WO2021001978A1 - Information processing device, control method, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A seller information acquisition unit 51B acquires seller information expressing a selling condition indicated by the seller of a transaction object. A buyer information acquisition unit 52B acquires buyer information expressing a buying condition indicated by the buyer of the transaction object. A determination unit 54B determines a candidate for a change in a transaction condition related to the selling condition and/or the buying condition, the determination being made on the basis of the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of an intermediary who is intermediating the transaction object.

Description

Information processing device, control method and storage medium

The present invention relates to a technical field of an information processing device, a control method, and a storage medium for processing transactions.

Conventionally, a system for determining a plan for transactions targeting fuel etc. has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a trading server that extracts combinations in which a common medium exists from LNG suppliers and consumers, and extracts combinations that satisfy contract establishment conditions from the extracted combinations. There is. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an electronic transaction intermediary system that determines a plurality of combination candidates so that the desired transaction conditions of both the trader and the customer are simultaneously satisfied.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-07734 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-03658

An intermediary such as a trading company that mediates a transaction needs to be combined so that the seller and the buyer of the goods to be traded match the transaction conditions such as the desired transaction volume and transaction price. In addition, such transaction conditions will be refined or changed by negotiation as the transaction time approaches. In this case, the intermediary needs to negotiate the terms and conditions of the transaction with the seller and the buyer and make changes to the advantage as much as possible. On the other hand, there are various trading conditions, and it has been difficult to accurately determine which trading conditions should be changed and how much by a personal method.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, a control method, and a storage medium capable of suitably determining changing transaction conditions in view of the above-mentioned problems.

One aspect of the information processing device is an information processing device, which indicates a seller information acquisition unit that acquires seller information indicating selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded, and a buying condition designated by the buyer to be traded. Transaction conditions relating to at least one of the selling conditions and the buying conditions based on the buyer information acquisition unit that acquires the buyer information, the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target. It is provided with a decision unit that determines candidates for change in.

One aspect of the control method is a control method executed by an information processing device, in which a buyer who acquires seller information indicating selling conditions specified by a seller to be traded and indicates buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded. The information is acquired, and based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target, a candidate for changing the trading conditions regarding at least one of the selling conditions and the buying conditions is determined. To do.

One aspect of the storage medium is a seller information acquisition unit that acquires seller information indicating selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded, and a buyer information acquisition unit that acquires buyer information indicating buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded. A decision to determine candidates for changing transaction conditions with respect to at least one of the selling conditions and the buying conditions, based on the department, the seller information, the buyer information, and the profits of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target. It is a storage medium in which a program that functions a computer as a unit is stored.

According to the present invention, it is possible to preferably determine the transaction conditions to be changed in consideration of the interests of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target.

The configuration of the optimization system in the first embodiment is shown. The hardware configuration of the information processing device is shown. This is an example of the data structure of seller information. This is an example of the data structure of buyer information. This is an example of the data structure of ship information. This is an example of the data structure of port information. This is an example of a functional block of an information processing device. This is a display example of the matching confirmation screen. This is a display example of an input window for specifying candidate determination conditions. This is a display example of the change condition candidate screen. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the candidate determination process which accompanies the display of the matching confirmation screen. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the candidate determination process which does not accompany the display of the matching confirmation screen. The configuration of the optimization system in the second embodiment is shown. The configuration of the information processing apparatus in the third embodiment is shown.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the information processing device, the control method, and the storage medium will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
[Optimization system configuration]
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the optimization system 100 according to the first embodiment. The optimization system 100 mainly includes an information processing device 1, an input device 2, a display device 3, and a storage device 4.

The information processing device 1 performs processing related to the combination of the seller and the buyer of the goods to be traded and the optimization of the transportation schedule of the goods (also referred to simply as "optimization processing"). The information processing device 1 is preferably used by a trading company that mediates the sale and purchase of goods to be traded. The goods to be traded may be fuel such as LNG, steel, machinery, electronics, textiles, chemical products, medical-related products, foods, and any other goods. If the material to be traded is a material that loses over time (for example, LNG that evaporates over time), it is necessary to smoothly transport the product from the seller to the buyer, and the need for optimizing the transportation schedule is particularly high. Become.

Further, the information processing device 1 performs a process (also referred to as a "candidate determination process") for determining a candidate for changing the transaction condition (also referred to as a "change condition candidate"). In this case, as will be described later, the information processing device 1 determines one or a plurality of changes in the transaction conditions as one change condition candidate so as to increase the profit of the intermediary who is the user of the information processing device 1. .. The information processing device 1 preferably determines a plurality of change condition candidates and causes the display device 3 to display a list of change condition candidates. In this case, each change condition candidate indicates, for example, a combination of one or a plurality of transaction conditions to be changed and the changed contents of each of the transaction conditions.

The input device 2 is an interface that accepts user input, and corresponds to, for example, a touch panel, a button, a voice input device, and the like. The input device 2 supplies the input information "S1" generated based on the user's input to the information processing device 1. In this case, for example, the information processing device 1 generates various information to be stored in the storage device 4 based on the input information S1 supplied from the input device 2, and specifies conditions and the like specified by the user regarding the optimization process. Or Further, the information processing device 1 determines a condition (also referred to as a “candidate determination condition”) for determining a change condition candidate based on the input information S1 supplied from the input device 2.

The display device 3 is, for example, a display, a projector, or the like, and performs a predetermined display based on the display information "S2" supplied from the information processing device 1.

The storage device 4 is a memory that stores various information necessary for the optimization process and the candidate determination process. The storage device 4 may be an external storage device such as a hard disk connected to or built in the information processing device 1, or may be a storage medium such as a flash memory. Further, the storage device 4 may be a server device that performs data communication with the information processing device 1. In this case, the storage device 4 may be composed of a plurality of server devices.

The storage device 4 stores seller information 41, buyer information 42, ship information 43, and port information 44. The seller information 41 is information about the seller of the goods to be traded, which is the target of the user of the information processing device 1. The buyer information 42 is information about the buyer of the goods to be traded, which is the target of the user of the information processing device 1. The ship information 43 is information about a ship that can be used by an intermediary (trading company or the like) who is a user of the information processing device 1 to transport goods to be traded. The port information 44 is information on a port (landing port or loading port) used for transporting goods to be traded.

Note that the storage device 4 may store various information necessary for the optimization process and the candidate determination process in addition to the above-mentioned information. For example, the storage device 4 may further store information and the like necessary for calculating the price of the goods to be traded. Further, the seller information 41, the buyer information 42, the ship information 43, and the port information 44 may be generated in advance by a device other than the information processing device 1, and the information processing device is based on the input information of the input device 2. 1 may be the generated or / or updated information.

Also, preferably, the storage device 4 stores information on the loss of the material that is lost over time. In this case, the information regarding the loss may be, for example, information on the amount of loss in units of time when the goods to be traded occur over time, or information indicating the rate of decrease in goods in units of time.

[Hardware configuration of information processing device]
FIG. 2 shows the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 includes a processor 11, a memory 12, and an interface 13 as hardware. The processor 11, the memory 12, and the interface 13 are connected via the data bus 19.

