Information processing device

Abstract

To predict timing for recycling a battery with higher accuracy.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a controller configured to execute: acquiring first information on deterioration of a battery at the start time of reuse of the battery to be reused by a business operator; acquiring second information on a usage environment of the battery at the business operator; acquiring third information on the battery performance required by the business operator; and outputting timing for recovering the battery after the business operator has used the battery, according to the first information, the second information, and the third information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that electrical characteristic information and usage history information are acquired from a secondary battery module, stored in a database, and graded for reuse based on this information. Patent Document 2 discloses a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery module that operates under the control of a battery controller and stores at least one of its own electrical characteristic information and usage history information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-146389 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-141464 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to predict the time to recycle a battery with higher accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is an information processing device having a control unit configured to perform the following: acquiring first information regarding the deterioration of a battery at the start of reuse of the battery reused by a business; acquiring second information regarding the usage environment of the battery at the business; acquiring third information regarding the performance of the battery required by the business; and outputting the time to collect the battery after the business has used the battery based on the first information, the second information, and the third information.

[0006] Other aspects of the present invention are an information processing method for causing a computer to execute the above-described information processing, a program for causing a computer to execute this information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores this program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to predict the time to recycle a battery with higher accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the transition of the SOH of a battery. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle, a business operator terminal, and a server that constitute the system. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing table configurations of a battery information DB and a business information DB. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of outputting a battery collection time in a server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is conceivable that the vehicle equipped with the battery could transmit information about the battery's usage status. However, if the battery is removed from the vehicle when it is reused, the information about the battery's usage status cannot be transmitted after that, and the battery's usage status cannot be known. It also becomes unclear where the batteries will be used after that, making it difficult to predict where and when recyclable materials will be generated.

[0010] In order to solve such problems, an information processing device that is one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit configured to acquire first information regarding the deterioration of a battery reused by a business operator at the start of reuse of the battery, acquire second information regarding the usage environment of the battery at the business operator, acquire third information regarding the performance of the battery required by the business operator, and output the time to collect the battery after the business operator has used the battery based on the first information, the second information, and the third information.

[0011] The business operator is a business operator that uses a battery. This battery is a battery that has been previously used elsewhere and is a battery to be reused. This battery is, for example, a battery that was installed in a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). When the business operator starts using the battery, the battery is in a state of degradation to a certain extent. The first information is information about the degradation of the battery at the time when the business operator starts using the battery. The first information may be, for example, information about the SOH (State of Health) of the battery. SO H is the ratio of the current fully charged capacity (Ah) to the initial fully charged capacity (Ah).

[0012] Here, if a battery is removed from, for example, a vehicle before the business begins using the battery, there is a risk that the usage status up to that point will become unknown. Meanwhile, for example, a battery installed in a vehicle periodically transmits its status from the vehicle. Therefore, the control unit knows the status of the battery before it is removed from the vehicle. It can be considered that the status of the battery immediately before it is removed from the vehicle is approximately the same as the status of the battery when the business begins using the battery. Therefore, the control unit can acquire the first information based on the information about the battery transmitted from the vehicle. As another example, the business removing the battery from the vehicle or the business brokering the battery may measure, for example, the battery's SOH. The control unit may then acquire this SOH as the first information.

[0013] The second information is information about the usage environment of the battery at the reuse destination business, and is information about battery degradation due to use of the battery at the reuse destination business. The battery deteriorates when used at the reuse destination business. The degree of this degradation is affected by the usage environment of the battery. Therefore, the second information also includes information about the degree of battery degradation. The second information may include, for example, at least one of information about the type of renewable energy used to charge the battery and information about the amount of power input to the battery. Charging a battery is considered when generating power using renewable energy. For example, when generating power using renewable energy such as solar power, wind power, and geothermal power, the amount of power generated can be affected by weather, so it is considered to store surplus power in a battery and discharge it when power is insufficient. This charging and discharging is correlated with battery degradation. Furthermore, because the manner of charging and discharging differs depending on the type of renewable energy, the degree of battery degradation also varies depending on the type of renewable energy. The amount of power input to the battery is also correlated with battery degradation. Therefore, the degree of deterioration of the battery also changes depending on the amount of power input to the battery. The type of renewable energy or the amount of power input to the battery is registered by, for example, a business operator.

