Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

A control unit of an information processing device determines the priority of collection of a plurality of stored batteries by referring to information relating to damage of the plurality of batteries. Furthermore, the control unit of the information processing device outputs instruction information for instructing the collection of the plurality of batteries in accordance with the determined priority of collection of the plurality of batteries.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-192268 discloses a method for planning waste transportation. In the method for planning waste transportation disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-192268, a plan is formulated to collect waste discharged from each recycling site within a certain area and transport it to a transfer treatment base of a waste treatment facility. In the method for planning waste transportation, a path for transportable waste within a certain area is maintained. In addition, in the method for planning waste transportation, the amount and packaging method of waste to be collected at multiple recycling sites on the transportable path are obtained. Moreover, in the method for planning waste transportation, based on the amount and packaging method of waste to be collected at each recycling site, a recycling path is calculated that tours each recycling site, collects waste at each recycling site, and returns to the transfer treatment base. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present disclosure is to achieve safe storage of batteries.

[0004] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the information processing device includes a control unit, which is configured to execute: determining the recycling priority of the plurality of batteries in storage by referring to information related to damage of the plurality of batteries; and outputting instruction information for instructing the recycling of the plurality of batteries according to the determined recycling priority of the plurality of batteries.

[0005] The information processing method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method, which is executed by a computer, and includes: determining the recycling priority of the multiple batteries in storage by referring to information related to damage of the multiple batteries; and outputting instruction information for instructing the recycling of the multiple batteries according to the determined recycling priority of the multiple batteries.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, safe storage of batteries can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and in which:

[0008] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a recovery system.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of a server constituting the recycling system.

[0010] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the table structure of battery information.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Assume that a plurality of batteries in storage are recycled. At this time, it is possible that at least one of the plurality of batteries is damaged. In this way, it can be assumed that the risk of storage will increase due to the damage of the battery. Here, the information processing device of the first aspect of the present disclosure solves such a problem.

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit of the information processing device determines the recycling priority of the plurality of batteries stored by referring to the information related to the damage of the plurality of batteries. Furthermore, the control unit of the information processing device outputs instruction information for instructing the recycling of the plurality of batteries according to the determined recycling priority of the plurality of batteries.

[0014] As described above, the information processing device determines the priority of recycling based on the information related to the damage of the battery. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the risk of storage increasing with the damage of the battery. As a result, the battery can be stored safely.

[0015] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment do not mean that the technical scope of the present disclosure is limited thereto.

[0016] <Implementation Method>

[0017] (System Overview)

[0018] Regarding the recycling system 1 of this embodiment, Figure 1 Provide explanation. Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a recycling system 1. The recycling system 1 is composed of a dealer terminal 100, a server 200, and a recycling company terminal 300. In the recycling system 1, the dealer terminal 100, the server 200, and the recycling company terminal 300 are connected to each other via a network N1. The network N1 can be, for example, a world-scale public communication network such as the Internet, i.e., a wide area network (WAN), or a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone.

[0019] (Dealer Terminal)

[0020] The dealer terminal 100 is a terminal used by a vehicle dealer (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "dealer"). The dealer terminal 100 is, for example, a computer or a portable information terminal used by the dealer.

[0021] The dealer removes the battery (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "battery") installed in the vehicle. At this time, the dealer removes the battery from the vehicle for recycling or rebuilding. Then, the dealer keeps the removed battery. Here, the battery is a battery for driving a motor of a battery electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle. In addition, the battery may be a battery used as an auxiliary battery or other battery in the vehicle.

[0022] Recycling is the process of reusing batteries as resources. Recycling is, for example, the process of crushing batteries and extracting metals (iron, copper, gold, lithium, nickel, cobalt, etc.) contained in the batteries as resources. In this way, the extracted metals and other resources can be used in the manufacture of new products.

[0023] In addition, the rebuilding process is a rebuilding process for reusing part or all of the components. The rebuilding process is a process of disassembling the battery into components and reusing the reusable components as a battery for another vehicle. Here, the components of the battery are, for example, cells that constitute the battery. In addition, the components of the battery may be, for example, modules or substrates that constitute the battery. In this case, the components removed from the battery are reused as components of a newly manufactured battery. In addition, during the rebuilding process, the battery may not be disassembled, but may be reassembled as a battery for another vehicle and used directly.

