Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program capable of increasing the speed for preparing a facility plan.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes creation means which is configured to: create, by replacing a plurality of facilities with some of the plurality of facilities in a facility planning problem for creating a facility plan for operating an arbitrary facility selected from the plurality of facilities, a partial problem of the facility planning problem; create a condition to be applied to the facility planning problem based on a solution to the created partial problem; and create the facility plan by solving a facility planning problem with the created condition added thereto.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In general, when a plurality of facilities are present, it is important to select and operate appropriate facilities from among the plurality of facilities, instead of operating all of the plurality of facilities.

[0003] Further, there are cases where an evaluation value obtained by an evaluation function such as cost or profit is improved by operating a plurality of facilities in combination, rather than operating the facilities independently.

[0004] Specifically, for example, in truck delivery where trucks are operated as facilities, by planning the routes of a plurality of trucks simultaneously instead of planning the route of each truck independently (sequentially), it is possible to divide delivery areas efficiently, which may increase the number of delivery requests that can be processed (the number of delivery cases) or reduce the traveling distance.

[0005] For this reason, it is useful to create a plan related to the selection and operation of the facilities described above (hereinafter referred to as a facility plan) and operate the plurality of facilities in accordance with the facility plan.

[0006] In this case, it is necessary to consider an optimization problem for creating an appropriate facility plan (hereinafter referred to as a facility planning problem), and it is difficult to solve a large-scale facility planning problem such as creating a long-term facility plan within a practical calculation time. Further, in the case where a plurality of facilities are operated in combination as described above, it is necessary to consider the effect of the combination, so the calculation time further increases.

[0007] For large-scale optimization problems like this, approximate solution methods such as heuristics are often used. However, when equipment costs are high, the error in the solution obtained by approximate solution methods has a significant impact, making approximate solution methods unsuitable for the equipment planning problem described above. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-143336 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Therefore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can speed up the creation of equipment plans. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The information processing device according to this embodiment is for selecting any equipment from a plurality of equipment and creating an equipment plan for operating the selected equipment. It is an optimization problem. Equipment planning problem And, The aforementioned multiple equipment In a facility planning problem, the set of elements is the set of elements. Some of the equipment A subset consisting of By replacing it with the above equipment planning problem, a sub-problem is created, and the created sub-problem The above subproblem obtained by solving the above Based on the solution 、 The aforementioned equipment planning problem To limit the range in which to search for a solution The system includes a means for creating conditions and then creating the equipment plan by solving an equipment planning problem to which the created conditions have been added. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the input section. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a partial problem generation unit. [Figure 4] A diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a condition generation unit. [Figure 5] A diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an output unit. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus. [Figure 7] A diagram for explaining a mathematical model representing a facility planning problem. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the information processing apparatus in the first application example. [Figure 9] A flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the information processing apparatus in the second application example. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is an electronic device (facility planning apparatus) configured to select an arbitrary (appropriate) facility from a plurality of facilities and create a facility plan for operating the selected facility.

[0013] Note that in the present embodiment, a facility may be an object that is operated (driven) by being installed in a fixed position, such as a power generator, or may be a moving body such as a truck or a person. Further, the selection of a facility may refer to selecting a new facility to be introduced, or selecting a facility to be operated during a predetermined period (planning period) among already introduced facilities. Further, the introduction of a facility may refer to purchasing and installing the facility, or using the facility (for example, borrowing and hiring the facility).

[0014] Although the present embodiment is described as creating a facility plan related to facility selection and operation, the facility plan may be a plan related only to facility selection.

[0015] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 1 includes an input unit 2, a storage unit 3, an equipment plan creation unit 4, and an output unit 5.

[0016] Input unit 2 receives the equipment planning problem (optimization problem) for creating the equipment plan described above. The equipment planning problem entered by input unit 2 is stored in storage unit 3.

[0017] The equipment plan creation unit 4 has the function of creating equipment plans using equipment plan problems stored in the storage unit 3, and includes a partial problem creation unit 41, a condition creation unit 42, and a solution-finding unit 43.

[0018] The subproblem creation unit 41 creates a subproblem from the equipment planning problem stored in the storage unit 3 that considers a portion of multiple pieces of equipment. In this embodiment, it is necessary to solve the equipment planning problem in order to create an equipment plan for selecting appropriate equipment from multiple pieces of equipment. The subproblem creation unit 41 creates a subproblem of the equipment planning problem by replacing the set of multiple pieces of equipment in the equipment planning problem (hereinafter referred to as the original set) with a subset that represents some of the equipment among the multiple pieces of equipment. In other words, the equipment planning problem is an optimization problem that considers the original set, while the subproblem is an optimization problem that considers a subset different from the original set.

[0019] The condition creation unit 42 solves the subproblems created by the subproblem creation unit 41 and obtains the solutions to those subproblems. Based on the obtained solutions (or information) to the subproblems, the condition creation unit 42 creates conditions to be applied to the equipment planning problem.

[0020] Furthermore, the processing of the subproblem creation unit 41 and the processing of the condition creation unit 42 may be executed repeatedly while changing the subset to be considered.

[0021] The solution unit 43 solves the equipment planning problem to which the conditions created by the condition creation unit 42 have been added, and obtains the solution to the equipment planning problem. The solution to the equipment planning problem obtained by the solution unit 43 in this way corresponds to the equipment plan created by the equipment planning creation unit 4.

[0022] The output unit 5 outputs the equipment plan created by the equipment plan creation unit 4, as described above.

[0023] Here, as described above, the equipment planning problem input by the input unit 2 includes, for example, condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, and operation information.

[0024] The condition information indicates the constraints for the equipment planning problem. The evaluation function information indicates the evaluation function used to obtain the evaluation value for each of the multiple equipment options selected.

