Information processing apparatus

Abstract

After the electricity consumer actually consumes electricity, the electric utility as the power supplier is selected. 【Solution means】The first acquisition unit 41 acquires the electricity consumption used in the facility 10 corresponding to one supply point number. The second acquisition unit 43 acquires, in addition to one or more electricity utility IDs corresponding to each supply point number, a contract plan name and a control method. The distribution unit 44 distributes the electricity consumption acquired by the first acquisition unit 41 to a plurality of electricity utilities identified by the plurality of electricity utility IDs acquired by the second acquisition unit 43.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for selecting an electric utility company that supplies power to power consumers.

Background Art

[0002] Due to so-called power liberalization, the services and tariff systems of electric utility companies have become diversified, and power consumers can select a suitable electric utility company from among multiple electric utility companies. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism for comparing the power supply conditions of multiple electric utility companies with the power usage conditions of a power consumer, selecting the optimal electric utility company for the power consumer, and notifying the power consumer and the selected electric utility company of the selection result.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The mechanism described in Patent Document 1 selects an electric utility company based on the estimated power demand before consuming power. In contrast, it would be convenient for power consumers to have a mechanism for selecting an electric utility company after consuming power based on the actual amount of power consumed by the power consumer.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object thereof is to select an electric utility company as a power supply source after a power consumer actually consumes power.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention includes a first acquisition unit that acquires the amount of electricity used in a facility corresponding to a supply point number of 1, and a storage device that stores the operator identification information of a plurality of electricity suppliers in association with the supply point number of 1. A second acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of the operator identification information corresponding to the supply point number of 1, and a distribution unit that distributes the amount of electricity used acquired by the first acquisition unit to a plurality of electricity suppliers identified by the plurality of operator identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit. The distribution unit performs the distribution in response to requests for power saving or use by each of the plurality of electric utilities. An information processing apparatus characterized by the above is provided. Furthermore, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus including: a second acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of business operator identification information corresponding to the supply point number from a storage device that stores the business operator identification information of a plurality of electric utilities in association with the supply point numbers; and a distribution unit that distributes the electricity consumption amount acquired by the first acquisition unit to a plurality of electric utilities identified by the plurality of business operator identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit. When there is an electric utility that discounts the electricity charge by not distributing the electricity charge to other electric utilities, the distribution unit performs the distribution so that the electricity charge after the discount becomes the lowest.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, after a power consumer actually consumes power, it becomes possible to select an electricity supplier as a power supply source.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] [Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1 includes a plurality of smart meters 11 respectively installed in facilities 10 such as homes where each user who is an electricity consumer lives or offices where they work, a plurality of electric utility company server devices 20 respectively owned by each electric utility company that has power generation facilities and conducts a power retail business, a plurality of power transmission and distribution company server devices 30 respectively owned by each power transmission and distribution company that transmits and distributes power generated by the power generation facilities of the electric utility company to each facility 10 via a power supply network (not shown), and a management server device 40 that functions as an example of the information processing device of the present invention.

[0010] The communication network 2 includes a wireless communication network or a wired communication network that communicably connects the smart meters 11, the electric utility company server devices 20, the power transmission and distribution company server devices 30, and the management server device 40. Note that the numbers of the facilities 10, smart meters 11, electric utility company server devices 20, power transmission and distribution company server devices 30, and management server device 40 shown in FIG. 1 are merely examples and are not limited to the illustrated numbers. Also, the electric utility company server devices 20, the power transmission and distribution company server devices 30, and the management server device 40 are not limited to single computers and may each be composed of a plurality of computers.

[0011] The electric utility company server device 20 manages various information related to the power retail business, and the power transmission and distribution company server device 30 manages various information related to the power transmission and distribution business. In the case of Japan, each facility 10 to which power is supplied is called a supply point, and the electric utility company server device 20 and the power transmission and distribution company server device 30 identify each supply point by identification information called a supply point number.

[0012] The selection or change of the electricity supplier and the power transmission and distribution operator for each facility 10 is called switching. This switching is realized by a switching support system constructed by the electricity supplier and the power transmission and distribution operator.