The processor 11 executes a predetermined process by executing the program stored in the memory 12. The processor 11 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

The memory 12 is composed of various types of memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). Further, the memory 12 stores a program for executing the optimization process and the candidate determination process executed by the information processing device 1. Further, the memory 12 is used as a working memory and temporarily stores information and the like acquired from the storage device 4. The memory 12 may function as a storage device 4. Similarly, the storage device 4 may function as the memory 12 of the information processing device 1. The program executed by the information processing device 1 may be stored in a storage medium other than the memory 12.

The interface 13 is an interface for electrically connecting the information processing device 1 and another device. For example, the interface 13 connects an interface for connecting the information processing device 1 and the input device 2, an interface for connecting the information processing device 1 and the display device 3, and the information processing device 1 and the storage device 4. Includes an interface for. For example, the interface for connecting the information processing device 1 and the storage device 4 is a communication interface such as a network adapter for transmitting and receiving data to and from the storage device 4 by wire or wirelessly under the control of the processor 11. In another example, the information processing device 1 and the storage device 4 may be connected by a cable or the like. In this case, the interface 13 includes an interface compliant with USB, SATA (Serial AT Attitude), etc. for exchanging data with the storage device 4.

The hardware configuration of the information processing device 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. For example, the information processing device 1 may include at least one of the input device 2 and the display device 3. Further, the information processing device 1 may be connected to or built in a sound output device such as a speaker. In this case, the information processing device 1 may be a tablet terminal or the like in which an input function and an output function are integrated with the main body.

[data structure]
Next, an example of the data structure of various information stored in the storage device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

FIG. 3 is an example of the data structure of the seller information 41. The seller information 41 is information generated for each seller of the goods to be traded, and is information indicating the selling conditions presented by the seller (that is, the trading conditions desired by the seller). Specifically, the seller information 41 includes seller identification information, delivery place information, price information, delivery period information, and transaction volume information.

"Seller identification information" is information that identifies the seller of the goods to be traded. The seller identification information may include information on the seller's attributes such as the seller's company name and location, in addition to the unique ID (seller ID) that identifies the seller.

"Delivery place information" is information about the delivery place of the transaction target desired by the target seller. For example, the delivery place information includes information indicating whether the delivery place is a loading port or a landing port, and information on the port to be the delivery place.

"Price information" is information indicating the price of the goods to be traded desired by the target seller. "Delivery period information" is information indicating the delivery period of the goods to be traded desired by the target seller. In addition, this delivery period is generally set to a longer period as the schedule until delivery is earlier, and is determined in detail as the delivery time approaches.

"Transaction volume information" is information indicating the transaction volume of the goods to be traded desired by the target seller. For example, the transaction volume information is information indicating the lower limit and the upper limit of the transaction volume of the goods to be traded desired by the target seller. If the material to be traded is fuel, the trading volume is the calorific value.

FIG. 4 is an example of the data structure of the buyer information 42. The buyer information 42 is information generated for each buyer of the goods to be traded, and is information indicating the buying conditions presented by the buyer (that is, the trading conditions desired by the buyer). Specifically, the buyer information 42 includes buyer identification information, delivery place information, price information, delivery period information, and transaction volume information.

"Buyer identification information" is information that identifies the buyer of the goods to be traded. The buyer identification information may include information on the attributes of the buyer such as the buyer's company name and location, in addition to the unique ID (buyer ID) that identifies the buyer.

"Delivery place information" is information about the delivery place of the transaction target desired by the target buyer. For example, the delivery place information includes information indicating whether the delivery place is a loading port or a landing port, and information on the port to be the delivery place.

"Price information" is information indicating the price of the goods to be traded desired by the target buyer. "Delivery period information" is information indicating the delivery period of the goods to be traded desired by the target buyer. In addition, this delivery period is generally set to a longer period as the schedule until delivery is earlier, and is determined in detail as the delivery time approaches.

"Transaction volume information" is information indicating the transaction volume of the goods to be traded desired by the target buyer. For example, the transaction volume information is information indicating the lower limit and the upper limit of the transaction volume of the goods to be traded desired by the target buyer.

FIG. 5 is an example of the data structure of the ship information 43. The ship information 43 is information generated for each ship that can be used by the user of the information processing device 1, and mainly includes ship name information, load capacity information, speed information, and fuel consumption information. The ship information 43 may be information indicating a table or a list in which various information for each ship is used as one record.

"Ship name information" is information indicating the name of the target ship. "Loading capacity information" is information indicating the amount of goods that the target ship can load. "Velocity information" is information about the speed (eg, maximum speed and average speed) of the target vessel. "Fuel efficiency information" is information on the fuel efficiency of the target ship. Preferably, the fuel consumption information is information indicating the fuel consumption for each speed of the target ship.

The ship information 43 may be information on a ship (charterer) that the user of the information processing device 1 can borrow in a short period of time. In this case, the ship information 43 may further include information such as information on the charter cost (daily charter cost, fixed cost of charter, etc.). Further, the ship information 43 may further include information on the category of the target ship, information on the size of the target ship, and the like.

FIG. 6 is an example of the data structure of the port information 44. The port information 44 is information about a port that is a candidate for a loading port or a landing port, and includes travel distance information, canal information used, usage fee information, and ship restriction information.

"Movement distance information" is information indicating the movement distance between ports. The travel distance information is, for example, table information showing the travel distance from the loading port to the landing port for each combination of the assumed loading port and the landing port.

"Used canal information" is information indicating canals (for example, Panama Canal and Suez Canal) that incur tolls that must be passed when moving between ports. The canal information used is, for example, table information indicating the canals that pass when moving from the loading port to the landing port for each combination of the assumed loading port and the landing port.

"Usage fee information" is information indicating the usage fee for each port. In addition, the usage fee information may include information on the toll of the canal in which the toll is incurred.

"Vessel restriction information" is information indicating vessels that cannot be used for each port. For example, the ship restriction information is table information indicating whether or not there is a restriction on each ship that can be used by the user of the information processing device 1 for each port.

[Functional block]
FIG. 7 is an example of a functional block of the information processing apparatus 1 that executes the optimization process and the candidate determination process. Functionally, the processor 11 of the information processing device 1 has a seller information acquisition unit 51, a buyer information acquisition unit 52, a transportation information acquisition unit 53, a determination unit 54, a display control unit 55, and a condition designation unit 56. And have.

The seller information acquisition unit 51 acquires the seller information 41 corresponding to a plurality of sellers to be matched by referring to the storage device 4. Then, the seller information acquisition unit 51 supplies the acquired seller information 41 to the determination unit 54. Further, the buyer information acquisition unit 52 acquires the buyer information 42 corresponding to the plurality of buyers to be matched by referring to the storage device 4. Then, the buyer information acquisition unit 52 supplies the acquired buyer information 42 to the determination unit 54.