[0025] Equipment information is information related to the selection of equipment, and includes, for example, equipment resource information and equipment subset information. Equipment resource information is information about the resources consumed by the selection of equipment. Resources consumed by the selection of equipment may include the budget (upper limit of costs) for introducing the equipment. Equipment subset information is information about the above-mentioned equipment subsets, and includes, for example, equipment ranking information. Equipment ranking information indicates the priority for each equipment subset. Note that an equipment subset may consist of one piece of equipment or two or more pieces of equipment. Also, an equipment planning problem may include multiple pieces of equipment information.

[0026] Operational information refers to information about the operation of equipment, including, for example, operational resource information. Operational resource information refers to information about resources consumed by the operation of equipment. Examples of resources consumed by the operation of equipment include truck fuel and delivery requests in truck delivery. Note that equipment planning problems may include multiple types of operational information.

[0027] In this embodiment, the input unit 2 shown in Figure 1 may also include a condition information input unit 21 for inputting the above-mentioned condition information, an evaluation function information input unit 22 for inputting evaluation function information, an equipment information input unit 23 for inputting equipment information, and an operation information input unit 24 for inputting operation information, as shown in Figure 2.

[0028] Furthermore, Figure 2 shows an example in which the input unit 2 includes a condition information input unit 21, an evaluation function information input unit 22, an equipment information input unit 23, and an operation information input unit 24. However, at least some of the condition information input unit 21, evaluation function information input unit 22, equipment information input unit 23, and operation information input unit 24 may be omitted (that is, the input unit 2 may be configured to input only some of the various types of information described above).

[0029] Although not shown in Figure 2, the input unit 2 may further include, for example, at least a portion of the following: an equipment resource information input unit for inputting the equipment resource information described above, an equipment subset information input unit for inputting equipment subset information, an equipment ranking information input unit for inputting equipment ranking information, and an operational resource information input unit for inputting operational resource information.

[0030] Furthermore, the subproblem creation unit 41 shown in Figure 1 may determine the subset (a portion of the equipment among multiple pieces of equipment) to be considered in the subproblem based on the equipment subset information described above. Also, if multiple subproblems are created, the subproblem creation unit 41 may determine the order in which the subproblems are created (solved) based on the equipment ranking information described above. Furthermore, the subproblem creation unit 41 may create a subproblem for each of the multiple subsets.

[0031] Furthermore, the partial problem creation unit 41 may also include a partial problem information output unit 411 and a partial problem information input unit 412, as shown in Figure 3.

[0032] The partial problem information output unit 411 outputs, for example, at least one of the condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, and operation information included in the equipment planning problem described above.

[0033] The subproblem information input unit 412 inputs information related to the creation of subproblems in response to user operations based on at least one of the condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, and operation information output by the subproblem information output unit 411.

[0034] With such a subproblem information output unit 411 and subproblem information input unit 412, it becomes possible to create subproblems interactively with the user.

[0035] Furthermore, some of the constraints and evaluation functions in the subproblems created by the subproblem creation unit 41 may differ from those in the equipment planning problem.

[0036] Furthermore, the condition creation unit 42 shown in Figure 1 may also include a condition information output unit 421, a condition information input unit 422, an initial value creation unit 423, and a limit value creation unit 424, as shown in Figure 4.

[0037] The condition information output unit 421 outputs information about the solution to a subproblem, which is obtained, for example, by solving a subproblem created by the subproblem creation unit 41.

[0038] The condition information input unit 422 inputs information regarding the creation of conditions to be applied to the equipment planning problem in response to user operations based on information regarding the solutions to subproblems output by the condition information output unit 421.

[0039] With such a condition information output unit 421 and condition information input unit 422, it is possible to interactively create conditions to be applied to the equipment planning problem with the user.

[0040] The initial value creation unit 423 creates initial values ​​to be applied to the equipment planning problem, for example, based on the solutions to subproblems created by the subproblem creation unit 41.

[0041] The limit value creation unit 424 creates limit values ​​to be applied to the equipment planning problem, for example, based on evaluation values ​​in the subproblem solved by the condition creation unit 42.

[0042] In other words, in this embodiment, the problem-solving unit 43 solves the equipment planning problem to which the above-mentioned conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​have been added (applied).

[0043] Here, as described above, the condition creation unit 42 shown in Figure 1 solves a subproblem, and the solution unit 43 solves the equipment planning problem. As a method for solving such equipment planning problems and subproblems, mathematical solvers such as Gurobi Optimizer or CPLEX may be used, or metaheuristic solutions such as gradient descent, simulated annealing, or genetic algorithms may be used. As described above, if multiple pieces of equipment information and operational information are given, multiple equipment planning problems based on each of these pieces of information may be solved, or a single equipment planning problem based on a combination of these pieces of information may be solved.

[0044] Furthermore, the equipment plan created by the equipment plan creation unit 4 described above (i.e., the solution to the equipment plan problem) includes the equipment to be selected from among multiple pieces of equipment (i.e., the appropriateness of selecting each of the multiple pieces of equipment) and the operation plan for said equipment. In this case, the output unit 5 shown in Figure 1 may be configured to include an equipment selection output unit 51 and an operation plan output unit 52, as shown in Figure 5.

[0045] The equipment selection output unit 51 outputs the equipment that should be selected from among the multiple pieces of equipment included in the equipment plan. The operation plan output unit 52 outputs the operation plan included in the equipment plan.

[0046] In Figure 5, the output unit 5 is described as including an equipment selection output unit 51 and an operation plan output unit 52. However, the output unit 5 may also be configured to include, for example, only the equipment selection output unit 51. In other words, the output unit 5 only needs to be configured to output whether each of at least several pieces of equipment is suitable or unsuitable.

[0047] Furthermore, if the equipment planning problem includes multiple pieces of equipment information or operational information as described above, the suitability of each of the multiple pieces of equipment, as well as statistical values ​​for the multiple solutions obtained by solving the equipment planning problem for each piece of equipment information or operational information, may be output.