[0013] One facility 10 is a single unit of the main body of the electricity contract, and currently in Japan, it is assumed that only one electricity supplier is registered for one facility 10. The electricity supplier corresponding to each such facility 10 is registered by the power transmission and distribution operator server device 30. That is, in the present embodiment, the power transmission and distribution operator server device 30 corresponds to a storage device that stores the operator identification information of a plurality of electricity suppliers in association with one supply point number.

[0014] On the contrary, in the present embodiment, it is allowed that a plurality of electricity suppliers are registered for one supply point. That is, in the present embodiment, in the power transmission and distribution operator server device 30, as shown in FIG. 2, one or more electricity supplier IDs (identification information) of electricity suppliers are registered in association with one supply point number meaning each facility 10. In the power transmission and distribution operator server device 30, the contract plan name, the control method, etc. may be further registered. The management server device 40 has a function of instructing the electricity supplier and the power transmission and distribution operator including the switching support system to select any one of the plurality of electricity suppliers registered for one supply point.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the management server device 40. Physically, the management server device 40 is configured as a computer including a processor 4001, a memory 4002, a storage 4003, and a bus connecting these. In the following description, the term "device" can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the management server device 40 may be configured to include one or more of each device shown in the figure, or may be configured without including some devices.

[0016] Each function in the management server device 40 is realized by causing a processor 4001 to load a predetermined software (program) onto hardware such as the processor 4001 and the memory 4002, so that the processor 4001 performs calculations, controls communication by the communication device 4004, or controls at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 4002 and the storage 4003.

[0017] The processor 4001 operates, for example, an operating system to control the entire computer. The processor 4001 may be constituted by a central processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, a register, and the like.

[0018] The processor 4001 reads a program (program code), software module, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 4003 and the communication device 4004 into the memory 4002, and executes various processes according to these. As the program, a program for causing a computer to execute at least a part of the operations described later is used. The functional blocks of the management server device 40 may be stored in the memory 4002 and realized by a control program operating in the processor 4001. Various processes may be executed by one processor 4001, or may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 4001. The processor 4001 may be implemented by one or more chips. Note that the program may be transmitted from the communication network 2 to the management server device 40 via a telecommunication line.

[0019] The memory 4002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be constituted by at least one of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The memory 4002 may be referred to as a register, a cache, a main memory (main storage device), etc. The memory 4002 can store a program (program code), a software module, etc. executable for implementing the method according to the present embodiment.

[0020] The storage 4003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be constituted by at least one of, for example, an optical disk such as a CDROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (for example, a compact disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc), a smart card, a flash memory (for example, a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The storage 4003 may be referred to as an auxiliary storage device.

[0021] The communication device 4004 is hardware (a transmission / reception device) for performing communication between computers via the communication network 2 and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc.

[0022] Each device such as the processor 4001 and the memory 4002 is connected by a bus for communicating information. The bus may be constituted by using a single bus or may be constituted by using different buses for each device.

[0023] Further, the management server device 40 may include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 4001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the management server device 40. In the management server device 40, the processor 4001, the memory 4002, the storage 4003, and the communication device 4004 cooperate to realize the functions of the first acquisition unit 41, the storage unit 42, the second acquisition unit 43, and the distribution unit 44.

[0025] The smart meter 11 of each facility 10 records the amount of electricity used by the electrical equipment in the facility 10, and periodically transmits the recorded content together with the supply point number of the facility 10 to the management server device 40 or the like via the communication network 2. The first acquisition unit 41 acquires this recorded content. That is, the first acquisition unit 41 acquires the amount of electricity used in the facility 10 corresponding to one supply point number. The supply point number and the amount of electricity used acquired by the first acquisition unit 41 are stored in association with each other as shown in FIG. 5.

[0026] In FIG. 4, the second acquisition unit 43 acquires the content registered by the power transmission and distribution utility server device 30, that is, in addition to one or more electricity provider IDs corresponding to each supply point number, the contract plan name, the control method, and the like. The content acquired by the second acquisition unit 43 is stored in association with each other as shown in FIG. 6.