[0014] The third information is information on the battery performance required by the reuse business. The third information is information regarding the required battery performance. The required battery performance varies depending on the manner in which the battery is used. The third information can be determined by the business that reuses the battery, or can be estimated based on, for example, the type of business. The third information is the performance required for the battery to be used by the business that reuses the battery. If the actual battery performance falls below the required battery performance, the battery needs to be replaced. The third information may include, for example, at least one of information regarding the lower limit of the battery capacity and information regarding the battery output. The battery capacity decreases as the battery deteriorates. As a result, the amount of power that can be charged into the battery decreases, and if the battery capacity falls below the lower limit of the battery capacity required by the business, the battery needs to be replaced. Furthermore, the battery output decreases as the battery deteriorates. As a result, it may be difficult to obtain the output required by the business. In this case, the battery also needs to be replaced. Such battery performance required by the business is registered, for example, by the business.

[0015] As described above, the performance of the battery at the start of use can be determined based on the first information, and the degree of battery deterioration can be determined based on the second information. Therefore, based on these pieces of information, the control unit can predict how the performance of the battery will change at the reuse business. If the battery's performance falls below the performance indicated by the third information, the reuse business is likely to replace the battery. In other words, it is possible to predict when the battery can be collected from the reuse business. By outputting this time, the control unit can predict when the battery will be collected from the business after it has run out, before the business starts using the battery. Therefore, it is possible to predict when the battery can be recycled. Furthermore, by registering the location of the business in advance, the control unit can also predict the location where the battery can be collected.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0017] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a system 1 according to an embodiment. In the example of FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a vehicle 10 equipped with a battery 15, an operator terminal 20 used by a reuse operator, and a server 30. There may be a plurality of vehicles 10 and operator terminals 20. The vehicles 10, the operator terminals 20, and the server 30 are interconnected by a network N1. Note that the network N1 is, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, and may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) or other communication network. The network N1 may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0018] The vehicle 10 is a vehicle equipped with a battery 15 such as a battery heat sink (BHV). The battery 15 supplies power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 periodically transmits the state of the battery 15 to the server 30. For example, the vehicle 10 may calculate the SOH and transmit the SOH to the server 30. Note that the information transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30 is not limited to the SOH, and may be any information related to the deterioration state of the battery 15. For example, the vehicle 10 may transmit the SOC (State Of Charge), the amount of lithium deposition, or the like to the server 30.

[0019] Since the battery 15 does not have a communication function, once the battery 15 is removed from the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 is no longer able to transmit information regarding the deterioration state of the battery 15 to the server 30. However, if the reuse business operator immediately starts using the battery 15 after the battery 15 is removed from the vehicle 10, the deterioration state of the battery 15 at the time the reuse business operator starts using the battery 15 will be the last information transmitted to the server 30 while the battery 15 is installed in the vehicle 10. It is assumed that the deterioration state of the battery 15 when the reuse business operator starts using the battery 15 is approximately equal to the deterioration state of the battery 15 last detected in the vehicle 10. Note that the battery 15 can be reused in units such as a cell, a stack, or a pack. The vehicle 10 may detect the deterioration state for each unit such as a cell, a stack, or a pack, and transmit the state to the server 30.

