JP7608085B2 - Information processing device, program, and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, a program, and an information processing method.

Conventionally, there is known technology that allows a user to provide energy such as electricity that he or she has produced to others and obtain electronic value such as virtual currency in return. The following Patent Document 1 discloses an energy management system that includes a mobile body equipped with a battery, a charging device capable of supplying power to charge the battery, a power receiving device capable of receiving the power stored in the battery, and a communication network for transmitting and receiving information such as the amount of power supplied by the charging device and the amount of power required by the power receiving device between these. In this energy management system, it is described that the purchase and sale of electricity between two or more parties, such as the owners of the battery, the charging device, and the power receiving device, can be settled with virtual currency managed by blockchain.

JP 2019-144626 A

However, there is a demand from users to efficiently use the electronic value obtained in exchange for the provision of produced energy. However, in the power management system of Patent Document 1, virtual currency cannot be used unless a buying and selling transaction is executed between the two or more parties, so there is room for improvement in efficiently using the electronic value obtained from the produced energy.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, a program, and an information processing method that can efficiently use electronic value obtained from the produced energy.

An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that cooperates with a management device that manages energy produced and used by a user, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires energy information from the management device, including the amount of energy produced by the user in a first period and the amount of energy used by the user in the first period; a reception unit that receives a conversion instruction from the user's user terminal to convert the energy into electronic value used in an electronic payment means available to the user; a specification unit that specifies the conversion amount to convert the energy into electronic value based on the energy information when the reception unit receives the conversion instruction; an instruction unit that instructs the management device to send the converted amount of energy to a specified device; a deposit unit that performs processing to deposit electronic value in an amount corresponding to at least a part of the conversion amount into the user's user account in the electronic payment means in exchange for the energy sent to the specified device; and a payment processing unit that performs processing to deduct the transaction amount in a transaction from the balance of electronic value in the user account when the user performs a transaction using the electronic payment means.

A program according to one aspect of the present invention allows a computer linked to a management device that manages energy produced and used by a user to have the following functions: an acquisition function that acquires from the management device energy information including the amount of energy produced by the user in a first period and the amount of energy used by the user in the first period; a reception function that receives from the user's user terminal a conversion instruction to convert the energy into electronic value used in an electronic payment means available to the user; a specification function that, when the reception function receives the conversion instruction, specifies the conversion amount for converting the energy into electronic value based on the energy information; an instruction function that instructs the management device to send the converted amount of energy to a specified device; a deposit function that performs processing to deposit electronic value in an amount corresponding to at least a part of the conversion amount into the user's user account in the electronic payment means in exchange for the energy sent to the specified device; and a payment processing function that performs processing to deduct the transaction amount in a transaction from the balance of electronic value in the user account when the user performs a transaction using the electronic payment means.

In one aspect of the present invention, an information processing method includes a computer that cooperates with a management device that manages energy produced and used by a user, acquires from the management device energy information including the amount of energy produced by the user in a first period and the amount of energy used by the user in the first period, receives from the user terminal a conversion instruction to convert the energy into electronic value used in an electronic payment means available to the user, and, when the conversion instruction is received, identifies the conversion amount for converting the energy into electronic value based on the energy information, instructs the management device to send the converted amount of energy to a specified device, performs processing to deposit electronic value in an amount corresponding to at least a portion of the conversion amount into the user's user account in the electronic payment means in exchange for the energy sent to the specified device, and, when the user performs a transaction using the electronic payment means, performs processing to deduct the transaction amount in the transaction from the balance of electronic value in the user account.

The present invention provides an information processing device, a program, and an information processing method that can efficiently use electronic value obtained from produced energy.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a system configuration of an energy conversion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an energy conversion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the payment device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the energy conversion system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the energy conversion system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the payment device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the payment device according to the embodiment.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in each drawing, parts with the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

In this embodiment, "part", "means", "device", and "system" do not simply mean physical means, but also include cases where the functions of the "part", "means", "device", and "system" are realized by software. Furthermore, the functions of one "part", "means", "device", or "system" may be realized by two or more physical means or devices, and the functions of two or more "parts", "means", "device", or "system" may be realized by one physical means or device.

The energy conversion system 1 according to this embodiment is a system for converting energy (hereinafter also referred to as "produced energy") that a user produces from natural energy (renewable energy) into electronic value that can be used with electronic payment means. In other words, produced energy is energy converted from natural energy.

In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the natural energy is sunlight, but this is not intended to be limiting. Other examples of natural energy include geothermal energy and biomass. Also, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the production energy is electricity (electrical energy), but this is not intended to be limiting. Other examples of production energy include heat.

