The present invention relates to an automatic negotiation system, an automatic negotiation method, and an automatic negotiation program that perform automatic negotiation with another system.
There has been known a technique called the automated demand response (ADR) that automatically controls equipment of consumers in response to a demand change in power. As a message exchange protocol for the ADR, there has been known the OpenADR (see Non Patent Literature 1).
There has also been known a technique of negotiation with respect to a given utility function (see Non Patent Literature 2). There has been a technique of negotiation even in a negotiation in which a plurality of issues to negotiate may exist.
In order to achieve power saving, the ADR controls equipment of consumers, and gives consumers incentive to save power.
However, instead of controlling equipment of consumers merely for the purpose of power saving, it is preferable to enable automatic negotiation with systems owned by consumers about a demand, price, and the like of power such that a profit of a power supplier is maximized.
In order to achieve such negotiation, it is necessary to set a target candidate in negotiation favorable for the supplier. However, there has been no indicator for defining such a favorable target candidate.
Accordingly, the supplier has not been able to perform automatic negotiation with a system owned by a consumer such that a profit of the supplier is maximized.
Such a problem applies not only to a power supplier but also to water and gas suppliers.
In addition, according to the technique of negotiation with respect to a given utility function mentioned above, the utility function required for the negotiation is not derived with respect to electric energy adjustment.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic negotiation system, an automatic negotiation method, and an automatic negotiation program capable of generating an indicator for defining a favorable target candidate for a supplier.
An automatic negotiation system according to the present invention, which is managed by a first economic entity and performs automatic negotiation with a system managed by a second economic entity, includes a perturbative utility function generation means that derives, with respect to a utility function expressing a relationship between desirability for the first economic entity and a negotiation matter, the utility function from a relationship between an objective function and restriction in an optimized system managed by the first economic entity and a parameter and an optimum value dependent on the second economic entity.
The automatic negotiation system according to the present invention, which performs automatic negotiation with a consumer system managed by a consumer, includes a supply utility function generation means that generates a supply utility function expressing a change in a profit and loss of a supplier relative to a change in a total demand for each current time and future time, and a demand utility function generation means that generates a demand utility function expressing a change in the profit and loss of the supplier relative to a change in a demand of the consumer for each current time and future time.
An automatic negotiation method according to the present invention, which is applied to an automatic negotiation system managed by a first economic entity that performs automatic negotiation with a system managed by a second economic entity, includes a step of deriving, using the automatic negotiation system, with respect to a utility function expressing a relationship between desirability for the first economic entity and a negotiation matter, the utility function from a relationship between an objective function and restriction in an optimized system managed by the first economic entity and a parameter and an optimum value dependent on the second economic entity.
The automatic negotiation method according to the present invention for performing automatic negotiation with a consumer system managed by a consumer includes a step of generating, using a computer, a supply utility function expressing a change in a profit and loss of a supplier relative to a change in a total demand for each current time and future time, and a step of generating a demand utility function expressing a change in the profit and loss of the supplier relative to a change in a demand of the consumer for each current time and future time.
An automatic negotiation program according to the present invention, which is installed on a computer managed by a first economic entity that performs automatic negotiation with a system managed by a second economic entity, causes the computer to perform perturbative utility function generation processing for deriving, with respect to a utility function expressing a relationship between desirability for the first economic entity and a negotiation matter, the utility function from a relationship between an objective function and restriction in an optimized system managed by the first economic entity and a parameter and an optimum value dependent on the second economic entity.
The automatic negotiation program according to the present invention, which is installed on a computer that performs automatic negotiation with a consumer system managed by a consumer, causes the computer to perform supply utility function generation processing for generating a supply utility function expressing a change in a profit and loss of a supplier relative to a change in a total demand for each current time and future time, and demand utility function generation processing for generating a demand utility function expressing a change in the profit and loss of the supplier relative to a change in a demand of the consumer for each current time and future time.
According to the present invention, an indicator for defining a favorable target candidate for a supplier can be generated.
In the exemplary embodiment described below, an exemplary case where an automatic negotiation system according to the present invention is managed by a power supplier and performs automatic negotiation with a consumer system of a consumer of power will be described. However, the automatic negotiation system according to the present invention may be a system managed by a water supplier or a gas supplier.
