Battery price setting device

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery price setting device, comprising: an information acquisition unit (52) for acquiring battery information including usage information of a battery (1) mounted on a vehicle (101); a determination unit (53) for determining whether the battery (1) has an abnormal usage condition based on the battery information acquired by the information acquisition unit (52); and a price setting unit (54) for setting a discount price of the battery (1) to be lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal usage condition, when the determination unit (53) determines that the battery (1) has an abnormal usage condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery price setting device for setting a trade-in price of a battery mounted on a vehicle or the like. Background Art

[0002] As such a device, there is a device for evaluating the future residual value of a battery. Such a device is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. The device described in Patent Document 1 obtains the residual value of a battery after a predetermined period based on the current state of the battery such as the number of times the battery has been charged and discharged, the resistance measurement value, and the capacity measurement value, and the test data accumulated in advance, and rates the battery based on the residual value.

[0003] However, the quality of the battery is not only affected by the battery state, but also by abnormal battery usage such as whether the load acting on the battery exceeds the normal range. However, the device described in Patent Document 1 does not fully consider this when calculating the residual value, so it is difficult to set an appropriate trade-in price for the battery.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-063617 (JP 2014-063617A). Summary of the invention

[0006] A battery price setting device according to one technical solution of the present invention comprises: an information acquisition unit, which acquires battery information including usage information of a battery mounted on a specified device; a determination unit, which determines whether there is an abnormal battery usage condition based on the battery information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and a price setting unit, which sets the discount price of the battery to be lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal battery usage condition when the determination unit determines that the battery is in an abnormal battery usage condition. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be further clarified through the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a diagram schematically showing a main part configuration of a travel drive system of an electric vehicle to which the battery price setting device according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0009] Figure 2 It is a block diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a battery price setting system including a battery price setting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 3 It is shown by Figure 2 A flowchart of an example of a process executed by a CPU (central processing unit) of a server device.

[0011] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 2 A block diagram of a modified example of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following reference Figure 1 to Figure 4 An embodiment of the present invention is described. The battery price setting device of the embodiment of the present invention is configured to set a trade-in price for a battery mounted on a vehicle. That is, a battery mounted on a vehicle is sometimes used a second time (reused) or recycled after a single use, and the battery price setting device of the embodiment of the present invention is configured to set a trade-in price in the above-mentioned case. In addition, the following describes an example in which a battery price setting device is configured for a battery that has been used once in an electric vehicle having a driving motor, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0013] Figure 1 1 is a diagram schematically showing the main components of the driving system of an electric vehicle 101 (sometimes simply referred to as a vehicle) to which the battery price setting device of this embodiment is applied. Figure 1 As shown, a vehicle 101 includes a battery 1 , a power control unit (PCU) 2 , and a travel motor 3 .

[0014] The battery 1 is composed of a single battery pack 10 as a unit. It should be noted that the battery 1 can also be composed of a plurality of battery packs 10. When the battery 1 is composed of a single battery pack 10 as in the present embodiment, the battery 1 and the battery pack 10 are the same, and the battery pack 10 may be referred to as the battery 1 or the battery 1 may be referred to as the battery pack 10 hereinafter. The battery 1 is given a unique identification ID (battery ID).

[0015] The battery pack 10 has a plurality of battery assemblies 11 and a battery ECU (electronic control unit) 15. The plurality of battery assemblies 11 are connected in series or in parallel with each other by means of bus bars or the like. Each of these battery assemblies 11 has a plurality of single cells 12. Each single cell 12 is, for example, a flat single lithium-ion battery sealed by a laminate film and has an electrode plate. These single cells 12 are lithium-ion batteries formed by housing electrode plates in a state of being connected in series or in parallel with each other in the housing of the closed battery assembly 11.

[0016] The battery ECU 15 includes a CPU, a ROM (read-only memory), a RAM (random access memory), and other peripheral circuits, and has the function of monitoring the state of the battery 1. More specifically, the battery ECU 15 has a plurality of detection circuits 16 for detecting the states of the plurality of battery assemblies 11, and a detection circuit 17 for detecting the state of the battery pack 10. The detection circuit 16 includes sensors for detecting various physical quantities such as the current, voltage, and temperature of each battery assembly 11. Based on these detected physical quantities, the detection circuit 16 calculates the charge rate SOC (State of Charge) and the health value SOH (State of Health) indicating the health of each battery assembly 11. The detection circuit 17 calculates the SOC and SOH of the entire battery based on the signal from the detection circuit 16.