[0027] In FIG. 4, the distribution unit 44 distributes the electricity consumption amount acquired by the first acquisition unit 41 to a plurality of electric utilities identified by one or more electric utility IDs acquired by the second acquisition unit 43. For example, when one electric utility is registered for one supply point number, the distribution unit 44 distributes all of the electricity consumption amount of that one supply point number to that one electric utility.

[0028] Further, when a plurality of electric utilities are registered for one supply point number, the distribution unit 44 distributes the electricity consumption amount of that one supply point number to the plurality of electric utilities. There are a plurality of methods for this distribution method as described below.

[0029] (1) First, a method can be considered in which the distribution of the electricity consumption amount for a plurality of electric utilities is specified by the user each time the electricity bill is calculated. For example, the user specifies how to distribute the electricity consumption amount to a plurality of electric utilities each time the electricity bill is calculated on the website or application program provided by the management server device 40. The distribution unit 44 distributes the electricity consumption amount to a plurality of electric utilities according to the specified content. According to this method, the user can distribute the electricity consumption amount to a plurality of electric utilities with the distribution desired each time.

[0030] [[ID=~1]] (2) Also, the distribution of the electricity bill for a plurality of electric utilities may be determined in advance. Regarding the determination of the distribution, for example, a method of specifying and determining in advance on the website or application program provided by the management server device how to distribute the electricity consumption amount to a plurality of electric utilities, or a method of determining to equally distribute the electricity consumption amount to a plurality of electric utilities can be considered.

[0031] For example, when a user has contracts with three electricity providers, namely Electricity Provider A, Electricity Provider B, and Electricity Provider C, the electricity consumption is distributed such that 30% is allocated to Electricity Provider A, 30% to Electricity Provider B, and 40% to Electricity Provider C. The ratio of the distribution of electricity consumption for each electricity provider can be arbitrarily determined. According to this method, if the user specifies the desired distribution, the electricity consumption can be distributed among multiple electricity providers according to that specification.

[0032] (3) There is also a method of performing distribution so that the electricity charge corresponding to the electricity consumption acquired by the first acquisition unit 41 is the lowest based on the tariff systems of each of the multiple electricity providers.

[0033] In this case, in order for the distribution unit 44 to calculate the electricity charge corresponding to the electricity consumption, the storage unit 42 stores the tariff systems for each contract plan of each electricity provider, as exemplified in FIG. 7. In the example of FIG. 7, a case where the tariff system consists of a basic charge and a consumption-based charge is exemplified, but it is not limited to this. For example, there may be no basic charge, or it may be a flat rate regardless of the electricity consumption. Also, the consumption-based charge may be set stepwise according to the electricity consumption.

[0034] The distribution unit 44 distributes the acquired electricity consumption for one supply point number in various distribution patterns, fits each distribution pattern to the tariff system of each of the multiple electricity providers registered for that supply point number, and performs a trial calculation for each distribution pattern, thereby identifying the distribution pattern that results in the lowest electricity charge. Generally, in an electricity contract, the electricity charge tends to increase as the electricity consumption increases. According to this method, by considering such a stepwise increase characteristic of the electricity charge and distributing the electricity consumption among multiple electricity providers, it is possible to reduce the user's electricity charge.

[0035] (4) The distribution unit 44 may perform distribution according to the weather at the location where power generation for the facility 10 is carried out. For example, when the weather is sunny, since the power generation situation by solar power generation is good, an electric utility company that generates electricity by sunlight is selected. When the weather is other than sunny, an example is considered where another electric utility company that can perform stable power generation regardless of the weather is selected.

[0036] In order to perform such distribution, the stored content of the storage unit 42 shown in FIG. 5 includes the power generation method for each contract plan of each electric utility company. The distribution unit 44 identifies the area where the electric utility company is generating electricity based on the electric utility company ID of each electric utility company, and acquires weather-related information for that area from a system that stores weather information such as the website of the Japan Meteorological Agency.

