System, program, method, and storage medium

Abstract

A system according to the present invention acquires a first demand that is transmitted from an energy management device that manages energy and includes demand amounts and demand durations related to energy demand and a second demand that is transmitted from a mobile body management device that manages mobile bodies and includes demand amounts and demand durations related to demand for the mobile bodies, uses the first demand and the second demand to perform at least one of processing for deciding locations and durations for the movement of the mobile bodies and processing that determines whether both the first demand and the second demand can be met, switches between operation modes for managing energy and the mobile bodies that include a first mode that satisfies the first demand as possible while satisfying the second demand and a second mode that satisfies the second demand as possible while satisfying the first demand, and receives reservation information that reserves the mobile bodies. The reservation information includes selection information for selecting a mobile body to be used by a user from among the mobile bodies, and the selection information is determined in accordance with the mode.

Description

System, program, method, and storage medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, a program, a method, and a storage medium.

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose techniques for utilizing the power of a vehicle battery externally. [Prior Art Literatures] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2024 / 070109 Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2023 / 022140 General disclosure

[0003] (Problem to be solved) It is desirable for a user to be able to appropriately select a vehicle to use from among mobile objects. (Means for solving the problem)

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system is provided. The system includes an acquisition unit that acquires (I) a first demand, including a demand amount and a demand time related to energy demand, sent from an energy management device that manages energy, and (II) a second demand, including a demand amount and a demand time related to demand for the mobile object, sent from a mobile object management device that manages the mobile object. The system also includes a processing unit that performs at least one of a process for determining a location and a time for the mobile object to move based on the first demand and the second demand acquired by the acquisition unit, and a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied. The system also includes a mode determination unit that switches between a plurality of operating modes for managing the energy and the mobile object, including a first mode that satisfies the first demand to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand, and a second mode that satisfies the second demand to the extent possible while satisfying the first demand. The system also includes a reservation acceptance unit that accepts reservation information for reserving the mobile object. The reservation information is selection information for selecting a mobile body to be used by the user from a plurality of mobile bodies, and includes selection information determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit from the plurality of operation modes. The acquisition unit acquires a demand amount related to a demand for the mobile body based on the selection information determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit from the plurality of operation modes. The processing unit performs at least one of a process for determining a position and a time for the mobile body to move, and a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit from the plurality of operation modes.

[0005] In the above system, the reservation information may include a plurality of pieces of selection information respectively associated with the plurality of operation modes. The system may include a selection information determination unit that determines selection information associated with a mode determined by the mode determination unit from among the plurality of operation modes. The acquisition unit may acquire a demand amount related to a demand for the mobile object based on the selection information determined by the selection information determination unit from among the plurality of operation modes. The processing unit may perform at least one of a process for determining a position and time for the mobile object to move, or a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined by the selection information determination unit from among the plurality of operation modes.

[0006] In any of the above systems, each of the plurality of selection information may include conditions that must be satisfied by a vehicle to be used by the user from among the plurality of vehicles, and a reservation necessity degree that corresponds to each of the plurality of operating modes and indicates that it is necessary to select a vehicle that satisfies the conditions.

[0007] In any of the above systems, each of the plurality of selection information may include conditions that must be satisfied by a mobile body to be used by the user from among the plurality of mobile bodies, and importance information that is associated with each of the plurality of operating modes and specifies the importance of the condition.

[0008] In any of the above systems, when the second mode is determined by the mode determination unit, the processing unit may select a mobile body from the plurality of mobile bodies that is necessary to satisfy the first demand, and when there is a conflict between the selected mobile body and a mobile body that satisfies the conditions, arbitrate the conflict by prioritizing and excluding the condition with the lower importance.

[0009] In any of the above systems, when the second mode is determined by the mode determination unit, the processing unit may select a mobile body from the plurality of mobile bodies that is necessary to satisfy the first demand, and when there is a conflict between the selected mobile body and a mobile body that satisfies the conditions, arbitrate the conflict by prioritizing and excluding the condition with lower importance, and selecting another mobile body from the plurality of mobile bodies that meets the remaining conditions obtained by excluding the condition with lower importance.

[0010] In any of the above systems, when the first mode is determined by the mode determination unit, the processing unit may determine the position and time at which the mobile body will move so as to satisfy the second demand based on selection information determined according to the first mode, and adjust the time at which the mobile body will move so as to satisfy the first demand to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand.

[0011] In any of the above systems, the moving body may be a vehicle.

[0012] In any of the above systems, the moving object may be a vehicle, and the conditions may include at least one of a condition for selecting a usage period of the vehicle, a condition for selecting a vehicle type, and a condition for selecting a specific vehicle.

[0013] In any of the above systems, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle equipped with a battery. The first demand may be an electric power demand at a facility to which electric power can be supplied from the battery. The second demand may be an operation demand for the electric vehicle. The conditions may include a condition for selecting a use period for using the electric vehicle for operation.

[0014] In any of the above systems, a mode acceptance unit may be configured to accept information specifying a particular mode from the plurality of operation modes from an administrator, and the mode determination unit may switch between the plurality of operation modes based on the information accepted by the mode acceptance unit.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method. The method includes a first acquisition step of acquiring a first demand including a demand amount related to energy demand and a demand time. The method includes a second acquisition step of acquiring a second demand including a demand amount related to a mobile object and a demand time. The method includes a processing step of performing at least one of a process for determining a location and time for the mobile object to move based on the first demand and the second demand, or a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied. The method also includes a mode determination step of switching between a plurality of operation modes for managing the energy and the mobile object, including a first mode for satisfying the first demand to a possible extent while satisfying the second demand, and a second mode for satisfying the second demand to a possible extent while satisfying the first demand. The method also includes a step of accepting reservation information for reserving the mobile object. The reservation information is selection information for a user to select a mobile object to use from a plurality of mobile objects, and includes selection information determined according to a mode determined from the plurality of operation modes in the mode determination step. The second acquisition step acquires a demand amount related to a demand for the mobile object based on the selection information determined in accordance with a mode selected in the mode determination step from among the plurality of operation modes. The processing step performs at least one of a process for determining a position and a time for the mobile object to move, and a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined in accordance with a mode selected in the mode determination step from among the plurality of operation modes.

[0016] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a computer to function as any one of the systems described above.

[0017] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium. The storage medium stores the above-mentioned program. The storage medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0018] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also constitute inventions.

[0019] 11A and 11B conceptually illustrate a usage pattern of the system 5 in one embodiment. 11B illustrates an example of the system configuration of the vehicle management device 60. 11C illustrates an example of the system configuration of the integrated management device 50. 11D illustrates an execution sequence of the power control device 40, the integrated management device 50, and the vehicle management device 60. 11E illustrates a screen 500 that provides a user interface provided to users of the business establishment 30. 11F illustrates a screen 600 that provides a user interface provided to users of the vehicle 10 at the business establishment 30. 11G illustrates a screen 700 that provides a user interface provided to users of the vehicle 10 at the business establishment 30. 11G illustrates a state in which the display of the reservation display section 620 on the screen 600 is updated based on information entered on the screen 700. 11G illustrates a list of multiple reservation information stored in the integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 in table format. 11G illustrates an operation plan and power plan before arbitration and an operation plan and power plan after arbitration. 11G illustrates a screen 1100 showing selected information entered by an administrator to prioritize peak cutting. 11G illustrates an example in which an administrator registers reservation information for a specific purpose, such as maintenance or driving management of the vehicle 10. 2 shows an operation plan and a power consumption plan before arbitration is performed and an operation plan and a power consumption plan after arbitration is performed.