In this embodiment, the electronic payment means will be described using an example in which it is provided by a business operator (hereinafter also referred to as the "payment business operator") that owns the payment device 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. Hereinafter, this electronic payment means will also be referred to as "Energy Pay". Energy Pay is a payment means that can be used by users. With Energy Pay, users can deposit (charge) electronic value into their own user account in exchange for cash or other electronic value, and can withdraw electronic value from their user account for use in commercial transactions.

"Electronic value" refers to something that has monetary value and can be settled electronically. Electronic value is, for example, electronic money, virtual currency, or corporate currency (common points). In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the unit of electronic value used in Energy Pay (hereinafter also simply referred to as "electronic value") is "points," and 1 point is converted to 1 yen.

In this embodiment, for simplicity, it is assumed that the user has applied to the payment service provider to use Energy Pay, registered a user account, and authenticated (logged in to the user account) before using Energy Pay.

1. System configuration
An example of a system configuration of an energy conversion system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the energy conversion system 1 includes a payment device 100 of a payment business operator, a management device 200, a user terminal 300 of a user, a first business operator device 400 of a first business operator, and a second business operator device 500 of a second business operator.

The first business operator is a business operator that supplies energy to the user. In this embodiment, the first business operator is an electric power business operator, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second business operator is a business operator that provides credit card payment services to the user. In this embodiment, the second business operator is an issuer, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The payment device 100, management device 200, user terminal 300, first business device 400, and second business device 500 are connected to each other via network N so that they can communicate with each other.

The network N is composed of a wireless network and a wired network. Examples of networks include a mobile phone network, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) network, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), WiMax (registered trademark), infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), a wired LAN, a telephone line, a power line network, and a network conforming to IEEE 1394, etc.

The payment device 100 is an information processing device that cooperates with various devices in the energy conversion system 1 to convert the electricity produced by the user into electronic value. For example, in this cooperation, the payment device 100 acquires information from the management device 200 and the first business operator device 400 and issues instructions to the management device 200. The payment device 100 also performs processing to settle payments made by electronic payment means using electronic value when making payments from the user to the electric power business operator or issuer.

The management device 200 is an information processing device that manages production energy. For example, when the production energy is electricity, the management device 200 collects data related to electricity from power equipment installed in the user's home, vehicle, etc., and controls the power equipment based on the collected data. The "power equipment" referred to here is equipment for producing (generating) electricity and using the electricity for home appliances, etc. Examples of power equipment include solar cell modules, junction boxes, power conditioners, power distributors, watt-hour meters (including watt-hour meters for selling electricity), power monitors (display devices), etc.

The user terminal 300 is a terminal device such as a smartphone or laptop that can input instructions to the payment device 100, output energy-related information on a screen, and communicate with the payment device 100. The user terminal 300 executes a specific program, for example, to send and receive information related to electricity as described above, display a screen related to payment, and accept user requests. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the specific program is a native application (hereinafter also referred to as the "Energy Pay app") dedicated to the energy conversion system 1. The Energy Pay app is installed and operates on the user terminal 300.

The first business operator device 400 is an information processing device used by the electric power company. The second business operator device 500 is an information processing device used by the issuer.

＜2. Overview＞
An overview of the energy conversion system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In this example, an example will be described in which generated power is converted into electronic value based on a conversion instruction from a user and used for various purposes.

A "conversion instruction" is an instruction to convert the electricity produced by the user into electronic value to be used for energy pay. In addition to converting electricity into electronic value, the conversion instruction may also include, for example, (a) a designation of a method for determining the conversion amount, (b) a designation of the use of the converted electronic value, etc. Furthermore, the "use of electronic value" referred to here is, for example, (a) depositing electronic value into a user account, (b) payment for credit card usage, (c) payment for supplied electricity, etc.

(1) As shown in Figure 2, the user generates electricity using power equipment and solar light energy (performs solar power generation).

(2) The payment device 100 acquires from the management device 200 the production amount of electricity that the user has produced in the first period and the usage amount of electricity that the user has used in the first period. Then, the payment device 100 determines the conversion amount based on the acquired production amount and usage amount in response to a conversion instruction from the user. Here, the "first period" is the period during which the produced electricity is to be converted into electronic value. Here, the "conversion amount" refers to the amount of electricity produced by the user that is to be converted into electronic value. The conversion amount may be, for example, the amount obtained by subtracting the usage amount from the production amount (such as the so-called surplus electricity amount). As another example, the conversion amount may be the total amount of production.

(3) Based on the user's conversion instruction, the payment device 100 instructs the management device 200 to send the generated electricity through the power grid to a specified device. In exchange for the electricity sent to the specified device, the payment device 100 performs processing to deposit at least a portion of the electronic value, an amount corresponding to the conversion amount, into the user's user account in Energy Pay.

The "specified device" may be, for example, a device owned by an electric power company or a payment service provider, and used to receive electricity sent from a user (for example, a power purchase meter or a high-voltage receiving panel).