If the number of buyers and the number of sellers do not match, the seller information acquisition unit 51 or the buyer information acquisition unit 52 may generate tentatively generated seller information (also referred to as "temporary seller information") or tentatively generated buyers. Information (also referred to as "temporary buyer information") may be generated. For example, when the number of sellers is less than the number of buyers, the seller information acquisition unit 51 tentatively indicates typical (typical) transaction conditions (price, delivery place, delivery period, transaction volume, etc.) desired by the seller. Generate seller information for the number of missing sellers. Similarly, when the number of buyers is less than the number of sellers, the buyer information acquisition unit 52 indicates typical (typical) transaction conditions (price, delivery place, delivery period, transaction volume, etc.) desired by the buyer. Generate provisional buyer information for the number of insufficient buyers. The delivery period indicated by the provisional seller information and the provisional buyer information may be set to be a sufficiently long period so as to facilitate matching with the buyer or the seller. The provisional seller information and the provisional buyer information may be stored in the storage device 4 in advance. At this time, based on the matching using the provisional seller information and the provisional buyer information, the user of the information processing apparatus 1 can use, for example, as a guideline for separately procuring a trading partner.

The transportation information acquisition unit 53 acquires the ship information 43 and the port information 44, which are information related to the transportation of the goods to be traded, by referring to the storage device 4. Then, the transportation information acquisition unit 53 supplies the acquired ship information 43 and port information 44 to the determination unit 54. Ship information 43 and port information 44 are examples of transportation information, respectively.

The decision unit 54 is a seller and a buyer who can make a transaction based on the seller information 41 supplied by the seller information acquisition unit 51, the buyer information 42 supplied by the buyer information acquisition unit 52, and the transportation information supplied by the transportation information acquisition unit 53. Determine the combination with and the transportation schedule. In this case, the determination unit 54 optimizes the combination of the seller and the buyer and the transportation schedule so that the profit of the user of the information processing apparatus 1 is maximized while satisfying the constraint conditions of the sale and purchase of the transaction target. To make.

In this case, for example, the determination unit 54 considers determining the combination of the seller and the buyer and the transportation schedule that maximizes the profit of the intermediary who is the user of the information processing device 1 as a combination optimization problem, and is an integer. Formulate into a planning problem. In other words, the determination unit 54 formulates the combination of the seller, the buyer, the vessel to be used, and the navigation period of the vessel as one combination optimization problem and formulates it into an integer programming problem. Then, the determination unit 54 finds a solution by performing the same processing as a general application program (for example, IBM ILOG CPLEX, Gurobi Optimizer, SCIP) for the formulated integer programming problem. Specifically, the determination unit 54 inputs a transaction or transportation constraint in the form of a linear integer constraint into the above-mentioned application program, and inputs a linear objective function that determines the profit to maximize the profit. And ask for a transportation plan. In this case, the determination unit 54 also determines the delivery time, transaction volume, and the like so as to maximize the profit of the user. It should be noted that the allocation of ships when transportation is required can also be described as an integer constraint.

In the above-mentioned integer programming problem, the determination unit 54 determines an objective function representing the total gain of the intermediary and a linear integer constraint on transaction and transportation based on information on the price of the goods to be traded and the transportation date (delivery date). To set.

Here, the conditions related to transactions and transportation, which are defined as linear integer constraints, are illustrated.

For example, the determination unit 54 sets a constraint condition of the transaction that the delivery period indicated by the delivery period information of the seller information 41 and the delivery period indicated by the buyer information 42 match. In this case, when it is necessary to transport the goods to be traded, the determination unit 54 determines from the loading port designated by the seller to the landing port designated by the buyer based on the ship information 43 and the port information 44. Calculate the number of days of navigation. Then, the determination unit 54 takes into consideration the calculated number of navigation days, delivers the product from the seller to the intermediary (that is, the user of the information processing device 1) in the delivery period specified by the seller, and in the delivery period specified by the buyer. Determine whether the delivery from the intermediary to the buyer is possible.

The number of days of navigation, which indicates the length of the navigation period, is the number of days in consideration of the number of days required to move a ship to the port of loading and the number of days required to transport the goods to be traded. Here, the determination unit 54 makes each ship based on, for example, the loading port information of the seller information 41, the landing port information of the buyer information 42, the travel distance information of the port information 44, and the speed information of the ship information 43. Calculate each of the above-mentioned days required for the transaction.

For example, depending on the distance traveled, the appropriate difference in the delivery period required for matching to be established can be described in the form of a linear integer constraint as follows.

Now, assuming that there are S sellers and B buyers for the integers S and B, the seller's index is "s = 1, 2, ..., S" and the buyer's index is "b = 1". , 2, ..., B ". "X _{s, b"} was used as a variable to be the value of either 0 or 1, "x _{s, b} = 1" is to mean that sell those procured from the seller s to the buyer b. At this time, the one-to-one correspondence between the seller and the buyer can be expressed as follows.
For each s = 1, 2, ..., S

For each b = 1, 2, ..., B

Here, the purchase time from the seller s, represented by the variable "t _s", as well as the delivery time to the buyer b, represented by the variable "t _b". Further, the time required for transportation from the seller s to the buyer b is represented by " _{ds, b} ". At this time, by using a sufficiently large positive constant "M", the restriction that the transportation time is secured can be expressed as follows.
Regarding each s = 1, 2, ..., S and each b = 1, 2, ..., B

This formula is explained as follows. If it is not transported from the seller s to the buyer b, then "x _{s, b} = 0". At this time, since M is sufficiently large,

Is always true, so this constraint is invalidated. On the other hand, when transported from the seller s to the buyer b, "x _{s, b} = 1". At this time, the constraint

Is required, which means that sufficient transportation time is guaranteed.

In addition, restrictions on the purchase (receipt) time t _s from the seller, can be expressed as follows.

This means that the pick-up time must be between the time "T _{s, 1} " and the time "T _{s, 2} ".

Further, the determination unit 54 can deliver the goods from the seller in the delivery period indicated by the delivery period information of the seller information 41 and deliver the goods to the buyer in the delivery period indicated by the delivery period information of the buyer information 42. , Allocate vessels to be used for each transaction and determine the navigation period. Ship assignments can be described in the form of linear integer constraints as follows:

Now, "v = 1,2, ..., V" is used as the index of the ship, and the variable "ys _{, v} " is set to 0 or 0 for the seller "s = 1,2, ..., S". It is a variable that has any value of 1. Further, "y _{s, v} = 1" means that the transaction with the seller s is carried out on the ship v. At this time, the restriction that any ship is assigned to each transaction can be expressed as follows.
For each s = 1, 2, ..., S

In addition, for each transaction for each seller s, "C (s) ⊆ {1, 2, ..., S}" cannot be transported by the same vessel as the vessel used for the seller s transaction. Suppose it represents a seller. This means that when the vessel v is assigned to the transaction of the seller s, the vessel v cannot be made in time for the transaction time of the other seller "s ∈ C (s)" included in C (s). To do. At this time, the restriction that the allocation of ships does not collide between transactions of a plurality of sellers can be expressed as follows using a sufficiently large positive constant M.
Regarding each s = 1, 2, ..., S and each v = 1, 2, ..., V

This constraint is explained as follows. If "y _{s, v} = 0" and the ship v is not assigned to the seller s transaction, this constraint is invalid because M is sufficiently large. On the other hand, if "ys _{, v} = 1" and the ship v is assigned to the transaction of the seller s, it is necessary to set "ys _{', v} = 0" in the transaction of the seller s'included in C (s). Yes, this means that the same vessel v is not assigned to the transaction of another seller "s'∈ C (s)".