[0020] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0021] 1 conceptually illustrates a usage form of a system 5 in one embodiment. The system 5 includes a power generation device 80, a plurality of vehicles including a vehicle 10a, a vehicle 10b, a vehicle 10c, a vehicle 10d, and a vehicle 10e, power control devices 40 and 41, an integrated management device 50 and 51, a vehicle management device 60 and 61, a power control device 140, and a server 180.

[0022] The power consumer 70 and the power generation device 80 are connected to a power network 90. ​​The power generated by the power generation device 80 can be supplied to the power consumer 70 through the power network 90. ​​The power network 90 is, for example, a power system.

[0023] Vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are electric vehicles equipped with batteries 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, and 12e, respectively, that store driving power for vehicle travel. An electric vehicle is an example of an electrically powered vehicle. An electric vehicle is an example of a moving body. In this embodiment, vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d may be collectively referred to as "vehicles 10," and batteries 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d may be collectively referred to as "batteries 12."

[0024] The vehicle 10 is deployed at a business establishment 30. The business establishment 30 functions as a base for parking the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the business establishment 30 may be referred to as a "head office." The vehicle 10 may be, for example, a vehicle used for business purposes, or a vehicle used to transport cargo such as merchandise handled at the business establishment 30. Electricity is supplied to the business establishment 30 through a power network 90.

[0025] The power control device 40, the integrated management device 50, and the vehicle management device 60 are provided at the business establishment 30. The vehicle 10 is provided so as to be able to communicate with the vehicle management device 60 via a mobile communication network or the like. The business establishment 30 has a local power network within the business establishment, and power can be exchanged between the battery 12 provided in the vehicle 10 and the battery 12 via a charging / discharging device provided at the business establishment 30. In other words, the vehicle 10 can be used for energy management at the business establishment 30. The battery 12 provided in the vehicle 10 can exchange power with the power network 90 via the power network within the business establishment 30. The power control device 40 controls the charging and discharging of the vehicle 10 deployed at the business establishment 30 so as to at least meet the power demand within the business establishment 30.

[0026] The power control device 40, the integrated management device 50, and the vehicle management device 60 are managed, for example, at the business establishment 30. The power control device 40 and the integrated management device 50 are provided so that they can communicate with each other via a communication line. The integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 are provided so that they can communicate with each other via a communication line. The integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 may be provided outside the business establishment 30. The integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 may be provided so that they can communicate with each other via a communication line such as the Internet. One or both of the integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 may be realized by a server such as a cloud server.

[0027] The vehicle management device 60 determines the time at which the vehicle 10 departs from and returns to the business premises 30. The integrated management device 50 performs arbitration to adjust the time at which the vehicle 10 departs from and returns to the business premises 30 so as to meet the power demand at the business premises 30. For example, the integrated management device 50 performs arbitration to adjust the time at which the vehicle 10 departs from and returns to the business premises 30 so as to enable peak cutting of power demand at the business premises 30. The vehicle management device 60 manages the vehicle 10 based on the schedule for the vehicle 10 adjusted by the integrated management device 50. The power control device 40 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 12 provided in the vehicle 10 based on the schedule for the vehicle 10 adjusted by the integrated management device 50.

[0028] Vehicle 10e is deployed at business establishment 31. Business establishment 31 functions as a base for parking vehicle 10e. Vehicle 10e may be a commercial vehicle, similar to vehicle 10, or may be a vehicle for transporting cargo such as merchandise handled at business establishment 30. Power is supplied to business establishment 31 through power network 90. ​​Power control device 41, integrated management device 51, and vehicle management device 61 are provided at business establishment 31.

[0029] In the business establishment 31, the power control device 41, the integrated management device 51, and the vehicle management device 61 correspond to the power control device 40, the integrated management device 50, and the vehicle management device 60. The power control device 41, the integrated management device 51, and the vehicle management device 61 perform the same control as the power control device 40, the integrated management device 50, and the vehicle management device 60, except that the controlled object and / or the managed object are the business establishment 31 and / or the vehicle 10e. Therefore, a description of the control relating to the power control device 41, the integrated management device 51, the vehicle management device 61, and the vehicle 10 will be omitted.

[0030] The power control device 140 communicates with the power control device 40 and the power control device 41 via the communication network 190 and supervises overall power control in the business establishments 30 and 31. For example, the power control device 140 collects information on power supply and demand from the power control device 40 and the power control device 41 and causes the power control device 40 and the power control device 41 to perform control so as to minimize the power cost for the business establishments 30 and 31 as a whole by adjusting the overall power supply and demand including power trading with the power network 90.

[0031] The power control device 140 is connected to the server 180 via a communication network 190. The server 180 is, for example, a server used by a power aggregator. The server 180 performs power trading in the power market. The power control device 140 can provide the server 180 with power resources that are aggregated and stored from the business establishment 30 and the vehicles deployed at the business establishment 30. The power control device 140 provides the power agreed upon by the server 180 by having the power control devices 40 and 41 control the charging and discharging of the batteries of the vehicles deployed at the business establishment 30 and 31. For example, the power control device 140 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 12 by the power control device 40 in response to a demand from the server 180, thereby providing power according to the demand.

[0032] 2 to 13 , the control related to the business establishment 30 will be mainly described. Specifically, the control related to the power control device 40, the integrated management device 50, the vehicle management device 60, and the vehicle 10 will be described. However, the control related to the business establishment 30 can be applied to the control related to the business establishment 31.

[0033] 2 shows an example of the system configuration of the vehicle management device 60. The vehicle management device 60 includes a calculation unit 200, a storage unit 280, and a communication unit 290.

[0034] The calculation unit 200 controls the communication unit 290. The communication unit 290 is responsible for communication between the vehicle 10 and the integrated management device 50, etc. The calculation unit 200 is realized by an arithmetic processing device including a processor. The memory units 280 are each realized by having a non-volatile memory medium. The calculation unit 200 performs processing using information stored in the memory units 280. The calculation unit 200 may be realized by a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, a bus, etc. The vehicle management device 60 may be realized by a computer.

[0035] In this embodiment, the vehicle management device 60 is implemented by a single computer. However, in other embodiments, the vehicle management device 60 may be implemented by multiple computers. At least some of the functions of the vehicle management device 60 may be implemented by one or more servers, such as a cloud server.

[0036] The calculation unit 200 includes a reservation reception unit 210 and a planning unit 220. The reservation reception unit 210 receives reservation information for reserving a vehicle 10. The storage unit 280 stores the reservation information. The reservation information includes selection information for selecting a vehicle 10 to be used by a user from among multiple vehicles 10. As will be described later, the selection information is determined according to an arbitration mode when the integrated management device 50 performs arbitration.

[0037] The planner 220 creates a usage plan for the vehicle 10 based on the information stored in the storage unit 280. For example, the planner 220 creates an operation plan indicating which users are to use the vehicle 10 based on the selection information stored in the storage unit 280.

[0038] The communication unit 290 transmits the operation plan to the integrated management device 50. The communication unit 290 may further transmit at least a part of the reservation information to the integrated management device 50. When the vehicle 10 used by a user is changed due to arbitration of conflicting reservations, the communication unit 290 may transmit a notification to the user who had reserved the changed vehicle 10, indicating that the vehicle 10 has been changed.

[0039] 3 shows an example of the system configuration of the central management device 50. The central management device 50 includes a calculation unit 300, a storage unit 380, and a communication unit 390.

