Water management methods

Abstract

To provide a method for more precisely evaluating and grasping a risk in water management.SOLUTION: A water management method which manages water intake and water discharge of a business operator, receives information on an amount of water intake and an amount of water discharge from a business operator terminal, receives information on a point of facilities of the business operator from the business operator terminal, determines a water source related to water intake and water discharge of the business operator based on information related to the point, receives satellite image data of the water source, determines an amount of change in water of the water source by analyzing the satellite image data, and evaluates a risk related to water intake and water discharge of the business operator based on the amount of water intake, the amount of water discharge, and the amount of change in water of the water source.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of water management. [Background technology]

[0002] From the standpoint of environmental protection, there has been a movement to collect information on water treatment, such as water intake and discharge volumes, by businesses.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that collects information on the amount of water intake and discharge from water intake operators and discharge operators. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-190663 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, although the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 discloses a method for collecting information on the amount of water intake and discharge from businesses that take water from the same water source and businesses that discharge water, matching reclaimed water, and adjusting the amount of water intake and discharge, it does not disclose a method for more precisely assessing water management risks.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for more precisely evaluating and understanding risks in water management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A water management method according to one embodiment of the present invention for managing the water intake and discharge of an operator includes receiving information regarding water intake and discharge volumes from an operator terminal, receiving information regarding the location of the operator's facilities from the operator terminal, determining a water source for the operator's water intake and discharge based on the information regarding the location, receiving satellite image data of the water source, determining a change in water volume in the water source by analyzing the satellite image data, and assessing risks related to the operator's water intake and discharge based on the water intake volume, discharge volume, and the change in water volume in the water source. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a method for more precisely evaluating and understanding risks in water management can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a water management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a management terminal constituting the water management system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a business operator terminal that constitutes the water management system. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating details of business operator data according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a water management method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating water management according to a first embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The contents of the embodiments of the present invention will be listed and explained below. A water management system (hereinafter simply referred to as "system") according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. [Item 1] A water management method for managing water intake and discharge by a business operator, comprising: Receives information on water intake and discharge volumes from the operator's terminal, receiving information about the location of the business's facility from the business terminal; determining the source of water for the entity's water intake and discharge based on information about the location; receiving satellite image data of the water source; determining a change in water content of the water source by analyzing the satellite image data; A method for assessing risks related to the water intake and discharge of the business operator based on the amount of water intake, the amount of discharge, and the amount of change in water at the water source. [Item 2] 2. The management method according to item 1, wherein analyzing the satellite imagery includes analyzing changes in the area occupied by water included in the satellite imagery. [Item 3] 3. The management method according to item 2, wherein the area occupied by water included in the satellite image is analyzed for each pixel. [Item 4] 2. The management method according to item 1, wherein assessing the risk includes assessing the risk of depletion of the water source due to water withdrawal by the business operator.

[0011] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a water management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, in a water management system 1 according to this embodiment, a manager terminal 100 and a plurality of business operator terminals 200A and 200B are connected to each other via a communication network NW.

[0014] For example, the management terminal 100 receives basic information about the business operator and input information related to water management (for example, data about water intake and discharge amounts) from the business operator terminals 200A and 200B.

[0015] The management terminal 100 has a wallet and can be connected to a public blockchain network (NW) (not shown). Based on the water management information for each predetermined period, the management terminal 100 generates a single hash value using SHA256 or another hash function and records it as transaction information on the blockchain network. A new block is generated on the blockchain network based on the transaction information, the hash value recorded in the previous block, and a nonce value mined by the node. This block is recorded after the previous block, forming a blockchain. The hash generation and / or recording of transaction information on the blockchain can also be performed via other terminals rather than the management terminal 100. The management terminal 100 can record the water management information on the blockchain network as a smart contract. Using a smart contract, the management terminal 100 can automatically generate, approve, and execute contracts for water management transactions with other businesses as needed, without the need for a third party. Furthermore, smart contracts allow each business to access transaction information without the management terminal, improving service convenience and reducing operational costs.