[0017] The battery ECU 15 also functions as a control device that controls the charging and discharging of the battery 1 according to a program pre-recorded in the memory. The program sets various limit values ​​such as the current flowing through the battery 1, the voltage of the battery 1, the temperature of the battery 1, and the limit value of the SOC. The battery ECU 15 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 1 in a manner that does not exceed these limit values ​​based on the detection values ​​of the detection circuits 16 and 17. It should be noted that the charging and discharging of the battery 1 can also be controlled by using the power control unit 2 instead of the battery ECU 15.

[0018] The power of the battery 1 is supplied to the power control unit 2 via a junction box (not shown). The power control unit 2 has an inverter circuit, which converts the direct current from the battery 1 into alternating current, and supplies driving power to the travel motor 3. The travel motor 3 is thereby driven, the drive wheels 4 are driven to rotate, and the vehicle 101 travels.

[0019] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the overall structure of a battery price setting system 100 having a battery price setting device according to this embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the battery price setting system 100 includes an onboard terminal 20 of a vehicle 101, a terminal (company terminal 30) of a processing company 31 that trades in the battery 1 mounted on the vehicle 101, and a server device 50. The server device 50 mainly constitutes the battery price setting device of this embodiment.

[0020] like Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle-mounted terminal 20, the enterprise terminal 30, and the server device 50 can be connected to a network 40 including a public wireless communication network represented by the Internet, a mobile phone network, etc., and communicate with each other via the network 40. It should be noted that the network 40 also includes a closed communication network set up in each specified management area, such as a wireless LAN (local area network), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc.

[0021] The vehicle-mounted terminal 20 is composed of a computing device including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and other peripheral circuits, and has a communication unit that communicates via the network 40 as a functional structure. The vehicle-mounted terminal 20 and the battery ECU 15 ( Figure 1 ) is connected, and the battery information sent from the battery ECU 15 is sent to the server device 50 at a specified time via the communication unit together with the battery ID for identifying the battery 1 and the vehicle ID for identifying the vehicle 101.

[0022] The battery information includes information on the usage status of the battery 1. In addition to information such as the SOC, SOH, and the number of charge and discharge times of the battery 1 calculated by the battery ECU 15, the usage status information also includes information such as the current flowing through the battery 1, the voltage of the battery 1, that is, the input and output power of the battery 1, and the temperature detected by the battery ECU 15. Information on the failure and repair record of the battery 1 and replacement information of the battery 1 such as whether the battery 1 has been replaced are also included in the battery information. Information related to specification changes of the battery 1, such as information on whether the action program recorded in the battery ECU 15 has been rewritten or updated, and information indicating that parts have been assembled in the battery 1 by addition or replacement is also included in the battery information. The server device 50 calculates the trade-in price of the battery 1 based on this battery information.

[0023] In addition to the battery information, the vehicle terminal 20 also sends the vehicle information to the server device 50. The vehicle information includes information about the vehicle model and model year of the vehicle 101, and information indicating the driving environment and driving conditions of the vehicle 101 obtained by the vehicle sensor, namely, driving distance, driving time, parking time, average acceleration and deceleration, temperature environment, etc. The server device 50 can calculate the trade-in price of the battery 1 using not only the battery information but also the vehicle information as a parameter.

[0024] The enterprise terminal 30 is composed of a computing device including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and other peripheral circuits, and has a communication unit that communicates via a network 40 as a functional structure. When the battery 1 mounted on the vehicle 101 is traded in, the enterprise terminal 30 sends a trade-in price setting request together with the battery ID of the battery 1 to the server device 50. And the trade-in price of the battery 1 calculated by the server device 50 is received. Thus, the processing enterprise 31 can know the appropriate trade-in price of the battery 1.