[0040] The calculation unit 300 controls the communication unit 390. The communication unit 390 is responsible for communication in the integrated management device 50. The communication unit 390 is responsible for communication between at least the power control device 140, the vehicle management device 60, and the power control device 40 and the integrated management device 50. The calculation unit 300 is realized by an arithmetic processing device including a processor. The memory units 380 are each realized by including a non-volatile memory medium. The calculation unit 300 performs processing using information stored in the memory unit 380. The calculation unit 300 may be realized by a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, a bus, etc. The integrated management device 50 may be realized by a computer.

[0041] In this embodiment, the integrated management device 50 is realized by including a single computer. However, in other embodiments, the integrated management device 50 may be realized by multiple computers. At least some of the functions of the integrated management device 50 may be realized by including one or more servers, such as a cloud server. In this embodiment, the integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 may be realized by the same computer or by different computers. All or at least some of the functions of the integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 may be realized by the same computer.

[0042] The calculation unit 300 includes a reservation acceptance unit 310 , an acquisition unit 312 , a processing unit 320 , a mode discrimination unit 330 , a mode acceptance unit 340 , and a selection information determination unit 350 .

[0043] The reservation reception unit 310 receives reservation information for reserving a vehicle 10. The reservation reception unit 310 may receive the reservation information by acquiring the reservation information input to the vehicle management device 60 via the vehicle management device 60 and the communication unit 390. The storage unit 380 stores the reservation information.

[0044] The acquisition unit 312 acquires (I) a first demand including a demand amount and a demand time related to energy demand, which is sent from an energy management device that manages energy, and (II) a second demand including a demand amount and a demand time related to demand for the vehicle 10, which is sent from a vehicle management device 60 that manages the vehicle 10. The power control device 40 in this embodiment is an example of an energy management device.

[0045] The processing unit 320 performs at least one of a process for determining a position and a time for the vehicle 10 to move and a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the first demand and the second demand acquired by the acquisition unit 312. The mode determination unit 330 switches between a plurality of operation modes, as modes for managing energy and the vehicle 10, including a first mode in which the first demand is satisfied to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand, and a second mode in which the second demand is satisfied to the extent possible while satisfying the first demand.

[0046] The reservation information includes selection information for the user to select a vehicle 10 to be used from among a plurality of vehicles 10. The selection information is determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit 330 from among a plurality of operation modes. The acquisition unit 312 acquires a demand amount related to the demand for the vehicle 10 based on the selection information determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit 330 from among the plurality of operation modes. The processing unit 320 performs at least one of a process for determining a position and a time for the vehicle 10 to move, and a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit 330 from among the plurality of operation modes.

[0047] The reservation information may include a plurality of pieces of selection information respectively associated with a plurality of operation modes. The selection information determination unit 350 may determine the selection information associated with the mode determined by the mode determination unit 330 from among the plurality of operation modes. The acquisition unit 312 may acquire a demand amount related to the demand for the vehicle 10 based on the selection information determined by the selection information determination unit 350 from among the plurality of operation modes. The processing unit 320 may perform at least one of a process for determining a position and a time for the vehicle 10 to move, and a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined by the selection information determination unit 350 from among the plurality of operation modes.

[0048] Each of the plurality of pieces of selection information may include conditions that the vehicle 10 to be used by the user must satisfy from among the plurality of vehicles 10, and a reservation necessity degree that is associated with each of the plurality of operation modes and indicates that it is necessary to select a vehicle that satisfies the conditions. The conditions may include, for example, at least one of a condition for selecting a usage period of the vehicle 10, a condition for selecting a vehicle type, and a condition for selecting a specific vehicle 10.

[0049] Each of the multiple selection information may include conditions that must be met by the vehicle 10 that the user uses from among the multiple vehicles 10, and importance information that is associated with each of the multiple operating modes and specifies the importance of the condition.

[0050] When the mode determination unit 330 determines the second mode, the processing unit 320 selects a vehicle 10 from the plurality of vehicles 10 that is necessary to satisfy the first demand, and when the selected vehicle 10 competes with a vehicle 10 that satisfies a condition, the processing unit 320 may arbitrate the competition by prioritizing and excluding a condition with a lower importance. This makes it possible to find another vehicle 10 while excluding a condition with a lower importance.

[0051] When the mode determination unit 330 determines the second mode, the processing unit 320 may select a vehicle 10 from the plurality of vehicles 10 that is necessary to satisfy the first demand, and when the selected vehicle 10 competes with a vehicle 10 that satisfies a condition, arbitrate the competition by prioritizing and excluding a condition with a lower importance and selecting another vehicle 10 that satisfies the remaining condition obtained by excluding the condition with a lower importance from the plurality of vehicles 10. This allows an alternative vehicle to be assigned to a user with a condition with a lower importance, thereby minimizing disadvantages to the user and maintaining a high availability rate for services that use the vehicle 10.

[0052] When the first mode is determined by the mode determination unit 330, the processing unit 320 may determine the location and time at which the vehicle 10 moves so as to satisfy the second demand based on the selection information determined according to the first mode, and adjust the time at which the vehicle 10 moves so as to satisfy the first demand to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand.

[0053] The conditions may include at least one of a condition for selecting a vehicle usage period, a condition for selecting a vehicle type, and a condition for selecting a specific vehicle.

[0054] The first demand may be a power demand in a facility to which power can be supplied from the battery 12, and the second demand may be a demand for operation of the vehicle 10. The conditions may include a condition for selecting a usage period during which the vehicle 10 is used for operation.

[0055] The mode acceptance unit 340 accepts information from an administrator specifying a specific mode from among a plurality of operation modes. The mode discrimination unit 330 may switch among the plurality of operation modes based on the information accepted by the mode acceptance unit 340. The mode discrimination unit 330 may switch the operation mode to a specific mode from among the plurality of modes when a predetermined event occurs. The predetermined event may be, for example, a disaster such as a power outage or an earthquake. The specific mode may be the first mode.

[0056] This makes it easy to mediate the conflict based on the importance of the conditions when a conflict arises in reserving the vehicle 10 selected based on the conditions included in the selection information. This makes it possible to reduce conflicts in reservations, improve user convenience, and maintain the availability rate of services that use the vehicle 10.

[0057] When the reserved vehicle 10 is changed as a result of the processing unit 320 arbitrating the conflict, the communication unit 390 may transmit a notification to the user who made the changed reservation indicating that the reserved vehicle 10 has been changed. The communication unit 390 may transmit a notification indicating that the vehicle 10 has been changed via the vehicle management device 60.

[0058] 4 shows the execution sequence of the process in the method executed by the power control device 40, the integrated management device 50, and the vehicle management device 60. The process in FIG. 4 represents the process from creating a power plan and an operation plan for a specific day to executing various controls in accordance with the created plans. The power plan and the operation plan are created the day before the specific day in question or relatively early on the specific day. For example, the process in FIG. 4 may start at midnight on the specific day.

[0059] As control related to the power control device 40, in S4010, at least one of the user of the power control device 40 and the power control device 140 sets constraints related to the power plan for the business establishment 30 and notifies the power control device 40. The power control device 140 may set constraints for the business establishment 30 so as to minimize the overall power costs for the business establishments 30 and 31. The user is a person or system that inputs information related to power management at the business establishment 30 to the power control device 40. The constraints are conditions that impose constraints on formulating the power plan. The constraints may include constraints necessary to meet power demand. The constraints include, for example, information related to the predicted amount of power generation, the predicted amount of power consumption, and power charges. The amount of power generation is, for example, the amount of power generated by the power generation device 80. The amount of power consumption is the amount of power consumed at the business establishment 30. The power charge includes the power purchase price, the power sale price, and compensation obtained by reducing power consumption in accordance with demand response. The power purchase price is, for example, a condition regarding the amount charged to the business establishment 30 as compensation for receiving power from the power network 90. ​​The power sale price is, for example, a condition regarding the amount of money that the business establishment 30 receives as compensation for supplying power to the power network 90.