(4) Based on the user's conversion instructions, the payment device 100 issues electronic value in exchange for the electricity sent to a specific device, and allocates it to various uses as shown in (4)-1 to 3 below.

(4)-1 The payment device 100 may, for example, perform processing to settle the payment for electricity supplied by the electric power company by allocating electronic value to at least a portion of the payment amount.

(4)-2 The payment device 100 may, for example, perform processing to settle a payment for credit card usage to an issuer (hereinafter also simply referred to as "credit usage payment") by allocating electronic value to at least a portion of the payment amount.

(4)-3 The payment device 100 may, for example, deposit electronic value into a user account of Energy Pay.

(5) When electronic value is deposited in Energy Pay, the user can make transactions using Energy Pay. (6) For example, at an Energy Pay affiliated store, the user can purchase goods using the electronic value deposited in Energy Pay.

According to the above configuration, the payment device 100 can convert the electricity produced by the user into electronic value based on the user's conversion instruction, and use the converted electronic value for various purposes. For example, the payment device 100 can deposit the electronic value into a user's Energy Pay account, or use it to pay the user's electricity bill or credit usage. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the payment device 100 can allow the user to efficiently use the electronic value obtained from the produced electricity.

<3. Functional configuration>
The functional configuration of the payment device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the payment device 100 includes a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a storage unit 130.

The control unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111, a reception unit 112, an identification unit 113, an instruction unit 114, a deposit unit 115, and a payment processing unit 116. The control unit 110 may also include, for example, a prediction unit 117, an adjustment unit 118, or a generation unit 119.

The acquisition unit 111 acquires energy information from the management device 200.

"Energy information" refers to information about energy produced and used by a user. The energy information includes, for example, the amount of energy produced by the user during a first period (hereinafter also simply referred to as "production amount") and the amount of energy used by the user during a first period (hereinafter also simply referred to as "usage amount").

The energy information may include, for example, the supply amount (hereinafter also simply referred to as "supply amount") of energy (hereinafter also simply referred to as "supplied energy") supplied to a user during a first period from a first energy supplying business operator.

The energy information may include, for example, production information. "Production information" is information indicating the production capacity of the user's production energy. The production information may be, for example, information regarding the power generation capacity of the power equipment owned by the user. "Information regarding the power generation capacity of the power equipment" may include, for example, the system rated output, loss rate, panel/DC circuit loss rate, total design number, etc., of the power equipment.

The acquisition unit 111 may acquire various information including energy information in any manner, for example, may receive a data file of energy information transmitted from the management device 200. As another example of an aspect of acquiring energy information, the acquisition unit 111 may remotely access the management device 200 to acquire a data file of energy information. As another example, the acquisition unit 111 may instruct an API implemented by the management device 200 to refer to energy information, and acquire the energy information as a result.

The acquisition unit 111 may acquire payment information from the second business device 500. Here, "payment information" refers to information related to payment for credit card usage. The payment information includes, for example, the planned payment amount and the payment account for payment for the user's credit card usage.

The planned payment amount may be, for example, the planned monthly invoice amount from the issuer to the user for credit card usage. For example, if a revolving payment method is adopted for the user's credit card usage, the planned payment amount may be a fixed amount paid at regular intervals (for example, monthly), the so-called revolving payment amount.

The payment information may include, for example, credit card information. Here, "credit card information" refers to information related to a credit card, and may include, for example, a credit card number, a name, an expiration date, or a security code.

The acquisition unit 111 may acquire weather information indicating a weather forecast for the second period from, for example, an external device of a third-party system. The weather information may include, for example, a weather forecast (forecast of sunny, cloudy, rainy, etc. for a certain period of time), the amount of solar radiation (actual value or predicted value) for the second period or for the year, etc.

The reception unit 112 receives a conversion instruction from the user terminal 300 to convert energy into electronic value to be used in an electronic payment method that can be used by the user. The reception unit 112 may receive the conversion instruction, for example, by a user's operation input to the user terminal 300.

The reception unit 112 may, for example, receive a payment request for settling a payment in a transaction from the user terminal 300.

When the reception unit 112 receives a conversion instruction, the determination unit 113 determines the conversion amount for converting energy into electronic value based on the energy information.

For example, when the conversion amount is a surplus amount, the determination unit 113 may determine the amount obtained by subtracting the usage amount from the production amount as the conversion amount. For example, when a supply amount exists, the determination unit 113 may determine the amount obtained by subtracting the usage amount from the sum of the production amount and the supply amount as the conversion amount.

The amount to be determined as the conversion amount by the determination unit 113 may depend on the user's specification of the method for determining the conversion amount on the setting screen 700 described below, or a common setting for all users (e.g., a setting that sets the surplus amount as the default) may be applied.