The actual implementation method is not limited to the above examples. For example, in the above example, the case where the travel time is fixed and known is dealt with in advance, but the constraint when the speed of the ship can be adjusted can also be described in the same manner. Further, in the above example, the example in which the collision of the ship allocation is represented only by the allocation to the seller is described, but similarly, the constraint when both the seller and the buyer are affected can be described.

Further, the determination unit 54 sets, for example, that the range of the transaction volume indicated by the transaction volume information indicated by the seller information 41 and the range of the transaction volume indicated by the transaction volume information of the buyer information 42 overlap with each other as a constraint condition of the transaction. ..

Further, the determination unit 54 makes it a constraint condition of the transaction that, for example, the price desired by the seller (that is, the desired selling price) and the price desired by the buyer (that is, the desired buying price) satisfy a predetermined relational expression. In this case, for example, the above-mentioned relational expression may be an expression that specifies that the desired selling price is within a predetermined ratio of the desired buying price. In this case, the determination unit 54 may determine, for example, an intermediate value between the desired selling price and the desired buying price as the transaction price, and determines the transaction price from the desired selling price and the desired buying price based on a predetermined formula determined in advance. May be good.

Note that, in addition to or in place of the above-mentioned conditions, the determination unit 54 may set various conditions necessary for the transaction to be traded to be completed as linear integer constraints.

Next, the benefit of the user of the information processing apparatus 1 as an intermediary, which is set as an objective function in the above-mentioned integer programming problem, will be supplementarily explained. For example, a predetermined percentage of the total transaction amount is generated in the profit of the intermediary. Further, as will be described later, in the case of a transaction involving transportation by an intermediary, a fixed amount or an amount corresponding to the transportation fee is generated as the profit of the intermediary. Therefore, when the combination of the seller and the buyer is decided, it is possible to determine the predicted value of the profit of the user based on the transaction price. Therefore, the determination unit 54 solves the above-mentioned combination optimization problem so that the predicted value of the profit of the intermediary calculated in this way is maximized. The profit of the intermediary can be typically formulated as the total selling price minus the total purchase price and the transportation cost. Further, the determination unit 54 performs calculations such as multiplying the predicted value of the profit in the distant future (for example, the predicted value of the profit after a predetermined period) by an attenuation rate of less than 1 and adding them together. You may set the predicted value of the profit of.

For example, in the above example, the profit "ps _{, b} " when the seller s delivers to the buyer b and the cost " _{cs, v} " when the transaction from the seller s is performed on the ship v can be calculated in advance. In this case, the total profit (= profit from transaction-cost) can be expressed as follows.

For this purpose, the transportation schedule that maximizes the profit can be calculated by solving the integer programming problem based on the linear constraint under the above constraint.

The above is an example, and the implementation is not limited to this. For example, the transportation cost may include various things such as port usage cost and fuel cost, and can be rewritten in a form that depends on the buyer.

Further, the determination unit 54 further considers the delivery location information of the seller information 41, the delivery location information of the buyer information 42, the travel distance information of the port information 44, and the fuel consumption information for each speed included in the ship information 43. The transportation schedule that maximizes the benefit of the user of the information processing device 1 may be determined. As a result, for example, in a transaction in which the schedule of the ship has a relatively large margin (that is, the number of sailing days can be extended), the determination unit 54 sets a long sailing period so as to prioritize fuel efficiency over speed. decide. Thereby, the profit of the user of the information processing apparatus 1 can be enhanced. On the other hand, the decision unit 54 shortens the navigation period by giving priority to shortening the number of sailing days rather than fuel consumption in transactions where the schedule of the ship is relatively tight (that is, when transactions using the target ship are continuous). To do.

Further, when a material that causes a loss over time is to be traded, the determination unit 54 acquires information on the amount of loss of the material in units of time that occurs over time from the storage device 4, and further considers the information. , The transportation schedule is determined so as to maximize the benefit of the user of the information processing device 1. As a result, the determination unit 54 can determine the transportation schedule so as to maximize the profit of the user of the information processing apparatus 1 even when the transaction target is goods such as LNG lost due to evaporation. ..

Further, when the determination unit 54 receives the instruction information instructing the execution of the candidate determination process by designating the candidate determination condition from the condition specification unit 56, the determination unit 54 executes the candidate determination process. Specifically, the determination unit 54 changes the profit of the intermediary by changing the selling condition indicated by the seller information 41 or the buying condition indicated by the buyer information 42 based on the candidate determination condition supplied from the condition designation unit 56. The change of the condition that increases is determined as the change condition candidate. For example, the determination unit 54 determines a predetermined number of candidate change conditions that maximize the increase in the profit of the intermediary by applying the change. Then, the determination unit 54 supplies the information regarding the determined change condition candidate to the display control unit 55 after executing the candidate determination process.

Here, a supplementary explanation will be given on how to determine candidate change conditions. The decision unit 54 solves the optimization problem that overwrites the above-mentioned restrictions on the increase in the profit of the intermediary when it is permitted to extend each transaction condition to be changed by a predetermined number of days as follows. Calculate with.

In the optimization problem before executing the candidate determination process, consider the following restrictions on receipt time t _s from the seller.

This constraint means that, as described above, the time of receipt from the seller must be between time T _{s, 1} and time T _{s, 2} .

Given a negotiable time width "Δ" to this original constraint, the above constraint is applied.

Solve the optimization problem replaced by the constraint of and calculate the profit. As a result, it is possible to preferably grasp how much the profit is improved by negotiating in the time width of Δ, and it is possible to determine the negotiation partner when negotiating in the time width of Δ. This replacement can also be made only for some transactions that are promising to negotiate. Then, the determination unit 54 determines, for example, a change in the transaction condition that maximizes the increase in the profit of the intermediary (here, a change in the receipt time for a specific seller) as a change condition candidate.

Further, by introducing a non-negative integer variable "k _s" and "K", by imposing the following constraints can be expressed the constraint that "negotiable against seller of K candidates up".

This constraint is useful when the number of negotiators is limited.

Note that the method and conditions of restriction are not limited to the above formulas. Similarly, with regard to transaction volume, etc., by setting similar restrictions and solving optimization problems, changes in transaction conditions that maximize the increase in profits of intermediaries (here, changes in transaction volume for specific sellers). ) Can be determined as a candidate for change conditions. The above example is an example of a method of formulating a candidate for change condition (that is, a negotiating partner and a trading condition to be negotiated). Another example is to find a partner who has a bargaining effect that exceeds the penalty by imposing a penalty that increases according to the amount of violation, instead of strictly prohibiting constraint violations by inequality. .. Therefore, the implementation method of the expression that defines the constraint is not limited to this.

When the display control unit 55 receives information on the result of the optimization process from the determination unit 54, the display control unit 55 shows a screen showing the combination of the seller and the buyer determined by the determination unit 54 based on the information (also referred to as a “matching confirmation screen”). Display information S2 for displaying) is generated. Then, the display control unit 55 supplies the generated display information S2 to the display device 3 to cause the display device 3 to display the matching confirmation screen. A display example of the matching confirmation screen will be described later.

