Battery management system

Abstract

A battery management system that manages a battery is provided with a notification device that notifies price-related information relating to the price of the battery to be changed from old to new on the basis of the state of the battery. Therefore, the user can identify the price associated information of the battery. A user who recognizes price-related information of a battery can study the replacement time of the battery on the basis of grasping the price-related information. As a result, it is possible to improve convenience when a user studies the replacement time of the battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery management system. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as such a battery management system, a system for managing batteries (battery packs) has been proposed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-40370). In this system, the degree of battery degradation is notified. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In recent years, the idea of ​​reusing used batteries by exchanging old ones for new ones has emerged. In this battery recycling approach, the trade-in price becomes a crucial factor when users consider when to replace their batteries. While the aforementioned battery management system reports the battery's degree of degradation, it does not provide the trade-in price. This reduces convenience for users when deciding when to replace their batteries.

[0004] The main purpose of the battery management system disclosed herein is to improve the convenience for users when determining when to replace batteries.

[0005] The battery management system disclosed herein uses the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main objectives.

[0006] The battery management system disclosed in the present invention is a battery management system for managing batteries, and its main purpose is to: A notification device is provided for notifying the user of price-related information related to the trade-in price of the battery based on the state of the battery.

[0007] The battery management system disclosed herein includes a notification device that provides price-related information related to the trade-in price of a battery based on the battery's status. This allows users to identify the battery's price-related information. Users who have identified the battery's price-related information can then research the battery's replacement time based on this information. This improves the user's convenience in researching battery replacement times.

[0008] In such a battery management system of the present disclosure, The degree of degradation of the battery may be calculated as the state of the battery. In this way, the user can recognize price-related information based on the degree of battery degradation.

[0009] In this case, The notification device may notify the price-related information when the degree of degradation is lower than a reference value of the degree of degradation of the battery in a device that recycles the battery. In this way, the price-related information of the battery can be notified before the degree of degradation exceeds the reference value of the device for recycling the battery. As a result, the price-related information can be notified to the user at a more appropriate time.

[0010] In addition, in the battery management system disclosed in the present invention, it may also be that: The battery is mounted on a vehicle. The notification device is a display device mounted on the vehicle or the portable terminal and displays the price-related information. This allows users riding in a vehicle or carrying a portable terminal to recognize price-related information, thereby improving convenience for users when considering battery replacement timing.

[0011] Furthermore, in the battery management system of the present disclosure, An information processing device may be provided in which an application program for executing a process using the price-related information is installed. In this way, since the process of using the price-related information can be executed by the application, the convenience of the user can be further improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] 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 parts, and in which: Figure 1 1 is a configuration diagram showing an overview of the configuration of the battery management system 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a display control routine executed by the ECU 70 of the battery-electric vehicle 20 . Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the state of health SOH, the manufacturer's trade-in price P of the stationary storage battery when the replaced battery 36 is reused as a stationary storage battery, and the elapsed time tu from the start of use of the battery-electric vehicle 20 after factory shipment. Figure 4 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of display on the display device 50 that has received a display instruction. Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display of the portable terminal 80 that has received the display instruction. Figure 6 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display of the navigation device 52 that has received the display instruction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of the structure of the battery management system 10 according to the present embodiment. The battery management system 10 according to the embodiment includes a battery-electric vehicle (vehicle) 20 and a mobile terminal 80 .

[0014] As shown in the figure, the battery-electric vehicle 20 includes a motor 32 , an inverter 34 , a battery 36 , a display device 50 , a navigation device 52 , and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) 70 .

[0015] The motor 32 is a synchronous generator motor having a rotor embedded with permanent magnets and a stator wound with three-phase coils. The rotor of the motor 32 is connected to the drive shaft 26 , which is connected to the drive wheels 22 a and 22 b via the differential gear 24 .

[0016] The inverter 34 is connected to the motor 32 and to the power line 38. The inverter 34 is configured as a well-known inverter circuit including six transistors and six diodes.

[0017] The battery 36 is configured as, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery, and is connected to the power line 38 in a replaceable manner.

[0018] The display device 50 is provided in the passenger compartment and is configured as a display capable of visually displaying a power meter 50 a indicating the output of the motor 32 and a speedometer 50 b indicating the vehicle speed V.

[0019] The navigation device 52 includes a main body with a built-in control unit, a GPS antenna, and a display. The main body's control unit includes a storage medium (such as a hard drive or SSD), input / output ports, and a communication port. The storage medium stores map information and other information. Map information includes service information (such as tourist information and parking lots), road information for each driving zone (such as between traffic lights and intersections), and other information. Road information includes distance information, width information, number of lanes, regional information (urban, suburban), category information (general roads, expressways), slope information, legal speed limits, and the number of traffic lights. The GPS antenna receives information related to the vehicle's current location. The display is a touch-panel type display that displays various information, including map information, information related to the vehicle's current location, and information related to the planned driving route to the destination. The user can also input various instructions. When the user operates the display to set a destination, the navigation device 52 sets a planned driving route from the vehicle's current location to the destination based on the map information, the vehicle's current location, and the destination. The set planned driving route is displayed on the display for route guidance.