[0037] Then, when there is an electric utility company whose power generation method is solar power generation among the multiple electric utility companies registered for a certain supply point number, the distribution unit 44 preferentially distributes the electricity consumption amount acquired for that supply point number to that electric utility company during the time period when the weather in the area where the electric utility company is generating electricity is suitable for solar power generation. On the other hand, when the weather in the area where the electric utility company whose power generation method is solar power generation is generating electricity is not suitable for solar power generation, the distribution unit 44 preferentially distributes the electricity consumption amount acquired for that supply point number to an electric utility company whose power generation method is not solar power generation. Here, "preferentially distributing the electricity consumption amount to a certain electric utility company" can be exemplified by distributing all of the electricity consumption amount to that electric utility company or distributing more of the electricity consumption amount to that electric utility company than to other electric utility companies (the same applies in the following explanations). Thereby, when there is a user who wants to use the power generated using renewable energy, it is possible to distribute the electricity consumption amount in accordance with the intention of that user.

[0038] (5) The distribution unit 44 may perform distribution according to the time period when power generation is carried out. For example, during the daytime period, since power generation by solar power generation is likely to occur, during the daytime period, the electricity usage amount is preferentially distributed to the electricity supplier that conducts power generation by sunlight. At night, an example is considered where the electricity usage amount is preferentially distributed to another electricity supplier that can perform stable power generation without relying on sunlight.

[0039] In order to perform such distribution, the stored content of the storage unit 42 shown in FIG. 5 includes the power generation method for each contract plan of each electricity supplier. When there is an electricity supplier whose power generation method is solar power generation among the plurality of electricity suppliers registered for a certain supply point number, the distribution unit 44 preferentially distributes the electricity usage amount obtained for that supply point number to that electricity supplier during the daytime period. Thereby, when there is a user who wants to use the power generated using renewable energy, it is possible to perform distribution of the electricity usage amount in accordance with the intention of that user.

[0040] Note that the above-described distribution method may be the same for all supply points or may be different for each supply point.

[0041] Next, the procedure when one user concludes electricity contracts with a plurality of electricity suppliers will be described. As an example, the case where a user who has already contracted with electricity supplier A further contracts with electricity supplier B will be described.

[0042] First, the user notifies electricity supplier B of the supply point number and the like assigned to his / her own facility 10 to apply for an electricity contract. At this time, the user also notifies electricity supplier B of the method for distributing the electricity usage amount to each electricity supplier.

[0043] When electricity supplier B receives this application, it requests the power transmission and distribution company to add an electricity contract by using the switching support system.

[0044] In response to this request, the power transmission and distribution operator makes an inquiry regarding adding an electricity contract to the existing contractor, electricity company A.

[0045] Electricity company A refers to the additional content of the electricity contract and confirms the method of allocating the electricity consumption for each electricity company. Then, when the content of the electricity contract between electricity company A and the user changes due to the addition of this electricity contract, electricity company A notifies the user to that effect, obtains the user's consent, and then notifies the power transmission and distribution operator of the addition of the electricity contract.

[0046] In response to this notice, the power transmission and distribution operator updates the information stored in its device (such as the electricity company ID corresponding to the supply point number, contract plan name, control method, etc.).

[0047] Then, the power transmission and distribution operator notifies electricity company B that the addition of the electricity contract has been completed. In response to this notice, electricity company B notifies the user of the start of the electricity contract with electricity company B. If one user concludes electricity contracts with three or more electricity companies, the same procedure as above may be repeated.

[0048] Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the operation of the management server device 40 when one user concludes electricity contracts with a plurality of electricity companies will be described. The procedure of each process shown in FIG. 8 is described in the program stored in the management server device 40.

[0049] First, the management server device 40 periodically acquires and stores the data necessary for the distribution of electricity consumption (step S11). Specifically, the first acquisition unit 41 of the management server device 40 acquires the electricity consumption used at the facility 10 from the smart meter 11 of the facility 10 corresponding to each supply point number via the communication network 2, and the storage unit 42 of the management server device 40 stores this (FIG. 5). In addition, the second acquisition unit 43 of the management server device 40 acquires one or more electricity company IDs, contract plan names, control methods, etc. corresponding to each supply point number from the power transmission and distribution operator server device 30 via the communication network 2, and the storage unit 42 of the management server device 40 stores this (FIG. 6).