[0060] In S4012, the power control device 40 creates a power plan for the day at the business establishment 30 based on the constraint information. The power plan includes the amount of power consumption for each time period in a day. The power plan determines how much power will be consumed in each time period at the business establishment 30. The amount of power consumption for each time period on a day may be predicted from environmental information such as weather information for that day and past performance data. The power plan may include peak shave information for performing peak shaving. The peak shave information may include information indicating how much power consumption should be reduced in each time period at the business establishment 30. The peak shave information may include information indicating how much power should be received from outside the business establishment 30 in each time period.

[0061] The power control device 40 may create an optimal power plan for the business establishment 30. For example, the power control device 40 may create a power plan so that the amount of power received from the power network 90 at the business establishment 30 is minimized. The power control device 40 may create a power plan so that the amount of money charged at the business establishment 30 as compensation for receiving power from the power network 90 is minimized. The power control device 40 may create a power plan so that the amount of money obtained as compensation for reducing power consumption at the business establishment 30 in accordance with demand response or for supplying power to the power network 90 is maximized, on the condition that at least the contracted power of the business establishment 30 is complied with. In this way, the power control device 40 creates an optimal power plan as the power plan for the day at the business establishment 30 based on the constraints. This power plan determines the amount of power that needs to be received from outside during each time period of the day. The amount of power that needs to be received from outside may be supplied from the battery 12 provided in the vehicle 10 parked at the business establishment 30. The power control device 40 transmits the created power plan to the central management device 50 .

[0062] In S4210, the vehicle management device 60 controls the user to input reservation information for dispatching the vehicle 10. The input of reservation information is specifically described with reference to Figures 7, 11, and 12. The user may be a person using the vehicle 10, a system administrator, or the system itself. The reservation information includes conditions that may be constraints when creating an operation plan. The reservation information includes, for example, the departure point, destination, and return point, as well as the departure time at the departure point, the arrival time at the destination, and the departure time and arrival time at the return point. The departure point and destination determine from which location to which the vehicle 10 needs to travel. A time adjustment allowance may be set for the departure time at the departure point and the arrival time at the return point, indicating the amount of time by which the departure time and arrival time can be changed. The reservation information input in S4210 is transmitted to the vehicle management device 60 and, via the vehicle management device 60, to the integrated management device 50.

[0063] In S4212, the planning unit 220 of the vehicle management device 60 aggregates the constraints notified by the user and creates an operation plan for the day at the business establishment 30. For example, the planning unit 220 determines the vehicle 10 to be used to transport people, the travel route of the vehicle 10, and the travel speed of the vehicle 10 so as to satisfy the transportation demand determined by the reservation information. The vehicle management device 60 transmits the created operation plan to the integrated management device 50.

[0064] In S4110 , the integrated management device 50 receives the power plan transmitted from the power control device 40 and the reservation information and operation plan transmitted from the vehicle management device 60 .

[0065] In S4112, the processing unit 320 of the integrated management device 50 determines whether or not the power plan for the business establishment 30 will be satisfied if the vehicle 10 is operated according to the operation plan. For example, the operation plan determines a period during which the vehicle 10 is predicted to be present at the business establishment 30. The processing unit 320 determines that the power plan will be satisfied if, during a period during which the business establishment 30 needs to be supplied with power from an external source, it is predicted that the vehicle 10 will be able to receive power from the battery 12 provided in the vehicle 10 present at the business establishment 30 during that period.

[0066] When the processing unit 320 determines that the power consumption plan cannot be met when vehicles are dispatched according to the operation plan, the processing unit 320 determines how to modify the operation plan so that the power consumption plan can be met. For example, the processing unit 320 determines the amount of adjustment to the departure times and arrival times of the vehicles 10 in the operation plan.

[0067] The integrated management device 50 transmits correction information including the determined adjustment amounts of the departure times and arrival times to the vehicle management device 60. Upon receiving the correction information from the integrated management device 50, the planning unit 220 of the vehicle management device 60 corrects the operation plan formulated in S4212 based on the correction information (S4213). For example, the planning unit 220 corrects the operation plan based on the adjustment amounts of the departure times and arrival times received from the integrated management device 50 so as to satisfy the reservation information. The vehicle management device 60 transmits the correction result of the operation plan to the integrated management device 50. The integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60 repeat the processes of S4112 and S4213 to determine an operation plan that can be carried out. In S4213, the planning unit 220 determines a feasible operation plan by determining whether the vehicle 10 can return to the establishment 30 without running out of power based on the SOC and power consumption rate of the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is driven so as to comply with the departure time and arrival time specified in the reservation information. In addition, in S4112, the processing unit 320 may determine that the operation plan is feasible on the condition that it is determined that a profit can be obtained overall, taking into consideration the amount of power cost reduction of the establishment 30 obtained when power is exchanged between the battery 12 and the establishment 30 according to the determined power plan, and the operating cost of the vehicle 10 and the operating rate of the vehicle 10 required when the vehicle 10 is operated according to the operation plan.

[0068] Once the operation plan is determined, the arbitration result including the operation plan is transmitted to the power control device 40. Upon receiving the arbitration result from the integrated management device 50, the power control device 40 reflects the arbitration result in the power plan (S4014) and notifies the user of the power plan that has been finalized by reflecting the arbitration result (S4015). In S4016, the user and the power control device 140 execute control in accordance with the notified power plan.

[0069] The vehicle management device 60 finalizes the operation plan finally determined in S4213 (S4214) and notifies the user of the finalized operation plan via the communication unit 290. In S4216, the user controls the operation of the vehicle 10 in accordance with the notified operation plan.

[0070] 5 shows a screen 500 that provides a user interface to users of the establishment 30. The screen 500 is a screen for an administrator of the establishment 30.

[0071] The screen 500 includes a vehicle reservation button 510 and a management button 520. The vehicle reservation button 510 is a button used when a user inputs reservation information to reserve a vehicle 10. The vehicle reservation button 510 will be described in relation to FIG. 6. The management button 520 is a button for an administrator in the power control device 40 and the vehicle management device 60. When the administrator presses the management button 520, multiple management item selection buttons are displayed. The management item selection buttons include a button for displaying a menu for setting the user of the vehicle 10, a button for displaying a menu for setting a location, a button for displaying a menu for setting detailed information about the vehicle 10, a button for displaying a menu for setting detailed information about the vehicle model, and a button 522 for displaying a system-wide setting menu.

[0072] When the administrator presses button 522, a system-wide setting menu is displayed, including a contract power input field 540, an arbitration mode selection menu 550, and a vehicle selection mode selection menu 560. The contract power input field 540 is an input field for inputting the contract power of the business establishment. For example, when it is predicted that the power consumption of the business establishment will exceed the contract power, the power control device 40 creates a power plan for supplying power to the business establishment 30 from the battery 12 supplied from the vehicle 10, thereby preventing the power consumption of the business establishment 30 from exceeding the contract power.

[0073] The arbitration mode selection menu 550 is a menu for selecting an arbitration mode. The arbitration mode is an example of an operation mode. The arbitration mode includes a plurality of modes, including, for example, peak cut priority and business priority. The business priority is an example of a first mode in which the first demand is satisfied to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand. The peak cut priority is an example of a second mode in which the first demand is satisfied to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand.