[0016] As described above, a public blockchain allows transactions to be approved by an unspecified number of nodes and miners, rather than by a specific administrator, and therefore can ensure higher data tamper resistance and fault tolerance than a private blockchain, thereby ensuring the security of transactions. Therefore, a public blockchain is preferable as the destination for recording energy transactions in this embodiment. Typical public blockchains include Bitcoin and Ethereum, and Ethereum, for example, has higher tamper resistance and reliability than other public blockchains.

[0017] Furthermore, the management terminal 100 can associate information related to water management using identifiers or the like and record it on the blockchain network as a non-fungible token (hereinafter referred to as "NFT"). NFTs are tokens issued, for example, in the "ERC721" standard of Etherium, a blockchain network platform, and are units of data recorded on the blockchain network, being non-fungible in nature. NFTs are recorded on the blockchain together with smart contracts and are traceable, making it possible to prove transaction information, including details and history of the water management business operator.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a management terminal that constitutes the water management system.

[0019] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for communicating with an external terminal via a network NW, and communication is performed according to a communication protocol such as TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).

[0020] The storage unit 120 stores input data, programs for executing various control processes and functions in the control unit 130, and is composed of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The storage unit 120 also has an operator data storage unit 121 that stores various data related to operators, and an analysis data storage unit 122 that stores satellite image data and analysis data related to water sources. A database (not shown) that stores various data may be constructed outside the storage unit 120 or the management terminal 100.

[0021] The control unit 130 controls the overall operation of the management terminal 100 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 120, and is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The functions of the control unit 130 include an information receiving unit 131 that receives information from external terminals such as the business operator terminal 200, a water information processing unit 132 that processes information related to water management, such as water intake and discharge amounts, received from the business operator terminal, and an analysis processing unit 133 that calculates the amount of water conversion at the water source by analyzing satellite image data related to the water source.

[0022] Although not shown, the control unit 130 also has an image generation unit that generates screen information to be displayed via a user interface of an external terminal such as the business operator terminal 200. For example, the control unit 130 generates information to be displayed on the user interface by using image and text data stored in the storage unit 120 as material and arranging various images and text in predetermined areas of the user interface based on predetermined layout rules. Processing related to the image generation unit can also be executed by a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

[0023] The management terminal 100 also has a wallet (not shown) necessary for recording transaction information in the blockchain network. Note that this wallet may also be located outside the management terminal 100.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the business operator terminal that constitutes the water management system.

[0025] The operator terminal 200 includes a communication unit 210 , a display operation unit 220 , a storage unit 230 , and a control unit 240 .

[0026] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for communicating with the management terminal 100 via the network NW, and communication is carried out according to a communication protocol such as TCP / IP.

[0027] The display operation unit 220 is a user interface used by the business operator to input instructions and display text, images, etc. in accordance with input data from the control unit 240, and is configured with a display, keyboard, and mouse when the business operator terminal 200 is configured as a personal computer, and is configured with a touch panel, etc. when the business operator terminal 200 is configured as a smartphone or tablet terminal. This display operation unit 220 is started up by a control program stored in the storage unit 230 and executed by the business operator terminal 200, which is a computer (electronic calculator).

[0028] The storage unit 230 stores input data, programs for executing various control processes and functions within the control unit 240, and is composed of RAM, ROM, etc. The storage unit 230 also temporarily stores the contents of communications with the management terminal 100.

[0029] The control unit 240 controls the overall operation of the operator terminal 200 by executing the programs stored in the storage unit 230, and is configured from a CPU, a GPU, and the like.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating details of business operator data according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The business operator data 1000 shown in FIG. 4 stores various data related to the business operator acquired from the business operator via the business operator terminal 200. For ease of explanation, FIG. 4 shows an example of one business operator (a business operator identified by the business operator ID "10001"), but information on multiple businesses can be stored. The various data related to the business operator can include, for example, basic information about the business operator (e.g., the business operator's corporate name, user name, business establishment information (e.g., address information for each business establishment), industry type, contact information, email address, business establishment name, affiliated company name, and business operator names related in the supply chain), input information (e.g., data related to water management such as water intake and discharge volumes), location information (e.g., location information (obtained via GPS, etc.) of water treatment facilities managed / operated by the business operator), and water risk information (e.g., information such as the risk of depletion of a water source estimated by comparing the amount of change in water in the water source around the water treatment facility managed / operated by the business operator with the amount of water intake and discharge volumes).