[0050] Next, the management server device 40 determines whether the time has come to allocate the electricity consumption amount (step S12). Specifically, for example, if the current time is the timing for calculating the electricity bill, the distribution unit 44 of the management server device 40 determines that the time has come to allocate the electricity consumption amount, and if the current time is not the timing for calculating the electricity bill, it determines that it is not the time to allocate the electricity consumption amount.

[0051] When the management server device 40 determines that the time has come to allocate the electricity consumption amount (step S12; YES), it performs distribution processing regarding the allocation of the electricity consumption amount (step S13). Specifically, the distribution unit 44 distributes the electricity consumption amount corresponding to one supply point number to one or more electric power companies corresponding to that supply point number according to the above-described distribution method. The distribution unit 44 notifies the electric power company server device 20 and the power transmission and distribution company server device 30 of the distributed electricity consumption amount together with the supply point number. The electric power company server device 20 and the power transmission and distribution company server device 30 calculate the electricity bill based on the notified distribution and perform predetermined processing for billing the user.

[0052] According to the embodiment described above, after the user actually consumes electric power, it becomes possible to select an electric power company as the power supply source according to various conditions.

[0053] [Modification Example] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The above-described embodiment may be modified as follows. Also, two or more of the following modification examples may be combined and implemented.

[0054] [Modification Example 1] In the information processing system 1 according to the above embodiment, the management server device 40 is a computer device different from the electric power company server device 20 and the power transmission and distribution company server device 30. However, the system configuration is not limited to this example, and the management server device 40 may be a computer device included in the electric power company server device 20 or the power transmission and distribution company server device 30. In this case, the storage device that stores the business operator identification information of a plurality of electric power companies in association with one supply point number will be possessed by the electric power company server device 20 or the power transmission and distribution company server device 30 including the management server device 40.

[0055] [Modification Example 2] It is conceivable to perform the distribution of the electricity consumption in units of time such as 30 minutes or 60 minutes. Here, among the above-described distribution methods (1) to (5), for example, in the distribution where the electricity fee is the lowest in (3) or the distribution based on the weather in (4), when comparing the case of distributing the electricity consumption in units of 3 hours and the case of distributing the electricity consumption in units of 30 minutes, it is considered that the cost required for operations such as calculations for the distribution is greater in the case of distributing in units of 30 minutes, which is a shorter period.

[0056] Therefore, a method is conceivable in which the user bears at least a part of the cost required for the distribution according to the length of one unit of the time for performing the distribution of the electricity consumption. In order to calculate such a cost, data as shown in FIG. 9 is stored in the storage unit 42. In the example of FIG. 9, for 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, and 12 hours, which are the lengths of one unit of the time for performing the distribution of the electricity consumption, the cost index values of 10, 9, 8, 7, and 6 are stored in association with each other. The cost index values illustrated in FIG. 9 are values that relatively represent the magnitude of the cost, and the larger the numerical value, the greater the cost.

[0057] The length of one unit of time for allocating electricity consumption can be arbitrarily determined by each user, and a fee corresponding to the cost index value for the length of one unit determined by the user is collected from the user together with the electricity charge. Then, the fee collected according to the cost index value is distributed to a plurality of electric power companies with which the user has an electricity contract (that is, a plurality of electric power companies corresponding to the supply point numbers of the user).

[0058] The following methods can be considered for the distribution method of the fee collected according to the cost index value. For example, the fee collected according to the cost index value may be equally distributed to a plurality of electric power companies. Also, the fee collected according to the cost index value may be distributed according to the electricity consumption distributed to each electric power company. For example, the more electricity consumption is distributed to an electric power company, the more fee is distributed to that electric power company. Also, the fee distributed to an electric power company with a reduced power supply amount before and after distribution may be increased, or the fee distributed to an electric power company with an increased power supply amount before and after distribution may be increased. Also, the fee may be distributed to the entity (for example, the administrator of the management server device 40 or the power transmission and distribution company) that performs the calculation regarding the distribution of the above fee from the distribution of the electricity consumption. That is, the method of distributing the above fee can be arbitrarily determined.