[0024] In addition, in the present embodiment, the battery is a battery that is recycled or rebuilt after being collected. However, the battery does not necessarily have to be a battery that is recycled or rebuilt after being collected. The battery may be, for example, a battery that is discarded after being collected.

[0025] The dealer terminal 100 sends the battery information to the server 200 via the network N1. Here, the battery information is information about the battery kept by the dealer. The battery information includes information related to the damage state of the battery kept by the dealer. In the present embodiment, the information related to the damage state of the battery is information about whether the vehicle in which the battery was installed has an accident record. Whether the vehicle has an accident record is, for example, whether the vehicle has been involved in a collision accident. In addition, whether the vehicle has an accident record is, for example, whether the vehicle has been flooded. The battery information is generated by the dealer inputting information about the battery and information about whether the vehicle in which the battery was installed has an accident record to the dealer terminal 100.

[0026] (server)

[0027] The server 200 is a server device that manages the recycling of batteries kept by dealers. The server 200 receives battery information from the dealer terminal 100 via the network N1. In addition, the server 200 sends instruction information to the recycling company terminal 300 via the network N1. Here, the instruction information is information indicating the recycling of multiple batteries kept by the dealer. At this time, sometimes the amount of multiple batteries held by the dealer exceeds the amount of batteries that the recycling company can recycle. In this case, the server 200 needs to give priority to the multiple batteries held by the dealer, and decide the battery to be recycled from the multiple batteries based on the priority.

[0028] Here, it is assumed that the vehicle in which the battery was installed was a vehicle that had an accident. In this case, the battery may be damaged by the impact during the accident. In addition, the battery may be damaged by being submerged in water. In this way, the battery installed in the vehicle with an accident record may catch fire or leak. Therefore, it can be assumed that the risk of storing the battery installed in the vehicle with an accident record will increase.

[0029] Therefore, the server 200 determines the recycling priority of the plurality of batteries according to whether the vehicle in which each of the plurality of batteries was installed has an accident record. The method by which the server 200 determines the recycling priority of the plurality of batteries will be described in detail later.

[0030] The server 200 includes a computer having a processor 210, a main memory 220, an auxiliary memory 230, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 240. The processor 210 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The main memory 220 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The auxiliary memory 230 is, for example, a read-only memory (ROM). In addition, the auxiliary memory 230 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, or a Blu-ray disk. In addition, the auxiliary memory 230 may also be a removable medium (removable storage medium). Here, as a removable medium, for example, a USB memory or an SD card can be cited. The communication I / F 240 is, for example, a local area network (LAN) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0031] In the server 200, the auxiliary memory 230 stores an operating system (OS), various programs, and various information tables. In addition, in the server 200, the processor 210 can load the program stored in the auxiliary memory 230 into the main memory 220 and execute it to realize various functions described later. However, some or all of the functions in the server 200 can also be realized by a hardware circuit such as ASIC or FPGA. In addition, the server 200 does not necessarily need to be realized by a single physical structure, and can also be composed of multiple computers that cooperate with each other. In addition, the dealer terminal 100 is composed of a computer like the server 200.

[0032] (Recycling company terminal)

[0033] The recycling company terminal 300 is a terminal used by a company (recycling company) that recycles batteries. The recycling company terminal 300 is composed of a computer in the same manner as the server 200. The recycling company terminal 300 receives instruction information from the server 200 via the network N1. As a result, the recycling company can grasp the batteries to be recycled from the multiple batteries kept by the dealer. As a result, the multiple batteries kept by the dealer are recycled by the recycling company. In addition, the battery does not have to be kept in a state of being removed from the vehicle. The battery can be, for example, in a state of being mounted on the vehicle, that is, it can be removed from the vehicle when the recycling company recycles it. In addition, the recycling company can also recycle the battery together with the vehicle.