[0074] The vehicle selection mode selection menu 560 is a menu for selecting a vehicle selection mode. The vehicle selection modes include a vehicle selection mode for "ensuring peak-cutting power." The vehicle selection mode for "ensuring peak-cutting power" is a mode for selecting a vehicle 10 that supplies power to the business establishment 30 so as to prioritize securing power to be used for peak-cutting at the business establishment 30. Specifically, the vehicle selection mode for "ensuring peak-cutting power" is a mode for preferentially selecting, as a vehicle 10 that supplies power to the business establishment 30, a vehicle 10 with a battery 12 having a higher remaining capacity than a predetermined value, among vehicles 10 having batteries 12 with a remaining capacity equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0075] Other vehicle selection modes include "battery degradation leveling" and "long-distance vehicle securing" vehicle selection modes. The "battery degradation leveling" vehicle selection mode is a mode in which vehicles 10 that supply power to the business establishment 30 are selected so that the degradation levels of the batteries 12 of multiple vehicles 10 are equal. Specifically, the "battery degradation leveling" vehicle selection mode is a mode in which, among vehicles 10 having batteries 12 with SOHs equal to or greater than a predetermined value, vehicles 10 having batteries 12 with higher SOHs are selected as vehicles 10 that supply power to the business establishment 30. The "long-distance vehicle securing" vehicle selection mode is a mode in which vehicles 10 that supply power to the business establishment 30 are selected so that at least one vehicle that can travel a predetermined distance or more is secured. Specifically, the "long-distance vehicle securing" vehicle selection mode is a mode in which vehicles 10 that supply power to the business establishment 30 are selected from vehicles 10 excluding vehicles 10 whose SOH is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and whose SOC is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0076] The contracted power information input on the screen 500 is transmitted to, for example, the power control device 40 and the integrated management device 50, and used by the power control device 40 and the integrated management device 50. The arbitration mode information input on the screen 500 is transmitted to, for example, the integrated management device 50, and used by the integrated management device 50. The vehicle selection mode information input on the screen 500 is transmitted to, for example, the integrated management device 50, and used by the integrated management device 50.

[0077] 6 shows a screen 600 that provides a user interface to a user of the vehicle 10 at the business establishment 30. The screen 600 is an example of a screen that is provided when a user of the vehicle 10 at the business establishment 30 views the reservation status of the vehicle 10 and when the user enters reservation information for the vehicle 10. The screen 600 is displayed when the vehicle reservation button 510 is pressed.

[0078] Screen 600 includes a date and time selection button 610, an arbitration mode display section 612, and a reservation display section 620. Date and time selection button 610 is a button for selecting the date and time at which the reservation status of vehicle 10 is to be displayed in reservation display section 620. When date and time selection button 610 is pressed on screen 600, a date and time selection menu is displayed, and when a date and time is input via the date and time selection menu, the reservation status of vehicle 10 at the input date and time is displayed in reservation display section 620. The arbitration mode display section 612 displays the arbitration mode set in arbitration mode selection menu 550.

[0079] The reservation display section 620 displays the reservation status of each vehicle 10. In the example of the screen 600, for example, "vehicle a" is scheduled to be used by user 2 from 15:45 to 16:45, and "vehicle d" is scheduled to be used by user 3 from 13:15 to 13:45 and by user 4 from 15:00 to 15:45.

[0080] The reservation display unit 620 includes reception frames 622a, 622b, 622c, and 622d that receive input for displaying a vehicle reservation menu that receives reservation input for the vehicle 10. When a pressing operation is performed on any of the reception frames 622a, 622b, 622c, and 622d, the vehicle reservation menu is displayed.

[0081] 7 shows a screen 700 that provides a user interface to a user of the vehicle 10 at the business establishment 30. The screen 700 is an example of a vehicle reservation menu screen that is provided when a user of the vehicle 10 at the business establishment 30 inputs reservation information for the vehicle 10. The screen 700 is displayed when a pressing operation is performed on the reception slots 622a, 622b, 622c, and 622b on the screen 600 in FIG.

[0082] The screen 700 includes an arbitration mode selection button 701 and a selection button 702. The selection button 701 is a button for inputting selection information for selecting the vehicle 10 that the user will use when the arbitration mode is business priority. The selection button 702 is a button for inputting selection information for selecting the vehicle 10 that the user will use when the arbitration mode is peak cut priority. On the screen 700, the selection button 702 is selected, and a menu for inputting selection information when the arbitration mode is peak cut priority is displayed.

[0083] The screen 700 includes an input field 703 for inputting the date for reserving the vehicle 10, and a selection menu 704 for selecting the user of the vehicle 10. The screen 700 also includes a selection menu 706 for selecting the vehicle 10 to be used by the user, and a selection menu 707 for selecting whether or not to allow the vehicle to be changed. In the example of the screen 700, the user has reserved "Vehicle 1," but indicates that they are willing to allow the vehicle 10 to be used to be changed through arbitration. The selection menu 707 becomes available for input when a vehicle is specified in the selection menu 706.

[0084] Screen 700 includes a selection menu 708 for specifying the type of vehicle 10 to be used by the user, and a selection menu 709 for selecting whether or not to allow a change in the vehicle type. In the example of screen 700, the user has reserved vehicle 10 of "Vehicle Type 1," indicating that the user does not allow the vehicle type 10 to be changed through arbitration. If no vehicle is specified, selection menus 708 and 709 can be entered only if a change in the vehicle is allowed.

[0085] Screen 700 includes a selection menu 710 for selecting a departure point and an input field 711 for inputting a departure time. Screen 700 includes a selection menu 712 for selecting a destination point, an input field 714 for inputting an arrival time at the destination point, and an input field 716 for inputting a departure time for departing from the destination point.

[0086] Screen 700 includes a button 718 for adding a destination and a button 720 for deleting a destination.

[0087] The screen 700 includes a selection menu 712 for selecting a destination and an input field 723 for inputting an arrival time at the destination. The destination is the final destination using the vehicle 10. In other words, it is the point where the user ends their use of the vehicle 10.

[0088] The screen 700 includes a selection menu 750 for selecting whether or not to allow the reservation time to be changed. In the example of the screen 700, it is selected to allow the time to use the vehicle 10 to be changed through arbitration.

[0089] The screen 700 includes a selection menu 760 for selecting whether it is mandatory for the user to be assigned a vehicle 10 to be used. The selection menu 760 allows the selection of "high" or "low." "high" indicates that it is mandatory to assign a vehicle 10 that matches the information entered in the selection menus 706, 707, 708, 709, input field 711, input field 723, and selection menu 750 to the user, while "low" indicates that it is permissible for a vehicle 10 not to be assigned if there is no vehicle 10 that matches the entered information.

[0090] The screen 700 includes a registration button 780 for registering a reservation. When the registration button 780 is pressed, the reservation is registered as selection information when the arbitration mode prioritizes peak cut.

[0091] The menu for inputting selection information when the arbitration mode is business priority is the same as the menu for inputting selection information for peak cut priority, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. When a user of vehicle 10 inputs new reservation information and registers selection information for one of peak cut priority and business priority, the same information may be registered as selection information for the other arbitration mode. When selection information for peak cut priority and business priority arbitration modes has already been registered, the user of vehicle 10 may be able to individually change and register the selection information for each arbitration mode by pressing selection button 701 and selection button 702.

