Granted Patent B2

US 12,288,255 · App. 17/945,145 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventor: Ryusuke Mayuzumi (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.

G06Q40/04H04L9/50G06Q50/06

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. A first intermediary server for intermediating ownership of electricity between a first intermediary agent for managing a first intermediary server and a second intermediary agent for managing a second intermediary server, the first intermediary server comprising:

a memory; and

circuitry, connected to the memory, configured to perform:

receiving usage information including a usage amount of electricity which is an asset being used by a consumer, transmitted from a smart meter of the consumer, every predetermined time;

transmitting, to a node of a blockchain, a request for all items of asset information regarding assets indicating that the first intermediary agent as the owner, which are managed with the blockchain;

receiving, from the node, all items of asset information regarding assets indicating that the first intermediary agent as the owner;

reading a total usage amount of the electricity used by the consumer, by each of a plurality of production methods of electricity;

determining a particular production method of the plurality of production methods based on a renewable energy usage ratio of electricity to be transferred to the consumer, and based on the total usage amount of the electricity, wherein the renewable energy usage ratio is a ratio of electricity produced from renewable energy used by the consumer to a total amount of electricity used by the consumer;

determining there is no specific asset information from among all items of asset information indicating the first intermediary agent as the owner, wherein the specific asset information has a transaction status of not transferred, the particular production method that is determined, and the usage amount;

transmitting, to the second intermediary server, a first request for changing the owner of asset information, the first request including the particular production method, an available amount based on the usage amount, and the first intermediary agent as a new owner of electricity to be transferred to the consumer; and

receiving a confirmation from the node that the ownership has been transferred.

2. The first intermediary server of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform:

receiving, from the second intermediary server, a response indicating completion of the change of ownership from the second intermediary server to the first intermediary server, based on completion of the change of ownership; and

transmitting a request to the node requesting to change ownership of electricity produced by the particular production method for which the change of ownership is completed from the first intermediary agent to the consumer.

3. The first intermediary server of claim 2 , wherein the asset information indicates, as the production method of the electricity, one of production of electricity using a renewable source, production of electricity using fossil fuels, and production of electricity using nuclear power.

4. The first intermediary server of claim 3 , wherein when the production method of the electricity is production of electricity using a renewable source, the asset information indicates that the renewable source is one of solar light, solar heat, wind power, biomass, geothermal power, hydropower, heat in the atmosphere, or a combination thereof.

5. The first intermediary server of claim 1 , wherein the node of the blockchain is one or more of a plurality of computers.

6. A system comprising:

the first intermediary server of claim 1 ; and

the second intermediary server comprising another circuitry configured to perform:

transmitting a second request requesting the node to change ownership of electricity produced by the particular production method from the second intermediary agent to the first intermediary agent, in response to receiving the first request.

7. A method for intermediating ownership of electricity between a first intermediary agent for managing a first intermediary server and a second intermediary agent for managing a second intermediary server, the method comprising:

receiving usage information including a usage amount of electricity which is an asset being used by a consumer, transmitted from a smart meter of the consumer, every predetermined time;

transmitting, to a node of a blockchain, a request for all items of asset information regarding assets indicating that the first intermediary agent as the owner, which are managed with the blockchain;

receiving, from the node, all items of asset information regarding assets indicating that the first intermediary agent as the owner;

reading a total usage amount of the electricity used by the consumer, by each of a plurality of production methods of electricity;

determining a particular production method of the plurality of production methods based on a renewable energy usage ratio of electricity to be transferred to the consumer, and based on the total usage amount of the electricity, wherein the renewable energy usage ratio is a ratio of electricity produced from renewable energy used by the consumer to a total amount of electricity used by the consumer;

determining there is no specific asset information from among all items of asset information indicating the first intermediary agent as the owner, wherein the specific asset information has a transaction status of not transferred, the particular production method that is determined, and having the usage amount;

transmitting, to the second intermediary server, a first request for changing the owner of asset information, the first request including the particular production method that is determined, an available amount based on the usage amount, and the first intermediary agent as a new owner of electricity to be transferred to the consumer; and

receiving a confirmation from the node that the ownership has been transferred.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, from the second intermediary server, a response indicating completion of the change of ownership from the second intermediary server to the first intermediary server, based on completion of the change of ownership; and

transmitting a request to the node requesting to change ownership of electricity produced by the particular production method for which the change of ownership is completed from the first intermediary agent to the consumer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the asset information indicates, as the production method of the electricity, one of production of electricity using a renewable source, production of electricity using fossil fuels, and production of electricity using nuclear power.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein when the production method of the electricity is production of electricity using a renewable source, the asset information indicates that the renewable source is one of solar light, solar heat, wind power, biomass, geothermal power, hydropower, heat in the atmosphere, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the node of the blockchain is one or more of a plurality of computers.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program, which when executed by one or more processors, causes a method for intermediating ownership of electricity between a first intermediary agent for managing a first intermediary server and a second intermediary agent for managing a second intermediary server to be performed, the method comprising:

receiving usage information including a usage amount of electricity which is an asset being used by a consumer, transmitted from a smart meter of the consumer, every predetermined time;

transmitting, to a node of a blockchain, a request for all items of asset information regarding assets indicating that the first intermediary agent as the owner, which are managed with the blockchain;

receiving, from the node, all items of asset information regarding assets indicating that the first intermediary agent as the owner;

reading a total usage amount of the electricity used by the consumer, by each of a plurality of production methods of electricity;

determining a particular production method of the plurality of production methods based on a renewable energy usage ratio of electricity to be transferred to the consumer, and based on the total usage amount of the electricity, wherein the renewable energy usage ratio is a ratio of electricity produced from renewable energy used by the consumer to a total amount of electricity used by the consumer;

determining there is no specific asset information from among all items of asset information indicating the first intermediary agent as the owner, wherein the specific asset information has a transaction status of not transferred, having the particular production method that is determined, and the usage amount;

transmitting, to the second intermediary server, a first request for changing the owner of asset information, the first request including the particular production method that is determined, an available amount based on the usage amount, and the first intermediary agent as a new owner of electricity to be transferred to the consumer; and

receiving a confirmation from the node that the ownership has been transferred.

13. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the second intermediary server, a response indicating completion of the change of ownership from the second intermediary server to the first intermediary server, based on completion of the change of ownership; and

transmitting a request to the node requesting to change ownership of electricity produced by the particular production method for which the change of ownership is completed from the first intermediary agent to the consumer.

14. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 13 , wherein the asset information indicates, as the production method of the electricity, one of production of energy using a renewable source, production of electricity using fossil fuels, and production of electricity using nuclear power.

15. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 14 , wherein when the production method of the electricity is production of electricity using a renewable source, the asset information indicates that the renewable source is one of solar light, solar heat, wind power, biomass, geothermal power, hydropower, heat in the atmosphere, or a combination thereof.

16. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 15 , wherein the node of the blockchain is one or more of a plurality of computers.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (23)