Rechargeable battery for an electric vehicle and system for tracking operational and / or status data of the rechargeable battery

Abstract

A rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) includes: - a plurality of rechargeable cells (36) electrically connected to each other and housed in a container body (35); - a battery management system (BMS) (50) configured to control and monitor the state and / or operation of the rechargeable battery (30), wherein the BMS (50) includes at least one circuit board (60) and at least one data communication bus (51) housed in the container body (35); characterized in that - the rechargeable battery (30) includes a hardware wallet (70) contained in or operatively connected to the BMS (50); - the hardware wallet (70) includes a protected storage area (72) storing at least one key for recording transactions (201) on a distributed ledger (200); - the hardware wallet (70) is configured to obtain at least one operating and / or state data item of the rechargeable battery (30) from the BMS (50) via the data communication bus (51); - The hardware wallet (70) is configured to transmit the at least one running and / or state data item and the at least one key to the outside of the rechargeable battery (30) to record the at least one running and / or state data item in a transaction (201) in the distributed ledger (200).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of electric transportation, and more particularly to a rechargeable battery for an electric traction vehicle and a method for tracking data items of the battery's operation and / or status. Background Technology

[0002] As is known, for all electric traction vehicles, the range of the rechargeable batteries installed on such vehicles is limited and there is a need to periodically charge the batteries.

[0003] In an electric traction vehicle, one or more rechargeable batteries are operatively connected to the vehicle’s onboard electrical system and provide the electrical energy required to power at least one electric traction motor and other electrical or electronic components on the vehicle that require power to operate.

[0004] The rechargeable batteries of electric tractor vehicles can generally be charged using electricity supplied by a power distribution network or a household power grid. Charging time varies as a function of the rechargeable battery's capacity and the power supplied by the power source, and the same rule applies to all lithium-ion batteries. At a power output of 3kW, which represents the operating range of many household users, a full charge of an electric tractor vehicle with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery takes approximately eight hours.

[0005] Charging stations installed in public places are becoming increasingly common, providing power for vehicles engaged in micro-mobility. At such stations, a vehicle can absorb usable energy in 15 minutes to provide a range of up to 5 kilometers, this is just a rough estimate. Knowing that charging stations are available improves mobility feasibility and helps end-users in emergencies, as well as psychologically.

[0006] An alternative for end users to periodically charge rechargeable batteries by connecting them to a power source is to mechanically replace low-charge batteries at battery swapping stations. This solution (also known as "battery swapping") should ideally be completed quickly, for example, in a time comparable to that required for traditional refueling at a service station.

[0007] The rechargeable batteries used in the above replacements should belong to service stations or operators or companies that own batteries, while the drivers or owners of electric vehicles are merely battery renters, or a battery exchange policy should be established.

[0008] Therefore, rechargeable battery replacement involves the mechanical replacement and charging of the rechargeable battery, also known as mechanical refueling or mechanical charging. By setting up battery swapping stations, it becomes possible to combine the advantages of both slow and fast charging: slowly charging the battery of an electric vehicle during off-peak hours and quickly providing it with a charged battery for a short period. Using robots, the entire process of replacing a rechargeable battery can be completed in minutes and is directly comparable to existing refueling mechanisms used for conventionally fuel-powered vehicles, vehicles operated by professional operators, or vehicles requiring appropriate human intervention.

[0009] However, despite the aforementioned advantages, replacing rechargeable batteries at battery swapping stations may raise trust issues among electric vehicle users and rechargeable battery users. Therefore, it is necessary to dynamically track the operational and / or status information of rechargeable batteries in a secure and tamper-proof manner, making this information available to end users. This operational and / or status information includes, for example, information about the quality condition of the rechargeable battery, which depends on factors such as the year of manufacture, the number of charges performed, and the conditions under which the battery was charged. This operational and / or status information includes, for example, the state of charge (SoC) or state of health (SoH) of the rechargeable battery. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The overall objective of this invention is to provide a solution that can meet the above-mentioned needs.

[0011] This objective is achieved by a rechargeable battery as generally defined in claim 1. Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the rechargeable battery are defined in the dependent claims. Another object of the invention is to provide a tracking system for tracking operational and / or status data items of a rechargeable battery, as defined in the appended claim 12.