Further, when the display control unit 55 receives the input information S1 requesting the display of the change condition candidate, the display control unit 55 displays a user interface that accepts the input for specifying the candidate determination condition. Candidate determination conditions are, for example, restrictions on the number of transaction conditions to be changed, restrictions on the type of transaction conditions to be changed, restrictions on sellers or buyers to be changed, and change width of transaction conditions to be changed ( Includes at least one of the constraints on (degree of change). Then, when the display control unit 55 receives the input information S1 that specifies the candidate determination condition by the user interface from the input device 2, the display control unit 55 supplies the input information S1 to the condition designation unit 56.

Further, when the display control unit 55 receives information regarding the execution result of the candidate determination process from the determination unit 54, the display control unit 55 is a screen showing a list of change condition candidates based on the information (also referred to as a “change condition candidate screen”). Display information S2 for displaying is generated. Then, the display control unit 55 supplies the generated display information S2 to the display device 3 to cause the display device 3 to display the change condition candidate screen. A display example of the change condition candidate screen will be described later.

When the condition designation unit 56 receives the input information S1 for designating the candidate determination condition from the display control unit 55, the condition designation unit 56 receives the instruction information for instructing the execution of the candidate determination process according to the candidate determination condition indicated by the input information S1. Supply to.

[Display example]
(1) Matching Confirmation Screen FIG. 8 is a display example of a matching confirmation screen displayed by the display device 3 under the control of the display control unit 55 of the information processing device 1. The display control unit 55 displays the matching table 60 and the recommendation button 61 on the matching confirmation screen shown in FIG. Here, as an example, the display control unit 55 causes the display device 3 to display a matching confirmation screen when the transaction target is LNG.

The matching table 60 mainly has major items of "seller information", "buyer information", and "buying and selling matching information". In addition, "seller information" has each sub-item of "seller ID", "transaction condition", "price", "delivery start", "delivery end", "sale heat quantity lower limit", and "sale heat quantity upper limit". .. In addition, "buyer information" has each sub-item of "buyer ID", "transaction condition", "price", "delivery start", "delivery end", "purchase calorie lower limit", and "purchase calorie upper limit". .. In addition, the "buying and selling matching information" has each sub-item of "profit and loss", "ship used", and "number of sailing days".

Here, the display control unit 55 generates each record of the matching table 60 based on the corresponding seller information 41 and the buyer information 42 for each combination of the seller and the buyer determined by the determination unit 54. For example, the display control unit 55 displays the seller ID indicated by the seller identification information of the corresponding seller information 41 in the item of "seller ID". In addition, the display control unit 55 displays the delivery location information (here, information indicating whether it is the loading port or the landing port) indicated by the delivery location information of the seller information 41 in the item of "transaction conditions". , The price indicated by the price information of the seller information 41 is displayed in the item of "price". Further, the display control unit 55 displays the start date and the last day of the delivery period indicated by the delivery period information of the seller information 41 in the items of "delivery start" and "delivery end", respectively, and the transaction volume of the seller information 41. The lower and upper limits of the transaction volume indicated by the information are displayed in the items of "lower limit of heat quantity for sale" and "upper limit of heat quantity for sale", respectively. Further, the display control unit 55 displays the buyer ID indicated by the buyer identification information of the corresponding buyer information 42 in the item of "buyer ID". Further, the display control unit 55 displays the delivery place information (here, information indicating whether it is the loading port or the landing port) indicated by the delivery place information of the buyer information 42 in the item of "transaction conditions". Then, the price indicated by the price information of the buyer information 42 is displayed in the item of "price". Further, the display control unit 55 displays the start date and the last day of the delivery period indicated by the delivery period information of the buyer information 42 in the items of "delivery start" and "delivery end", respectively, and the transaction volume of the buyer information 42. The lower limit and the upper limit of the transaction amount indicated by the information are displayed in the item of "lower limit of heat quantity purchased" and the item of "upper limit of heat quantity purchased", respectively.

Further, the display control unit 55 displays, for each record of the matching table 60, as "buying and selling matching information", information on the combined seller and buyer, as well as profit and loss from the target transaction and information on the allocated ship. ing. Specifically, the display control unit 55 displays the profit / loss calculated by the determination unit 54 for the target transaction (that is, the combination of the seller and the buyer) in the item of “profit / loss”. Further, the display control unit 55 displays the identification information of the ship assigned to the target transaction by the determination unit 54 in the item of "ship used" based on the ship name information of the ship information 43. Further, the display control unit 55 displays the number of sailing days determined by the determination unit 54 for the target transaction in the item of “number of sailing days”. Further, the display control unit 55 sets as "buying and selling matching information" an item indicating the transaction amount (heat amount) when the profit of the user of the information processing device 1 is maximized, and when the profit of the user is maximized. Items and the like indicating the delivery time on the seller side and the delivery time on the buyer side may be further included. It should be noted that these information are generated in the optimization process by the determination unit 54 and supplied to the display control unit 55.

In this way, the information processing device 1 can preferably present to the user a list of combinations of sellers and buyers matched so as to maximize the profit of the user. In addition, the information processing device 1 preferably presents to the user the combination of the seller and the buyer, as well as the information of the ship scheduled so as to maximize the profit of the user for each combination. be able to.

Further, when the display control unit 55 detects that the recommendation button 61 is selected, the display control unit 55 displays a user interface for accepting an input for designating a candidate determination condition. A display example of the user interface displayed in this case will be described with reference to FIG.

(2) Change Condition Candidate Screen Next, a display example related to the change condition candidate screen will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 9 is a display example by the display device 3 when the recommendation button 61 is selected in FIG. In the example of FIG. 9, since the display control unit 55 has detected that the recommendation button 61 has been selected, the input window 64 for designating the candidate determination condition is popped up on the matching confirmation screen.

The display control unit 55 displays the first input field 71, the second input field 72, the execute button 73, and the cancel button 74 on the input window 64.

Here, the first input field 71 is a pull-down menu format input field for specifying the maximum number of changeable transaction conditions (also referred to as "change maximum number"). In the example of FIG. 9, the upper limit of change "2" is specified in the first input field 71. In this case, the information processing apparatus 1 determines a combination of up to two changes in transaction conditions as one change condition candidate.

The second input field 72 is a pull-down menu format input field for specifying the type of transaction conditions that can be changed. In the example of FIG. 9, the second input field 72 specifies "transaction amount and delivery period" as the type of transaction conditions that can be changed. In this case, in the candidate determination process, the decision unit 54 determines the item "lower limit of heat quantity for sale", "upper limit of heat quantity for sale", "lower limit of heat quantity for purchase", "upper limit of heat quantity for purchase", and the item "start of delivery" regarding the delivery period. And "end of delivery" are regarded as candidates for the transaction conditions to be changed. In addition to the "transaction volume and delivery period", the second input field 72 is designated by the seller as "transaction volume only" limited to changes in the transaction volume only, "delivery period only" limited to changes in the delivery period only. It may include various selectable menus such as "sell condition only" limited to only the conditions to be satisfied and "buy condition only" limited to the condition specified by the buyer.

