Convenient battery replacement method and system for electric vehicle sharing battery

Abstract

The application relates to a convenient battery replacement method and system for electric vehicle sharing. The replacement method comprises the following steps: when the discharge interface of a shared battery is disconnected from an electric vehicle and the current power of the shared battery is lower than a preset value, a shared battery management device establishes wireless communication with the control system of the nearest battery replacement cabinet within a preset distance range and sends a battery replacement request; the control system of the battery replacement cabinet verifies the real-time state of the shared battery and a user account according to the battery replacement request, and opens an empty battery compartment in the battery replacement cabinet when the verification is passed; after the control system of the battery replacement cabinet detects that the shared battery is placed in the empty battery compartment and the compartment door is closed, another battery compartment containing a replacement shared battery in the battery replacement cabinet is opened. The application omits the user account verification process of taking out a mobile phone to scan a code, the operation and waiting process after scanning the code, and the state verification process after placing the battery into the battery compartment, and the state verification process is completed in advance when the wireless communication battery replacement request is sent, so that the battery replacement operation time of the user is greatly saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery swapping technology, and in particular to a convenient battery swapping method and system for shared electric vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the main energy replenishment methods for two-wheeled electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and three-wheeled electric vehicles on the market are charging and battery swapping. Among them, these vehicles used in the commercial sector mostly choose battery swapping due to their high usage frequency and tight schedules, such as those used by food delivery workers and couriers.

[0003] While battery swapping saves users time compared to charging, the complex and cumbersome process can often cause inconvenience and hinder smooth use. For example, before the battery is placed in the swapping cabinet, there is no signal communication between the battery and the cabinet. The cabinet can only perform a safety verification of the battery's status after the battery is placed in the cabinet and connected to the cable, and only after passing the safety verification can the next step be taken. In order to place the battery in the swapping cabinet, the user must scan a code, allowing the cabinet to receive the user's request command and verify the user's identity. This series of operations requires the user to actively perform and patiently wait for the system to respond.

[0004] In practical applications, users are often anxious about the above operations due to time constraints, increasing the risk of equipment damage during the process. Therefore, this technology will provide users with a new and more convenient battery swapping method, thereby greatly improving the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a convenient battery swapping method and system for shared batteries in electric vehicles, which simplifies the battery swapping process, speeds up the swapping process, and thus solves the technical problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] One technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles, comprising: S10: When the discharge interface of the shared battery is disconnected from the electric vehicle, the shared battery management device determines whether to search for a battery swapping cabinet within a preset distance range based on the current charge of the shared battery. S20: When the current charge of the shared battery is lower than a preset value, the shared battery management device establishes wireless communication with the control system of the nearest battery swapping cabinet within a preset distance range and sends a battery swapping request. S30: The control system of the battery swapping cabinet verifies the real-time status of the shared battery and the user account based on the battery swapping request. Once the verification is successful, it opens an empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet. S40: After the control system of the battery swapping cabinet detects that the shared battery is placed in the empty battery compartment and the compartment door is closed, it opens another battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet that contains a replacement shared battery.

[0007] Furthermore, the battery swapping cabinet that can be searched in step S10 needs to meet the following conditions: the battery swapping cabinet has at least one empty battery compartment and at least one battery compartment containing a fully charged shared battery.

[0008] Further, step S30 includes: The control system of the battery swapping cabinet determines the number of the shared battery to be replaced and the real-time status of the shared battery based on the battery swapping request sent by the shared battery management device. Based on the shared battery's serial number, determine the user account and basic battery parameters corresponding to that serial number; The safety of the shared battery is verified based on its basic parameters and real-time status. After the battery safety verification is completed, the user account is verified for identity and balance. Once the verification is successful, the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet is opened.

[0009] Furthermore, after the control system of the battery swapping cabinet detects that the replacement shared battery has been removed from the battery compartment, it associates the number of the replacement shared battery with the user account and cancels the association between the number of the replaced shared battery and the user account.