Note that the consumer system is an automatic negotiation system managed by the consumer. The consumer system is implemented by an information processing apparatus. Examples of the consumer include a business entity that uses power (e.g., business entity having a factory, etc.). However, the consumer is not limited to such a business entity.
The consumer system 21 includes a negotiation unit 22 that performs automatic negotiation with the automatic negotiation system 1 according to the present invention. The consumer system 21 and the automatic negotiation system 1 according to the present invention communicate with each other via a communication network (e.g., the Internet).
The automatic negotiation system 1 according to the present invention includes a supply state/plan storage unit 2, a supply utility function generator 3, a demand state/plan storage unit 4, a demand utility function generator 5, a utility function storage unit 6, a consumer storage unit 7, and a negotiation unit 8.
The supply state/plan storage unit 2 is a storage unit that stores a total demand of power of each consumer at the current time and a future demand plan. The future demand plan is a predicted value of the total demand of power of each consumer at each time in the future from the current time. Note that the predicted value of the total demand at each time is provided as distribution. At the time of focus, the average of the predicted values of the total demand provided as distribution is taken as a predicted value of the total demand at that time.
The supply state/plan storage unit 2 also stores conditions related to power supply, and a cost function. The cost function is a function for obtaining a cost of power supply in response to the demand.
In the present exemplary embodiment, an exemplary case where the supply state/plan storage unit 2 stores the upper limit value of the available power for each power type as a condition for power supply will be described. For example, in
Further, the supply state/plan storage unit 2 stores a cost function for each power type. For example, in
0≤s i≤σi,∀i, and
Σis i≥d [Expression 1]
For example, as exemplified in
Likewise, the supply state/plan storage unit 2 may store, for each future time seen from the present, a condition, a supply of power at that time, and a cost function for each power type. The sum of the supply of power for each power type represents a predicted value of the total demand at that time. It is only necessary to determine the supply of power for each type by allocating the predicted value of the total demand at that time to the type in ascending order of the supply cost to the upper limit value.
Each time in the future seen from the present may be determined to be a time at every constant interval of time (every other hour, etc.).
Meanwhile, the automatic negotiation system 1 may include a means for calculating a predicted value of the total demand at each time in the future and storing, in the supply state/plan storage unit 2, the total demand at each time in the future in the form of the supply of power for each power type. Alternatively, an external system (not illustrated) may calculate the predicted value of the total demand at each time in the future and may cause the supply state/plan storage unit 2 to store the total demand at each time in the future in the form of the supply of power for each power type.
The condition and the cost function may change depending on the time.
The supply utility function generator 3 generates a supply utility function for each current time and future time. The supply utility function is a function expressing a change in a profit and loss of the supplier with respect to a change in the total demand from the standard. When the supply utility function corresponding to the current time is generated, the standard mentioned above is the total demand at the current time. When the supply utility function corresponding to a future time is generated, the standard mentioned above is a predicted value of the total demand at that time.
It can also be said that the supply utility function is a function expressing the amount of change in a profit and loss of the supplier with the amount of change in the total demand from the standard serving as a variable. In other words, the supply utility function is a function expressing the change in the minimum value when a perturbation £ is given to d in the minimization problem described above.
For the current time, the supply utility function generator 3 generates a supply utility function expressing a change in a profit and loss of the supplier with respect to a change in the total demand from the standard with the total demand at the current time serving as the standard.
For the future time, the supply utility function generator 3 generates a supply utility function expressing a change in the profit and loss of the supplier with respect to a change in the total demand from the standard with the predicted value of the total demand at that time serving as the standard.
The lateral axis of the graph illustrated in
As illustrated in the upper part of
When the total demand at the current time is more than the standard, the supplier increases the supply of market power. Besides, the market power is high in the supply cost. Accordingly, when the total demand is more than the standard, a loss of the supplier increases (see the graph illustrated in
The supply utility function generator 3 generates a supply utility function expressed as a graph exemplified in
In a similar manner to the supply utility function corresponding to the current time, the supply utility function generator 3 also generates a supply utility function corresponding to each time in the future seen from the current time.
Specific generation processing of the supply utility function will be described later.