[0059] As described above, the distribution unit 44 allocates the electricity consumption with the time determined for each supply point number as one unit, and calculates the fee imposed on the user corresponding to the supply point number according to the length of that one unit. At this time, the distribution unit 44 calculates a price for any one of the plurality of electric power companies, or a fee as a distribution price. Thereby, it becomes possible to appropriate the fee collected from the user for the cost required for the distribution of the electricity consumption.

[0060] [Modification Example 3] As a method of matching power demand with supply, there is something called demand response (DR). This demand response includes a downward DR in which an electric utility requests power conservation from electricity consumers, and an upward DR in which the electric utility requests power usage from electricity consumers. However, since the relationship between power supply and power demand varies depending on the power generation method used by each electric utility, there are electric utilities that issue demand response and those that do not during the same period.

[0061] The distribution unit 44 may distribute electricity usage according to the demand response, which is a request for power conservation or usage by each of a plurality of electric utilities. Specifically, the distribution unit 44 preferentially distributes electricity usage to the electric utility that has issued an upward DR, and does not preferentially distribute electricity usage to the electric utility that has issued a downward DR. Thereby, it becomes possible to adjust the electricity usage distributed to the electric utility according to the request for power conservation or usage by the electric utility.

[0062] [Modification Example 4] When distributing electricity usage according to the above demand response, for a certain electric utility, when concluding an electricity contract, an electricity contract may be made with the content of reducing the electricity charge compared to a normal electricity contract on the condition that preferential distribution of electricity usage is performed during demand response, and preferential distribution may be performed according to the electricity contract. For example, when a user concludes an electricity contract with a certain electric utility with the content of reducing the electricity charge on the condition that preferential distribution of electricity usage is performed during demand response, during the period when the electric utility issues an upward DR, electricity usage is preferentially distributed, during the period when the electric utility issues a downward DR, electricity usage is not preferentially distributed, and the content of the electricity charge system is lower than the normal charge system.

[0063] As described above, when allocating the electricity consumption according to the request for power saving or use, the electricity tariff system corresponding to the electricity consumption may be a tariff system in which the electricity tariff is lower than the electricity tariff system corresponding to the electricity consumption when the allocation of the electricity consumption according to the request for power saving or use is not performed. As a result, according to the merits of the electric power company where the allocation of the electricity consumption according to the request for power saving or use is performed, the electricity tariff borne by the user becomes lower.

[0064] [Modification Example 5] During the period when the upward DR is issued, the electricity tariff may be discounted, and the discount rate varies depending on each electric power company. Therefore, when the requests for power use by a plurality of electric power companies are made in the same period and the electricity tariff is discounted according to the power use corresponding to the request, the distribution unit 44 may perform the distribution so that the electricity tariff after the discount becomes the lowest.

[0065] That is, as described in the distribution method (3) in the embodiment, the storage unit 42 stores the tariff systems in each contract plan of each electric power company as illustrated in FIG. 7, and the distribution unit 44 distributes the electricity consumption after discount for one supply point number in various distribution patterns, fits them to the tariff systems of the plurality of electric power companies registered for that supply point number, and performs a trial calculation for each distribution pattern. Thereby, a distribution pattern in which the electricity tariff becomes the lowest is specified. As a result, according to the merits of the electric power company where the allocation of the electricity consumption according to the request for power saving or use is performed, the electricity tariff borne by the user becomes even lower.

[0066] [Modification Example 6] In a power market where electricity is traded, electricity providers first make forward purchases of electricity, and then make purchases of electricity for adjustment based on demand forecasts in the day-ahead market (spot market) and the same-day market (time-ahead market). However, the contracted volume in the same-day market is small, and the trading is restricted until one hour before the time when the electricity is used by the counterparty. Therefore, the forecast value and the actual value of electricity demand almost never match exactly. Furthermore, whether there is an excess or a shortage of the contracted electricity, a penalty fee (imbalance charge) for the difference between the forecast value and the actual value will occur.