The instruction unit 114 instructs the management device 200 to send the converted amount of energy identified by the identification unit 113 to a specified device. The instruction unit 114 may instruct the management device 200 in any manner, and may, for example, send to the management device 200 a message or a data file indicating an instruction to send to a specified device.

The deposit unit 115 performs processing to deposit electronic value in an amount corresponding to the conversion amount into the user's user account in the electronic payment means in exchange for the energy sent to the specified device. For example, the deposit unit 115 receives a response from the management device 200 to the effect that electricity has been sent to the specified device as a response to the instruction from the instruction unit 114. When the deposit unit 115 receives this response to the effect that electricity has been sent, it issues electronic value in an amount corresponding to the conversion amount and deposits the issued electronic value into the user account of Energy Pay.

The deposit unit 115 may perform processing to deposit electronic value into the user account, for example, in an amount corresponding to the conversion amount minus the amount appropriated for payment for the supplied energy.

According to the above configuration, the deposit unit 115 can allocate electronic value to the payment of energy supply that requires payment, such as electricity bills, with priority, and deposit the remainder into the user account. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the deposit unit 115 can prevent a situation in which the user is unable to pay the electricity bill due to overusing the electronic value deposited into the user account, and can provide the user with an easy-to-use electronic payment method.

The deposit unit 115 may perform processing to deposit electronic value into the user account, for example, in an amount corresponding to the conversion amount minus the amount used for payment.

According to the above configuration, the deposit unit 115 can allocate electronic value to payments for credit card usage with priority, and deposit the remainder into the user account. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the deposit unit 115 can avoid a situation where the electronic value deposited into the user account is used up too much, making it impossible to pay for credit card usage, and can provide the user with an easy-to-use electronic payment method.

The deposit unit 115 may perform processing to deposit electronic value into a user account according to the set use (a) of the aforementioned uses, which are (a) depositing electronic value into a user account, (b) payment for credit card usage, and (c) payment for supplied electricity.

When a user performs a transaction using an electronic payment method, the payment processing unit 116 performs processing to deduct the transaction amount from the electronic value balance of the user account.

For example, when a user uses Energy Pay to purchase a product at an affiliated store, the payment processing unit 116 accepts a payment request from the affiliated store's POS system or the user terminal 300 to settle this commercial transaction using the Energy Pay user account. When the payment processing unit 116 accepts this payment request, it performs a debit process to deduct the transaction amount from the balance of the user account, with the user account as the payment source account. The payment processing unit 116 also performs a process to deposit the transaction amount into the payment account specified in the processing request.

According to the above configuration, the energy produced by the user can be converted into electronic value based on the user's conversion instruction, and the converted electronic value can be deposited into the user's account of the electronic payment means. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the deposited electronic value can be used for transactions by the electronic payment means. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the user can efficiently use the electronic value obtained from the produced energy.

The payment processing unit 116 may, for example, perform processing to settle a payment using the payment method registered in the electronic payment means based on a payment request received from a user. For example, if payment by bank transfer is registered in the electronic payment means, the payment processing unit 116 instructs the bank server of the destination bank to process the bank transfer. Also, for example, if payment by credit card is registered in the electronic payment means, the payment processing unit 116 instructs the relevant credit card system to process the credit card payment.

The payment processing unit 116 may perform processing for settling a payment using electronic value according to the set use (b) and/or (c) of the above-mentioned uses (a) depositing electronic value into a user account, (b) payment for credit card usage, and (c) payment for supplied electricity. When there are multiple set uses, the deposit unit 115 and the payment processing unit 116 may perform processing for depositing or settling a payment using electronic value according to the priority set for each use.

If a supply is available, the payment processing unit 116 may perform processing to settle the payment for the supplied energy by applying at least a portion of the electronic value exchanged for the energy.

For example, when there is a supply of electricity, that is, when the supply of electricity is not "0", the payment processing unit 116 appropriates electronic value (1,000 points converted to 1,000 yen) to at least a portion (1,000 yen) of the planned payment amount (2,000 yen) for the supply of electricity in the second period. The payment processing unit 116 deposits the appropriated electronic value into the account of the electric power company, with the account of the electric power company as the payment destination account. The payment processing unit 116 also performs processing to settle the payment for the remaining amount after deducting the appropriated amount from the payment amount, using the payment method registered in the electronic payment means, with the account of the electric power company as the payment destination account.

The payment processing unit 116 may, for example, perform processing to settle the payment for the supplied energy by applying at least a portion of the electronic value exchanged for energy to the payment based on the payment information.

The payment processing unit 116, for example, allocates electronic value (1,000 points converted to 1,000 yen) to at least a portion (1,000 yen) of the planned payment amount for the next month (2,000 yen). The payment processing unit 116 deposits the electronic value to be allocated into the issuer's account, with the issuer's account as the payment destination account. The payment processing unit 116 also instructs the second business device 500 to debit the remaining amount, after deducting the allocated amount from the planned payment amount, from the user's account (bank account) associated with the credit card.