The demand state/plan storage unit 4 is a storage unit that stores a demand of power of a consumer to be a negotiating partner at the current time and a future demand plan of the consumer. In the present example, the consumer to be the negotiating partner is a consumer who manages the consumer system 21. There is only one consumer to be the negotiating partner in the present example, and the consumer may be referred to as a consumer P in the following descriptions. Further, the future demand plan of the consumer is a planned value of the demand planned by the consumer at each time in the future seen from the current time.
The demand state/plan storage unit 4 also stores a revenue function. The revenue function is a function for supplying, to a consumer, power corresponding to the demand of the consumer to be a negotiating partner so that the supplier calculates the revenue obtained from the consumer.
For example, as illustrated in
Likewise, the demand state/plan storage unit 4 stores, for each future time seen from the present, a planned value of the demand of the consumer P at a future time and the revenue function. The revenue function may change with time.
For example, the negotiation unit 8 may receive the demand of the consumer P at the current time and the planned value of the demand at each time in the future from the negotiation unit 22 of the consumer system 21, and may store them in the demand state/plan storage unit 4.
The demand utility function generator 5 generates a demand utility function for each current time and future time. The demand utility function is a function expressing a change in the profit and loss of the supplier with respect to a change in the demand of the consumer P from the standard. When the demand utility function corresponding to the current time is generated, the standard mentioned above is the demand of the consumer P at the current time. When the demand utility function corresponding to a future time is generated, the standard mentioned above is a planned value of the demand of the consumer P at that time.
It can also be said that the demand utility function is a function expressing the amount of change in the profit and loss of the supplier with the amount of change in the demand of the consumer P from the standard serving as a variable.
For the current time, the demand utility function generator 5 generates a demand utility function expressing a change in the profit and loss of the supplier with respect to a change in the demand of the consumer P from the standard with the demand of the consumer P at the current time serving as the standard.
For the future time, the demand utility function generator 5 generates a demand utility function expressing a change in the profit and loss of the supplier with respect to a change in the demand of the consumer P from the standard with the planned value of the demand of the consumer P at that time serving as the standard.
The lateral axis of the graph illustrated in
When the demand of the consumer P at the current time is less than the standard, the supply supplied to the consumer P from the supplier decreases, and the fees received from the consumer P in exchange for the power also decreases. For example, in the case where the demand of the consumer P at the current time decreases by 10 from the standard, the supply supplied to the consumer P from the supplier is zero, and the profit decreases by 3×10=30 (see the graph illustrated in
When the demand of the consumer P at the current time is more than the standard, the supply supplied to the consumer P from the supplier increases, and the fees received from the consumer P in exchange for the power also increases. In other words, the profit increases. In particular, when the amount of change (amount of increase) in the demand of the consumer P exceeds 10, the coefficient of the revenue function increases, thereby increasing the profit (see the graph illustrated in
The demand utility function generator 5 generates a demand utility function expressed as a graph exemplified in
In a similar manner to the demand utility function corresponding to the current time, the demand utility function generator 5 also generates a demand utility function corresponding to each time in the future seen from the current time.
Specific generation processing of the demand utility function will be described later.
The utility function storage unit 6 is a storage unit that stores each supply utility function generated by the supply utility function generator 3 and each demand utility function generated by the demand utility function generator 5.
The consumer storage unit 7 is a storage unit that stores information indicating negotiable consumers. In the present example, the consumer storage unit 7 stores information indicating one consumer P.
The negotiation unit 8 identifies the consumer indicated by the information stored in the consumer storage unit 7, and automatically negotiates with the negotiation unit 22 of the consumer system 21 of the consumer about the demand plan of the consumer P and the change of the revenue function (in other words, fee schedule).
Here, the graph of the supply utility function and the graph of the demand utility function corresponding to the same time are assumed to overlap with each other in such a manner that the origin points, the lateral axes, and the longitudinal axes overlap with each other. Since the supply utility function and the demand utility function are generated for each current time and future time, the graph of the supply utility function and the graph of the demand utility function are assumed to overlap each other as described above for each time. At this time, a three-dimensional space represented by a plane defined by the lateral axis and a time axis and the longitudinal axis can be considered.