[0067] In this modified example, in addition to the above-described embodiment, also due to the background as described above, a period called a "post-adjustment period" during which electricity usage can be distributed retrospectively based on the actual value of electricity usage is provided. And within this period, in order to reduce the difference between the forecast value and the actual value of electricity demand, it is assumed that the electricity provider can request the user to distribute the electricity usage among multiple electricity providers even after the electricity has been used. Furthermore, some kind of incentive is given to the user who has distributed the electricity usage in response to the request. This incentive may be, for example, a discount on the electricity bill, or benefits such as points or coupons.

[0068] Assuming the mechanism as described above, it is conceivable that among multiple electricity providers, there may be an electricity provider that does not want to conduct retrospective distribution of electricity usage. For example, in a time period when the electricity that can be supplied by that electricity provider is insufficient, and the user is using electricity supplied by another electricity provider, retrospective distribution of electricity usage may increase the difference between the forecast value and the actual value of electricity demand in that electricity provider, and the penalty fee may increase. Therefore, for such an electricity provider, it is conceivable to give a discount on the electricity bill borne by the user for not conducting retrospective distribution of electricity usage.

[0069] Thus, when there is an electricity provider that discounts electricity charges by not distributing the electricity charges to other electricity providers, the distribution unit 44 may perform the distribution of the electricity consumption so that the electricity charge after the discount becomes the lowest. That is, as described in the distribution method (3) in the embodiment, the charge system in each contract plan of each electricity provider as illustrated in FIG. 7 is stored in the storage unit 42, and the distribution unit 44 distributes the electricity consumption after the discount for one supply point number in various distribution patterns, fits them to the charge systems of the plurality of electricity providers registered for that supply point number, and performs a trial calculation for each distribution pattern. Thereby, a distribution pattern that minimizes the electricity charge is specified.

[0070] Also, the amount of discount for such electricity charges may vary according to the instructions of the electricity provider during the post-adjustment period. For example, when the difference between the predicted value and the actual value of the power demand at a certain point in the post-adjustment period is below a certain threshold, that is, when it becomes sufficiently small, if the distribution of electricity consumption occurs thereafter, there is a risk that the difference will conversely increase. Therefore, it is conceivable to reduce the amount of discount based on the instructions of the electricity provider. On the other hand, if the difference between the predicted value and the actual value of the power demand is above the threshold, that is, sufficiently large, even though there is only a little time left in the post-adjustment period, there is a possibility that the difference can be reduced by causing the distribution of electricity consumption thereafter. Therefore, in this case, it is conceivable to increase the amount of discount based on the instructions of the electricity provider. According to this modification example, the electricity charge of the user can be discounted according to the merits of the electricity provider who does not desire the distribution of the electricity consumption.

[0071] [Other Modification Examples] The block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show blocks of functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Also, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one physically or logically combined device, or two or more physically or logically separated devices may be directly or indirectly (e.g., using wired, wireless, etc.) connected and realized using these multiple devices. The functional block may be realized by combining software with the above one device or the above multiple devices.

[0072] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, determination, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, solution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, regarded as, notification (broadcasting), notification (notifying), communication (communicating), forwarding, configuration (configuring), reconfiguration (reconfiguring), allocation (allocating, mapping), assignment (assigning), etc. For example, a functional block (component) that functions as transmission is called a transmission control unit or a transmitter. In any case, as described above, the realization method is not particularly limited.

[0073] For example, the management server device 40 in an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs the processing of the present disclosure.

[0074] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applicable to at least one of systems using LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and other suitable systems, and next-generation systems extended based on these. Also, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A and 5G, etc.) and applied.

[0075] Also, the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be reordered as long as there is no contradiction. For example, regarding the methods described in the present disclosure, the elements of various steps are presented using an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0076] The input / output information, etc. may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input / output information, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or appended. The output information, etc. may be deleted. The input information, etc. may be transmitted to other devices.

[0077] The determination may be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (Boolean: true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, comparison with a predetermined value).

[0078] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented as a modification and variation without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and does not have any limiting meaning for the present disclosure.