[0020] The business operator terminal 20 is a terminal used by a reuse business operator. A reuse business operator is an operator that reuses batteries 15. The reuse business operator registers in advance with the server 30 via the business operator terminal 20. The registered information includes information about the usage environment of the battery 15 and information about the performance of the battery 15 required by the reuse business operator. The information about the usage environment of the battery 15 includes, for example, information about the amount of power input to the battery 15 and information about the type of renewable energy such as solar, wind, or geothermal. Note that the amount of power input to the battery 15 may be the amount of power generated (kWh) when the battery 15 is used in a power plant. This information about the usage environment is information related to the degree of deterioration of the battery 15.

[0021] Furthermore, the information regarding the performance of the battery 15 required by the reuse business operator includes, for example, information regarding the upper and lower limits of the SOC required by the reuse business operator, information regarding the lower limit of the capacity of the battery 15, or information regarding the output of the battery 15. This required information regarding the performance of the battery 15 is information related to the usage limit of the battery 15.

[0022] The server 30 then predicts when the reuse business will end use of the battery 15 based on the SOH at the time the reuse business starts using the battery 15 and the information registered by the reuse business. The time when the reuse business will end use of the battery 15 is also the time when the reuse business will collect the battery 15 as a recyclable material. Here, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the transition of the SOH of the battery 15. The period indicated by "Vehicle" in FIG. 2 is the period during which the battery 15 is installed in the vehicle 10. The period indicated by "Reuse Business (Prediction)" is the period during which the reuse business will use the battery 15, and is a period showing a predicted value based on the information registered by the reuse business. In FIG. 2, the "Requested SOH" is the SOH requested by the reuse business, and is the SOH that serves as an indicator for the reuse business to replace the battery 15. In FIG. 2, the time indicated by "Collection Time Prediction" is the time when the server 30 predicts when the battery 15 will be collected from the reuse business. The time indicated by this "Collection Time Prediction" is also the time when the reuse business will start using the battery 15. 2, the time indicated by "collection" is the time when the battery 15 will be collected from the reuse business operator, as predicted by the server 30. The time indicated by "collection" is also the time when the SOH becomes equal to the required SOH.

[0023] In FIG. 2, the time indicated by "Collection" is obtained by using, for example, a statistical method such as regression analysis or a machine learning model. The change in the deterioration of the SOH during the period indicated by "Reuse Business (Prediction)" is hardly affected by the change in the deterioration of the SOH during the period indicated by "Vehicle." Therefore, the server 30 can predict the change in the SOH based on the SOH at the time the reuse business starts using the battery 15 and the usage environment of the battery 15 at the reuse business. Note that predicting the change in the SOH is not necessarily required. For example, the time to collect the battery 15 may be output by inputting the SOH, the usage environment of the battery 15, and the required performance of the battery 15 into a trained machine learning model.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each of the vehicle 10, the business operator terminal 20, and the server 30 that constitute the system 1 according to this embodiment. 31, a memory unit 32, a communication module 33, and an input / output device 34.

[0025] The server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary memory stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that meet predetermined purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0026] The control unit 31 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the server 30. The control unit 31 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 31 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc. Details of the control unit 31 will be described later.

[0027] The storage unit 32 is a means for storing information, and is configured with a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 32 stores programs executed by the control unit 31, data used by the programs, etc. The storage unit 32 also has databases (battery information DB 321 and business operator information DB 322) built therein, and the databases store information collected from each vehicle 10 and information collected from reuse businesses.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the table configurations of the battery information DB 321 and the business operator information DB 322. The battery information DB 321 stores a battery ID, location information of the vehicle 10, date and time information, and SOH information, linked to the vehicle ID. The vehicle ID is identification information unique to the vehicle 10. The battery ID is identification information unique to the battery 15. Note that the battery ID may be assigned, for example, for each unit of reuse. The location information is information related to the location of the vehicle 10 when information is transmitted from the vehicle 10, and is information expressed by coordinates, for example. The date and time information is information related to the date and time when the SOH information is transmitted from the vehicle 10. The SOH information is information related to the SOH of the battery 15. The battery ID, location information, date and time information, and SOH information are linked to the vehicle ID and transmitted from the vehicle 10 at a predetermined timing. Hereinafter, the vehicle ID, battery ID, location information, date and time information, and SOH information are collectively referred to as battery information. The control unit 31 stores the battery information received from the vehicle 10 in the battery information DB 321.