[0012] The invention will be better understood through the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings briefly described in the following paragraphs. Attached Figure Description

[0013] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 It is a side plan view of a non-limiting embodiment of an electric vehicle including a rechargeable battery and an electric traction motor; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of the rear section of the electric vehicle, showing the rechargeable battery; Figure 3 This is a schematic side view of a rechargeable battery; Figure 4This is a circuit block diagram of a part of a rechargeable battery; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a tracking system for tracking operational and / or status data items of at least one rechargeable battery. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Identical or similar elements are represented by the same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An embodiment of an electric vehicle 1 is shown, namely an electric tractor vehicle 1, which, in the specific example shown, is implemented by a vehicle with a rideable seat without introducing any limitations. In this example, the rideable seated vehicle 1 is a two-wheeled motor vehicle, and particularly a two-wheeled pedal motor vehicle having a front wheel 6 and a rear wheel 7. In alternative embodiments, the electric vehicle 1 can be a car, van, minivan, truck, bus, etc. The electric vehicle 1 can also be a three-wheeled truck or a motor vehicle with a rideable seat having two or three wheels.

[0016] From this point onward, without introducing any limitations, reference will be made to a general electric vehicle 1, which includes at least one rechargeable battery 30 and an electric traction motor 8 powered by said at least one rechargeable battery 30.

[0017] Electric vehicle 1 includes: Main body 2, 3, 4; At least two wheels 6 and 7 are constrained to the main bodies 2, 3, and 4; An electric traction motor 8 is connected to or incorporated into at least one of the at least two wheels 6, 7.

[0018] exist Figure 1 In the specific example shown, without introducing any limitations, the electric vehicle 1 includes an electric traction motor 8 that is directly or via a drivetrain connected to the rear wheel 7, thus the rear wheel is the traction wheel.

[0019] The main body 2, 3, and 4 of the motor vehicle 1 have a front part 2, a rear part 4, and a central part 3 located between the front part 2 and the rear part 4.

[0020] For example, the central portion 3 includes a foot pedal 5. Preferably, the central portion 3 includes a central channel 15 projecting upward from the foot pedal 5. In other words, the central channel 15 is located above the foot pedal 5.

[0021] In this example, the front part 2 of the main body 2, 3, and 4 includes a front skid plate 12, a steering handle 9, a front wheel 6, and a front suspension 11.

[0022] In this example, the rear 4 includes a rideable seat 40, a rear fairing 41 or a rear frame 41, a rear wheel 7, an electric traction motor 8, and a rear suspension 18.

[0023] Reference Figure 2 The electric vehicle 1 also includes at least a rechargeable battery 30 and a receiving seat 20 defined in the main bodies 2, 3, and 4 for the rechargeable battery 30. The receiving seat 20 is shaped to fully or partially receive the rechargeable battery 30. The rechargeable battery 30 can be selectively removed from and inserted into the receiving seat 20, thus the rechargeable battery 30 is removable.

[0024] In this example, the housing 20 for the rechargeable battery 30 is preferably defined in the rear 4 of the electric vehicle 1, so as to be arranged, for example, within the space defined by the rear fairing 41 or the rear frame 41. The housing 20 is preferably located below the seat 40, particularly below the storage compartment 27 located below the seat 40.

[0025] Reference Figure 3 The receiving seat 20 extends between an insertion or removal opening 21a and an opposite bottom portion 21b. The insertion or removal opening 21a allows the rechargeable battery 30 to pass through when it is inserted into and removed from the receiving seat 20. Preferably, the receiving seat 20 is defined by a side wall 22 and a bottom wall 23 connected to the side wall 22. For example, the side wall 22 is a tubular wall. The receiving seat 20 preferably includes a guiding device, such as a guide rail capable of guiding the insertion and removal of the rechargeable battery 30 from the receiving seat 20. This helps the user to place the rechargeable battery 30 in the correct position within the receiving seat 20. Specifically, the receiving seat 20 and / or the rechargeable battery 30 are conveniently configured to prevent the rechargeable battery 30 from being installed in an incorrect position or orientation. In particular, the receiving seat 20 and the rechargeable battery 30 are conveniently connected in shape to each other, and when the rechargeable battery is inserted into the receiving seat 20, a unique position is defined between the receiving seat 20 and the rechargeable battery 30.

[0026] Advantageously, the accommodating seat 20 is arranged below the rideable seat 40. According to a preferred embodiment, the rideable seat 40 is movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, in which the rideable seat 40 prevents the accommodating seat 20 from being entered from the outside, and in the open configuration, the rideable seat 40 allows the accommodating seat 20 to be entered from the outside. Figure 1 In the middle, the rideable seat 40 is shown in a closed configuration, while Figure 2 The middle part is shown as being in an open configuration.

[0027] According to an advantageous embodiment, the rideable seat 40 is rotatably hinged to the body 2, 3, 4 of the electric vehicle 1 to rotate about a rotation axis between two angularly spaced positions, corresponding to a closed configuration and an open configuration, respectively.