[0048] As described above, the subproblem creation unit 41 is capable of creating multiple subproblems, but it does not have to create subproblems that consider all subsets specified by, for example, equipment subset information, and it may create subproblems with different constraints and evaluation functions. Furthermore, the subproblem creation unit 41 may create subproblems based on information about solutions to subproblems that have already been solved. Also, the condition creation unit 42 does not have to solve all subproblems created by the subproblem creation unit 41. Furthermore, the condition creation unit 42 may solve each of the multiple subproblems created by the subproblem creation unit 41 after they have been created, or it may solve each subproblem each time it is created (i.e., the creation and solving of subproblems may be performed sequentially and repeatedly).

[0049] Figure 6 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1. As shown in Figure 6, the information processing device 1 includes a CPU 101, non-volatile memory 102, main memory 103, input device 104, display device 105, and communication device 106, etc.

[0050] The CPU 101 is a hardware processor that controls the operation of each component within the information processing device 1. The CPU 101 executes various programs that are loaded from the non-volatile memory 102, which is a storage device, into the main memory 103. The programs executed by the CPU 101 include the operating system (OS) and, as described above, programs for creating equipment plans (hereinafter referred to as information processing programs).

[0051] The input device 104 is a device configured to input various types of information, and includes, for example, a mouse and a keyboard. The display device 105 is a device configured to display (output) various types of information, and includes, for example, a display. The communication device 106 is a device configured to perform communication with an external device, for example, by wire or wireless connection.

[0052] Although only the non-volatile memory 102 and main memory 103 are shown in Figure 6, the information processing device 1 may further include other storage devices such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0053] In this embodiment, some or all of the input unit 2, equipment planning unit 4, and output unit 5 shown in Figure 1 are implemented by having the CPU 101 shown in Figure 6 execute an information processing program, i.e., by software. This information processing program may be downloaded to the information processing device 1 via a network, or it may be stored on a storage medium and distributed. Furthermore, some or all of the input unit 2, equipment planning unit 4, and output unit 5 may be implemented by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or by a configuration that combines software and hardware.

[0054] Furthermore, the storage unit 3 shown in Figure 1 is realized by the non-volatile memory 102 or other storage device shown in Figure 6.

[0055] By the way, in this embodiment, we assume a case where a facility plan is created that can obtain a higher evaluation value by operating multiple facilities in combination. However, if, for example, the facility planning problem does not include resources consumed by the selection of facilities (facility resources) or resources consumed by the operation of facilities (operational resources), then, as described above, a subproblem can be created simply by replacing the original set in the facility planning problem with a subset.

[0056] On the other hand, if the equipment planning problem includes equipment resources or operational resources, it is possible to create and solve subproblems by removing the elements related to those resources from the condition information (constraints) and evaluation function information (evaluation functions) included in the equipment planning problem, or to sequentially create and solve subproblems (i.e., repeatedly create and solve subproblems) by considering that equipment resources or operational resources are consumed in subproblems that have already been solved (i.e., consumed resources).

[0057] The following describes the first and second application examples to which the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment is applied.

[0058] First, let's explain the first application example. In the first application example, we assume that the equipment plan is a plan for the installation of a generator, and we will create and solve a subproblem by removing the elements related to the resources consumed from the condition information and evaluation function information.

[0059] Specifically, in the first application example, we consider installing a generator as equipment and selling the electricity generated by the generator in the adjustment power market and the spot market. The adjustment power market is a market for buying and selling adjustment power. Adjustment power is the power generated in response to instructions, within the limits of the amount of power generated in the adjustment power market, which is equivalent to the contracted amount on a daily basis and does not exceed the contracted amount from bidders. Since the amount of power generated must always be equivalent to the contracted amount, this power generation capacity cannot be used for generating electricity to be traded in other markets such as the spot market.

[0060] Furthermore, the adjustment power has a defined time (hereinafter referred to as the response time) required to change the output to the commanded value after receiving a command. Generally, it takes time for a stopped generator to respond, so if the defined response time is short, even if the stopped generator is started after receiving a command, it will not be possible to change the output to the commanded value, and therefore adjustment power cannot be supplied within that response time.

[0061] Considering the circumstances described above, the generator should be kept running at all times, and furthermore, instead of operating it at its maximum generating capacity (rated output), it should be operated with a reduction equivalent to the adjustment power. This would allow for the supply of adjustment power with a short response time when a command is received.

[0062] Generally, generators are most fuel-efficient when operating at their rated output, and their fuel efficiency deteriorates as the output decreases. However, fuel efficiency and the degree to which it deteriorates vary depending on the type of generator. Therefore, when operating multiple generators in combination, it is thought that costs can be reduced by allocating adjustment power to a generator that is relatively fuel-efficient even at low output levels, rather than securing adjustment power for each generator.

[0063] In other words, the objective of the generator installation planning problem (the optimization problem for creating a generator installation plan) in the first application example is to select a generator to install in order to minimize costs from a set of multiple types of generators with different specifications.

[0064] The following describes a mathematical model representing the generator installation planning problem in the first application example. In the mathematical model described below, it is assumed that a stopped generator cannot supply regulating power.

[0065] Figure 7 shows the definition of the symbols used to describe the mathematical model. In Figure 7, the subscript i represents a generator, d represents the date, and t represents a time section. Also, for example, C in Figure 7 i and P i These correspond to equipment information, C' dt , O dt , A dt These are equivalent to operational information.

[0066] Here, equations (1) to (5) below are some of the constraints indicated by the condition information included in the generator installation planning problem.

number

[0067] Equation (1) represents the constraint that only installed generators can be operated. Equation (2) represents the constraint that the generated electricity can be used for selling electricity in the spot market or activating the adjustment power. Equation (3) represents the constraint that the power generation capacity of the operating generators can cover the amount of electricity sold in the spot market and the contracted amount in the adjustment power market. Equation (4) represents the constraint that the amount of adjustment power activated does not exceed the contracted amount in the adjustment power market. Equation (5) represents the constraint that the activation amount is the total command value of the adjustment power minus the activation amounts of other bidders.

