step S 201 The transaction period information received at the

[0157] Next, in node 9, the verification unit 93 performs step S 202 The node 9 verifies the received certificate (S203). The certificate verification is a process for determining whether the received certificate is a certificate of a server registered in advance in the node 9. Next, a case where the verification result shows no problem will be described.

[0158] Next, the memory / read unit 99 reads out transaction information and asset information in which consumer Ca is set as the owner within the specified transaction period indicated by the transaction period information received in step S202 (S204). In this case, the memory / read unit 99 reads out specific transaction information in which an intermediation date and time included in the transaction period is indicated and in which the new owner is indicated as consumer Ca. The memory / read unit 99 also reads out asset information based on the asset ID indicated in the specific transaction information that has been read out.

[0159] Then, the transmitting / receiving unit 91 of the node 9 transmits the requested transaction information and asset information to the intermediation server 5 (S205). As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the intermediation server 5 receives the transaction information and asset information.

[0160] Next, in the intermediary server 5, the creation unit 58 creates an application form for the intermediary to submit to the certification authority E based on the transaction information and asset information received in step S205 (S206). This application form is used to apply for a production method certificate to certify the type of production method of the asset.

[0161] Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the intermediary Da sends the application created in step S206 to the certification authority E by mail or the like (S1). The certification authority E then creates an asset production method certificate that certifies that 40% of the electricity consumed by the consumer Ca was produced by renewable energy such as solar power, and sends it to the intermediary Da by mail or the like (S2). The intermediary Da then sends the production method certificate to the consumer Ca by mail or the like (S3). Note that the certification authority E may, if necessary, obtain transaction information and asset information from the blockchain network 90 and check the contents before issuing the production method certificate.

[0162] This completes the intermediate process for the production method certificate by the intermediate Da. After receiving the production method certificate, the consumer Ca can use it to improve the image of his / her company or to apply for government subsidies for the use of renewable energy.

[0163] [Main Effects of the Embodiments] As described above, when the node 9 acquires certificate data from the smart meter 3 or the intermediary server 5, etc., if a processing request such as creation or modification of asset information from a third party unrelated to the asset provider or user is permitted, an unexpected situation may occur for the provider or user. On the other hand, if no processing request such as creation or modification of asset information is permitted from a third party, a problem occurs in that a specific third party cannot mediate a transaction of asset information. In response to this, the node 9 of this embodiment not only verifies the presence or absence of an access right using the certificate data, but also verifies whether or not the user of the smart meter 3 or the intermediary server 5, etc., who made a processing request (a generation request, a modification request, etc.) regarding the asset information, is granted the authority to grant the processing request, thereby preventing the node 9 in the blockchain network 90 from permitting a processing request such as creation or modification of asset information from an unrelated third party, while at the same time permitting a request for a transaction of asset information from a specific third party such as the intermediary Da.

[0164] In addition, since the quality of assets such as electricity provided to users is constant, even if the type of production method of the asset is unknown, node 9 of the blockchain network 90 manages asset information that indicates the type of production method of the asset and the owner of the asset, as well as the transaction information used to generate this asset information, thereby achieving the effect of being able to prove the type of production method without fraud.

[0165] In addition, in order to realize stable use of electricity, it is necessary to adjust the consumed electricity and the produced electricity to be the same in real time (simultaneous and equal). However, since the blockchain is a distributed ledger, it takes a certain amount of time to confirm the consistency of each ledger information via the network, and therefore it is not suitable for applications such as real-time asset transactions that require real-time performance. In contrast, in this embodiment, the intermediary server 5 transmits a change request to the blockchain network 90 to change the owner indicated by the asset information managed in the blockchain network 90 from the original owner to the user (consumer Ca) after the consumer Ca has used the asset, not at the timing when the consumer Ca starts using the asset such as electricity (S89). This kind of post-payment processing has the effect of enabling management of asset ownership by the blockchain for applications such as real-time asset transactions that require real-time performance. Moreover, since the intermediary server 5 changes the asset information managed in the blockchain network 90 on behalf of the provider (producer Aa, etc.) and the user (consumer Ca, etc.), the provider (producer Aa, etc.) and the user (consumer Ca, etc.) can trade electricity without worrying about changes to the asset information.

[0166] Furthermore, the intermediary server 5 has the effect of being able to be used for purposes such as real-time trading of assets such as electricity produced using renewable energy sources such as solar power, by changing the owner of a specific type of asset production method.

[0167] 〔others〕 In the above embodiment, the smartphone 2, the smart meter 3, and the intermediation server 5 that access the node 9 are all examples of communication devices.

[0168] Furthermore, the request to generate asset information in step S62 and the request to change asset information in step S90 are transmitted and received, respectively, and these requests are examples of processing requests related to asset information indicating information about assets.

[0169] In the above embodiment, the asset information includes information indicating the owner of the asset, but in some cases, information indicating the owner may not be included. For example, when a user is self-sufficient, such as when the user is also a producer, there is no need to transfer the asset to another person (other company), so it is sufficient to be able to prove the type of production method.

[0170] In addition, in the above embodiment, electricity is shown as an example of an asset, but this is not limited to this, and includes assets that physically (or in reality) exist and assets that do not physically (or in reality) exist, as described below.