[0010] Furthermore, the safety verification of the shared battery based on its basic battery parameters and real-time status includes: The basic parameters of the battery include: the model, production date, and number of days of use of the shared battery; The real-time status of the shared battery includes: current battery level, real-time battery voltage, and real-time battery temperature. Verify the number of days the shared battery is available, as well as the real-time battery voltage and temperature. If the number of available days is 0, or the real-time battery voltage or real-time battery temperature is not within the safe range, the safety verification fails. The control system of the battery swapping cabinet stops charging shared batteries that have not passed safety verification and notifies the management personnel to replace the shared batteries.

[0011] Furthermore, the process of verifying user account identity and balance, and then opening the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet after successful verification, includes: Verify whether the user account is in a normal state and whether the monthly battery swapping function is activated. When the user account is in a normal state and the monthly battery swapping function is activated, open the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet. When the user account has not activated the monthly battery swapping service, the system verifies whether the user account has activated the quick battery swapping service. When the user account has not activated the quick battery swapping service, a battery swapping confirmation button pops up on the screen of the battery swapping cabinet. When the user clicks the confirmation button, the system verifies the account balance. When the user account activates the quick battery swap function, the account balance is verified. When the user's account balance is greater than or equal to the cost of this battery swap, the empty battery compartment in the battery swap cabinet is opened. When the user's account balance is less than the cost of this battery swap, an insufficient balance prompt will pop up on the screen of the battery swap cabinet.

[0012] Furthermore, after the shared battery is placed in the empty battery compartment, the control system of the battery swapping cabinet performs a secondary verification of the serial number of the shared battery placed in the empty battery compartment. After the verification is successful, the shared battery is charged.

[0013] Furthermore, the secondary verification of the serial number of the shared battery placed in the empty battery compartment includes: The consistency between the serial number of the shared battery placed in the empty battery compartment and the serial number of the shared battery connected to the control system of the battery swapping cabinet is verified. If the results are consistent, begin charging normally. If there is a discrepancy, a battery error message will pop up on the screen of the battery swapping cabinet, and the door of the battery compartment will be reopened.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes: When the control system of the battery swapping cabinet opens the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet, if no shared battery is detected in the empty battery compartment within a preset time, or if the management device of the shared battery in the empty battery compartment is disconnected from the control system of the battery swapping cabinet, the current battery swapping process will be terminated. The user will be given priority to specify the open empty battery compartment during the next battery swap.

[0015] Another technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a convenient battery swapping system for shared electric vehicles, used to execute any of the above-described convenient battery swapping methods for shared electric vehicles, comprising: a shared battery and a battery swapping cabinet, wherein the shared battery has a management device, the battery swapping cabinet has a control system, and the management device is capable of communicating with the control system.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: When a shared battery meets the conditions for battery swapping, the shared battery management device and the battery swapping cabinet control system communicate wirelessly in advance to perform the corresponding verification work, which greatly improves the efficiency of use. It eliminates the process of users taking out their mobile phones to scan the code and the operation and waiting process after scanning the code, which greatly saves users' battery swapping time, shortening the traditional battery swapping time from 60-120 seconds to about 30 seconds. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. The described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] In the technical solution of the present invention, Figure 1 This is a flowchart based on a convenient battery swapping method for shared electric vehicles, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes: S10: When the discharge interface of the shared battery is disconnected from the electric vehicle, the shared battery management device determines whether to search for a battery swapping cabinet within a preset distance range based on the current charge level of the shared battery.

[0020] The shared battery management device can be a BMS device or a processor connected to the BMS device, and it should have wireless communication capabilities, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, to communicate with the control system of the battery swapping cabinet. The preset range can be a set communication range, such as 1 meter, 3 meters, 5 meters, or 10 meters.

[0021] The management device for the shared battery installed in the electric vehicle detects the real-time power level of the shared battery. When the discharge interface of the shared battery is disconnected from the electric vehicle, the management device searches for battery swapping cabinets within a preset range.

[0022] Therefore, the shared battery management device can detect the connection status between the shared battery discharge interface and the electric vehicle. Simultaneously, the shared battery management device can set data such as the default battery swapping capacity and search distance range.