[0025] The server device 50 is configured as, for example, a single server or a distributed server in which each function is configured by a separate server. The server device 50 can also be configured as a distributed virtual server created in a cloud environment, which is called a cloud server. The server device 50 includes a computing device having a CPU (microprocessor), a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, and other peripheral circuits.

[0026] The server device 50 has a communication unit 51, an information acquisition unit 52, a determination unit 53, a price setting unit 54, an information output unit 55, and a storage unit 56 as functional structures. The CPU functions as the information acquisition unit 52, the determination unit 53, the price setting unit 54, and the information output unit 55.

[0027] The communication unit 51 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle-mounted terminal 20 and the company terminal 30 via the network 40. The communication unit 51 communicates with the vehicle-mounted terminal 20 and the company terminal 30 at a predetermined cycle or at a predetermined timing to transmit and receive various information.

[0028] The information acquisition unit 52 acquires the battery information and vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle-mounted terminal 20 together with the battery ID and the vehicle ID. The information acquisition unit 52 also acquires the request for setting the trade-in price of the battery 1 transmitted from the enterprise terminal 30. The battery information and vehicle information acquired by the information acquisition unit 52 are stored in the storage unit 56.

[0029] When receiving the exchange price setting request sent from the enterprise terminal 30, the determination unit 53 determines whether there is an abnormal use condition of the battery 1 based on the battery information stored in the storage unit 56 or based on the battery information and the vehicle information. For example, when at least one physical quantity among the current flowing through the battery 1, the voltage of the battery 1, and the temperature exceeds a pre-stored limit value, the determination unit 53 determines that there is an abnormal use condition.

[0030] The determination unit 53 determines that there is an abnormal use condition not only when the physical quantity sent from the vehicle-mounted terminal 20 exceeds the limit value, but also when the specifications of the battery 1 undergo an unexpected change. For example, when there is a rewrite of the action program of the battery ECU 15, especially an informal rewrite that is not recognized by the manufacturer, the determination unit 53 determines that there is an abnormal use condition. More specifically, when there is a rewrite of the action program that increases the output of the battery 1 compared to the initial specification, it is determined that there is an abnormal use condition. On the other hand, for example, although the action program needs to be updated according to the recall notice of the manufacturer, when it has not been updated for a longer period than the prescribed period, the determination unit 53 also determines that there is an abnormal use condition. In addition, when there is information that a so-called third party assembles an informal product into the battery 1, the determination unit 53 also regards that the specifications of the battery 1 have been changed unexpectedly and determines that there is an abnormal use condition.

[0031] The price setting unit 54 sets the trade-in price of the battery 1. In this case, when the determination unit 53 determines that the battery 1 is in abnormal usage, the price setting unit 54 sets the trade-in price of the battery 1 to be lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal usage. More specifically, first, the price of the battery 1 when it was new, the number of years of use, and the prescribed cost depreciation formula are used to calculate the standard trade-in price (referred to as the first trade-in price) when there is no abnormal usage. Furthermore, when the determination unit 53 determines that there is an abnormal usage, the price setting unit 54 sets the price coefficient α in the range of greater than 0 and less than 1 according to the content of the abnormal usage. Then, the first trade-in price is multiplied by the price coefficient α to calculate the trade-in price (referred to as the second trade-in price). It should be noted that the first trade-in price is the benchmark price of the battery 1, i.e., the base trade-in price.

[0032] The greater the degree of abnormality in the use condition, the smaller the price coefficient α is set to. For example, when the physical quantity such as battery current and voltage exceeds the limit value, the greater the difference from the limit value, or the longer the use period of the battery 1 after rewriting to the non-standard action program, or the longer the period during which the necessary action program is not updated, the greater the degree of abnormality in the use condition, and the smaller the price coefficient α is set to. When the determination unit 53 determines that there is information that a non-standard product is assembled to the battery 1, the price coefficient α is set to, for example, 0. When the price coefficient α is 0, the trade-off price becomes 0, so the reuse of the battery 1 can be prohibited.

[0033] The information output unit 55 transmits the trade-in price (first trade-in price, second trade-in price) of the battery 1 set by the price setting unit 54 to the company terminal 30 that has sent the trade-in price setting request. This allows the processing company 31 to recognize an appropriate trade-in price for the battery 1 .