[0092] 8 shows the state in which the display of the reservation display section 620 on the screen 600 has been updated based on the information entered on the screen 700. As shown in the usage slot 810 on the screen 800, based on the information entered on the screen 700, the user 1 has reserved the use of "vehicle a" from 13:00 to 14:00.

[0093] 9 shows, in table format, a list of multiple reservation information items stored in the integrated management device 50 and the vehicle management device 60. The reservation information is generated, for example, based on information entered on a screen 700. The reservation information is generated for each arbitration mode. FIG. 9 shows reservation information for the peak cut priority mode.

[0094] The reservation information includes information indicating the "user," "reservation requirement," "vehicle change," "vehicle type change," "time change," "vehicle designation," "vehicle type designation," "departure point," "departure time," "destination information," "arrival point," and "arrival time." The "destination information" includes the "destination," "arrival time," and "departure time." While one piece of destination information is specifically shown in FIG. 9, if multiple destinations are designated on screen 700, multiple pieces of "destination information" will be generated.

[0095] Among the information included in the reservation information, "vehicle specification," "vehicle type specification," "departure time," and "arrival time" are examples of conditions that must be met by the vehicle 10 available to the user. "Time change," "vehicle change," and "vehicle type change" are examples of importance information that specifies the importance of the conditions.

[0096] "User" is identification information of a person who uses the vehicle 10. "Reservation requirement" is information indicating whether it is necessary to allocate the vehicle 10 to be used by the user. A "high" "reservation requirement" indicates that it is necessary to allocate a vehicle 10 to the user. A "low" "reservation requirement" indicates that if there is no vehicle 10 that meets the specified conditions, the vehicle 10 does not need to be allocated. In this way, the "reservation requirement" is an example of information indicating whether it is necessary to select a vehicle 10 that meets the conditions for the user.

[0097] "Time change" is information indicating whether or not it is permitted to change the conditions related to the usage period. The conditions related to the usage period are "departure time" and "arrival time" which will be described later. "Not permitted" for "Time change" indicates that it is not permitted to change the conditions related to the usage period. "Permitted" for "Time change" indicates that it is permitted to change the conditions related to the usage period. "Time change" is an example of importance information that specifies the importance of the conditions related to the usage period.

[0098] "Vehicle change" is information indicating whether it is permitted to change the conditions related to the vehicle to be used. The conditions related to the vehicle to be used are "vehicle designation" described below. "Not permitted" for "Vehicle change" indicates that it is not permitted to change the conditions related to the vehicle. "Permitted" for "Vehicle change" indicates that it is permitted to change the conditions related to the vehicle to be used. "Vehicle change" is an example of importance information that specifies the importance of the conditions related to the vehicle to be used.

[0099] "Vehicle type change" is information indicating whether it is permitted to change the conditions related to the type (vehicle type) of vehicle to be used. The conditions related to the vehicle type are "vehicle type designation" described below. "Not permitted" for "Vehicle type change" indicates that it is not permitted to change the conditions related to the vehicle type. "Permitted" for "Vehicle type change" indicates that it is permitted to change the conditions related to the vehicle type. "Vehicle type change" is an example of importance information that specifies the importance of the conditions related to the vehicle type.

[0100] "Vehicle designation" is designated when a user desires to use a specific vehicle 10. In "Vehicle designation", identification information of the vehicle 10 that the user desires to use is set.

[0101] "Vehicle type specification" is specified when a specific vehicle type is desired to be used. In "Vehicle type specification", identification information of the vehicle type is set.

[0102] "Departure point" indicates the departure point of vehicle 10. "Departure time" is the scheduled time when vehicle 10 departs from the departure point. "Destination information" includes information related to the destination of vehicle 10. "Destination" in "Destination information" indicates the destination point. "Arrival time" in "Destination information" indicates the scheduled time when vehicle 10 arrives at the destination point. "Departure time" in "Destination information" indicates the scheduled time when vehicle 10 departs from the destination point.

[0103] The "destination" is the final destination of the vehicle 10. In other words, it is the destination where the user ends use of the vehicle 10. The "arrival time" is the scheduled time when the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination.

[0104] For example, according to the reservation information of user 2 in the example of Figure 9, the reservation is to use "vehicle a," depart from the main branch at 15:45, arrive at branch 2 at 16:00, depart from branch 2 at 16:30, and return to the main branch at 16:45. This reservation specifies that vehicle changes and time changes are not permitted. Since this reservation specifies a "high" degree of necessity, it is specified that user 2 is required to select the vehicle 10 to use.

[0105] When a conflict occurs in reservations, the processing unit 320 arbitrates the conflicting reservations based on the selection information included in the reservation information. For example, the processing unit 320 adjusts the departure time and arrival time based on the selection information to adjust the conflicting reservations.

[0106] FIG. 10 shows an operation plan and a power consumption plan before arbitration is performed, and an operation plan and a power consumption plan after arbitration is performed.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 10 , in the operation plan before arbitration created by the vehicle management device 60, "vehicle a" is scheduled to be used from 13:00 to 14:00 and from 15:45 to 16:45. Furthermore, "vehicle b" is scheduled to be used for peak shaving at the business establishment 30 from 13:30 to 15:00. Furthermore, "vehicle c" is scheduled to be used for peak shaving at the business establishment 30 from 13:00 to 15:00. "Vehicle d" is scheduled to be used from 13:15 to 13:45 and from 15:00 to 15:45. Here, it is assumed that the use of "vehicle b" and "vehicle c" for peak shaving has been determined in advance based on the long-term power demand at the business establishment 30.

[0108] In this state, when the power control device 40 creates a power plan for the day based on the short-term power demand at the business establishment 30, it is assumed that it becomes necessary to use the battery 12 of "vehicle d" for peak shaving at the business establishment 30 during the period from 13:30 to 15:00, as indicated by the reference numeral 900. In this case, a conflict occurs between the reservation of vehicle 10 based on the power plan and the reservation based on the operation plan.

[0109] Because the arbitration mode set by the administrator is the peak cut priority mode, the selection information determination unit 350 references the reservation information and determines the selection information for the peak cut priority mode as the selection information to be used in the processing of the processing unit 320. Based on the selection information for the peak cut priority mode, the processing unit 320 determines that a vehicle change and a time change are permitted for the reservation of "vehicle d" by "user 3," which conflicts with the power plan. Therefore, the processing unit 320 cancels the reservation of "vehicle d" by "user 3" and instructs the vehicle management device 60 to revise the operation plan so that "user 3" will use "vehicle a" from 14:15 to 14:45. The vehicle management device 60 creates an operation plan based on the instructions from the integrated management device 50 and notifies "user 1" that the vehicle 10 and time to be used have been changed.

[0110] In this way, the processing unit 320 cancels the reservation of "vehicle d" by "user 3" and modifies the operation plan so that "user 3" will use "vehicle a" from 14:15 to 14:45, thereby enabling power to be supplied to the business establishment 30 from battery 12d of vehicle 10d based on the power plan from 13:30 to 15:00. This enables each user to effectively use battery 12 of vehicle 10 for peak shaving at the business establishment 30 within the allowable range specified for each arbitration mode.

[0111] 11 and 12 show an example in which an administrator registers reservation information for a specific purpose, such as maintenance or driving management of the vehicle 10. The reservation information shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is reservation information for setting up a system in which "vehicle a" is prohibited from being used for driving during a specific period, while allowing the vehicle 10 to be used for peak shaving at the business 30. FIG. 11 shows a screen 1100 indicating selection information entered by the administrator to prioritize peak shaving. FIG. 12 shows a screen 1200 indicating selection information entered by the administrator to prioritize business.