In addition to the first input field 71 and the second input field 72, an input field for designating various candidate determination conditions may be provided in the input window 64. For example, the display control unit 55 specifies an input field for designating the buyer ID and / and the seller ID to be changed in the transaction conditions, and / and the degree of change (change width) in the transaction conditions to be changed. The input field for this may be further displayed in the input window 64. The degree of change described above corresponds to, for example, the upper limit ratio (for example, 30%) to be changed with respect to the original value when a numerical value such as transaction volume is used as the transaction condition to be changed, such as the delivery period. When the due date is the transaction condition to be changed, the maximum number of days to be changed with respect to the original due date is applicable.

Then, when the display control unit 55 detects that the execution button 73 is selected, the display control unit 55 sets the input information S1 regarding the candidate determination condition specified by the input fields such as the first input field 71 and the second input field 72. It is supplied to the designated unit 56. On the other hand, when the display control unit 55 detects that the cancel button 74 has been selected, it erases the display of the input window 64 and is a candidate designated by the input fields such as the first input field 71 and the second input field 72. The input information S1 regarding the determination condition is deleted.

FIG. 10 is a display example of the change condition candidate screen displayed when the execution button 73 of the input window 64 of FIG. 9 is selected. The display control unit 55 displays the change condition candidate list 65, the sort selection field 66, and the re-execution button 67 on the change condition candidate screen.

The change condition candidate list 65 is a list (list) of change condition candidates. Here, the display control unit 55 arranges each change condition candidate in the change condition candidate list 65 in descending order of the increase in the profit of the intermediary.

Here, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding the display processing of the change condition candidate list 65. When the execution button 73 is selected in FIG. 9, the condition specification unit 56 specifies the candidate determination condition for the determination unit 54 based on the input information S1 regarding the candidate determination condition received from the display control unit 55. Send the instruction information of. Then, the determination unit 54 executes the candidate determination process based on the instruction information received from the condition designation unit 56, and determines the predetermined number of change condition candidates having the largest increase in the profit of the intermediary. Then, the determination unit 54 supplies the information regarding the change condition candidate to the display control unit 55, and the display control unit 55 selects the change condition candidate in descending order of the increase in the profit of the intermediary based on the information received from the determination unit 54. The arranged change condition candidate list 65 is displayed.

Here, the change condition candidate list 65 has each item of "number", "proposal name", "change condition" ("change condition 1" and "change condition 2"), and "profit increase / decrease". The “number” indicates a serial number assigned in order from the highest change condition candidate in the change condition candidate list 65. The “proposal name” indicates a name uniquely assigned to each change condition candidate in the change condition candidate list 65.

"Change conditions" ("Change conditions 1" and "Change conditions 2") indicate the changes in the transaction conditions to be changed. In the example of FIG. 10, the display control unit 55 sets the change condition as the identification information of the seller or the buyer who specifies the transaction condition to be changed, and the item of the matching table 60 which is the transaction condition to be changed. , The contents of the transaction conditions before and after the change are displayed. The display control unit 55 provides the same number of "change condition" items as the maximum number of changes specified in the first input field 71 in the input window 64 of FIG. In the example of FIG. 10, based on the change upper limit number "2" specified in the first input field 71, the display control unit 55 sets two items "change condition 1" and "change condition 2" into a change condition candidate list. It is provided at 65.

"Profit increase / decrease" indicates an increase / decrease in the profit of the intermediary that increases when the change in the transaction conditions indicated by the target change condition candidate is reflected. In this case, the information processing apparatus 1 may allow the combination of the seller and the buyer to be changed before and after the change of the transaction conditions described above, or may be unchanged. In the former case, first, the display control unit 55 first displays the profit / loss of the intermediary based on the combination of the seller and the buyer obtained by the optimization process when the transaction conditions are not changed (that is, the “profit / loss” displayed on the matching confirmation screen of FIG. ”) Is the first profit. Further, the display control unit 55 reflects the change of the transaction condition shown in the "change condition" ("change condition 1" and "change condition 2") in the seller information 41 and the buyer information 42 to perform the optimization process. The profit of the intermediary based on the combination of the seller and the buyer obtained by the optimization process is regarded as the second profit. Then, the display control unit 55 displays the increase in the second profit with respect to the above-mentioned first profit in the item of "profit increase / decrease". On the other hand, when the combination of the seller and the buyer is immutable, the display control unit 55 does not perform the optimization process in the calculation of the second profit described above, and the seller and the buyer at the time of calculating the first profit. On the premise of the combination, the profit of the intermediary after the change of the transaction conditions is calculated as the second profit.

Preferably, when the display control unit 55 detects that any change condition candidate in the change condition candidate list 65 is selected, the display control unit 55 is optimized when the change of the transaction condition indicated by the selected change condition candidate is reflected. The display device 3 may display a matching confirmation screen showing the result of the process. In this case, the display control unit 55 relates to each transaction condition, the combination of the seller and the buyer, and the transportation schedule in which the change of the transaction condition indicated by the selected change condition candidate is reflected in the matching table 60 displayed on the matching confirmation screen. Display information. As a result, the intermediary who is the user of the information processing device 1 can suitably confirm the result of the optimization process when the change condition candidate is selected on the matching confirmation screen.

Further, the display control unit 55 determines the order of each change condition candidate in the change condition candidate list 65 based on the order specified by the sort selection field 66. In the example of FIG. 10, since "sort in descending order of profit" is selected in the sort selection field 66, the change condition candidates are arranged in the change condition candidate list 65 in descending order of the value indicated by "profit increase / decrease". In the sort selection field 66, in addition to "sorting in descending order of profit", "sorting in ascending order of changing conditions", "sorting in ascending order of less changing seller conditions", and "sorting in ascending order of less changing buyer conditions". It may have various selectable menus such as. For example, when "sort in ascending order of changing conditions" is selected in the sort selection field 66, the display control unit 55 displays the change condition candidates with a smaller number of changed transaction conditions at the higher rank. Further, when "sort in ascending order of change of seller's condition" is selected in the sort selection field 66, the display control unit 55 displays the change condition candidate with less change of transaction condition regarding the seller at the higher rank.

Further, when the display control unit 55 detects that the re-execution button 67 has been selected, it displays an input window equivalent to the input window 64 of FIG. 9 and accepts an input for designating a new candidate determination condition. .. In this case, the display control unit 55 supplies the input information S1 generated by the input device 2 to the condition designation unit 56 for the displayed input window, and the condition designation unit 56 performs the candidate determination process based on the input information S1. The instruction information for instructing the re-execution is supplied to the determination unit 54. In this case, the determination unit 54 re-executes the candidate determination process and supplies the re-execution result to the display control unit 55. Then, the display control unit 55 updates the display of the change condition candidate list 65 on the change condition candidate screen based on the information received from the determination unit 54.

In this way, the information processing device 1 accurately determines the candidate for the change condition, which is a candidate for the transaction condition that increases the profit of the intermediary by changing the information processing device 1, and appropriately presents the candidate for the change condition to the intermediary. As a result, the information processing device 1 can preferably present to the intermediary the transaction conditions that the intermediary should negotiate with the seller or the buyer. Therefore, the intermediary can preferably negotiate with the seller or the buyer so as to increase his / her profit based on the change condition candidate presented by the information processing apparatus 1.