[0020] The ECU 70 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU (not shown), and includes, in addition to the CPU, a ROM for storing processing programs, a RAM for temporarily storing data, input / output ports, and a communication port (none of which are shown).

[0021] The ECU 70 receives input signals from various sensors via its input ports. Examples of signals input to the ECU 70 include the rotational position θm from a rotational position detection sensor (e.g., a resolver) that detects the rotational position of the motor 32's rotor, the battery voltage Vb from a voltage sensor 36a that detects the voltage between the terminals of the battery 36, and the current Ib from a current sensor 36b that detects the charge and discharge current of the battery 36. The ECU 70 also receives input information necessary for driving control. Examples of information necessary for driving control include the ignition signal from the ignition switch 60, the shift position from a shift position sensor 62 that detects the position of the shift lever 61, the accelerator position from an accelerator pedal position sensor 64 that detects the amount of depression on the accelerator pedal 63, the brake pedal position from a brake pedal position sensor 66 that detects the amount of depression on the brake pedal 65, and the vehicle speed V from a vehicle speed sensor 68.

[0022] Various control signals are output via the output port from ECU 70. Examples of the signals output from ECU 70 include a switching control signal for a transistor of inverter 34 and an image signal for display device 50.

[0023] The ECU 70 wirelessly transmits and receives various types of information to and from a portable terminal 80 via an in-vehicle communication device (for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module)).

[0024] The ECU 70 calculates the battery 36's state of charge (SOC) based on the integrated value of the battery 36's current Ib measured by the current sensor 36b and the battery voltage Vb of the battery 36 measured by the voltage sensor 36a when no current is flowing. The state of charge (SOC) is the ratio of the amount of electric power that can be discharged from the battery 36 to the total capacity of the battery 36. The ECU 70 calculates the battery 36's state of health (SOH) based on the integrated value of the battery 36's current Ib measured by the current sensor 36b. The state of health (SOH) is the reciprocal of the degree of degradation (SOD) indicating the degree of deterioration of the battery 36. The SOH is calculated by multiplying the reciprocal of the integrated value ΣIb of the battery 36's current Ib from the time the battery-electric vehicle 20 was shipped from the factory until the present by a conversion factor K (a positive value).

[0025] In the battery-electric vehicle 20 , the inverter 34 is controlled by the ECU 70 so that the vehicle travels using the power from the motor 32 .

[0026] Portable terminal 80 is configured as an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. Portable terminal 80 is carried by the driver of battery-electric vehicle 20 and exchanges various information with battery-electric vehicle 20 via wireless communication. An application program for displaying the status of battery-electric vehicle 20 is installed on portable terminal 80.

[0027] In such a battery management system 10, the status of the battery 36 is managed, and battery information related to the battery 36 is displayed on the display of the display device 50 or the display of the navigation device 52. In addition, the ECU 70 of the battery-electric vehicle 20 transmits the battery information to the portable terminal 80. Upon receiving the battery information, the portable terminal 80 executes a process using the received information through an application.

[0028] Next, the operation of the battery management system 10 configured in this manner, particularly the operation when displaying price-related information related to the trade-in price P of the battery 36 , will be described. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a display control routine executed by the ECU 70 of the battery-electric vehicle 20. This routine is executed when a display update condition is met. The display update condition is executed when any of the following conditions are met: first, when the battery-electric vehicle 20 system is started; second, when the system is shut down; third, during a periodic inspection; and fourth, after a predetermined period (e.g., six months or a year) has passed.

[0029] When executing this routine, the CPU of the ECU 70 executes a process (S100) of inputting the state of health SOH of the battery 36. The state of health SOH is inputted as a value set based on the integrated value ΣIb of the current Ib of the battery 36 from the current sensor 36b.