[0034] In this embodiment, the server 200 sends instruction information to the recycling company terminal 300. However, the server 200 does not necessarily have to send the instruction information to the recycling company terminal 300. The server 200 may also send the instruction information directly to the vehicle (recycling vehicle) that performs battery recycling, for example. In this case, the instruction information includes information indicating the location where the battery recycling is performed and information indicating the battery to be recycled. Then, the recycling vehicle that receives the instruction information drives autonomously to the place where the dealer keeps the battery in accordance with the instruction information, and displays information indicating the battery to be recycled to the dealer. The dealer loads the battery onto the recycling vehicle according to the displayed information indicating the battery to be recycled. In this way, the battery is recycled.

[0035] (Functional composition)

[0036] Next, based on Figures 2 to 3 The functional configuration of the server 200 constituting the collection system 1 will be described. Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 200 constituting the collection system 1 .

[0037] The server 200 includes a control unit 201, a communication unit 202, and a battery information database 203 (battery information DB203). The control unit 201 can be implemented by a processor 210 in the server 200. The communication unit 202 has a function of connecting the server 200 to the network N1. The communication unit 202 can be implemented by a communication I / F 240 in the server 200.

[0038] The battery information DB 203 has a function of storing battery information. The battery information DB 203 can be implemented by the auxiliary memory 230 in the server 200. The control unit 201 receives the battery information from the dealer terminal 100 through the communication unit 202. The control unit 201 stores the received battery information in the battery information DB 203. Figure 3 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a battery information table. The battery information includes a dealer ID field, a battery ID field, a storage start date and time field, and a status information field.

[0039] The dealer ID field stores an identifier (dealer ID) for identifying the dealer that sent the battery information. When the server 200 manages the recycling of batteries kept by multiple dealers, multiple dealer IDs are stored in the battery information. In the battery ID field, an identifier (battery ID) for identifying the battery kept by the dealer with the corresponding dealer ID is stored. In the storage start date and time field, information indicating the date and time when the storage of the battery with the corresponding battery ID starts (storage start date and time) is stored. Here, the storage start date and time is the date and time when the battery is removed from the vehicle. In addition, the storage start date and time can be the date and time when the vehicle is received by the dealer, or the date and time when the battery is last discharged or charged. In the status information field, information indicating whether the vehicle that once installed the battery with the corresponding battery ID field has an accident record is stored.

[0040] The control unit 201 can understand whether the batteries kept by the dealer and the vehicles in which the batteries were installed have accident records. Here, there is a case where the number of batteries kept by the dealer exceeds the amount that the recycling company can recycle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "company recycling amount"). In this case, the control unit 201 refers to the battery information and determines the priority of recycling the multiple batteries.

[0041] Specifically, the control unit 201 obtains from the battery information whether the vehicle that has been installed with each of the multiple batteries kept by the dealer has an accident record. Then, the control unit 201 determines the recycling priority of the battery that has been installed on the vehicle with an accident record (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "specific battery") to be higher than the recycling priority of the battery that has been installed on the vehicle without an accident record. At this time, there may be multiple specific batteries kept at the dealer. In addition, there may be multiple specific batteries kept by the dealer that exceed the company's recycling amount.

[0042] Here, since a specific battery may be damaged, it can be assumed that the longer the storage period, the greater the risk during storage. That is, it can be assumed that the risk of fire or the risk of liquid leakage increases due to the extension of the storage period. Therefore, the control unit 201 determines the priority of recycling batteries with long storage periods to be higher than the priority of recycling batteries with short storage periods. Specifically, the control unit 201 calculates the storage period with reference to the storage start date and time stored in the storage start date and time field in the battery information. Then, the control unit 201 determines the recycling priority of a specific battery with a long storage period among multiple specific batteries to be high. Thus, in the case of storing a specific battery in an amount exceeding the company's recycling amount, it is possible to give priority to recycling specific batteries whose risks increase due to the longer storage period.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the recycling company recycles batteries stored at one dealer. However, the recycling company may also recycle multiple batteries stored at multiple dealers in a specified area. In this case, when the amount of multiple batteries stored at multiple dealers exceeds the recycling amount of the company, the control unit 201 determines the priority of recycling the multiple batteries stored at multiple dealers.