The payment processing unit 116 may, for example, perform processing to settle the payment by applying at least a portion of the electronic value exchanged for energy to the payment based on the planned payment amount adjusted by the adjustment unit 118.

According to the above configuration, the payment processing unit 116 can settle the payment at an amount adjusted based on the predicted energy production amount. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the payment processing unit 116 can automatically optimize the planned payment amount based on the energy production forecast, and then settle the payment.

The prediction unit 117 refers to the first storage unit 131, which stores production information indicating the user's energy production capacity, and predicts the expected amount of energy production by the user in the second period based on weather information. Here, the "second period" is a future period that is the period to be predicted. The second period may be, for example, the next month or the month after that.

The prediction unit 117 may, for example, predict the predicted amount of energy usage to be used by the user in the second period by referring to the second storage unit 132 that stores the user's actual energy usage in the third period. Here, the "third period" is the same period as the second period in the previous year. The prediction unit 117 may, for example, predict the energy usage in the third period as the predicted amount of energy usage in the second period as is. In addition, the prediction unit 117 may, for example, predict the predicted amount of energy usage by multiplying the energy usage in the third period by a coefficient according to the weather forecast indicated by the meteorological information or the amount of solar radiation for the year.

The adjustment unit 118 adjusts the planned payment amount based on, for example, the predicted production volume predicted by the prediction unit 117. For example, if the predicted production volume for the next month is greater than the statistical values (for example, the average, median, mode, etc.) of the previous months including this month, the adjustment unit 118 adjusts the planned payment amount for the month after next to be increased. For example, if the predicted production volume for the next month is less than the previous months such as this month, the adjustment unit 118 adjusts the planned payment amount for the month after next to be decreased. For example, if the predicted production volume for the next month is 1.5 times greater than this month, the adjustment unit 118 may adjust the revolving payment amount for the month after next to be increased by 1.5 times.

The adjustment unit 118 may adjust the planned payment amount based on, for example, the predicted production amount predicted by the prediction unit 117 as well as the predicted usage amount predicted by the prediction unit 117. For example, when the difference between the predicted production amount and the predicted usage amount is negative, the adjustment unit 118 may adjust the planned payment amount to be lowered. For example, when the difference between the predicted production amount and the predicted usage amount is positive, the adjustment unit 118 may adjust the planned payment amount to be higher.

According to the above configuration, the adjustment unit 118 can adjust the planned payment amount based on not only the production forecast but also the usage forecast based on the past usage record. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to more precisely optimize the planned payment amount.

The generation unit 119 generates display information for displaying the top screen 600 and the setting screen 700 on the user terminal 300. The generation unit 119 transmits the generated display information to the user terminal 300 via the communication unit 120.

The communication unit 120 transmits and receives various information to and from the management device 200 and the user terminal 300 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 120 may receive energy information from the management device 200 via the network N, or receive a conversion instruction or a payment request from the user terminal 300. The communication unit 120 may also transmit, for example, information indicating the processing result of the payment based on this payment request to the user terminal 300.

The storage unit 130 may store, for example, energy information, payment information, and/or display information. The storage unit 130 may also store each piece of information using a database management system (DBMS), or may store the above information using a file system. When using a DBMS, the storage unit 130 may provide a table for each piece of information, and the above information may be managed by associating the tables with each other.

The memory unit 130 may include a first memory unit 131 or a second memory unit 132. The first memory unit 131 stores production information. The second memory unit 132 stores performance information.

<4. Screen>
4 and 5, an example of a screen displayed in the energy conversion system 1 will be described. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a top screen 600 of the Energy Pay app displayed on the user terminal 300. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a setting screen 700 of the Energy Pay app.

The top screen 600 is the screen that is first displayed when a user logs in to the Energy Pay app after user authentication. As shown in FIG. 4, the top screen 600 includes a balance display 601 of electronic value deposited in the user account, a code display 602 including a QR code (registered trademark) and a barcode for code payment, a credit card revolving payment amount (scheduled payment amount) display 603, a deposit button 604 for depositing money into the user account, and a setting change button 605 for transitioning to the setting screen 700.

The settings screen 700 is a screen for configuring settings related to the conversion of electricity to electronic value and the use of electronic value. As shown in FIG. 5, the settings screen 700 displays a power status and forecast display 701, a conversion amount display 702, a conversion setting form 703 (drop-down list), a group of usage setting forms 704 (drop-down list), and an execute button 705 (labeled "Apply settings").

The conversion setting form 703 is a form for setting the method for identifying the conversion amount. The list in the conversion setting form 703 includes identification methods such as "Convert the surplus amount," "Convert the entire amount (not shown)," and "Convert xx% of the production amount (not shown)."