[0171] Examples of assets that exist physically (or in reality) include foods such as grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, marine products, and processed products. When the assets are grains, vegetables, and fruits, the asset information is additional information such as information indicating whether pesticides were used, or information indicating the producer or production area. When the assets are meat, the asset information is additional information such as information indicating whether the animals were raised using genetically modified crops, or information indicating the producer or production area. When the assets are marine products such as fish and shellfish, the asset information is additional information such as information indicating natural or farmed products, or information indicating the producer (fisherman) or production area (fishing area). When the assets are processed products, the asset information is additional information such as information indicating allergens, information indicating whether the assets were processed using genetically modified crops, or information indicating the processor or the location of the processing plant.

[0172] Furthermore, physically (or actually) existing assets include real estate such as land and buildings, and movable property such as goods or quantities of goods. When the asset is real estate, the asset information is associated information such as ownership. When the asset is movable property, the asset information is associated information such as ownership.

[0173] On the other hand, examples of assets that do not exist physically (or in reality) include tokens (virtual currencies) or token quantities, carbon dioxide emission rights, rights such as intellectual property rights, and contracts. When the asset is a token, the asset information is additional information such as ownership. When the asset is a carbon dioxide emission right, the asset information is additional information such as ownership. When the asset is a right such as intellectual property right, the asset information is additional information such as the owner of the right, the transferee of the right, and the licensee. When the asset is a contract, the asset information is additional information such as the contract terms and performance status. It should be noted that not only contracts but also treaties, agreements, promises, memoranda, memos, etc. are similar to contracts.

[0174] Furthermore, assets in the case of postpaid processing include not only electricity but also gas, tap water, telephone calls, etc. In the case of gas, tap water, and telephone calls, the asset information is incidental information such as ownership.

[0175] Each of the components such as the CPUs 201, 301, 501, 901, etc. may be a single component or a plurality of components.

[0176] Each function in the above-described embodiment can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the "processing circuit" in the present embodiment includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a SOC (System on a chip), a GPU, and a conventional circuit module designed to execute each of the above-described functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 1. Trading System 2. Smartphones (an example of a communication device) 3. Smart meters (an example of communication devices) 4. Power generation equipment 5. Intermediary server (an example of a communication device) 8 Electrical Equipment 9 Node 10 Power transmission and distribution network 51 Transmitting and Receiving Section (Reception Section) 53 Decision Section 90 Blockchain Network 91 Transmitter / receiver 95 Judgment Department 96 Transaction Processing Unit 97 Asset Processing Section 100 Communication Network 5001 User management DB 5002 Provider management DB 5003 Transaction content management DB 5004 Transaction history management DB [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0178] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-144851 A

Claims

1. A method performed by a node of a blockchain network, comprising: A receiving step of receiving a request for generation of asset information; a first verification step of verifying whether the certificate included in the request is the same as a pre-registered certificate of the provider; a second verification step of verifying whether the provision information, including each piece of information related to the asset, included in the request has a format and content required for generating transaction information including each piece of information and the asset information; a first generation step of generating the transaction information including each piece of information including information for identifying the provider of the asset and a tradable amount of the asset, when the first verification step verifies that the certificate included in the request is the same as the certificate of the provider and the second verification step verifies that the provided information has the format and the content; a second generation step of generating the asset information in which the pieces of information are set according to the generated transaction information; A distribution step of distributing the transaction information to other nodes in a blockchain network; The method according to claim 1,

2. Each piece of information about the asset further includes information about a date and time when the asset was provided, information about a type of production method for the asset, and information about a type of owner of the asset; 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second verification step judges whether or not said provided information is in a predetermined format and whether or not all predetermined contents have been entered.

3. a setting step of setting, when generating and storing the asset information, each piece of information related to the asset included in the transaction information, an expiration date that is a predetermined time after the date and time when the asset is provided, and a transaction status of the asset information; The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. A system including a node of a blockchain network and a communication device capable of communicating with the node, The communication device includes: A transmitting means for transmitting a request for generating asset information to a node of a blockchain network, The node: a receiving means for receiving the request transmitted by the communication device; a verification means for verifying whether or not the certificate included in the request is the same as a preregistered certificate of the provider, and for verifying whether or not the provided information included in the request, which includes each piece of information related to the asset, has a format and content required for generating transaction information and asset information including each piece of information; a processing means for generating the transaction information including each piece of information, including information for identifying the asset provider and a tradable amount of the asset, when the verification means verifies that the certificate included in the request is the same as the certificate of the provider and that the provided information has the format and content as described above, and for generating the asset information in which each piece of information is set according to the generated transaction information; A transmitting means for distributing the transaction information to other nodes in the blockchain network; A system having

5. A node of a blockchain network, a verification means for verifying whether a certificate included in a request for generating asset information is the same as a pre-registered provider certificate, and for verifying whether the provided information included in the request, which includes each piece of information related to the asset, has a format and content required for generating transaction information including each piece of information and the asset information; a processing means for generating the transaction information including each piece of information, including information for identifying the asset provider and a tradable amount of the asset, when the verification means verifies that the certificate included in the request is the same as the certificate of the provider and that the provided information has the format and content as described above, and for generating the asset information in which each piece of information is set according to the generated transaction information; A transmitting means for distributing the transaction information to other nodes in the blockchain network; A node having

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