[Processing flow]
(1) Case with Display of Matching Confirmation Screen FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a procedure of candidate determination processing accompanied by display of a matching confirmation screen. The information processing device 1 executes the process shown in FIG. 11 when, for example, input information instructing the display of the matching confirmation screen is received from the input device 2.

First, the seller information acquisition unit 51 of the information processing device 1 acquires the seller information 41 corresponding to each of the sellers to be combined from the storage device 4 (step S11). Further, the buyer information acquisition unit 52 acquires the buyer information 42 corresponding to each of the buyers to be combined from the storage device 4 (step S12). Further, the transportation information acquisition unit 53 acquires transportation information including the ship information 43 and the port information 44 from the storage device 4 (step S13).

Next, the determination unit 54 sets the combination of the seller and the buyer as the trading partner and the transportation schedule based on the seller information 41 acquired in step S11, the buyer information 42 acquired in step S12, and the transportation information acquired in step S13. And are determined (step S14). In this case, the determination unit 54 combines the seller and the buyer so as to maximize the profit of the user of the information processing device 1, and allocates and sails the ship to the combination of the seller and the buyer who need to be transported. Make a decision.

Next, the display control unit 55 generates display information S2 for displaying the matching confirmation screen based on the execution result of the determination unit 54, the seller information 41, and the buyer information 42, and displays the display information S2 on the display device 3. By supplying the information, the display device 3 is displayed on the matching confirmation screen (step S15).

Next, the display control unit 55 determines whether or not there is a display request for the change condition candidate (step S16). For example, the display control unit 55 determines whether or not the recommendation button 61 on the matching confirmation screen of FIG. 8 is selected. Then, when there is a display request for the change condition candidate (step S16; Yes), the display control unit 55 proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, when there is no display request for the change condition candidate (step S16; No), the display control unit 55 continues to determine whether or not there is a display request for the change condition candidate.

Then, the display control unit 55 accepts an input for designating the candidate determination condition (step S17). For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the display control unit 55 displays an input window 64 provided with a plurality of input fields for designating various candidate determination conditions. Then, when the display control unit 55 receives the input information S1 for designating the candidate determination condition from the input device 2, the display control unit 55 supplies the input information S1 to the condition designation unit 56. In this case, the condition designation unit 56 supplies the determination unit 54 with instruction information instructing execution of the candidate determination process based on the candidate determination condition indicated by the input information S1 received from the display control unit 55.

Next, the determination unit 54 determines the change condition candidate based on the candidate determination condition (step S18). In this case, the determination unit 54 preferably determines a predetermined number of change condition candidates that maximize the increase in the profit of the intermediary. Then, the determination unit 54 generates the display information S2 for displaying the change condition candidate screen, and supplies the display information S2 to the display device 3 to cause the display device 3 to display the change condition candidate screen (step). S19).

Then, the display control unit 55 determines whether or not there is a request for redesignation of the candidate determination condition (step S20). For example, the display control unit 55 determines whether or not the re-execution button 67 is selected on the change condition candidate screen of FIG. Then, when there is a request for redesignation of the candidate determination condition (step S20; Yes), the display control unit 55 receives an input for designating the candidate determination condition again in step S17. On the other hand, when there is no request for redesignation of the candidate determination condition (step S20; No), the display control unit 55 ends the processing of the flowchart.

(2) Case without Displaying Matching Confirmation Screen FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a procedure of candidate determination processing without displaying the matching confirmation screen.

First, the display control unit 55 determines whether or not there is a display request for the change condition candidate (step S21). In this case, the display control unit 55 determines whether or not the input information S1 generated based on the predetermined user input requesting the display of the change condition candidate has been received from the input device 2. Then, when there is a display request for the change condition candidate (step S21; Yes), the display control unit 55 proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, when there is no display request for the change condition candidate (step S21; No), the display control unit 55 continues to determine whether or not there is a display request for the change condition candidate.

Next, the information processing device 1 acquires information necessary for candidate determination processing such as seller information 41, buyer information 42, and transportation information (step S22). Further, the display control unit 55 accepts an input for designating the candidate determination condition (step S23). For example, the display control unit 55 displays a user interface provided with various input fields for designating candidate determination conditions, similar to the input window 64 of FIG. Then, when the display control unit 55 receives the input information S1 for designating the candidate determination condition from the input device 2, the display control unit 55 supplies the input information S1 to the condition designation unit 56. In this case, the condition designation unit 56 supplies the determination unit 54 with instruction information instructing execution of the candidate determination process based on the candidate determination condition indicated by the input information S1 received from the display control unit 55.

Next, the determination unit 54 determines the change condition candidate with the candidate determination condition as a constraint condition based on the seller information 41, the buyer information 42, and the like acquired in step S22 (step S24). In this case, for example, the information processing device 1 stores in advance the execution result of the optimization process when the seller information 41 and the buyer information 42 indicate that the transaction conditions are not changed, and based on the execution result. , The change condition candidate may be determined. In this case, for example, the information processing apparatus 1 may change one or more transaction conditions that increase the profit of the intermediary, assuming the combination of the seller and the buyer shown in the above execution result. To determine as.

Then, the determination unit 54 generates the display information S2 for displaying the change condition candidate screen, and supplies the display information S2 to the display device 3 to cause the display device 3 to display the change condition candidate screen (step). S25). Then, the display control unit 55 determines whether or not there is a request for redesignation of the candidate determination condition (step S26). Then, when there is a request for redesignation of the candidate determination condition (step S26; Yes), the display control unit 55 receives an input for designating the candidate determination condition again in step S23. On the other hand, when there is no request for redesignation of the candidate determination condition (step S26; No), the display control unit 55 ends the processing of the flowchart.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the optimization system 100A in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the optimization system 100A mainly includes an information processing device 1A, a storage device 4, and a terminal device 5. The information processing device 1A and the terminal device 5 perform data communication via the network 6.

The information processing device 1A has the same configuration as the information processing device 1 according to the first embodiment, and executes the same optimization processing and candidate determination processing as the information processing device 1. In this case, the information processing device 1A receives the input information S1 received from the input device 2 by the information processing device 1 from the terminal device 5 via the network 6 in the first embodiment. Further, the information processing device 1A transmits the display information S2 transmitted by the information processing device 1 to the display device 3 in the first embodiment to the terminal device 5 via the network 6. As described above, the information processing device 1A according to the second embodiment functions as a server device.

The terminal device 5 is a terminal having an input function, a display function, and a communication function, and functions as the input device 2 and the display device 3 in the first embodiment. The terminal device 5 may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or the like. The terminal device 5 transmits the input information S1 generated based on the received user input to the information processing device 1A via the network 6. Further, when the terminal device 5 receives the display information S2 from the information processing device 1A, the terminal device 5 displays a matching confirmation screen based on the display information S2.

Further, the terminal device 5 receives the user input regarding the candidate determination condition, and transmits the received input information S1 to the information processing device 1A. In this case, the information processing apparatus 1A performs the candidate determination process based on the input information S1 indicating the candidate determination condition, and generates the display information S2 for updating the change condition candidate screen. Then, the information processing device 1A transmits the generated display information S2 to the terminal device 5. Then, the terminal device 5 displays the change condition candidate screen based on the display information S2.