[0044] The control unit 201 generates instruction information for instructing the recycling of multiple batteries kept by the dealer according to the determined priority. Here, the control unit 201 generates instruction information for instructing the recycling of batteries in order of priority from high to low. That is, the control unit 201 generates instruction information to give priority to recycling specific batteries in order from long to short storage periods. In addition, when the amount of specific batteries is less than the company's recycling amount, the control unit 201 instructs batteries other than the specific batteries to be recycled. In this way, the control unit 201 generates instruction information for instructing the recycling of batteries in the company's recycling amount. Then, the control unit 201 sends the instruction information to the recycling company terminal 300 through the communication unit 202.

[0045] (flow chart)

[0046] Next, we will base Figure 4 The processing executed by the control unit 201 of the server 200 in the collection system 1 will be described. Figure 42 is a flowchart of a process executed by the control unit 201. This process is a process for outputting instruction information. This process is executed at a predetermined time. The predetermined time is, for example, the time when a recycling company collects batteries.

[0047] exist Figure 4 In the process shown, first in S101, battery information is obtained from the battery information DB 203. Next, in S102, it is determined whether the amount of batteries kept by the dealer exceeds the amount of batteries that the company can recycle. If a negative determination is made in S102, the amount of batteries kept by the dealer does not exceed the amount of batteries that the company can recycle. Therefore, the recycling company can recycle all of the multiple batteries kept by the dealer. Here, in S105, instruction information is generated to instruct the recycling of all of the multiple batteries kept by the dealer, and the generated instruction information is output to the recycling company terminal 300. Then, Figure 4 The shown processing ends.

[0048] In S102, if a positive determination is made, the amount of batteries stored by the storage dealer exceeds the amount recycled by the company. Therefore, the recycling company cannot recycle all the multiple batteries stored by the dealer. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the recycling priority of the multiple batteries stored by the dealer. Therefore, in S103, the battery information is referred to, and the status information about each of the multiple batteries stored by the dealer is obtained. Then, in S104, the recycling priority is determined based on the status information of each of the multiple batteries stored in the dealer. Then, in S105, indication information corresponding to the recycling priority is generated, and the generated indication information is output to the recycling company terminal 300. That is, in S105, indication information for recycling the batteries of the company's recycling amount is generated and output in order of priority from high to low. Then, Figure 4 The shown processing ends.

[0049] As described above, in the recycling system 1, the recycling priority of the specific battery is determined to be higher than that of the battery other than the specific battery. Therefore, in the case where a dealer stores a plurality of batteries including the specific battery and the battery other than the specific battery, the specific battery can be recycled with priority. Therefore, the recycling period of the specific battery can be advanced, and the risk during storage can be suppressed from increasing.

[0050] In addition, in this embodiment, when a dealer keeps multiple specific batteries, the priority of batteries with a long storage period is determined to be high. As a result, the priority of recycling specific batteries with a long storage period, which are assumed to have a possibility of increasing the risk during storage due to damage, is determined to be higher. Therefore, it is possible to preferentially recycle specific batteries with increased risks due to the longer storage period. In this way, safe storage of batteries can be achieved.

[0051] (Variant 1)

[0052] In this embodiment, the status information in the battery information stored in the battery information DB 203 is information about whether the vehicle in which the battery was installed has an accident record. However, the status information in the battery information may not be information about whether the vehicle in which the battery was installed has an accident record.

[0053] Here, it can be assumed that the greater the damage to the battery, the greater the risk during storage. Therefore, the status information in the battery information may be information indicating the magnitude of the damage to the battery. Here, the magnitude of the damage to the battery is represented by, for example, the number of damages to the cells in the battery. In addition, in this case, the greater the number of damages to the cells in the battery, the greater the damage to the battery. The dealer connects the battery to a diagnostic device, for example, and measures the magnitude of the damage to the battery. Then, the information on the magnitude of the damage to the battery output from the diagnostic device is output to the dealer terminal 100, thereby generating the status information in the battery information.