[0034] Figure 3 1 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the CPU of the server device 50 according to a predetermined program. The processing shown in the flowchart is mainly performed by the information acquisition unit 52, the determination unit 53, the price setting unit 54, and the information output unit 55, and is started when communication is established with the vehicle-mounted terminal 20 via the communication unit 51, for example, and is repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle.

[0035] First, in S1 (S: processing step), the battery information and vehicle information sent from the vehicle terminal 20 are obtained together with the battery ID and the vehicle ID. Next, in S2, the various information obtained in S1 is stored in the storage unit 56. Next, in S3, it is determined whether a request to set the trade-in price of the battery 1 has been sent from the enterprise terminal 30. If it is affirmative in S3 (S3: Yes), the process proceeds to S4, and if it is negative (S3: No), the process ends.

[0036] In S4, a first low price is set as a standard trade-in price for the battery 1 based on the battery information corresponding to the battery ID sent from the enterprise terminal 30 among the battery information stored in the storage unit 56. The first trade-in price may be set based not only on the battery information but also on the vehicle information.

[0037] Next, in S5, it is determined whether the battery 1 receiving the request to set the trade-in price has abnormal usage based on the battery information stored in the storage unit 56. If the answer in S5 is affirmative (S5: Yes), the process proceeds to S6, and if the answer is negative (S5: No), S6 and S7 are skipped and the process proceeds to S8.

[0038] In S6, based on the content of the abnormal usage, the price coefficient α is set in the range of 0 or more and less than 1. Next, in S7, the first discount price calculated in S4 is multiplied by the price coefficient α set in S6 to set a second discount price as the discount price of the battery 1 with abnormal usage. Next, in S8, the discount price of the battery 1 is sent to the enterprise terminal 30. That is, the first discount price set in S4 or the second discount price set in S7 is sent to the enterprise terminal 30.

[0039] The operation of the battery price setting device of this embodiment is summarized as follows. Information related to the use status of the battery 1 mounted on the vehicle 101 is sent to the server device 50 via the vehicle terminal 20 at any time and stored in the storage unit 56 (S1, S2). When the user of the vehicle 101 requests the processing company 31 to trade in the battery 1, the processing company 31 sends a request to set the trade-in price of the battery 1 to the server device 50 via the company terminal 30.

[0040] When receiving the request to set the trade-in price, the server device 50 calculates the first trade-in price of the battery 1 based on the usage status (SOH, etc.) of the battery 1 stored in the storage unit 56 (S4). Next, based on the battery information stored in the storage unit 56, it is determined whether there has been an abnormal usage status of the battery 1. When it is determined that there is no abnormal usage status, the first trade-in price is directly sent to the enterprise terminal 30 as the trade-in price (S5→S8).

[0041] On the other hand, when it is determined that the battery 1 has been used abnormally, a price coefficient α corresponding to the use condition is set, and the price coefficient α is multiplied by the first discount price to set the second discount price (S6, S7). For example, when the vehicle 101 is traveling downhill on a steep slope, the regeneration amount of the battery 1 exceeds the specified value, thereby causing lithium metal precipitation in the battery 1, it is determined that there has been an abnormal use condition. In this case, the price coefficient α is multiplied by less than 1, thereby setting a second discount price lower than the first discount price, and the second discount price is sent to the enterprise terminal 30 as the discount price (S7→S8).

[0042] Thus, the trade-in company can set an appropriate trade-in price of the battery 1 corresponding to the usage condition of the battery 1. That is, if the battery 1 has been used abnormally, the degree of deterioration of the battery 1 is large, and the durability and quality reliability of the reused battery 1 are reduced. Therefore, the trade-in price of the battery 1 is set lower than when there is no abnormal use condition. Thus, an appropriate price that matches the residual value of the battery 1 can be set.