[0030] Next, the state of health SOH is compared with threshold values ​​(reference values) S1 and S2 (S110). Here, the threshold values ​​S1 and S2 are described. Figure 3This diagram illustrates an example of the relationship between the state of health (SOH) and the manufacturer's trade-in price P for a stationary battery when a replaced battery 36 is reused as a stationary battery, and the time tu that has passed since the battery-electric vehicle 20 began use after leaving the factory. The state of health (SOH) of the battery 36 decreases (deterioration progresses) as time tu passes. As shown in the diagram, the trade-in price P decreases with the passage of time tu, dropping sharply after time tref (e.g., 3, 4, or 5 years), then gradually decreasing within a low price range after time t2. If the user desires a relatively high trade-in price P, it is preferable to replace the battery 36 before time tref has passed. Threshold S1 is set to the state of health at time t1 slightly before time tref (e.g., 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months before time tref). Threshold S2 is set to the state of health at time t2. That is, threshold S1 is a threshold used to determine whether replacement of battery 36 is recommended based on the trade-in price P of battery 36. If the user desires to use battery 36 to its full lifespan rather than the trade-in price P, battery 36 is preferably replaced before time t2. Threshold S2 is a threshold used to determine whether replacement of battery 36 is recommended based on the lifespan of battery 36.

[0031] If the state of health SOH is higher than the threshold value S1 in S110 , it is determined that the state of health SOH of the battery 36 is high and replacement is not recommended, and this routine ends.

[0032] When the health status SOH is above the threshold value S2 and below the threshold value S1 in S110, it is determined that it is a recommended time to replace the battery 36 from the perspective of the trade-in price P. As price-related information related to the trade-in price P, a display instruction (S120) is sent to the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80 to indicate that there is a notification related to the trade-in price P of the battery 36, thereby terminating this routine. Figure 4 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of display on the display device 50 that has received a display instruction. Figure 5 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display of the portable terminal 80 that has received the display instruction. Figure 4 As shown, the display device 50 displays a power meter 50a and a speedometer 50b. The display device 50, having received the display instruction, displays a sentence 50c between the power meter 50a and the speedometer 50b as price-related information: "There is a notification regarding the trade-in price P of the battery. Please inquire at the sales point for details." This display enables the user in the passenger compartment to recognize the price-related information of the battery 36. Figure 5As shown, the portable terminal 80 that has received the display instruction displays a statement 80a as price-related information via an application program: "There is a notification regarding the trade-in price P of the battery. Please inquire at the point of sale for details." This display allows the user carrying the portable terminal 80 to identify the price-related information of the battery 36. The user who has identified the price-related information of the battery 36 through at least one of the display on the display device 50 and the display on the portable terminal 80 can, by consulting the point of sale, research the replacement time of the battery 36 based on the specific trade-in price P of the battery 36. This allows the user to research the replacement time of the battery 36 based on the price-related information, thereby improving the convenience for the user in researching the replacement time of the battery 36.

[0033] If the state of health (SOH) is less than the threshold value S2 in S110, a display instruction indicating that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life is sent to the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80 (S130), and the routine ends. Upon receiving the display instruction indicating that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life, the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80 display a message indicating that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life, such as "Battery 36 has reached the end of its life. Replacement recommended." This allows the user in the passenger compartment or the user carrying the portable terminal 80 to recognize that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life. The user can then determine when to replace the battery 36 based on the knowledge that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life, thereby improving the convenience of the user in determining when to replace the battery 36.

[0034] According to the battery management system 10 of the present embodiment described above, by displaying price-related information related to the trade-in price P of the battery 36 on the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80 according to the status of the battery 36, the convenience of the user in researching the replacement time of the battery 36 can be improved.

[0035] Furthermore, the battery 36 is mounted on the battery-electric vehicle 20 , and the display device 50 is mounted on the battery-electric vehicle 20 . By displaying price-related information, the convenience for the user in checking the replacement time of the battery 36 can be improved.

[0036] Furthermore, since the portable terminal 80 in which the application program for executing the process of using the price-related information is installed is provided, the convenience for the user can be further improved.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the state of health SOH is compared with threshold values ​​S1 and S2 in S110. However, in S110, the state of health SOH may be replaced with the state of deterioration SOD of the battery 36 and compared with threshold values ​​S3 and S4. Threshold value S3 is a threshold value of the state of deterioration of the battery 36 used to determine whether or not replacement of the battery 36 is recommended from the perspective of the trade-in price P. Threshold value S4 is a threshold value of the state of deterioration of the battery 36 used to determine whether or not replacement of the battery 36 is recommended from the perspective of the life of the battery 36, which is larger than threshold value S3. In this case, if the state of deterioration SOD is less than threshold value S3 in S110, the present routine is terminated. In addition, if the state of deterioration SOD is greater than threshold value S3 and less than threshold value S4 in S110, the process proceeds to S120, and a display instruction for price-related information related to the trade-in price P is sent to the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80, and the present routine is terminated. Furthermore, when the degree of degradation SOD is greater than the threshold value S4 in S110, the process proceeds to S130, and a display instruction indicating that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life is sent to the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80, and the present routine ends. In addition, in S110, the usage history Hu of the battery 36 may be used instead of the state of health SOH and the degree of degradation SOD. Regarding the usage history Hu of the battery 36, when the battery electric vehicle 20 is used for a longer period of time, the degree of degradation SOD of the battery 36 becomes higher (the state of health SOH decreases) compared to when the battery electric vehicle 20 is used for a shorter period of time. Therefore, when the usage history Hu is less than the threshold value H1 in S110, the present routine ends. In addition, when the usage history Hu is greater than the threshold value H1 and less than the threshold value H2 which is greater than the threshold value H1 in S110, the process proceeds to S120, and a display instruction for price-related information related to the trade-in price P is sent to the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80, and the present routine ends. The usage history Hu may include the total travel distance or usage time since the battery-electric vehicle 20 was shipped from the factory, the number of times the battery 36 has been reused (replaced), and the sales history of the battery-electric vehicle 20 (the number of times it has been sold as a used vehicle).