[0112] As shown on screen 1100 in Fig. 11 and screen 1200 in Fig. 12, "vehicle a" is specified using selection menu 706, and vehicle changes are prohibited using selection menu 707. The period for using "vehicle a" for a specific purpose is specified using input fields 711 and 723, and time changes are prohibited using selection menu 750. Here, using selection menu 760, the reservation requirement is set to "low" in the selection information for prioritizing peak cuts, and to "high" in the selection information for prioritizing business.

[0113] FIG. 13 shows an operation plan and a power consumption plan before arbitration is performed, and an operation plan and a power consumption plan after arbitration is performed.

[0114] As shown in Figure 13, the pre-arbitration operation plan devised by the vehicle management device 60 is the same as the pre-arbitration operation plan shown in Figure 10, except that the reservation information for "vehicle a" from 13:30 to 14:00 is set as described in relation to Figures 11 and 12.

[0115] In this state, when the power control device 40 creates a power plan for the day based on the short-term power demand at the business establishment 30, it may become necessary to use the battery 12 of "vehicle a" for peak shaving at the business establishment 30 during the period from 13:30 to 15:00, as indicated by the reference numeral 1300. In this case, a conflict occurs between the reservation of vehicle 10 based on the power plan and the reservation based on the operation plan.

[0116] Because the arbitration mode set by the manager is the peak cut priority mode, the selection information determination unit 350 refers to the reservation information and determines the selection information in the peak cut priority mode as the selection information to be used for processing by the processing unit 320. Based on the selection information in the peak cut priority mode, the processing unit 320 determines that the reservation of "vehicle a" by the "manager," which conflicts with the power plan, does not allow vehicle changes or time changes and the reservation necessity is "low." Therefore, the processing unit 320 determines that the reservation of "vehicle a" by the "manager" can be canceled.

[0117] Therefore, the processing unit 320 cancels the reservation of "vehicle a" made by the "manager" and mediates to use the battery 12 of "vehicle a" for peak shaving at the business establishment 30 during the period from 13:30 to 15:00.

[0118] In this way, by setting the reservation requirement to "low" in the selection information for peak cut priority, it is possible to allow the battery 12 of "vehicle a" to be used for peak cut when the arbitration mode is peak cut priority, while by setting the reservation requirement to "high" in the selection information for business priority, it is possible to prevent the reservation of "vehicle a" reserved for a specific purpose from being canceled.

[0119] 11 and 12 , an example is shown in which an administrator inputs all of the selection information to be input when reserving a vehicle 10 for operational purposes as selection information for a specific purpose, such as maintenance or driving management of the vehicle 10. As another form, a form in which the usage period and reservation requirement are simply input as selection information for a specific purpose may be adopted. As yet another form, a form in which only the usage period is input as selection information for a specific purpose may be adopted. In this case, the processing unit 320 may process the reservation requirement as "low" when peak cut priority is given, and may process the reservation requirement as "high" when business priority is given.

[0120] As described above, according to system 5, since the selection information can be changed depending on the arbitration mode, when arbitrating between the operation plan and the power plan, fine-tuned arbitration can be performed depending on the arbitration mode. For example, when the arbitration mode prioritizes peak cut, the selection information can be set to allow vehicle 10 to be used for peak cut at business establishment 30, thereby promoting peak cut at business establishment 30.

[0121] 14 shows an example of a computer 2000 in which multiple embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 2000 may cause the computer 2000 to function as the system 5 or each part of the system 5 according to an embodiment, or as an apparatus or each part of the apparatus, such as the power control device 40 and the vehicle management device 60, to perform operations associated with the system or each part of the system, or the apparatus or each part of the apparatus, and / or to perform a process or steps of the process according to an embodiment. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 2012 to cause the computer 2000 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the processing procedures and blocks of the block diagrams described herein.

[0122] The computer 2000 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2012 and a RAM 2014, which are interconnected by a host controller 2010. The computer 2000 also includes a ROM 2026, a flash memory 2024, a communication interface 2022, and an input / output chip 2040. The ROM 2026, the flash memory 2024, the communication interface 2022, and the input / output chip 2040 are connected to the host controller 2010 via the input / output controller 2020.

[0123] The CPU 2012 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2026 and RAM 2014, thereby controlling each unit.

[0124] The communication interface 2022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The flash memory 2024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2012 in the computer 2000. The ROM 2026 stores a boot program or the like executed by the computer 2000 upon activation and / or programs dependent on the hardware of the computer 2000. The input / output chip 2040 may also connect various input / output units such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to the input / output controller 2020 via input / output ports such as a serial port, a parallel port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, a monitor port, a USB port, an HDMI port, etc.

[0125] The programs are provided via a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or memory card, or via a network. RAM 2014, ROM 2026, and flash memory 2024 are examples of computer-readable storage media. The programs are installed in flash memory 2024, RAM 2014, or ROM 2026 and executed by CPU 2012. Information processing described in these programs is read by computer 2000, and causes cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be configured by implementing operations or processing of information in accordance with the use of computer 2000.

[0126] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2000 and an external device, the CPU 2012 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 2014 and instruct the communication interface 2022 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 2012, the communication interface 2022 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 2014 or flash memory 2024, transmits the read transmission data to a network, and writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0127] The CPU 2012 may also cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored on a recording medium such as the flash memory 2024 to be read into the RAM 2014, and may perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2014. The CPU 2012 then writes the processed data back to the recording medium.

[0128] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 2012 may perform various types of processing on data read from the RAM 2014, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described herein and specified by the instruction sequences of the programs, and write the results back to the RAM 2014. The CPU 2012 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. on the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored on the recording medium, the CPU 2012 may search for an entry that matches a condition and specifies an attribute value of the first attribute from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0129] The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 2000. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as the computer-readable storage medium. The programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium may be provided to the computer 2000 via a network.

[0130] A program installed on computer 2000 that causes computer 2000 to function as integrated managing device 50 may, when executed by the computer, act on CPU 2012 and the like to cause computer 2000 to function as each unit of integrated managing device 50. When the information processing described in these programs is loaded into computer 2000, computer 2000 functions as each unit of integrated managing device 50, which is a specific means formed by the software and the various hardware resources described above working together. These specific means then perform calculations or processing of information according to the intended use of computer 2000 in this embodiment, thereby constructing a specific integrated managing device 50 according to the intended use.

[0131] A program installed on computer 2000 and causing computer 2000 to function as vehicle management device 60 may act on CPU 2012, etc., to cause computer 2000 to function as each unit of vehicle management device 60. When the information processing described in these programs is loaded into computer 2000, it functions as each unit of vehicle management device 60, which is a specific means formed by the software and the various hardware resources described above working together. These specific means then perform calculations or processing of information according to the intended use of computer 2000 in this embodiment, thereby constructing a specific vehicle management device 60 according to the intended use.

[0132] Various embodiments have been described with reference to block diagrams. In the block diagrams, each block may represent (1) a stage of a process in which an operation is performed or (2) a portion of an apparatus responsible for performing the operation. Particular stages and portions may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. Dedicated circuitry may include digital and / or analog hardware circuitry, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuitry, including logical AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, and other logic operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), and the like.

[0133] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by an appropriate device, such that the computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon constitutes at least a portion of an article of manufacture containing instructions that can be executed to provide means for performing the operations specified in a process or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or flash memories), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), static random access memories (SRAMs), compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, etc.

[0134] The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.