[0023] The control system of the battery swapping cabinet can only be detected by the shared battery management device when there is at least one empty battery compartment and at least one battery compartment containing a fully charged shared battery in the battery swapping cabinet, so as to communicate and perform rapid battery swapping.

[0024] The aforementioned shared battery management device, battery swapping cabinet control system, and management platform are all conventional technologies in this field, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0025] It's important to note that when the shared battery management device detects a disconnection between the shared battery and the electric vehicle—that is, when the shared battery management device detects a disconnection at the battery's discharge port—it determines that the user needs to perform a battery swap. Alternatively, users can schedule a swap via a mobile app or mini-program. Within the scheduled time period, if the user drives their electric vehicle to any available battery swap station, it will also be determined that the user needs to perform a battery swap.

[0026] S20: When the current charge of the shared battery is lower than a preset value, the shared battery management device establishes wireless communication with the control system of the nearest battery swapping cabinet within a preset distance range and sends a battery swapping request.

[0027] When the shared battery management device detects that the current battery level is lower than a preset value, it considers the battery to be ready for a swap. The shared battery management device then immediately communicates with the control system of the nearest battery swapping station within the preset range to send a swap request.

[0028] It should be noted that the nearest battery swapping cabinet within the preset distance range means that if there is more than one similar battery swapping cabinet within the preset distance range, the shared battery management device will only establish wireless communication with the control system of the nearest battery swapping cabinet and send a battery swapping request. If there is no battery available for swapping in the nearest battery swapping cabinet, the connection will be disconnected and a connection will be established with the next nearest battery swapping cabinet and a battery swapping request will be sent.

[0029] The control system of the battery swapping cabinet can be an internal controller. To avoid situations where a cabinet is full and users cannot swap batteries upon arrival, a mobile app or mini-program can be used to check which cabinets are available for swapping. Therefore, all battery swapping cabinet control systems need to be connected to a unified management platform. This platform can view and manage the real-time status of each cabinet and centrally manage user accounts. The shared battery management device, battery swapping cabinet control system, and management platform described above are all conventional technologies in this field and will not be elaborated upon further.

[0030] S30: The control system of the battery swapping cabinet verifies the real-time status of the shared battery and the user account based on the battery swapping request. Once the verification is successful, it opens an empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet.

[0031] The control system of the battery swapping cabinet determines the number of the shared battery that needs to be replaced based on the battery swapping request sent by the shared battery management device. Specifically, the battery swapping request needs to include the number of the shared battery to be replaced and its real-time status information. The control system of the battery swapping cabinet parses the battery swapping request to obtain the corresponding number and the real-time status of the shared battery.

[0032] Based on the shared battery's serial number, the system determines the corresponding user account and basic battery parameters. All user account data and basic battery parameters are stored in the management platform. The battery swapping cabinet's control system searches the management platform for the user account and basic battery parameters corresponding to each shared battery's serial number. It's important to note that each shared battery's serial number corresponds to at most one user account, but the same user account can correspond to multiple shared battery serial numbers.

[0033] In other words, a single user can rent multiple shared batteries as needed. When a shared battery is inside a battery swapping station, it does not have a corresponding user account. Each user account will associate the shared battery number with their own account name when renting a shared battery.

[0034] The safety of the shared battery is verified based on its basic parameters and real-time status.

[0035] The basic parameters of the battery include: the model, production date, and number of days of use of the shared battery; The real-time status of the shared battery includes: current battery level, real-time battery voltage, and real-time battery temperature. Verify the number of days the shared battery is available, as well as the real-time battery voltage and temperature. If the number of available days is 0, or the real-time battery voltage or real-time battery temperature is not within the safe range, the safety verification fails. The control system of the battery swapping cabinet stops charging shared batteries that have failed safety verification and notifies the management personnel to replace the shared batteries. The notification can be sent through a management platform, where abnormal information is displayed.

[0036] It should be noted that even if the verification fails, it does not prevent the battery swapping cabinet's control system from verifying the user's account identity and balance.

[0037] After the battery safety verification is completed, the user account is verified for identity and balance. Once the verification is successful, the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet is opened.