[0068] Furthermore, equation (6) below is the evaluation function shown by the evaluation function information included in the generator installation planning problem.

number

[0069] Equation (6) shows an example of an evaluation function that can obtain cost as an evaluation value. Equation (6) shows, in order from the first term, the generator installation cost, fuel cost, spot market sales amount, sales amount for activation of the adjustment power market, and the contract amount for said adjustment power market.

[0070] The following describes an example of the processing procedure of the information processing device 1 in the first application example, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 8.

[0071] First, input unit 2 inputs a generator installation plan problem as an equipment planning problem (step S1). In this case, input unit 2 (condition information input unit 21 and evaluation function information input unit 22) inputs condition information showing constraint conditions such as equations (1) to (5) above, and evaluation function information showing an evaluation function such as equation (6). Input unit 2 (equipment information input unit 23) inputs equipment information such as a set of generators, the installation cost of each generator, and performance values ​​such as power generation efficiency for maximum and minimum loads and load factors. Furthermore, input unit 2 (equipment subset information input unit) inputs a subset consisting of one generator each as equipment subset information. In addition, input unit 2 (operation information input unit 24) inputs fuel costs and spot market transaction prices for each time section as operation information. Furthermore, input unit 2 (operation resource information input unit) inputs command values ​​and activation amounts for the entire adjustment force market as operation resource information.

[0072] The generator installation plan problem (including condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, and operation information, etc.) entered in step S1 is stored in storage unit 3 (step S2).

[0073] Next, the subproblem creation unit 41 creates a subproblem that considers, for example, only one generator, based on the equipment subset information described above (step S3). The subproblem created in this way corresponds to a problem of determining whether it is appropriate to install generator i when only one generator i is operated independently (i.e., whether the installation of generator i is appropriate). In other words, the subproblem is created by replacing the set of generators I in the mathematical model representing the generator installation plan problem described above with a set consisting only of generator i.

[0074] In this embodiment, it is assumed that if the introduction (selection) of equipment is deemed appropriate when the equipment is underestimated in a sub-problem, then the introduction of the equipment can also be determined to be appropriate in the equipment planning problem. In this embodiment, operating multiple pieces of equipment in combination improves (or at least does not decrease) the evaluation, and operating those pieces of equipment independently constitutes the underestimation of the equipment described above. That is, if there are elements that could lead to overestimation when the equipment is operated independently (i.e., evaluated individually), a sub-problem is created that excludes those elements.

[0075] In this case, for example, the subproblem information output unit 411 outputs conditions and evaluation functions that span across multiple generators, including generator i, and conditions and evaluation functions that have little relation to generator i. Conditions and evaluation functions that have little relation to generator i include, for example, terms in conditions and evaluation functions in which generator i does not explicitly appear (i.e., does not include the subscript of generator i).

[0076] Specifically, in equations (1) to (5) above, for example, θd in equation (5) represents the total activation amount of the adjustment force market excluding the activation amount of the generator installed by the user. The actual power output of generator i is the sum of θd and the power output of other generators installed by the user, subtracted from the market command value Adt. However, in the subproblem, only generator i is considered, and the activation amount of generators other than generator i installed by the user is ignored, so the activation amount of generator i may be larger than it actually is. Also, equation (5) is a constraint condition for considering fuel costs corresponding to the activation amount of generator i, and if equation (5) is not adopted as a constraint condition, it may contradict the above-mentioned underestimation of the equipment (i.e., it may be overestimation).

[0077] In this case, when the above-mentioned equation (5) is output (displayed on the display device 105), the subproblem information input unit 412 inputs, for example, in response to user operation, that equation (5) will be adopted as a constraint condition for the subproblem as information regarding the creation of the subproblem. Accordingly, the subproblem creation unit 41 can create a subproblem that includes equation (5) as a constraint condition based on the input information regarding the creation of the subproblem. Although the case of creating a subproblem that includes equation (5) as a constraint condition has been described here, depending on the constraint condition, information regarding the creation of a subproblem that does not adopt that constraint condition may be input by the subproblem information input unit 412, and a subproblem that does not include that constraint condition may be created.

[0078] Furthermore, the subproblem information output unit 411 may output equation (6). Here, for example, the value of the fourth term of equation (6) may be greater than the profit obtained according to the actual activation amount, so it can be said that the fourth term of equation (6) is an element that may be overestimated. In this case, the subproblem information input unit 412 inputs, in response to user operation, information regarding the creation of the subproblem, for example, that the sales amount for the activation of the adjustment force market in the fourth term of equation (6) should not be included in the evaluation function. According to this, the subproblem creation unit 41 can create a subproblem based on an evaluation function that does not include the fourth term of equation (6).

[0079] In this explanation, it is assumed that subproblems are created based on information about subproblem creation entered by the subproblem information input unit 412. However, the subproblem creation unit 41 may automatically create subproblems that exclude conditions, evaluation functions, etc., that have little relation to the generator i described above.

[0080] Next, the condition creation unit 42 solves the subproblem created in step S3 (step S4). If the subproblem is solved, it is determined whether the installation of the generator i is appropriate (i.e., whether the installation of generator i is appropriate or not).

[0081] Once the process in step S4 is executed, the condition creation unit 42 creates conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​to be applied to the generator installation planning problem based on the information regarding the solutions to the subproblems (step S5).