The negotiation unit 8 adds, for each time, the supply utility function and the demand utility function of the one consumer of focus (in the present example, consumer P). The negotiation unit 8 specifies, as a profit and loss, an area in which a profit of the supplier is generated on a plane H (plane defined by the lateral axis and the time axis of the graph) illustrated in
In the example illustrated in
Areas other than the areas A and B correspond to the area in which loss of the supplier is generated.
A line L illustrated in the center of the plane is a line connecting the origin points of the graph at each time. However, the total demand as a standard varies from time to time even if the supplier and the consumer P do not negotiate.
A mound-shaped curve K illustrated in
An inverse-S-shaped curve illustrated on the right side of
In the automatic negotiation with the consumer P (more specifically, consumer system 21), the negotiation unit 8 determines a candidate to be targeted from the summation result of the supply utility function and the demand utility function at each time schematically illustrated in FIG. 6. The negotiation unit 8 may determine a plurality of candidates.
A line segment C in
The negotiation unit 8 determines, as a target candidate in the negotiation, a change of the planned value of the demand of the consumer P in the future and a change of the revenue function such that the profit of the supplier is maximized. At this time, when the condition (e.g., upper limit of the demand of the consumer P represented by the line segment C illustrated in
In comparison with
The negotiation unit 8 determines such a target candidate in the negotiation, and automatically negotiates with the negotiation unit 22 of the consumer system 21. At this time, the negotiation unit 8 presents the determined target candidate to the negotiation unit 22 to carry out the negotiation.
The negotiation operation between the negotiation unit 8 and the negotiation unit 22 of the consumer system 21 after the target candidate is determined may be performed using a publicly known method of automatic negotiation.
The supply utility function generator 3, the demand utility function generator 5, and the negotiation unit 8 are implemented by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer that operates in accordance with an automatic negotiation program. In this case, the CPU may read the automatic negotiation program from a program recording medium such as a program storage device (not illustrated in
Furthermore, the automatic negotiation system 1 may have a configuration in which two or more physically separated apparatuses are connected by wired or wireless connection.
Next, exemplary process progress of the present invention will be described.
First, the supply utility function generator 3 generates a supply utility function for each current time and future time (step S1). Although an exemplary procedure in which the perturbation £ is applied to the function and a value thereof is obtained in succession to obtain a function value thereof will be described here, the supply utility function generator 3 may analytically perform equivalent processing.
The supply utility function generator 3 determines whether all of the times (each current time and future time) to be objects of generation of the supply utility function have been selected (step S11).
When unselected time remains (No in step S11), the supply utility function generator 3 selects one time that is a time to be an object of generation of the supply utility function and is not yet selected (step S12).
The supply utility function generator 3 calculates the profit and loss of the supplier at the selected time (step S13).
The supply state/plan storage unit 2 stores the condition, the supply of power, and the cost function at each time to be an object of generation of the supply utility function for each power type. The sum of the supply of power for each power type at the time of focus is the total demand (predicted value of the total demand if the time is a future time). In step S13, the supply utility function generator 3 focuses on the correspondence relationship between the condition, the supply of power, and the cost function for each power type at the selected time. Then, the supply utility function generator 3 assigns the supply of power to the cost function for each power type to calculate the supply cost for each type, and determines the sum of the supply costs as a profit and loss at the selected time. Hereinafter, the profit and loss calculated in step S13 will be denoted by a reference sign α.
After step S13, the supply utility function generator 3 executes processing of step S14 to be described below.