[0079] Software should be broadly construed to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., whether called by the name of software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other names. Also, software, instructions, information, etc. may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, when software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technologies (such as coaxial cables, optical fiber cables, twisted pairs, digital subscriber lines (DSLs), etc.) and wireless technologies (such as infrared rays, microwaves, etc.), at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included within the definition of the transmission medium.

[0080] The information, signals, etc. described in the present disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc., which may be referred to throughout the above description, may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof. In addition, terms described in the present disclosure and terms necessary for understanding the present disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

[0081] In addition, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be represented using absolute values, relative values from a predetermined value, or may be represented using other corresponding information.

[0082] In the present disclosure, the description "based on" used herein does not mean "only based on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the description "based on" means both "only based on" and "at least based on".

[0083] Any reference to an element using designations such as "first", "second", etc. used in the present disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations can be used in the present disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Therefore, a reference to a first and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any form.

[0084] In the configuration of each of the above devices, the "section" may be replaced with "means", "circuit", "device", etc.

[0085] In the present disclosure, when the terms "include", "including" and their variants are used, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising". Further, the term "or" used in the present disclosure is not intended to be an exclusive disjunction.

[0086] In the present disclosure, for example, when articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the present disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0087] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean that "A and B are different from each other". Note that the term may also mean that "A and B are each different from C". Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different".

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0088] 1: Information processing system, 2: Communication network, 10: Facility, 11: Smart meter, 20: Electric utility server device, 30: Transmission and distribution utility management server device 40: Management server device, 41: First acquisition unit, 42: Storage unit, 43: Second acquisition unit, 44: Distribution unit, 4001: Processor, 4002: Memory, 4003: Storage, 4004: Communication device.

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires an amount of electricity used in a facility corresponding to the first supply point number; a second acquisition unit that acquires, from a storage device that stores business operator identification information of a plurality of electric power companies in association with the one supply point number, the plurality of business operator identification information corresponding to the one supply point number; an allocating unit that allocates the electricity usage amount acquired by the first acquiring unit to a plurality of electric power companies identified by the plurality of pieces of company identification information acquired by the second acquiring unit; Equipped with The distribution unit performs the distribution in response to a request for saving or using power from each of the plurality of electric power suppliers.

1. An information processing device comprising:

2. A first acquisition unit that acquires the amount of electricity used in a facility corresponding to one supply point number; a second acquisition unit that acquires, from a storage device that stores business operator identification information of a plurality of electric power companies in association with the one supply point number, the plurality of business operator identification information corresponding to the one supply point number; an allocating unit that allocates the electricity usage amount acquired by the first acquiring unit to a plurality of electric power companies identified by the plurality of pieces of company identification information acquired by the second acquiring unit; Equipped with In the case where there is an electric utility that discounts the electricity fee by not allocating the electricity fee to other electric utility companies, the allocation unit performs the allocation so that the electricity fee after the discount is the cheapest.

1. An information processing device comprising:

3. The distribution unit performs the distribution depending on the weather at a location where the power to be supplied to the facility is generated.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

4. The allocating unit performs the allocating operation based on the fee schedules of the plurality of electric power companies so as to minimize the electricity rate according to the amount of electricity usage acquired by the first acquiring unit.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

5. the distribution unit performs the distribution with a time determined for each supply point number as one unit, Calculate the cost to be charged to the user corresponding to the supply point number according to the length of the one unit.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

6. The allocating unit calculates the cost as a consideration for one of the plurality of electric power companies or as a consideration for the calculation.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

7. When the amount of electricity usage is allocated in accordance with the request for saving or using power, the electricity rate system according to the amount of electricity usage acquired by the first acquisition unit is a rate system in which the electricity rate is lower than the electricity rate system according to the amount of electricity usage acquired by the first acquisition unit in a case in which the amount of electricity usage is not allocated in accordance with the request for saving or using power.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

8. When requests for the use of electricity from the plurality of electric power suppliers are made at the same time, the electricity rate is discounted according to the use of electricity in response to the requests, The distribution unit performs the distribution so that the electricity fee after the discount is the lowest.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

9. The amount of the discount will vary depending on the instructions of the electric utility company.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

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