[0082] Specifically, information regarding the solution of a subproblem includes the solution of that subproblem (i.e., whether the generator is suitable for installation) and the evaluation value (evaluation function value) in that subproblem. In this case, the condition creation unit 42, for example, for a generator i that has been determined to be suitable for installation in the subproblem, sets the condition (γ) that the generator is suitable for installation in the generator installation plan problem (original problem). i The condition creation unit 42 (initial value creation unit 423) creates an initial value (γ = 1) for generator i that is determined to be unsuitable for installation in the subproblem. i The function creates a value of 0). Furthermore, the condition creation unit 42 (limit value creation unit 424) creates the sum of the evaluation values ​​in the subproblem as the limit value (upper limit of cost). The reason for using the sum of the evaluation values ​​in the subproblem as the limit value is that the subproblem overestimates the amount of adjustment power activated (i.e., fuel costs) and does not take into account the sales amount for activation. Moreover, as mentioned above, by operating multiple generators in combination, it is possible to efficiently secure power generation capacity for adjustment power (i.e., further reduce costs), so there is a solution in the original problem where the evaluation value is smaller than the sum of the evaluation values ​​in the subproblem.

[0083] If multiple subproblems are created in step S3, the conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​may be created based on the solutions to each subproblem or the statistical values ​​of the evaluation values ​​in those subproblems.

[0084] Furthermore, the condition information output unit 421 may output solutions to subproblems or evaluation values ​​(or statistical values) for those subproblems, and the condition information input unit 422 may input information regarding the creation of conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​to be applied to the generator installation planning problem in response to user operations. Based on this input information, the condition creation unit 42 may create conditions, initial values, and limit values.

[0085] Although the explanation here assumes that conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​are created, at least one of these conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​may be omitted if it reduces the scope of searching for a solution to the generator installation planning problem (equipment planning problem), as will be discussed later.

[0086] The problem-solving unit 43 solves the generator installation plan problem (equipment planning problem) to which the conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​created in step S5 have been added (step S6). This makes it possible to reduce the range of the solution search compared to, for example, solving the generator installation plan problem input in step S1 as is, and thus reduce the time required for the solution (i.e., solve at high speed). Specifically, each time a condition is added that the installation of a generator is appropriate, the range of the solution search can be reduced by half.

[0087] If the process in step S6 is executed, a generator installation plan (equipment plan) is created, and the output unit 5 outputs the generator installation plan (step S7).

[0088] Here, the generator installation plan (i.e., the solution to the generator installation plan problem) includes the suitability of each generator's installation (γi) and the operation plan for that generator. In this case, the suitability of each generator's installation is output by the equipment selection output unit 51, and the operation plan for that generator is output by the operation plan output unit 52.

[0089] Furthermore, if multiple pieces of equipment information or operational information are included in the equipment planning problem, the appropriateness of the generator (equipment) installation and statistical quantities related to those multiple solutions, obtained by solving the equipment planning problem for each piece of equipment information or operational information, may be output.

[0090] Furthermore, while this assumes that fuel costs, contracted prices and quantities in the electricity market, and command values ​​for adjustment capacity are fixed, if, for example, multiple operational information based on multiple scenarios with different estimation confidence levels are input, the equipment planning problem may be solved for each operational information item, and statistical quantities such as the expected value of the suitability of installing each generator may be output based on that confidence level.

[0091] As described above, in the first application example, the information processing device 1 creates subproblems while ignoring the benefits of resource consumption and operates in a manner that underestimates the solution to those subproblems.

[0092] In the first application example, it is assumed that the equipment planning problem includes resources consumed by equipment selection and resources consumed by equipment operation. However, if such resources are not included, the process of creating a subproblem by replacing the original set in the equipment planning problem with a subset can be performed in step S3 shown in Figure 8.

[0093] Next, we will explain the second application example. In the second application example, we assume that the equipment plan is a truck delivery plan, and we will sequentially create and solve subproblems, taking into account that equipment resources or operational resources are consumed in the subproblems that have already been solved.

[0094] Specifically, in the second application example, we consider renting a truck and using it to deliver goods from a collection point to various locations. A delivery request refers to the location where goods are to be delivered and the quantity of goods to be delivered to that location (i.e., the demand at that location). Each truck has a maximum load capacity, and in truck delivery, compensation can be earned by processing delivery requests within the limits of the sum of the demands not exceeding that capacity. In addition, truck delivery incurs fuel costs based on the distance traveled by the truck.

[0095] Here, if we define cost as the sum of truck rental fees and fuel costs minus the sum of rewards earned from processing delivery requests, then the objective of the truck delivery planning problem (an optimization problem for creating a truck delivery plan) in the second application example is to select the number of trucks to rent in order to minimize costs (i.e., maximize profit, which is the sum of rewards minus the sum of truck rental fees and fuel costs). In other words, the truck delivery planning problem can be said to be the problem of finding the minimum number of trucks necessary to process the entire set of delivery requests. However, if the rental fees for the minimum number of trucks exceed the budget limit, or if there are routes that are not worthwhile due to excessively long distances, the truck delivery planning problem becomes the problem of finding the combination that yields the greatest profit, considering the number of trucks possible within the budget and the delivery requests and routes that are worthwhile.

[0096] In the second application example, for truck deliveries, it is necessary to select the number of trucks to be borrowed, assign delivery requests to the borrowed trucks, and determine the order in which those requests will be processed (i.e., the route that will visit the assigned locations). When delivery requests are assigned to trucks in sequence and routes are determined, routes that visit locations close to the collection point or locations with high rewards will be prioritized. Therefore, planning deliveries with multiple trucks simultaneously may result in more efficient routes being determined, potentially increasing the total number of deliveries that can be processed or decreasing the distance traveled.