[0029] Furthermore, the business information DB322 stores usage environment information, required SOH information, and location information linked to the business ID. The business ID is identification information unique to the reuse business or the business terminal 20. The usage environment information is information about the usage environment of the battery 15 at the reuse business. The required SOH is information about the SOH of the battery 15 required by the reuse business, and is information about the performance of the battery 15 required by the reuse business. The location information is information about the location of the business, and is information about the place where the battery 15 is actually used. Hereinafter, the business ID, usage environment information, required SOH information, and location information will be collectively referred to as business information. The control unit 31 stores the business information received from the business terminal 20 in the business information DB322.

[0030] The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication module 33 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server 30 performs data communication with the vehicle 10 and the business operator terminal 20 via the communication module 33. This can be done.

[0031] The input / output device 34 is a means for receiving input operations performed by an operator and presenting information to the operator. Specifically, the input / output device 34 includes devices for input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and devices for output such as a display and a speaker. The input / output device 34 may be integrally configured with, for example, a touch panel display.

[0032] The specific hardware configuration of the server 30 may include omission, substitution, and addition of components as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0033] Next, the vehicle 10 will be described. The vehicle 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication module 13, a position information sensor 14, and a battery 15. The control unit 11 is a calculation unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the vehicle 10. The control unit 11 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 11 may also include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, and the like.

[0034] The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, etc. The storage unit 12 also stores an initial value of the SOH.

[0035] The communication module 13 is a communication means for connecting the vehicle 10 to the network N1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 can communicate with other devices (e.g., the server 30) via the network N1 using mobile communication services such as 3G, LTE, 5G, and 6G.

[0036] The position information sensor 14 periodically acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 10. The position information sensor 14 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit. , wireless communication unit, etc.

[0037] The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 calculates the SOH, for example, at predetermined time intervals. Then, the control unit 11 associates the battery ID, location information, date and time information, and SOH information with the vehicle ID and transmits them to the server 30. The control unit 11 may obtain the SOH using a known method.

[0038] Next, we will explain the business operator terminal 20. The business operator terminal 20 is configured to include a control unit 21, a communication module 22, and an input / output device 23. These have the same configuration as the control unit 31, the communication module 33, and the input / output device 34 of the server 30, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0039] Next, the control unit 31 of the server 30 will be described in detail. The control unit 31 of the server 30 predicts the time to collect the battery 15 from the reuse business operator based on the battery information acquired from the vehicle 10 and the business operator information acquired from the business operator terminal 20. First, the control unit 31 acquires the SOH corresponding to the battery 15. In this case, since the battery 15 is linked to a vehicle ID and a battery ID, the control unit 31 accesses the battery information DB 321 based on the corresponding vehicle ID or battery ID to acquire the latest SOH. In other words, the control unit 31 extracts the SOH last detected when the battery 15 was installed in the vehicle 10. This SOH is equal to the SOH at the time the reuse business operator started using the battery 15.

[0040] Next, the control unit 31 accesses the business information DB 322 and finds the business information corresponding to the reuse business. Based on the business operator ID, information regarding the usage environment and the required SOH is acquired. Then, the collection time is calculated based on the latest SOH, usage environment, and required SOH. This calculation can be performed using a statistical method such as regression analysis, or a trained machine learning model. A calculation formula or model for calculating the collection time is stored in the memory unit 32. Then, after calculating the collection time, the control unit 31 outputs the collection time together with the location of the reuse business operator from the input / output device 34. The location of the reuse business operator is output as the place where the battery 15 will be collected. Note that the control unit 31 can also transmit information regarding the collection time of the battery 15 and the location of the reuse business operator to another server or terminal via the communication module 33.