In step S14, first, the supply utility function generator 3 determines an amount of change in the total demand. As described above, the sum of the supply of power for each power type at the time of focus is the total demand (predicted value of the total demand if the time is a future time). The supply utility function generator 3 determines the amount of change in the total demand with the total demand serving as the standard. For example, it is assumed that the selected time is the current time and the total demand is 70+40+20=130 (see the table illustrated in the upper part of
In step S14, the supply utility function generator 3 calculates the optimum profit and loss for the supplier according to the amount of change in the total demand, assuming the conditions other than the total demand to be the same. Since the conditions other than the total demand are assumed to be the same, the supply utility function generator 3 does not change the upper limit, the cost function (see the table illustrated in the upper part of
When the amount of change in the total demand is negative, the supply utility function generator 3 may change the supply for each type such that the sum of the amount of decrease from the supply for each type becomes the absolute value of the amount of change. At this time, in order to calculate the optimum profit and loss for the supplier, the supply utility function generator 3 decreases the supply from the type in descending order of the supply cost. The magnitude of the supply cost can be determined by the coefficient of the cost function, and the supply utility function generator 3 may determine that the supply cost is large as the coefficient of the cost function is larger. In the example illustrated in
When the amount of change in the total demand is positive, the supply utility function generator 3 may change the supply for each type such that the sum of the amount of increase from the supply for each type becomes the absolute value of the amount of change. At this time, in order to calculate the optimum profit and loss for the supplier, the supply utility function generator 3 increases the supply from the type in ascending order of the supply cost within the range of the upper limit. In the example illustrated in
The method of calculating the optimum profit and loss has been described with the examples for each of the case where the amount of change in the total demand is negative and the case where the amount of change in the total demand is positive. This optimum profit and loss is denoted by a reference sign β.
In step S14, the supply utility function generator 3 calculates the optimum profit and loss (3, and subtracts the profit and loss a calculated in step S13 from the optimum profit and loss (3, thereby obtaining the amount of change in the profit and loss.
As a result, the supply utility function generator 3 can obtain a set of the amount of change in the total demand initially defined and the amount of change in the profit and loss corresponding to the amount of change in the total demand. The supply utility function generator 3 stores the set.
The supply utility function generator 3 changes the amount of change in the total demand, and repeats the process described above, thereby obtaining a number of sets of the amount of change in the total demand and the amount of change in the profit and loss corresponding to the amount of change in the total demand. The processing of step S14 is complete here. The number of sets of the amount of change in the total demand and the amount of change in the profit and loss to be obtained may be determined in advance.
Next, the supply utility function generator 3 generates a supply utility function corresponding to the selected time on the basis of each set of the amount of change in the total demand and the amount of change in the profit and loss (step S15). In step S15, the supply utility function generator 3 stores the selected time and the supply utility function, which are associated with each other, in the utility function storage unit 6.
After step S15, the supply utility function generator 3 repeats the processing of step S11 and the subsequent steps. When there is no unselected time in step S11 (Yes in step S11), the supply utility function generator 3 terminates the processing of step S1 (see
After step S1, the demand utility function generator 5 generates a demand utility function for each current time and future time (step S2).
The demand utility function generator 5 determines whether all of the times (each current time and future time) to be objects of generation of the demand utility function have been selected (step S21).
When unselected time remains (No in step S21), the demand utility function generator 5 selects one time that is a time to be an object of generation of the demand utility function and is not yet selected (step S22).
The demand utility function generator 5 calculates the profit and loss of the supplier at the selected time (step S23).
The demand state/plan storage unit 4 stores the demand of the consumer P (in other words, supply supplied by the supplier in response to the demand) at each time to be an object of generation of the demand utility function, and the revenue function. In step S23, the demand utility function generator 5 assigns the demand of the consumer P at the selected time to the revenue function, thereby calculating the profit and loss of the supplier at the selected time. Hereinafter, the profit and loss calculated in step S23 will be denoted by a reference sign α′.
After step S23, the demand utility function generator 5 executes processing of step S24 to be described below.
In step S24, first, the demand utility function generator 5 determines an amount of change in the demand of the consumer P. Here, it is assumed that the selected time is the current time and the demand of the consumer P is “10” (see the table illustrated in the upper part of
In step S24, the demand utility function generator 5 calculates the optimum profit and loss for the supplier according to the amount of change in the demand, assuming the conditions other than the demand of the consumer P to be the same. Since the conditions other than the demand are assumed to be the same, the demand utility function generator 5 does not change the revenue function (see the table illustrated in the upper part of
Regardless of whether the amount of change of the demand is negative or positive, the demand utility function generator 5 may add the amount of change to the standard to define the demand after the change. For example, when the amount of change in the demand is “−5”, the demand after the change is 10-5=5. For example, when the amount of change in the demand is “−10”, the demand after the change is 10-10=0. For example, when the amount of change in the demand is “5”, the demand after the change is 10+5=15.