The usage setting form group 704 is a form for setting the usage purpose of the electronic value exchanged for production energy. A usage purpose corresponding to each of the priorities 1 to 3 of the usage setting form group 704 can be selected from a list. The list includes usage purposes such as "electricity bill payment," "credit payment," and "charging," for example.

When the user makes a specification in the conversion setting form 703 or the group of usage setting forms 704 and presses the execute button 705, the user terminal 300 transmits a conversion instruction including the result of this specification to the payment device 100. The reception unit 112 receives this transmitted conversion instruction. Based on the change instruction received by the reception unit 112, the processing settings of the identification unit 113 and the payment processing unit 116 are respectively performed.

<5. Operation>
With reference to Fig. 6, this is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of processing in the payment device 100 from acquisition of energy information to use of electronic value exchanged for production energy. As a premise, it is assumed that multiple uses of electronic value are set with priorities 1 to N. The default for the priority "N" is "1 (natural number)". Note that the order of processing shown below is an example and may be changed as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 6, the acquisition unit 111 acquires energy information from the management device 200 (S10). The reception unit 112 receives a conversion instruction from the user terminal 300 to convert energy into electronic value that can be used for an electronic payment method that can be used by the user (S11).

If there is a surplus of energy or if the entire amount of energy is to be converted (Yes in S12), the identification unit 113 identifies the conversion amount of energy to be converted into electronic value based on the energy information (S13). The instruction unit 114 instructs the management device 200 to send the identified conversion amount of energy to a specified device (S14).

When the use of the electronic value set as the Nth priority is payment for supplied energy ("Payment for supplied energy" in S15), if there is a supply, the payment processing unit 116 performs processing to settle the payment for the supplied energy by applying at least a portion of the electronic value exchanged for energy (S16).

When the use of the electronic value set as the Nth priority is to deposit electronic money into the user account of Energy Pay ("Charge" in S15), a process is performed to deposit an amount of electronic value corresponding to at least a portion of the conversion amount or the remaining amount into the user's user account in exchange for the energy sent to the specified device (S17).

When the use of the electronic value set as the Nth priority is payment for credit card usage ("Payment for credit card usage" in S15), the payment processing unit 1116 performs processing to settle the payment by applying at least a portion of the electronic value exchanged for energy to the payment based on the payment information (S18).

If there is a balance of electronic value that has been exchanged for energy and if a usage purpose with priority N-1 has been set (Yes in S19), the control unit 110 increments N and the flow returns to before step S15.

If there is no remaining balance of electronic value exchanged for energy, or if the N-1th priority use has not been set (No in S19), the process ends.

5. Hardware Configuration
7, an example of a hardware configuration for implementing the above-described payment device 100 using a computer 800 will be described. Note that the functions of each device can also be implemented by dividing them into a plurality of devices.

As shown in FIG. 7, the computer 800 includes a processor 801, a memory 803, a storage device 805, an input I/F unit 807, a data I/F unit 809, a communication I/F unit 811, and a display device 813.

The processor 801 controls various processes in the computer 800 by executing programs stored in the memory 803. For example, each functional unit of the control unit 110 of the payment device 100 can be realized by the processor 801 executing a program temporarily stored in the memory 803.

The memory 803 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 803 temporarily stores the program code of the program executed by the processor 801 and data required when the program is executed.

The storage device 805 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The storage device 805 stores an operating system and various programs for implementing the above-mentioned configurations. In addition, the storage device 805 can also store tables for registering energy information, payment information, etc., and a DB for managing these tables. Such programs and data are loaded into the memory 803 as necessary and are referenced by the processor 801.

The input I/F unit 807 is a device for receiving input from a user. Specific examples of the input I/F unit 807 include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, various sensors, and a wearable device. The input I/F unit 807 may be connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

The data I/F unit 809 is a device for inputting data from outside the computer 800. A specific example of the data I/F unit 809 is a drive device for reading data stored in various storage media. The data I/F unit 809 may be provided outside the computer 800. In that case, the data I/F unit 809 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

The communication I/F unit 811 is a device for performing data communication via the Internet N, either wired or wirelessly, with devices external to the computer 800. The communication I/F unit 811 may be provided external to the computer 800. In that case, the communication I/F unit 811 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

The display device 813 is a device for displaying various types of information. Specific examples of the display device 813 include a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, a display of a wearable device, and the like. The display device 813 may be provided outside the computer 800. In that case, the display device 813 is connected to the computer 800 via, for example, a display cable. Furthermore, when a touch panel is used as the input I/F unit 807, the display device 813 can be configured as an integral part of the input I/F unit 807.

Note that this embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to only this embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, a person skilled in the art can adopt an embodiment in which each element described below is replaced with an equivalent, and such an embodiment is also included in the scope of the present invention.