[0054] Then, the greater the battery damage, the higher the priority of battery recycling will be determined by the server 200. At this time, there may be a plurality of batteries with the same degree of battery damage. In this case, the server 200 determines the recycling priority of batteries with a long storage period to be higher than the recycling priority of batteries with a short storage period. In this way, even if the priority is determined according to the degree of battery damage, safe storage of batteries can be achieved.

[0055] In addition, if the battery is seriously damaged, it can be assumed that its condition can also be understood from the appearance. Therefore, the status information can be generated, for example, by the dealer confirming the appearance of the battery and inputting the extent of the damage to the battery into the dealer terminal 100. In addition, it can be assumed that the higher the water level when the vehicle (battery) is submerged in water, the more water will be immersed in the battery. That is, the higher the water level when the vehicle (battery) is submerged in water, the greater the damage to the battery. Therefore, the status information can also be, for example, information about the water level when the vehicle (battery) is submerged in water. In this case, for example, the dealer inputs the water level information at the time of submersion into the dealer terminal 100. In this way, safe storage of the battery can also be achieved.

[0056] In addition, for batteries that have been installed in vehicles with accident records, it can be assumed that the size of the damage will vary depending on the severity of the accident. Therefore, server 200 can use both information about whether the vehicle has an accident record and information indicating the size of the battery damage to determine the priority of battery recycling. Server 200, for example, may also determine the highest priority for recycling batteries whose size of battery damage is greater than a first specified value among batteries that have been installed in vehicles with accident records. In addition, server 200, for example, may also determine the second highest priority for recycling batteries whose size of battery damage is less than a first specified value and greater than a second specified value among batteries that have been installed in vehicles with accident records.

[0057] In this way, the server 200 determines the priority of recycling by referring to the information about whether the vehicle has an accident record and the information indicating the extent of damage to the battery. As a result, batteries that have been installed in vehicles with accident records and have severe damage can be recycled first. In this way, safe storage of batteries can also be achieved.

[0058] (Variant 2)

[0059] The battery in this embodiment is a battery installed in a vehicle. However, the recycled battery does not necessarily have to be a battery installed in a vehicle. For example, it may be any battery installed in an electrical product or a stationary storage battery, or it may be a battery that has been recycled or rebuilt.

[0060] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0061] The above-mentioned embodiment is only an example, and the present disclosure can be implemented with appropriate changes without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the processes and devices described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented without causing technical conflicts.

[0062] Furthermore, a process described as being executed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, a process described as being executed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change which hardware configuration (server configuration) is used to implement each function.

[0063] The present disclosure can also be implemented by providing a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and causing one or more processors included in the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or can be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, such as any type of disk, such as a disk (Floppy (registered trademark) disk, or hard disk drive (HDD)), optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic card, flash memory, or optical card.

Claims

1. An information processing device, characterized in that: A control unit is provided, wherein the control unit is configured to execute: determining a priority of recycling the plurality of batteries in storage by referring to information related to damage of the plurality of batteries; and Instruction information for instructing the recycling of the plurality of batteries is output according to the determined priorities of recycling of the plurality of batteries.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The battery is a vehicle battery that has been installed in a vehicle, The information related to damage of the plurality of batteries includes information on whether a vehicle in which each of the plurality of batteries was installed has an accident record, Determining the priority includes determining the priority of a battery, among the plurality of batteries, that was mounted on a vehicle having an accident record to be higher than the priority of a battery, among the plurality of batteries, that was mounted on a vehicle having no accident record.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The information related to the damage of the plurality of batteries includes information related to the magnitude of the damage of the plurality of batteries, The determining of the priority includes determining the priority of a battery having greater damage among the plurality of batteries to be higher than the priority of a battery having less damage among the plurality of batteries.

4. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Determining the priority includes determining the priority further according to a length of a storage period of each of the plurality of batteries.

5. An information processing method, which is executed by a computer, characterized in that: include: determining a priority for recycling the plurality of batteries in storage by referring to information related to damage of the plurality of batteries; as well as Instruction information for instructing the recycling of the plurality of batteries is output according to the determined priorities of recycling of the plurality of batteries.

Images