[0135] The computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor or programmable circuitry of a programmable data processing apparatus, such as a computer, locally or over a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, etc., and the computer-readable instructions may be executed to provide means for performing the operations specified in the described procedures or block diagrams.

[0136] Here, the computer may be a computer such as a PC (personal computer), a tablet computer, a smartphone, a workstation, a server computer, or a general-purpose computer, or may be a computer system in which multiple computers are connected. Such a computer system in which multiple computers are connected is also called a distributed computing system, which is a computer in the broad sense. In a distributed computing system, the multiple computers collectively execute a program by each executing a part of the program and transferring data between the computers as needed during program execution.

[0137] Examples of processors include computer processors, central processing units (CPUs), processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc. A computer may have one processor or multiple processors. In a multiprocessor system with multiple processors, each processor executes a portion of a program and passes data between processors as needed during program execution, allowing the multiple processors to collectively execute the program. For example, in multitasking, each of the multiple processors may execute a portion of each task in small chunks by switching tasks at each time slice. In this case, which portion of a program each processor executes changes dynamically. Alternatively, which portion of a program each of the multiple processors executes may be statically determined by multiprocessor-aware programming.

[0138] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0139] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a subsequent process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order.

[0140] 5 System 10 Vehicle 12 Battery 30, 31 Business establishment 40, 41 Power control device 50, 51 Integrated management device 60, 61 Vehicle management device 70 Power consumer 80 Power generation device 90 Power network 140 Power control device 180 Server 190 Communication network 200 Calculation unit 210 Reservation reception unit 220 Planning unit 280 Memory unit 290 Communication unit 300 Calculation unit 310 Reservation reception unit 312 Acquisition unit 320 Processing unit 330 Mode discrimination unit 340 Mode reception unit 350 Selection information determination unit 380 Memory unit 390 Communication unit 500 Screen 510 Vehicle reservation button 520 Management button 522 Button 540 Contract power input field 550, 560 Selection menu 600 Screen 610 Date and time selection button 612 Arbitration mode display section 620 Reservation display section 622 Reception slot 700 Screen 701, 702 Selection button 703 Input field 704, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710 Selection menu 711 Input field 712 Selection menu 714, 716 Input field 718, 720 Button 723 Input field 750, 760 Selection menu 780 Registration button 800 Screen 810 Usage slot 900 Code 1100 Screen 1200 Screen 1300 Code 2000 Computer 2010 Host controller 2012 CPU 2014 RAM 2020 Input / output controller 2022 Communication interface 2024 Flash memory 2026 ROM 2040 Input / Output Chip

Claims

1. A system comprising: (I) an acquisition unit that acquires a first demand including a demand amount and a demand time related to energy demand, sent from an energy management device that manages energy; and (II) a second demand including a demand amount and a demand time related to demand for the mobile body, sent from a mobile body management device that manages mobile bodies; a processing unit that performs at least one of a process for determining a position and a time for the mobile body to move based on the first demand and the second demand acquired by the acquisition unit, and a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied; a mode discrimination unit that switches between a plurality of operation modes as modes for managing the energy and the mobile body, including a first mode that satisfies the first demand to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand, and a second mode that satisfies the second demand to the extent possible while satisfying the first demand; and a reservation acceptance unit that accepts reservation information for reserving the mobile body, wherein the reservation information is selection information for selecting a mobile body to be used by a user from a plurality of mobile bodies, and includes selection information determined according to a mode discriminated from the plurality of operation modes by the mode discrimination unit, The acquisition unit acquires a demand quantity related to the demand of the mobile body based on the selection information determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit from among the plurality of operating modes, and the processing unit performs at least one of a process for determining the position and time at which the mobile body will move, or a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined according to a mode determined by the mode determination unit from among the plurality of operating modes.

2. The system described in claim 1, wherein the reservation information includes a plurality of selection information respectively associated with the plurality of operation modes, the system further comprising a selection information determination unit that determines selection information associated with a mode determined by the mode determination unit from among the plurality of operation modes, the acquisition unit acquires a demand amount related to the demand of the mobile body based on the selection information determined by the selection information determination unit from among the plurality of operation modes, and the processing unit performs at least one of a process for determining a position and time for the mobile body to move, or a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined by the selection information determination unit from among the plurality of operation modes.

3. The system described in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of selection information includes conditions that must be met by the vehicle to be used by the user from among the plurality of vehicles, and a reservation necessity level that corresponds to each of the plurality of operating modes and indicates that it is necessary to select a vehicle that satisfies the conditions.

4. The system described in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of selection information includes a condition that must be satisfied by a mobile object to be used by the user from among the plurality of mobile objects, and importance information that is associated with each of the plurality of operating modes and specifies the importance of the condition.

5. The system described in claim 4, wherein, when the second mode is determined by the mode determination unit, the processing unit selects a mobile object from the plurality of mobile objects that is necessary to satisfy the first demand, and when there is a conflict between the selected mobile object and a mobile object that satisfies the condition, arbitrates the conflict by prioritizing and excluding the condition with the lower importance.

6. The system described in claim 5, wherein, when the second mode is determined by the mode determination unit, the processing unit selects a mobile body from the plurality of mobile bodies that is necessary to satisfy the first demand, and when there is a conflict between the selected mobile body and a mobile body that satisfies the conditions, arbitrates the conflict by excluding the condition with a higher priority and selecting another mobile body from the plurality of mobile bodies that meets the remaining conditions obtained by excluding the condition with a lower priority.

7. A system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the first mode is determined by the mode determination unit, the processing unit determines the position and time at which the mobile body will move so as to satisfy the second demand based on selection information determined according to the first mode, and adjusts the time at which the mobile body will move so as to satisfy the first demand to the extent possible while satisfying the second demand.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the moving body is a vehicle.

9. The system described in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the moving body is a vehicle, and the conditions include at least one of a condition for selecting a usage period of the vehicle, a condition for selecting a vehicle type, and a condition for selecting a specific vehicle.

10. The system described in claim 9, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle equipped with a battery, the first demand is an electricity demand in a facility that can supply electricity from the battery, the second demand is an operation demand for the electric vehicle, and the conditions include a condition for selecting a usage period for using the electric vehicle for operation.

11. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a mode acceptance unit that accepts information from an administrator specifying a particular mode from among the plurality of operating modes, and the mode discrimination unit switches between the plurality of operating modes based on the information accepted by the mode acceptance unit.

12. A system comprising: a first acquisition step of acquiring a first demand including a demand amount related to energy demand and a demand time; a second acquisition step of acquiring a second demand including a demand amount related to mobile body demand and a demand time; a processing step of performing at least one of a process for determining a position and time for the mobile body to move based on the first demand and the second demand, or a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied; a mode determination step of switching between a plurality of operation modes as operation modes for managing the energy and the mobile body, including a first mode for satisfying the first demand to a possible extent while satisfying the second demand, and a second mode for satisfying the second demand to a possible extent while satisfying the first demand; and a step of accepting reservation information for reserving the mobile body, wherein the reservation information is selection information for a user to select a mobile body to be used from a plurality of mobile bodies, and includes selection information determined according to a mode determined from the plurality of operation modes by the mode determination step, The second acquisition step acquires a demand quantity related to the demand of the mobile body based on the selection information determined according to the mode selected by the mode determination step from among the plurality of operating modes, and the processing step performs at least one of a process for determining the position and time at which the mobile body will move, or a process for determining whether both the first demand and the second demand can be satisfied, based on the selection information determined according to the mode selected by the mode determination step from among the plurality of operating modes.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as the system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A storage medium storing the program according to claim 13.

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