[0097] The following describes an example of the processing procedure of the information processing device 1 in the second application example, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0098] First, input unit 2 inputs the truck delivery planning problem as the equipment planning problem (step S11). Specifically, input unit 2 (condition information input unit 21 and evaluation function information input unit 22) inputs condition information, such as constraints that the number of rented trucks must depart from and arrive at the collection point, and evaluation function information, which indicates an evaluation function that can obtain the above-mentioned cost as an evaluation value. Input unit 2 (equipment information input unit 23) inputs performance values ​​such as the rental fee and capacity for each truck as equipment information. Furthermore, input unit 2 (equipment resource information input unit) inputs the budget for renting the trucks as equipment resource information. Input unit 2 (equipment subset information input unit) inputs a subset consisting of one truck each as equipment subset information. Furthermore, input unit 2 (equipment ranking information input unit) inputs the priority order of each truck, which is assigned based on the ratio of rented quantity to capacity in ascending order, as equipment ranking information. Furthermore, input unit 2 (operational information input unit 24) inputs operational information such as the fuel costs required for the truck to travel between each location, the location and demand for each delivery request (the location to which the goods are delivered and the quantity of goods to be delivered in each delivery request), and the rewards obtained by processing each delivery request. In addition, input unit 2 (operational resource information input unit) inputs a collection of delivery requests, etc., as operational resource information.

[0099] The truck delivery plan problem (equipment plan problem including condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, and operation information, etc.) entered in step S11 is stored in storage unit 3 (step S12).

[0100] Next, the subproblem creation unit 41 selects one truck with a low rental fee relative to its capacity based on the equipment ranking information, and creates a subproblem that considers only the selected truck (hereinafter referred to as the target truck) (step S13). The subproblem created in this way corresponds to a problem of determining whether it is appropriate to use only the single truck for the target request to process some of the delivery requests from the set of delivery requests (i.e., whether it is appropriate to use the target truck).

[0101] The condition creation unit 42 solves the subproblem created in step S13 (step S14).

[0102] When step S14 is executed, the remaining budget (new budget) is calculated by subtracting the rental fee for the target truck from the budget, and the set of delivery requests obtained by excluding the delivery requests assigned to the target truck from the set of delivery requests becomes the new set of delivery requests.

[0103] Next, it is determined whether the conditions for terminating the creation of a subproblem (hereinafter referred to as the termination conditions) are met (step S15). The termination conditions include, for example, that it is determined that borrowing a truck is inappropriate in the subproblem (hereinafter referred to as the first termination condition), that the rental fee for the next truck selected exceeds the remaining budget (hereinafter referred to as the second termination condition), and that there are no delivery requests to assign to the truck (i.e., the set of new delivery requests is an empty set) (hereinafter referred to as the third termination condition).

[0104] If it is determined that none of the first to third termination conditions are met (NO in step S15), the process returns to step S13 and is repeated. In other words, in the second application example, considering that resources (in this case, budget and delivery requests, etc.) are consumed as the multiple pieces of equipment are selected or operated sequentially, a process is executed in which multiple subproblems reflecting the consumed resources are repeatedly created and solved.

[0105] On the other hand, if it is determined that at least one of the first to third termination conditions is met (YES in step S15), the condition creation unit 42 creates conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​to be applied to the truck delivery planning problem based on information regarding the solution of the subproblem (for example, whether the truck can be borrowed and the evaluation value in the subproblem, etc.) (step S16).

[0106] Specifically, for example, if it is determined that the first termination condition is met, the condition creation unit 42 creates a condition in the truck delivery planning problem (original problem) that indicates that borrowing is appropriate for trucks that have been determined to be appropriate in each subproblem through the repeated execution of steps S13 and S14 as described above. In addition, the condition creation unit 42 (initial value creation unit 423) creates an initial value that indicates that borrowing is not appropriate for trucks other than those that have been determined to be appropriate in each subproblem. Furthermore, the condition creation unit 42 (limit value creation unit 424) creates a limit value by summing the evaluation values ​​in each subproblem.

[0107] On the other hand, if it is determined that, for example, the second or third termination condition is met, the condition creation unit 42 (initial value creation unit 423) creates an initial value in the truck delivery planning problem that indicates that borrowing is appropriate for trucks that have been determined to be appropriate in each subproblem. The condition creation unit 42 also creates a condition in the truck delivery planning problem that indicates that borrowing is not appropriate for trucks other than those that have been determined to be appropriate in each subproblem. Furthermore, the condition creation unit 42 (limit value creation unit 424) creates a limit value by summing the evaluation values ​​in each subproblem.

[0108] Furthermore, if it is determined that both the first termination condition and the second or third termination condition are met, the processing that would occur if the first termination condition were met is executed (i.e., the first termination condition takes precedence over the second and third termination conditions).

[0109] Furthermore, the condition information output unit 421 may output solutions to subproblems and evaluation values ​​for those subproblems, and the condition information input unit 422 may input information regarding the creation of conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​to be applied to the truck delivery planning problem in response to user operations. Based on this input, the condition creation unit 42 may create conditions, initial values, and limit values.

[0110] Furthermore, although it has been explained here that conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​are created, at least one of these conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​may be omitted if it reduces the scope of searching for a solution to the truck delivery planning problem (equipment planning problem), as will be discussed later.

[0111] The solution unit 43 solves the truck delivery planning problem (equipment planning problem) to which the conditions, initial values, and limit values ​​created in step S16 have been added (step S17). This makes it possible to reduce the range of solutions to be searched compared to, for example, solving the truck delivery planning problem input in step S11 as is, and thus reduce the time required for the solution (i.e., solve at high speed).

[0112] If the process in step S17 is executed, a truck delivery plan (equipment plan) is created, and the output unit 5 outputs the truck delivery plan (step S18).

[0113] Here, the truck delivery plan (i.e., the solution to the truck delivery plan problem) includes whether each truck is suitable for use and the operational plan for that truck (for example, the route the truck will travel). In this case, the suitability of each truck for use is output by the equipment selection output unit 51, and the operational plan for that truck is output by the operational plan output unit 52.

[0114] In the second application example, multiple subproblems are repeatedly created while subtracting the resources consumed. However, if the equipment is not identical, the result obtained (solution to the equipment planning problem) will differ depending on the order in which the multiple subproblems are solved. For this reason, the second application example is suitable when solving an equipment planning problem where the equipment is identical or the priority of the equipment has been determined.