As described above, the information processing device 1A according to the second embodiment preferably provides the user of the terminal device 5 with the combination of the seller and the buyer and the transportation schedule that maximizes the profit of the user. Can be presented. Further, when the information processing device 1A receives the input information S1 regarding the candidate determination condition from the terminal device 5, the information processing device 1A determines a change condition candidate that increases the profit of the user based on the candidate determination condition, and causes the terminal device 5 to determine the change condition candidate. Display it. As a result, the information processing device 1A can suitably present to the intermediary the transaction conditions and the like that the intermediary who is the user of the terminal device 5 should negotiate with the seller or the buyer.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram of the information processing device 1B according to the third embodiment. The information processing device 1B mainly includes a seller information acquisition unit 51B, a buyer information acquisition unit 52B, and a determination unit 54B.

The seller information acquisition unit 51B acquires the seller information indicating the selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded. The buyer information acquisition unit 52B acquires buyer information indicating the buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded. The determination unit 54B determines a candidate for change condition, which is a candidate for changing the transaction condition regarding at least one of the sell condition and the buy condition, based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target. To do.

The information processing device 1B according to the third embodiment can preferably determine a candidate for change condition regarding at least one of the selling condition and the buying condition in consideration of the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction to be traded.

In addition, some or all of the above embodiments may be described as in the following appendix, but are not limited to the following.

[Appendix 1]
The seller information acquisition department that acquires seller information indicating the selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded,
The buyer information acquisition unit that acquires buyer information indicating the buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded,
Based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target, a decision unit that determines candidates for changing the transaction conditions regarding at least one of the sell conditions and the buy conditions.
Information processing device equipped with.

[Appendix 2]
A condition specification unit for designating a candidate determination condition, which is a constraint condition for determining the candidate, is further provided.
The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein the determination unit determines the candidate satisfying the candidate determination condition.

[Appendix 3]
The candidate determination conditions are restrictions on the maximum number of transaction conditions to be changed, restrictions on the type of transaction conditions to be changed, restrictions on sellers or buyers corresponding to the transaction conditions to be changed, and restrictions on the degree of change in the transaction conditions to be changed. The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 2, which includes at least one of the conditions.

[Appendix 4]
The item according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to 3, further comprising a display control unit for displaying the candidate on a display device together with an increase in the profit of the intermediary when the change of the transaction conditions indicated by the candidate is reflected. Information processing device.

[Appendix 5]
As the candidate, the display control unit displays the seller or buyer identification information corresponding to the changed transaction condition, the information regarding the type of the transaction condition, and the information regarding the contents before and after the change of the transaction condition. The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 4, which is displayed in.

[Appendix 6]
The determination unit determines a plurality of the candidates,
The information processing device according to Appendix 4 or 5, wherein the display control unit displays the candidates on the display device in descending order of increase in profit of the intermediary when the change indicated by the candidate is reflected.

[Appendix 7]
Based on the seller information and the buyer information, the determination unit determines a combination of the seller and the buyer for which the transaction is established.
The determination unit determines the candidate based on the profit of the intermediary for the combination before the change of the transaction conditions and the profit of the intermediary for the combination after the change of the transaction conditions. The information processing apparatus according to any one of 6.

[Appendix 8]
It also has a transportation information acquisition unit that acquires transportation information related to the transportation of the transaction target from the seller to the buyer.
The decision unit determines the candidate based on the seller information, the buyer information, the transportation information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target, any one of Supplementary notes 1 to 7. The information processing device described in the section.

[Appendix 9]
It is a control method executed by the information processing device.
Acquire seller information indicating the selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded,
Acquire buyer information indicating the buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded, and obtain
A control method for determining candidates for changing transaction conditions with respect to at least one of the selling conditions and the buying conditions, based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target.

[Appendix 10]
The seller information acquisition department that acquires seller information indicating the selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded,
The buyer information acquisition unit that acquires buyer information indicating the buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded,
Based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target, a computer as a decision unit for determining a candidate for changing the transaction conditions regarding at least one of the selling conditions and the buying conditions. A storage medium that stores programs that make it work.

Although the invention of the present application has been described above with reference to the embodiment, the invention of the present application is not limited to the above embodiment. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made within the scope of the present invention in terms of the structure and details of the present invention. That is, it goes without saying that the invention of the present application includes all disclosure including claims, and various modifications and modifications that can be made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the technical idea. In addition, each disclosure of the above-mentioned patent documents cited shall be incorporated into this document by citation.

1, 1A, 1B Information processing device 2 Input device 3 Display device 4 Storage device 5 Terminal device 100, 100A Optimization system

Claims (10)

1. The seller information acquisition department that acquires seller information indicating the selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded,
   The buyer information acquisition unit that acquires buyer information indicating the buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded,
   Based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target, a decision unit that determines candidates for changing the transaction conditions regarding at least one of the sell conditions and the buy conditions.
   Information processing device equipped with.
2. A condition specification unit for designating a candidate determination condition, which is a constraint condition for determining the candidate, is further provided.
   The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the candidate satisfying the candidate determination condition.
3. The candidate determination conditions are restrictions on the maximum number of transaction conditions to be changed, restrictions on the type of transaction conditions to be changed, restrictions on sellers or buyers corresponding to the transaction conditions to be changed, and restrictions on the degree of change in the transaction conditions to be changed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, which comprises at least one of the conditions.
4. The present invention is described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a display control unit for displaying the candidate on a display device together with an increase in the profit of the intermediary when the change of the transaction conditions indicated by the candidate is reflected. Information processing device.
5. As the candidate, the display control unit displays the seller or buyer identification information corresponding to the changed transaction condition, the information regarding the type of the transaction condition, and the information regarding the contents before and after the change of the transaction condition. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, which is displayed in.
6. The determination unit determines a plurality of the candidates,
   The information processing device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the display control unit displays the candidates on the display device in descending order of increase in profit of the intermediary when the change indicated by the candidate is reflected.
7. Based on the seller information and the buyer information, the determination unit determines a combination of the seller and the buyer for which the transaction is established.
   The decision unit determines the candidate based on the profit of the intermediary for the combination before the change of the transaction conditions and the profit of the intermediary for the combination after the change of the transaction conditions. The information processing apparatus according to any one of 6 to 6.
8. It also has a transportation information acquisition unit that acquires transportation information related to the transportation of the transaction target from the seller to the buyer.
   Any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the determination unit determines the candidate based on the seller information, the buyer information, the transportation information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target. The information processing device according to paragraph 1.
9. It is a control method executed by the information processing device.
   Acquire seller information indicating the selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded,
   Acquire buyer information indicating the buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded, and obtain
   A control method for determining candidates for changing transaction conditions with respect to at least one of the selling conditions and the buying conditions, based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target.
10. The seller information acquisition department that acquires seller information indicating the selling conditions specified by the seller to be traded,
    The buyer information acquisition unit that acquires buyer information indicating the buying conditions specified by the buyer to be traded,
    Based on the seller information, the buyer information, and the profit of the intermediary who mediates the transaction target, a computer as a decision unit for determining a candidate for changing the transaction conditions regarding at least one of the selling conditions and the buying conditions. A storage medium that stores programs that make it work.

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