The components of the payment device 100 described in the above embodiment are assumed to be implemented in cooperation with other hardware by the processor 801 executing a program stored in the memory device 805. In other words, these components are assumed to be software or firmware, and also corresponding hardware, and in both concepts, they are also described as "functions," "means," "parts," "processing circuits," "units," or "modules," etc., and can be interpreted as each of these.

[Modification]
Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, the following cases are also included in the present invention.

(1) Although not shown in the above embodiment, the payment processing unit 116 may compare the amount according to the conversion amount with the planned payment amount, and determine the purpose and usage method of the electronic value exchanged for production energy based on the result of the comparison.

For example, if the amount corresponding to the conversion amount is equal to or greater than the planned payment amount for credit card usage, the payment processing unit 116 may perform processing to settle the payment by applying the electronic value exchanged for production energy to the entire payment for credit card usage. The remaining amount of electronic value at this time may be deposited in the user account, or may be used for the next payment for credit card usage.

(2) Although not shown in the above embodiment, the payment processing unit 116 may determine the purpose and usage method of the electronic value based on the predicted production volume and predicted usage volume.

The payment processing unit 116 may, for example, prioritize payment for the supplied energy and allocate the electronic value when there is a supply amount and the predicted usage amount in the second period is equal to or greater than the predicted production amount. On the other hand, the payment processing unit 116 may, for example, prioritize depositing the electronic value into the user account when there is a supply amount and the predicted usage amount in the second period is less than the predicted production amount.

(3) At least a part of each component of the payment device 100 according to the above embodiment may be provided by the management device 200, the user terminal 300, or an external device. For example, in the energy conversion system 1, the prediction unit 117 of the payment device 100 may be provided in the management device 200, and the payment device 100 may obtain from the management device 200 the predicted usage amount and predicted production amount predicted by the management device 200.

(4) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the first storage unit that stores production information and the second storage unit that stores performance information are storage units of the payment device 100, but this is not intended to be limiting. For example, the first storage unit may be a storage unit of the management device 200 or a storage unit of the user terminal 300.

(5) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the adjustment unit 118 adjusts the planned payment amount based on the predicted usage amount and/or the predicted production amount, but this is not limiting. For example, the adjustment unit 118 may adjust the payment method (lump sum payment, revolving payment, or installment payment) for credit card use in payments from the month after next based on the predicted usage amount and/or the predicted production amount for the next month. Also, the adjustment unit 118 may adjust the number of installments from the month after next based on the predicted usage amount and/or the predicted production amount for the next month.

(6) Although not shown in the above embodiment, the payment processing unit 116 may restrict the use of the electronic value exchanged for electricity depending on the location where the user produced the electricity or the location under the jurisdiction of the electric power company that provided the electricity in exchange for the electronic value. For example, if the location where the user produced the electricity was in the Tokyo area, the payment processing unit 116 may allow only affiliated stores in the Tokyo area to make payments with the electronic value exchanged for the produced electricity. As another example, if the area under the jurisdiction of the electric power company that provides the electricity produced by the user is the Kansai area, the payment processing unit 116 may allow only affiliated stores in the Kansai area to make payments with the electronic value exchanged for the produced electricity.

When converting electricity into electronic value, the conversion rate may differ depending on the area under the jurisdiction of the electric power company. According to the above configuration, in such a case, the payment processing unit 116 can match the area to which electricity is provided with the area to which the electronic value obtained in exchange for the provided electricity is used by restricting the use of the electronic value. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible for the user to use the electronic value in a manner that does not cause a discrepancy with the conversion rate when electricity is converted into electronic value.

1...Energy conversion system 100...Payment device, 110...Control unit, 111...Acquisition unit, 112...Reception unit, 113...Identification unit, 114...Instruction unit, 115...Deposit unit, 116...Payment processing unit, 117...Prediction unit, 118...Adjustment unit, 119...Generation unit, 120...Communication unit, 130...Memory unit, 200...Management device, 300...User terminal, 400...First business operator device, 500...Second business operator device.

Claims (7)