[0038] The specific verification process is as follows: verify whether the user account is in a normal state and whether the monthly battery swapping function is activated. When the user account is in a normal state and the monthly battery swapping function is activated, open the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet.

[0039] If the user account has not activated the monthly battery swapping service, the system will verify whether the user account has activated the quick battery swapping service. If the user account has not activated the quick battery swapping service, a battery swapping confirmation button will pop up on the screen of the battery swapping cabinet. After the user clicks the confirmation button, the system will verify the account balance.

[0040] When the user account activates the quick battery swap function, the account balance is verified.

[0041] When the user's account balance is greater than or equal to the cost of this battery swap, the empty battery compartment in the battery swap cabinet is opened. When the user's account balance is less than the cost of this battery swap, an insufficient balance prompt will pop up on the screen of the battery swap cabinet.

[0042] During the user account verification process, the user account corresponding to the shared battery will first be verified to see if the monthly subscription function is activated. Monthly subscription users will be immediately verified and the empty battery compartment will be opened.

[0043] For non-monthly subscribers, the system will verify whether the user account has enabled the quick battery swap function. If enabled, it will check whether the user's account balance is sufficient to cover the cost of the battery swap. If sufficient, the verification will be successful. If the quick battery swap function is not enabled, a dialog box will pop up on the battery swap cabinet screen to welcome the user and ask if they wish to perform a battery swap. The user will then manually confirm the battery swap, and the system will verify the account balance and automatically deduct the cost.

[0044] If the account balance is insufficient, a low balance prompt will pop up on the screen of the battery swapping cabinet, prompting the user to recharge. Clicking the screen again will display a recharge QR code. Users can also recharge themselves through mobile software or mini-program. If the user clicks "Cancel," the battery swapping will be canceled. If no action is taken within the specified time (e.g., 3 minutes), the control system of the battery swapping cabinet will reset.

[0045] When a user swaps batteries, the control system of the battery swapping cabinet detects that the replacement shared battery has been removed from the battery compartment, associates the number of the replacement shared battery with the account information, and cancels the association between the number of the previous shared battery and the account information.

[0046] S40: After the control system of the battery swapping cabinet detects that the shared battery is placed in the empty battery compartment and the compartment door is closed, it opens another battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet that contains a replacement shared battery.

[0047] The control system of the battery swapping cabinet performs a secondary verification of the serial number of the shared battery placed in the empty battery compartment. After the verification is successful, the shared battery is charged.

[0048] The consistency between the serial number of the shared battery placed in the empty battery compartment and the serial number of the shared battery connected to the control system of the battery swapping cabinet is verified. If the results are consistent, begin charging normally. If there is a discrepancy, a battery error message will pop up on the screen of the battery swapping cabinet, and the battery compartment door will be reopened.

[0049] To prevent misidentification by the battery swapping cabinet's control system or temporary cancellation by the user, if the control system opens an empty battery compartment and does not detect a shared battery in the compartment within a preset time (e.g., 3 minutes), or if the management device of the shared battery in the empty compartment is disconnected from the control system, the current battery swapping process will exit. This means the user's account and shared battery association will not be changed, and no deduction will be made from the user's account balance. Furthermore, the system will prioritize opening an empty battery compartment for the next user battery swap, ensuring that only one empty battery compartment is opened for each user's swap.

[0050] After removing a usable shared battery, the user can close the compartment door to complete the battery swapping process.

[0051] In another technical solution of the present invention, a convenient battery swapping system for shared electric vehicles is provided. The system is used to execute any of the above-described convenient battery swapping methods for shared electric vehicles, including: a shared battery and a battery swapping cabinet, wherein the shared battery has a management device, the battery swapping cabinet has a control system, and the management device is capable of communicating with the control system.