[0038] In the above embodiment, in S120, a display instruction indicating that a notification regarding the trade-in price P of the battery 36 has been issued is transmitted to the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80 as price-related information regarding the trade-in price P. However, in S120, the trade-in price P of the battery 36, the price of the battery 36 at the time the battery electric vehicle 20 was purchased, or the ratio of the trade-in price O to an estimated value of the price may be used as the price-related information.

[0039] In the above embodiment, a display instruction for price-related information and information indicating that battery 36 has reached the end of its life is transmitted to display device 50 and portable terminal 80, and the price-related information and information indicating that battery 36 has reached the end of its life are displayed on display device 50 and portable terminal 80. However, a display instruction for price-related information and information indicating that battery 36 has reached the end of its life may be transmitted to at least one of display device 50, portable terminal 80, and navigation device 52, and the price-related information and information indicating that battery 36 has reached the end of its life may be displayed on at least one of display device 50, portable terminal 80, and navigation device 52. For example, a display instruction for price-related information and information indicating that battery 36 has reached the end of its life may be transmitted only to navigation device 52. Figure 6 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on the navigation device 52 that has received a display instruction for price-related information. By displaying the information on the navigation device 52 in this manner, the convenience for the user in determining when to replace the battery 36 can also be improved.

[0040] In the above embodiment, thresholds S1 and S2 are set based on an example of the relationship between the state of health (SOH), the manufacturer's trade-in price P for stationary batteries when the replaced battery 36 is reused as a stationary battery, and the time tu that has elapsed since the battery-electric vehicle 20 was shipped from the factory and began use. However, thresholds S1 and S2 can also be set based on the relationship between the trade-in price P and the travel distance Lr since the battery-electric vehicle 20 was shipped from the factory and began use. In this case, the relationship between the state of health (SOH), the trade-in price P, and the travel distance Lr is the same as the relationship between the state of health (SOH), the trade-in price P, and the elapsed time tu. Specifically, the state of health (SOH) decreases when the travel distance Lr is longer than when it is shorter, and the trade-in price P decreases when the travel distance Lr is longer than when it is shorter. It decreases sharply after exceeding a predetermined distance L1, and then gradually decreases within a low price range after exceeding a predetermined distance L2 that is longer than the predetermined distance L1.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the price-related information and the information indicating that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life are displayed on the display device 50 and the portable terminal 80. However, the price-related information and the information indicating that the battery 36 has reached the end of its life may be notified to the user by outputting a sound or lighting a warning lamp.

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, the battery management system 10 includes the battery-electric vehicle 20 and the portable terminal 80. However, the battery management system 10 may include the battery-electric vehicle (vehicle) 20 instead of the portable terminal 80.

[0043] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the "Solution to the Problem" column will be described. In the embodiment, the battery 36 corresponds to the "battery" and the display device 30 corresponds to the "notification device."

[0044] Furthermore, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the "Problem Solving Unit" column is intended to specifically illustrate that the embodiment is an example of a method for implementing the invention described in the "Problem Solving Unit" column, and therefore does not limit the elements of the invention described in the "Problem Solving Unit" column. In other words, the invention described in the "Problem Solving Unit" column should be interpreted based on the description in that column, and the embodiment is merely a specific example of the invention described in the "Problem Solving Unit" column.

[0045] While the embodiments for implementing the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments and can of course be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0046] The present disclosure can be used in the manufacturing industry of battery management systems, etc.

Claims

1. A battery management system that manages batteries. A notification device is provided for notifying the user of price-related information related to the trade-in price of the battery based on the state of the battery.

2. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein: The degree of degradation of the battery is calculated as the state of the battery.

3. The battery management system according to claim 2, wherein: The notification device notifies the price-related information when the degree of degradation is lower than a reference value of the degree of degradation of the battery in a device that reuses the battery.

4. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein: The battery is mounted on a vehicle. The notification device is a display device mounted on the vehicle or the portable terminal and displays the price-related information.

5. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein: An information processing device is provided, wherein an application program for executing a process using the price-related information is installed on the information processing device.

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