An information processing device that cooperates with a management device that manages energy produced and used by a user,
acquire, from the management device, energy information including a production amount of the energy produced by the user during a first period and a usage amount of the energy used by the user during the first period;
an acquisition unit that acquires payment information including a planned payment amount of the user to the payment service provider for a second period that is future than the first period from a payment service provider device of a payment service provider that provides a predetermined payment service;
a reception unit that receives, from a user terminal of the user, a conversion instruction for converting the energy into electronic value that is used for an electronic payment means that can be used by the user;
a specification unit that specifies a conversion amount for converting the energy into the electronic value based on the energy information when the reception unit receives the conversion instruction;
An instruction unit that instructs the management device to send the converted amount of energy to a predetermined device;
a deposit unit that performs processing for depositing the electronic value in an amount corresponding to at least a part of the conversion amount into a user account of the user in the electronic payment means in exchange for the energy sent to the predetermined device;
When the user performs a transaction using the electronic payment means, a process is performed to deduct the transaction amount from the balance of the electronic value in the user account;
a payment processing unit that performs processing for allocating at least a portion of the electronic value exchanged for the energy to the payment in the second period based on the scheduled payment amount, to settle the payment;
Equipped with
the depositing unit performs processing for depositing the electronic value into the user account in an amount obtained by subtracting the amount appropriated for the payment in the second period from an amount corresponding to the conversion amount.
Information processing device. The energy information includes a supply amount of the energy supplied from a first business entity that supplies the energy to the user during the first period,
the payment processing unit, when the supply amount exists, performs a process for settling a payment for the supplied energy by applying at least a part of the electronic value exchanged for the energy;
The determination unit, when the supply amount exists, determines, as the conversion amount, an amount obtained by subtracting the usage amount from the sum of the production amount and the supply amount;
the depositing unit performs processing for depositing the electronic value into the user account in an amount obtained by subtracting the amount appropriated for the payment from an amount corresponding to the conversion amount.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The acquisition unit acquires payment information including the scheduled payment amount and a payment destination account in payment for the use of the user's credit card from a payment service provider device of the payment service provider that provides a credit card payment service to the user.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The energy is energy converted from natural energy,
The scheduled payment amount is a fixed amount to be paid at regular intervals,
The acquisition unit acquires meteorological information indicating a weather forecast for the second time period from an external device,
The information processing device includes:
a prediction unit that predicts a predicted production amount of the energy produced by the user in the second time period based on the weather information by referring to a first storage unit that stores production information indicating a production capacity of the energy of the user;
an adjustment unit that adjusts the planned payment amount based on the production forecast amount;
the payment processing unit performs processing for settling the payment by applying at least a part of the electronic value exchanged for the energy to the payment based on the adjusted scheduled payment amount.
The information processing device according to claim 3 . the prediction unit predicts a predicted amount of the energy usage to be used by the user in the second period by referring to a second storage unit that stores performance information indicating a performance of the energy usage amount of the user in a third period that is the same period as the second period and a third period of the previous year;
The adjustment unit adjusts the planned payment amount based on the predicted usage amount in addition to the predicted production amount.
The information processing device according to claim 4. A computer that cooperates with a management device that manages the energy produced and used by a user,
acquire, from the management device, energy information including a production amount of the energy produced by the user during a first period and a usage amount of the energy used by the user during the first period;
an acquisition function for acquiring payment information including a planned payment amount of the user to the payment service provider for a second period that is future than the first period from a payment service provider device of a payment service provider that provides a predetermined payment service;
a reception function for receiving, from a user terminal of the user, a conversion instruction for converting the energy into electronic value to be used for an electronic payment means available to the user;
a specifying function that specifies a conversion amount for converting the energy into the electronic value based on the energy information when the receiving function receives the conversion instruction;
An instruction function for instructing the management device to send the converted amount of energy to a predetermined device;
a deposit function for depositing the electronic value in an amount corresponding to at least a part of the conversion amount into a user account of the user in the electronic payment means in exchange for the energy sent to the predetermined device;
When the user performs a transaction using the electronic payment means, a process is performed to deduct the transaction amount from the balance of the electronic value in the user account;
a payment processing function for performing a process for settling the payment by allocating at least a part of the electronic value exchanged for the energy to the payment in the second period based on the payment information,
the deposit function performs processing for depositing the electronic value into the user account in an amount obtained by subtracting the amount appropriated for the payment in the second period from an amount corresponding to the conversion amount.
program. A computer that cooperates with a management device that manages the energy produced and used by a user,
acquire, from the management device, energy information including a production amount of the energy produced by the user during a first period and a usage amount of the energy used by the user during the first period;
obtaining payment information including a planned payment amount to be paid by the user to the payment service provider in a second period that is future than the first period from a payment service provider device of a payment service provider that provides a predetermined payment service;
receiving, from a user terminal of the user, a conversion instruction for converting the energy into electronic value to be used for an electronic payment means available to the user;
When the conversion instruction is received, a conversion amount for converting the energy into the electronic value is specified based on the energy information;
Instructing the management device to send the converted amount of energy to a predetermined device;
performing a process for depositing the electronic value in an amount corresponding to at least a part of the conversion amount into a user account of the user in the electronic payment means in exchange for the energy transmitted to the predetermined device;
When the user performs a transaction using the electronic payment means, a process is performed to deduct the transaction amount from the balance of the electronic value in the user account;
performing a process for settling the payment for the second period by applying at least a part of the electronic value exchanged for the energy to the payment based on the payment information;
performing a process for depositing the electronic value into the user account in an amount corresponding to the conversion amount minus the amount appropriated for the payment in the second period;
Information processing methods.

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