[0043] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0044] (1) The battery price setting device of this embodiment comprises: an information acquisition unit 52, which acquires battery information including information on the usage status of the battery 1 mounted on the vehicle 101; a determination unit 53, which determines whether there is an abnormal usage status of the battery 1 based on the battery information acquired by the information acquisition unit 52; and a price setting unit 54, which sets the trade-in price of the battery 1 to a lower price than when it is determined that there is no abnormal usage status when the determination unit 53 determines that the battery 1 is in an abnormal usage status. Figure 2 ) By setting the trade-in price in consideration of the presence or absence of abnormal usage of the battery 1 in this way, an appropriate trade-in price of the battery 1 can be set.

[0045] (2) The battery information includes information on physical quantities such as the current flowing through the battery 1, the voltage of the battery 1, and the temperature of the battery 1. When any of these physical quantities exceeds a prescribed range during normal use, the determination unit 53 determines that there is an abnormal use condition of the battery 1. In this way, the presence or absence of an abnormal use condition of the battery 1 can be appropriately determined.

[0046] (3) The charging and discharging operation of the battery 1 is controlled by, for example, the battery ECU 15. The battery information includes information on the rewriting of the action program pre-recorded in the memory of the battery ECU 15. When there is information on the informal rewriting of the action program, the determination unit 53 determines that the battery 1 is in abnormal use. In other words, when there is an informal rewriting of the action program, the battery 1 will not be used as the manufacturer wishes, which may cause the battery 1 to deteriorate, reduce durability, etc. Taking this into consideration, when the action program is informally rewritten, it is determined to be an abnormal condition of the battery 1. In this way, the trade-in price of the battery 1 can be appropriately set.

[0047] (4) The battery information also includes information on updates to the operating program of the battery ECU 15. When there is no information on regular updates to the operating program, the determination unit 53 determines that the battery 1 is in abnormal use. That is, if the operating program is not updated and ignored despite a recall notice for the operating program of the battery 1, for example, the battery 1 is likely to deteriorate. In view of this, when there is no regular update to the operating program, it is determined that the battery 1 is in abnormal condition. This allows the trade-in price of the battery 1 to be appropriately set.

[0048] (5) The battery information includes information about parts added or replaced to the battery 1. When there is information about the assembly of non-standard parts, the determination unit 53 determines that there is an abnormal use of the battery 1. This allows for setting an appropriate trade-in price for the battery 1, taking into account that the performance of the battery 1 may deteriorate during secondary use due to the installation of parts not warrantied by the manufacturer.

[0049] The above embodiment can be modified in various ways. Several modified examples are described below. In the above embodiment, the trade-in price of the battery 1 is set by the server device 50 that is communicatively connected to the vehicle-mounted terminal 20, but the trade-in price can also be set in the vehicle-mounted terminal 20 or the enterprise terminal 30. In other words, the battery price setting device can also be set in the vehicle-mounted terminal 20 or the enterprise terminal 30 instead of the server device 50.

[0050] Figure 4 2 is a block diagram showing an example of setting a trade-in price in the enterprise terminal 30 as an example. Figure 4 In the embodiment, battery information including the normal or abnormal use status of the battery 1 is stored in the storage unit 21 of the vehicle-mounted terminal 20. The enterprise terminal 30 includes a communication unit 32, an information acquisition unit 33, a determination unit 34, and a price setting unit 35.

[0051] The communication unit 32 communicates with the vehicle-mounted terminal 20, for example, wirelessly. The information acquisition unit 33 acquires the battery information stored in the storage unit 21 via the communication unit 32. The determination unit 34 determines whether there is an abnormal usage condition of the battery 1 based on the battery information acquired by the information acquisition unit 33. When the determination unit 34 determines that there is an abnormal usage condition of the battery 1, the price setting unit 35 sets the trade-in price of the battery 1 to be lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal usage condition. It should be noted that the configuration of the determination unit 34 and the price setting unit 35 is similar to that of the battery 1. Figure 2 The determination unit 53 and the price setting unit 54 have the same configuration. With such a configuration, the processing company 31 can set an appropriate trade-in price for the battery 1 without going through the server device 50.