[0115] As described above, in this embodiment, a sub-problem is created by replacing some of the multiple pieces of equipment in a piece of equipment planning problem for creating a piece of equipment for operating an equipment plan by selecting any (appropriate) equipment from a plurality of pieces of equipment. Based on the solution of the created sub-problem, conditions are created to be applied to the piece of equipment planning problem, and a piece of equipment plan is created by solving the piece of equipment planning problem to which the created conditions have been added.

[0116] In this embodiment, by adding conditions to the equipment planning problem (original problem), the range in which the solution to the equipment planning problem is searched can be limited, thereby speeding up the creation of the equipment plan (i.e., solving the equipment planning problem).

[0117] In this embodiment, if the equipment planning problem includes equipment resource information or operational resource information, multiple sub-problems are created that reflect the resources consumed by the sequential selection or operation of multiple pieces of equipment. With this configuration, it is also possible to create an appropriate equipment plan that takes into account the resources consumed.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, initial and limit values ​​are created to be applied to the equipment planning problem based on the solutions to the subproblems. In this embodiment, by adding such initial and limit values, the range in which the solution to the equipment planning problem is searched can be further narrowed, thereby making it possible to further speed up the creation of the equipment plan.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the equipment planning problem includes multiple pieces of equipment information, the configuration may be such that the equipment planning problem is solved for each piece of equipment information. Similarly, if the equipment planning problem includes multiple pieces of operational information, the configuration may be such that the equipment planning problem is solved for each piece of operational information. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to obtain (output) the suitability of the equipment and its statistics based on multiple solutions.

[0120] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the equipment planning problem may include subset information, and the subproblem may be created based on said subset information. The subset information may also include equipment ranking information indicating the priority of each subset. With such a configuration, it is possible to create a subproblem by selecting an appropriate subset from a set of multiple pieces of equipment (original set) in the equipment planning problem, thereby enabling the creation of a highly accurate equipment plan.

[0121] Furthermore, in this embodiment, condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, or operation information included in the equipment planning problem may be output, and a subproblem may be created based on information about the creation of a subproblem input in response to user operations based on the output condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, or operation information (i.e., user operations performed after confirming the information). Moreover, in this embodiment, information about the solution of a subproblem (the solution of the subproblem and the evaluation value in the subproblem) may be output, and conditions may be created based on information about the creation of conditions applicable to the equipment planning problem input in response to user operations based on the output information about the solution of the subproblem (i.e., user operations performed after confirming the information). With such a configuration, subproblems and conditions can be created interactively with the user.

[0122] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the equipment to be selected from among multiple pieces of equipment included in the equipment plan created by solving the equipment planning problem is output. In this embodiment, with this configuration, the user can easily understand which equipment to be selected from among multiple pieces of equipment in the equipment planning problem. In addition to the equipment to be selected from among multiple pieces of equipment, the operation plan for that equipment may also be output.

[0123] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0124] With regard to the embodiments described above, the following additional information is disclosed. [1] Information processing device comprising a creation means for creating an equipment plan by selecting any equipment from a plurality of equipment and creating an equipment plan for operating the selected equipment, by creating a subproblem of the equipment planning problem by replacing the plurality of equipment with some of the equipment from the plurality of equipment, creating conditions to be applied to the equipment planning problem based on the solution of the created subproblem, and solving the equipment planning problem to which the created conditions have been added. [2] The equipment planning problem includes equipment resource information relating to the resources consumed by selecting each of the multiple pieces of equipment, The creation means, when the equipment planning problem includes the equipment resource information, creates a number of subproblems that reflect the resources consumed by sequentially selecting the multiple pieces of equipment based on the equipment resource information. [1] The information processing device described above. [3] The equipment planning problem includes operational resource information relating to the resources consumed by operating each of the multiple pieces of equipment, When the equipment planning problem includes the operational resource information, the creation means creates a number of sub-problems that reflect the resources consumed by the sequential operation of the multiple pieces of equipment based on the operational resource information. The information processing device described in [1] or [2]. [4] The information processing device according to any one of the following [1] to [3], wherein the creation means creates initial values ​​to be applied to the equipment planning problem based on the solution of the subproblem, and solves the equipment planning problem to which the created initial values ​​have been added. [5] The equipment planning problem includes evaluation function information that shows an evaluation function for obtaining an evaluation value when each of the multiple pieces of equipment is selected, The creation means creates limit values ​​for the evaluation values ​​applied to the equipment planning problem based on the solution to the subproblem, and solves the equipment planning problem to which the created limit values ​​have been added. An information processing device as described in any one of items [1] to [4]. [6] The aforementioned equipment planning problem includes multiple pieces of equipment information relating to the selection of the equipment, If the aforementioned equipment planning problem includes multiple pieces of equipment information, the equipment planning problem is solved for each piece of equipment information. An information processing device as described in any one of items [1] to [5]. [7] The aforementioned equipment planning problem includes multiple pieces of operational information relating to the operation of the equipment, If the aforementioned equipment planning problem includes multiple pieces of operational information, the equipment planning problem is solved for each piece of operational information. An information processing device as described in any one of items [1] to [6]. [8] The aforementioned equipment planning problem includes subset information relating to a subset of equipment that represents some of the equipment among the plurality of equipment, The creation means creates the subproblem based on the subset information. An information processing device as described in any one of items [1] to [7]. [9] The information processing apparatus described in [8] includes equipment ranking information indicating the priority of each subset, wherein the subset information includes equipment ranking information indicating the priority of each subset.

[10] The equipment planning problem includes condition information indicating constraints for the equipment planning problem, evaluation function information indicating an evaluation function for obtaining an evaluation value when each of the multiple pieces of equipment is selected, equipment information relating to the selection of the equipment, or operation information relating to the operation of the equipment. The creation means outputs the condition information, the evaluation function information, the equipment information, or the operation information, and creates the subproblem based on the information about the creation of the subproblem input in response to user operations based on the output condition information, the evaluation function information, the equipment information, or the operation information. An information processing device as described in any one of items [1] to [9].