[0032] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the water management method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] First, in the process of step S101, the information acquisition unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the management terminal 100 receives water management information regarding the water intake and discharge amounts of any business establishment (e.g., a water treatment facility) input by the business operator via the network NW from the business operator terminal 200. The water management information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131 is stored as business operator data in the business operator data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120.

[0034] Next, in the process of step S102, the information acquisition unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the management terminal 100 receives, via the network NW, location information (e.g., address, etc.) of the business establishment entered by the business, or location information acquired via a GPS installed in the business establishment, from the business establishment terminal 200. The water management information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131 is stored as analysis data in the analysis data storage unit 121 of the memory unit 120.

[0035] Next, in the process of step S103, the information acquisition unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the management terminal 100 receives satellite images of the vicinity of the water source from which the business takes in and discharges water, identified based on the above-mentioned point information (e.g., address, etc.) and / or location information, from an external database (e.g., a database that stores satellite images) via the network NW. The satellite images acquired by the information acquisition unit 131 are stored as analysis data in the analysis data storage unit 122 of the memory unit 120.

[0036] Next, in step S104, the analysis processing unit 133 of the control unit 130 of the management terminal 100 analyzes the water intake and discharge volume data received from the business operator terminal 200 and satellite images to evaluate water risk. First, for the satellite image analysis, the image is analyzed pixel by pixel based on satellite images of water sources (around the business) managed / operated by the business operator, as shown in FIG. 6, and the amount of water change is calculated based on color features. For example, the analysis processing unit 133 analyzes color features pixel by pixel and compares the area occupied by blue, which is a color feature indicating the area of ​​water, with the area occupied by brown or green, which is a color feature indicating the area of ​​land other than water, based on multiple satellite images acquired at different times to determine the increase or decrease in the area occupied by water. After determining the area indicated by water as described above, the analysis processing unit 133 can calculate the amount of water change by referring to information about the depth of the water source. Here, the amount of water change can also be estimated based only on information indicating the increase or decrease in the area indicated by water. In the example of Figure 6, the water sources around the business premises are explained as lakes and reservoirs, but water risks can also be assessed in a similar manner if the water source is a river or the sea.

[0037] Next, the analysis processing unit 133 can simulate and predict the water risk of when the water source will run dry due to water withdrawal by the operator, based on the calculated or estimated water change in the water source and the operator's water intake and discharge volumes obtained by referencing the operator data. Information about the predicted water risk is stored as analysis data in the analysis data storage unit 122 of the memory unit 120. For example, a water risk simulation can predict that "the water source is decreasing by X cm each month, so water withdrawal may result in a water depletion risk in Y years." The water management information processing unit 132 can then send a message to the operator terminal 200 numerically explaining the risk factors based on the information about the water intake and discharge volumes. It can also send a message explaining the adverse effects of water withdrawal, with reference to the satellite imagery, based on changes over time. It can also recommend information about a specific water source or operator to encourage the operator to withdraw water from other sources or other operators to avoid water sources with water risks.

[0038] As described above, according to this embodiment, by using satellite images, it is possible to provide a method for more precisely evaluating and understanding risks in water management based on information on water management obtained from businesses.

[0039] The above-described embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0040] For example, in the above embodiment, a method for assessing water risk using satellite images has been described, but instead of satellite images, available data such as optical, SAR / radar, and LiDAR can also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 100 Management Terminal 200 Operator terminal

Claims

1. A water management method implemented by a computer for managing water intake and discharge of a business operator, comprising: Receives information on water intake and discharge volumes from the operator's terminal, receiving information about the location of the business's facility from the business terminal; determining the source of water for the entity's water intake and discharge based on information about the location; receiving satellite image data of the water source; determining a change in water content of the water source by analyzing the satellite image data; A method for assessing risks related to the water intake and discharge of the business operator based on the amount of water intake, the amount of discharge, and the amount of change in water at the water source.

2. The management method according to claim 1 , wherein analyzing the satellite image data includes analyzing a change in an area occupied by water included in the satellite image data.

3. The management method according to claim 2 , further comprising analyzing the area occupied by water included in the satellite image data for each pixel.

4. The management method according to claim 1 , wherein assessing the risk includes assessing a risk of depletion of the water source due to water withdrawal by the business operator.

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