[0041] The control unit 31 may obtain the time when the battery 15 was actually collected from the reuse business operator and use the time to improve the accuracy of predicting the time of collection. For example, the time when the battery 15 was actually collected may be used as training data in machine learning.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of outputting the time to collect the battery 15 in the server 30. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the server 30. The following description is based on the assumption that the necessary information has already been stored in the battery information DB 321 and the business information DB 322.

[0043] In step S101, the control unit 31 determines whether the battery 15 has become eligible for reuse. For example, the business that removed the battery 15 from the vehicle 10 notifies the server 30 of the vehicle ID or the battery ID via the business's terminal. Upon receiving this notification, the control unit 31 determines that the battery 15 has become eligible for reuse. Note that the location of the business that removed the battery 15 from the vehicle 10 may also be acquired. If the determination in step S101 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S102; if the determination is negative, the routine is terminated.

[0044] In step S102, the control unit 31 acquires the final SOH of the battery 15. The final SOH is the SOH corresponding to the latest date and time among the SOHs stored in the battery information DB 321. That is, the control unit 31 extracts the latest SOH from the SOHs corresponding to the battery ID in the battery information DB 321.

[0045] In step S103, the control unit 31 determines a reuse business operator that will provide the battery 15. The control unit 31 references business operator information corresponding to each reuse business operator stored in the business operator information DB 322 and determines the reuse business operator that is best suited to providing the battery 15. For example, a first condition is that the required SOH corresponding to the reuse business operator is lower than the final SOH acquired in step S102 by a predetermined value or more. A second condition is that the location of the reuse business operator is within a predetermined distance from the location corresponding to the final SOH stored in the battery information DB 321 or the location of the business operator that removed the battery 15. A third condition is that the usage environment at the reuse business operator conforms to the specifications of the battery 15. The specifications of the battery 15 are associated with the battery ID and stored in the storage unit 32. The control unit 31 extracts reuse businesses that satisfy all of these conditions from the business operator information DB 322. If there are multiple such reuse businesses, the control unit 31 can select any reuse business operator from among them.

[0046] In step S104, the control unit 31 predicts the time to collect the battery 15 from the reuse business operator. The control unit 31 calculates the collection time using a calculation formula or model stored in the storage unit 32. In this way, the control unit 31 predicts the collection time. Then, in step S105, the control unit 31 outputs the collection time of the battery 15 to the input / output device 34. At this time, the battery ID and the address of the reuse business operator are also output. That's fine.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the control unit 31 determines a business operator that will reuse the battery 15, it can predict the time and place at which the battery 15 will be collected as a recyclable material from the reuse business operator. In other words, the control unit 31 can predict when and where the recyclable material can be collected. Furthermore, the reuse business operator can obtain information about the battery 15, for example, from the server 30. Furthermore, the reuse business operator can obtain a battery 15 that meets their requirements.

[0048] <Other embodiments> The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention may be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope of the gist thereof. The processes and means described in this disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradictions arise. Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0049] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 System 10 vehicles 15 Battery 20 Operator terminal 30 servers 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communication Module 34 Input / Output Devices

Claims

1. Acquiring first information on deterioration of a battery at the start of reuse of the battery by a business operator; acquiring second information regarding a usage environment of the battery at the business; acquiring third information related to performance of the battery required by the business; outputting a collection time of the battery after the business operator has used the battery according to the first information, the second information, and the third information; a control unit configured to perform The second information includes at least one of information regarding the type of renewable energy used to charge the battery and information regarding the amount of power input to the battery. Information processing device.

2. the third information includes at least one of information regarding a lower limit value of the capacity of the battery and information regarding an output of the battery; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit outputs a time when the performance of the battery no longer satisfies the performance required by the business operator as a time to collect the battery. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit The first information is acquired from a vehicle that had the battery mounted thereon before the battery was reused; acquiring the second information and the third information from a terminal of the business operator; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

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