[0052] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the presence or absence of abnormal use of the battery 1 is determined based on information on at least any one of the physical quantities such as the current, voltage, and temperature flowing through the battery 1, information on the rewriting of the action program pre-recorded in the memory of the battery ECU 15 as the control unit for controlling the charging and discharging actions of the battery 1, information on the regular update of the action program of the control unit, and information on non-standard products assembled to the battery 1 by addition or replacement. However, as long as the presence or absence of abnormal use of the battery 1 is determined based on battery information including information on the use of the battery 1 mounted on the vehicle 101, the configuration of the determination unit may be any configuration. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the information acquisition unit 33 acquires information on the battery 1 mounted on the vehicle 101, but the information acquisition unit may also be configured to acquire battery information mounted on a specified device other than the vehicle. Therefore, the battery price setting device of the present invention can also be used for batteries mounted on devices other than vehicles.

[0053] As long as the trade-in price of the battery 1 is set lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal usage condition when the determination unit 53 determines that the battery 1 is in abnormal usage, the price setting unit may be configured in any manner. In the above embodiment, the battery 1 as a secondary battery is configured as a lithium-ion battery, but the configuration of the battery is not limited to the above. The battery may also be configured by a plurality of battery packs.

[0054] The present invention can also be used as a battery price setting method comprising the following steps: obtaining battery information including usage information of a battery 1 mounted on a specified device such as a vehicle 101; determining whether the battery 1 has an abnormal usage condition based on the obtained battery information; and when it is determined that the battery 1 has an abnormal usage condition, setting the discount price of the battery 1 to be lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal usage condition.

[0055] One or more of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be arbitrarily combined, and modifications may be combined with each other.

[0056] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily set an appropriate trade-in price for a battery.

[0057] Although the present invention has been described above in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure of the claims described below.

Claims

1. A battery price setting device, characterized in that: have: an information acquisition unit (52) for acquiring battery information including information on the usage status of a battery (1) mounted on a predetermined device (101); a determination unit (53) for determining whether or not the battery (1) is in an abnormal usage state based on the battery information acquired by the information acquisition unit (52); as well as a price setting unit (54) which sets the trade-in price of the battery (1) to be lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal usage condition, when the determination unit (53) determines that the battery (1) is in abnormal usage condition; The battery information includes information on rewriting an operation program pre-recorded in a memory of a control unit (15) for controlling the charging and discharging operation of the battery (1). When there is information indicating that the operation program has been improperly rewritten, the determination unit (53) determines that the battery (1) is in an abnormal usage state.

2. The battery price setting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery information includes information on at least one physical quantity of the current flowing through the battery (1), the voltage of the battery (1), and the temperature of the battery (1). When the physical quantity exceeds a predetermined range, the determination unit (53) determines that there is an abnormal usage condition of the battery (1).

3. The battery price setting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery information also includes information on updates to the action program. When there is no information on regular update of the operation program, the determination unit (53) determines that there is an abnormal usage condition of the battery (1).

4. The battery price setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The battery information includes information about components assembled to the battery (1) by addition or replacement, When there is assembly information of non-standard parts, the determination unit (53) determines that there is an abnormal usage condition of the battery (1).

5. The battery price setting device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When there is assembly information of the non-standard parts and the determination unit (53) determines that the battery (1) is in abnormal use, the price setting unit (54) sets the trade-in price of the battery (1) to 0.

6. The battery price setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The price setting unit (54) sets the trade-in price of the battery (1) in the absence of abnormal usage of the battery (1) as a base trade-in price, and when the determination unit (53) determines that the battery (1) is in abnormal usage, the trade-in price of the battery (1) is set by multiplying the base trade-in price by a price coefficient (α) set in a range greater than 0 and less than 1.

7. A battery price setting method, characterized in that: The following steps are included: Obtaining battery information including usage status information of a battery (1) mounted on a specified device (101); Based on the acquired battery information, determining whether there is any abnormal usage of the battery (1); as well as When it is determined that the battery (1) is in abnormal use, the trade-in price of the battery (1) is set lower than when it is determined that there is no abnormal use. The battery information includes information on rewriting an operation program pre-recorded in a memory of a control unit (15) for controlling the charging and discharging operation of the battery (1). When there is information indicating that the operation program has been improperly rewritten, it is determined that the battery (1) is in abnormal use.

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