Note that the lower limit of the demand of the consumer P is zero. Therefore, when the amount of change in the demand is negative, the absolute value thereof is large, and the demand after the change is negative, the demand utility function generator 5 sets the demand after the change to zero. For example, in the example above, the amount of change in the demand is assumed to be “−30”. Although the result of adding the amount of change “−30” to the standard “10” is “−20”, the demand utility function generator 5 does not set the demand after the change to −20, but sets it to zero.
The demand utility function generator 5 assigns the demand after the change to the revenue function, thereby calculating the optimum profit and loss for the supplier. This optimum profit and loss is denoted by a reference sign β′.
In step S24, the demand utility function generator 5 calculates the optimum profit and loss (3′, and subtracts the profit and loss a′ calculated in step S23 from the optimum profit and loss (3′, thereby obtaining the amount of change in the profit and loss.
As a result, the demand utility function generator 5 can obtain a set of the amount of change in the demand of the consumer P initially defined and the amount of change in the profit and loss corresponding to the amount of change in the demand. The demand utility function generator 5 stores the set.
The demand utility function generator 5 changes the amount of change in the demand of the consumer P, and repeats the process described above, thereby obtaining a number of sets of the amount of change in the demand of the consumer P and the amount of change in the profit and loss corresponding to the amount of change in the demand. The processing of step S24 is complete here. The number of sets of the amount of change in the demand of the consumer P and the amount of change in the profit and loss to be obtained may be determined in advance.
Next, the demand utility function generator 5 generates a demand utility function corresponding to the selected time on the basis of each set of the amount of change in the demand of the consumer P and the amount of change in the profit and loss (step S25). In step S25, the demand utility function generator 5 stores the selected time and the demand utility function, which are associated with each other, in the utility function storage unit 6.
After step S25, the demand utility function generator 5 repeats the processing of step S21 and the subsequent steps. When there is no unselected time in step S21 (Yes in step S21), the demand utility function generator 5 terminates the processing of step S2 (see
After step S2, the negotiation unit 8 determines a target candidate in the negotiation with the negotiation unit 22 of the consumer system 21 using each supply utility function and each demand utility function (step S3). For example, the negotiation unit 8 adds the supply utility function and the demand utility function at each time, and determines an area in which a profit of the supplier is generated on the plane exemplified in
Then, the negotiation unit 8 presents the target candidate determined in step S3 to the negotiation unit 22 of the consumer system 21, and performs automatic negotiation with the negotiation unit 22 (step S4). As described above, negotiation operation between the negotiation unit 8 and the negotiation unit 22 may be performed using a publicly known method of automatic negotiation.
According to the present exemplary embodiment, the supply utility function generator 3 generates the supply utility function for each current time and future time, and the demand utility function generator 5 generates the demand utility function for each current time and future time. Then, the negotiation unit 8 determines the target candidate in the negotiation using the supply utility function at each time and the demand utility function at each time. Therefore, it can be said that each supply utility function and each demand utility function are indicators for defining a favorable target candidate for the supplier, and according to the present invention, such indicators (each supply utility function and each demand utility function) can be generated.
Next, variations of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the exemplary embodiment described above, the case where the negotiation unit 8 determines a target candidate in the negotiation using each supply utility function and each demand utility function has been described. A negotiation unit 8 may determine a target candidate in negotiation using each demand utility function, without using each supply utility function. When the demand utility function for each time can be obtained, the negotiation unit 8 can determine an area in which a profit of a supplier is generated in the plane exemplified in
In addition, in the exemplary embodiment described above, the case where the automatic negotiation system 1 according to the present invention performs automatic negotiation with the consumer system 21 of one consumer has been described. There may be a plurality of consumers (more specifically, consumer systems) to be a negotiating partner, and an automatic negotiation system 1 may negotiates with each of the plurality of consumer systems. It is assumed that each consumer to be a negotiating partner manages a consumer system similar to a consumer system 21 illustrated in
In that case, a demand state/plan storage unit 4 may store information described in the exemplary embodiment described above for each negotiable consumer. Further, a demand utility function generator 5 may execute processing of step S2 for each negotiable consumer. In other words, the demand utility function generator 5 may execute the process of the flowchart exemplified in
A consumer storage unit 7 may store information indicating a plurality of consumers in advance as information indicating negotiable consumers. The negotiation unit 8 may identify each consumer to be a negotiating partner on the basis of the information, and may perform automatic negotiation with each consumer system corresponding to each of the consumers.