[11] The information processing device according to any one of [1] to

[10] , wherein the creation means outputs information relating to the solution of the subproblem, and creates the conditions based on information relating to the creation of the conditions input in response to user operations based on the outputted information relating to the solution of the subproblem.

[12] It further comprises an output means, The aforementioned equipment plan includes equipment to be selected from among the multiple pieces of equipment, The output means outputs the equipment that should be selected from the plurality of equipment included in the created equipment planning problem. An information processing device as described in any one of items [1] to

[11] .

[13] An information processing method comprising: creating a sub-problem of an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for creating an equipment planning problem for which an arbitrary equipment has been created, creating conditions to be applied to the equipment planning problem based on the solution of the created sub-problem, and creating the equipment planning problem by solving the equipment planning problem to which the created conditions have been added.

[14] A program that causes a computer to function as a means for creating an equipment plan by selecting any equipment from a plurality of equipment and creating a sub-problem of the equipment planning problem for creating an equipment plan for operating the selected equipment, by replacing the plurality of equipment with some of the equipment from the plurality of equipment, creating conditions to be applied to the equipment planning problem based on the solution of the created sub-problem, and solving the equipment planning problem to which the created conditions have been added. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0125] 1... Information processing unit, 2... Input unit, 3... Storage unit, 4... Equipment plan creation unit, 5... Output unit, 21... Condition information input unit, 22... Evaluation function information input unit, 23... Equipment information input unit, 24... Operation information input unit, 41... Partial problem creation unit, 42... Condition creation unit, 43... Solution unit, 51... Equipment selection output unit, 52... Operation plan output unit, 101... CPU, 102... Non-volatile memory, 103... Main memory, 104... Input device, 105... Display device, 106... Communication device, 411... Partial problem information output unit, 412... Partial problem information input unit, 421... Condition information output unit, 422... Condition information input unit, 423... Initial value creation unit, 424... Limit value creation unit.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: an optimization problem for creating an equipment planning problem, which is an optimization problem for selecting any equipment from a plurality of equipment and creating an equipment planning problem for operating the selected equipment, wherein a subproblem of the equipment planning problem is created by replacing the original set, which is a set of a plurality of equipment, with a subset consisting of some of the equipment in the original set; a condition for limiting the range for searching for a solution to the equipment planning problem based on the solution to the subproblem obtained by solving the created subproblem; and a means for creating the equipment planning problem by solving the equipment planning problem to which the created condition has been added.

2. The equipment planning problem includes equipment resource information relating to the resources consumed by selecting each of the multiple pieces of equipment, The creation means, when the equipment planning problem includes the equipment resource information, sequentially creates multiple subproblems by subtracting the resources consumed by sequentially selecting the multiple pieces of equipment based on the equipment resource information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The equipment planning problem includes operational resource information relating to the resources consumed by operating each of the multiple pieces of equipment, When the equipment planning problem includes the operational resource information, the creation means sequentially creates multiple sub-problems by subtracting the resources consumed by the sequential operation of the multiple pieces of equipment based on the operational resource information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the creation means creates initial values ​​for the equipment planning problem based on the solution of the subproblem, and solves the equipment planning problem to which the created initial values ​​are further added in addition to the conditions.

5. The equipment planning problem includes evaluation function information that shows an evaluation function for obtaining an evaluation value when each of the multiple pieces of equipment is selected, The creation means creates limit values ​​for the evaluation values ​​applied to the equipment planning problem based on the evaluation values ​​in the solution of the subproblem, and solves the equipment planning problem to which the created limit values ​​are further added in addition to the conditions. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned equipment planning problem includes subset information relating to the subset, The subset information includes equipment ranking information indicating the priority for each subset consisting of the equipment, The creation means creates the subproblem based on a subset of equipment determined according to the priority order indicated by the equipment ranking information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The equipment planning problem includes condition information indicating constraints for the equipment planning problem, evaluation function information indicating an evaluation function for obtaining an evaluation value when each of the multiple pieces of equipment is selected, equipment information relating to the selection of the equipment, or operation information relating to the operation of the equipment. The creation means outputs the condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, or operation information, and creates the subproblem according to the user's instructions based on the output condition information, evaluation function information, equipment information, or operation information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the creation means outputs the solution to the subproblem and the evaluation value in the subproblem, and creates the conditions according to the user's instructions based on the outputted solution to the subproblem and the evaluation value in the subproblem.

9. It further comprises an output means, The aforementioned equipment plan includes equipment to be selected from among the multiple pieces of equipment, The output means outputs the equipment that should be selected from the plurality of equipment included in the created equipment planning problem. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

10. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, An information processing method comprising: an equipment planning problem, which is an optimization problem for selecting any equipment from a plurality of equipment and creating an equipment plan for operating the selected equipment, wherein a subproblem of the equipment planning problem is created by replacing the original set, which is a set of a plurality of equipment, with a subset consisting of some of the equipment in the original set; a condition for limiting the range for searching for a solution to the equipment planning problem is created based on the solution to the subproblem obtained by solving the created subproblem; and the equipment plan is created by solving the equipment planning problem to which the created condition has been added.

11. A program to cause a computer to function as a means for creating an equipment plan, which is an optimization problem for creating an equipment plan for operating an arbitrary piece of equipment selected from a plurality of pieces of equipment, by creating a subproblem of the equipment planning problem, which includes an original set that is a set of a plurality of pieces of equipment, by replacing the original set with a subset consisting of some of the pieces of equipment in the original set, by solving the created subproblem, by creating conditions for limiting the range in which the solution to the equipment planning problem is searched based on the solution to the subproblem obtained by solving the created subproblem, and by solving the equipment planning problem to which the created conditions have been added.

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