[0052] The specific implementation process and effective results of this technical solution are the same as those of the convenient battery swapping method for shared electric vehicle batteries, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0053] Finally, it should be noted that the above specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to examples, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles, characterized in that, include: S10: When the discharge interface of the shared battery is disconnected from the electric vehicle, the shared battery management device determines whether to search for a battery swapping cabinet within a preset distance range based on the current charge of the shared battery. S20: When the current charge of the shared battery is lower than a preset value, the shared battery management device establishes wireless communication with the control system of the nearest battery swapping cabinet within a preset distance range and sends a battery swapping request. S30: The control system of the battery swapping cabinet verifies the real-time status of the shared battery and the user account based on the battery swapping request. Once the verification is successful, it opens an empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet. S40: After the control system of the battery swapping cabinet detects that the shared battery is placed in the empty battery compartment and the compartment door is closed, it opens another battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet containing a replacement shared battery. A battery swapping cabinet that can be searched must meet the following conditions: the battery swapping cabinet must have at least one empty battery compartment and at least one battery compartment containing a fully charged shared battery.

2. The convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Step S30 includes: The control system of the battery swapping cabinet determines the number of the shared battery to be replaced and the real-time status of the shared battery based on the battery swapping request sent by the shared battery management device. Based on the shared battery's serial number, determine the user account and basic battery parameters corresponding to that serial number; The safety of the shared battery is verified based on its basic parameters and real-time status. After the battery safety verification is completed, the user account is verified for identity and balance. Once the verification is successful, the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet is opened.

3. The convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles as described in claim 2, characterized in that, After the control system of the battery swapping cabinet detects that the replacement shared battery has been removed from the battery compartment, it associates the number of the replacement shared battery with the user account and cancels the association between the number of the replaced shared battery and the user account.

4. The convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The safety verification of the shared battery based on its basic parameters and real-time status includes: The basic parameters of the battery include: the model, production date, and number of days of use of the shared battery; The real-time status of the shared battery includes: current battery level, real-time battery voltage, and real-time battery temperature. Verify the number of days the shared battery is available, as well as the real-time battery voltage and temperature. Safety verification fails when the number of available days is 0, or when the real-time battery voltage or real-time battery temperature is not within a safe range.

5. The convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The process of verifying user account identity and balance, and opening the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet after successful verification, includes: Verify whether the user account is in a normal state and whether the monthly battery swapping function is activated. When the user account is in a normal state and the monthly battery swapping function is activated, open the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet. When the user account has not activated the monthly battery swapping service, the system verifies whether the user account has activated the quick battery swapping service. When the user account has not activated the quick battery swapping service, a battery swapping confirmation button pops up on the screen of the battery swapping cabinet. When the user clicks the confirmation button, the system verifies the account balance. When the user account activates the quick battery swap function, the account balance is verified. When the user's account balance is greater than or equal to the cost of this battery swap, the empty battery compartment in the battery swap cabinet is opened. When the user's account balance is less than the cost of this battery swap, an insufficient balance prompt will pop up on the screen of the battery swap cabinet.

6. The convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After the shared battery is placed in the empty battery compartment, the control system of the battery swapping cabinet performs a secondary verification of the serial number of the shared battery placed in the empty battery compartment. After the verification is successful, the shared battery is charged.

7. The convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The secondary verification of the serial numbers of the shared batteries placed in the empty battery compartment includes: The consistency between the serial number of the shared battery placed in the empty battery compartment and the serial number of the shared battery connected to the control system of the battery swapping cabinet is verified. If the results are consistent, begin charging normally. If there is a discrepancy, a battery error message will pop up on the screen of the battery swapping cabinet, and the door of the battery compartment will be reopened.

8. The convenient battery swapping method for shared batteries in electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: When the control system of the battery swapping cabinet opens the empty battery compartment in the battery swapping cabinet, if no shared battery is detected in the empty battery compartment within a preset time, or if the management device of the shared battery in the empty battery compartment is disconnected from the control system of the battery swapping cabinet, the current battery swapping process will be terminated. The user will be given priority to specify the open empty battery compartment during the next battery swap.

9. A convenient battery swapping system for shared electric vehicles, characterized in that, A convenient battery swapping method for shared electric vehicles according to any one of claims 1-8 includes: a shared battery and a battery swapping cabinet, wherein the shared battery has a management device, the battery swapping cabinet has a control system, and the management device is capable of communicating with the control system.

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