The negotiation unit 8 may use each demand utility function corresponding to each time generated for the consumer of focus when a target candidate in the negotiation is defined for each individual consumer. The negotiation unit 8 may use each supply utility function corresponding to each time in common irrespective of consumers. For example, when negotiating with a consumer system of a consumer P1, the negotiation unit 8 may determine a target candidate in the negotiation using each supply utility function corresponding to each time and each demand utility function corresponding to each time generated for the consumer P1.
Furthermore, when there are a plurality of consumer systems to be negotiating partners, the automatic negotiation system 1 may include a negotiation controller that provides a specific instruction to the negotiation unit 8 while the negotiation unit 8 is performing negotiation with each of the plurality of consumer systems.
Elements similar to those illustrated in
As illustrated in
The negotiation controller 9 is implemented by, for example, a CPU of a computer that operates in accordance with an automatic negotiation program.
The automatic negotiation system 1 according an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is implemented in the computer 1000. Operation of the automatic negotiation system 1 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 1003 in the form of a program (automatic negotiation program). The CPU 1001 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 1003, loads the program in the main storage device 1002, and executes the process described above in accordance with the program.
The auxiliary storage device 1003 is an example of a non-transitory physical medium. Other examples of the non-transitory physical medium include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, and the like to be connected via the interface 1004. When the program is delivered to the computer 1000 through a communication line, the computer 1000 that has received the delivery may load the program in the main storage device 1002 to execute the process described above.
Further, the program may be for implementing a part of the process mentioned above. Furthermore, the program may be a differential program that implements the process described above in combination with another program already stored in the auxiliary storage device 1003.
A part of or all of each constituent element may be implemented by a general-purpose or dedicated circuitry, a processor, or the like, or a combination thereof. Those may be configured by a single chip, or may be configured by a plurality of chips connected via a bus. A part of or all of each constituent element may be implemented by a combination of the circuitry or the like mentioned above and a program.
In the case where a part of or all of each constituent element is implemented by a plurality of information processing apparatuses, circuitries, and the like, the plurality of information processing apparatuses, circuitries, and the like may be concentratedly disposed, or may be distributedly disposed. For example, the information processing apparatus, the circuitry, and the like may be implemented as a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client and server system and a cloud computing system.
Next, an outline of the present invention will be described.
The automatic negotiation system 51 performs automatic negotiation with a consumer system (e.g., consumer system 21) managed by a consumer (e.g., consumer of power).
The supply utility function generation means 53 (e.g., supply utility function generator 3) generates a supply utility function indicating a change in a profit and loss of a supplier (e.g., power supplier) relative to a change in a total demand for each current time and future time.
The demand utility function generation means 55 (e.g., demand utility function generator 5) generates a demand utility function indicating a change in the profit and loss of the supplier relative to a change in a demand of a consumer for each current time and future time.
According to such a configuration, an indicator for defining a favorable target candidate for the supplier can be generated.
Further, the automatic negotiation system may include a negotiation means (e.g., negotiation unit 8) that determines a target candidate in negotiation using at least the demand utility function, presents the candidate to the consumer system, and performs automatic negotiation with the consumer system.
Furthermore, the negotiation means may determine the target candidate in the negotiation using the supply utility function and the demand utility function, present the candidate to the consumer system, and perform automatic negotiation with the consumer system.
With respect to the utility function expressing a relationship between desirability for a first economic entity and a negotiation matter, the perturbative utility function generation means 57 derives the utility function from a relationship between an objective function and restriction in an optimized system managed by the first economic entity and a parameter and an optimum value dependent on a second economic entity.
Here, examples of the first economic entity include the supplier mentioned above. Examples of the second economic entity include the consumer mentioned above. Besides, the optimization here corresponds to profit maximization (=demand increase−supply decrease).
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention.
The present application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-201784 filed on Oct. 13, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
The present invention is suitably applicable to an automatic negotiation system that performs automatic negotiation with a system managed by a consumer in favor of a supplier.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2016-201784 | Oct 2016 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2017/036805 | 10/11/2017 | WO | 00 |