[0028] Reference Figure 3 The rechargeable battery 30 extends between a bottom portion 31 and a head portion 32. For example, the rechargeable battery 30 includes a container body 35 made of an electrically insulating material, which houses a plurality of rechargeable cells 36. The bottom portion 31 is a first end portion of the container body 35, while the head portion 32 is a second end portion of the container body 35 opposite to the first end portion. For example, the container body 35 of the rechargeable battery 30 is prismatic, for example, having an overall polygonal shape, particularly a parallelepiped shape, such as a right parallelepiped shape.

[0029] According to an advantageous embodiment, the container body 35 includes an tamper-proof device 37, such as a sealing device, to prevent unauthorized opening of the container body 35. If an unauthorized person forcibly damages the tamper-proof device 37, it will prevent access to the interior of the container body 35 or cause irreversible damage to the rechargeable battery 30. For example, the tamper-proof device 37 includes sealing devices, such as special screws and / or thermosetting resins and / or key locks and / or snap-fit ​​elements or interlocking elements, which, when engaged, prevent the container body 35 from being opened, or can only be opened using at least one special and / or dedicated tool. For example, the tamper-proof device 37 allows the lid 38 of the container body 35 to be secured to the remainder of the container body 35 to prevent unauthorized opening or removal of the lid 38.

[0030] The rechargeable battery 30 advantageously includes a grip handle 33, which is preferably contained in or attached to a head portion 32. Preferably, the grip handle 33 protrudes from the head portion 32 of the rechargeable battery 30, and more preferably is C-shaped, having a central grip portion and two supporting side arms, the central grip portion being, for example, an ergonomic handle located between the two side arms. For example, the two side arms are inclined relative to each other, and the central portion is cylindrical.

[0031] Preferably, the rechargeable battery 30 can be slidably inserted into the receiving seat 20 and slidably removed from the receiving seat 20 by translating along the sliding axis Z.

[0032] The rechargeable battery 30 includes at least one electrical connection terminal 34 adapted, for example by engagement, to be coupled to at least one cable (not shown) to connect the rechargeable battery 30 to the onboard electrical system of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the electrical connection terminal 34 is configured to be operably coupled to complementary terminals disposed at the end portions of the cable. For example, the onboard electrical system of the electric vehicle 1 includes an engine control unit (ECU) that allows control of the operation of an electric traction motor 8, for example, supplying power to the motor 8 to enable it to transmit driving torque. The electrical energy required to power the motor 8 is provided by the rechargeable battery 30 via the aforementioned cable. According to one embodiment, the electrical connection terminal 34 also allows the rechargeable battery 30 to be electrically connected to a charging station 100 (… Figure 5 This allows the rechargeable battery 30 to be recharged.

[0033] In this example, the electrical connection terminal 34 is disposed on the head portion 32 of the rechargeable battery 30. In an alternative embodiment, the electrical connection terminal 34 may be disposed elsewhere, such as on the bottom portion 31.

[0034] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The rechargeable battery 30 includes a battery management system 50, abbreviated as BMS. As is known, the BMS 50 is an electronic system configured to monitor the state of charge of the rechargeable battery 30 and manage its recharging. The BMS 50 is advantageously housed within the container body 35 of the rechargeable battery 30.

[0035] BMS 50 is preferably configured to perform one or more of the following functions: Balancing of rechargeable battery 30: When any rechargeable cell 36 exceeds the initial balancing voltage, BMS 50 redistributes the excess charge to the individual rechargeable cells 36 (active balancing) or uses a special resistor (passive balancing). Assess the state of the rechargeable battery 30: the state of charge (SoC) and state of health (SoH) of the rechargeable battery 30, for example, based on current and voltage values; Detect potential faults: Measure voltage to verify possible charging or discharging overloads; measure resistance to detect connection faults; monitor temperature; diagnose insulation failures of the rechargeable battery 30 in real time.

[0036] BMS 50 includes at least one circuit board 60, such as at least one printed circuit board 60. Advantageously, the circuit board 60 is arranged inside the container body 35 of the rechargeable battery 30.

[0037] The BMS 50 also includes a data communication bus 51, preferably a CAN bus. The data communication bus 51 allows the BMS 50 to monitor and control the charging, discharging, and temperature of the rechargeable battery 30. The data communication bus 51 allows communication between different components of the BMS 50 and with external devices, such as an inverter or charging station 100, and / or with the onboard electrical system of the electric vehicle 1, such as the ECU of the electric vehicle 1. For communication with external devices, the data communication bus 51 is connected to an electrical connection terminal 34, which in this case also serves as a data connection terminal, or the data communication bus 51 is connected to another dedicated connection terminal located within the rechargeable battery 30.

[0038] BMS 50 includes an electronic control module 52, which includes, for example, a microcontroller, a single-board computer, or a SoC (System-on-a-Chip). The electronic control module 52 is operatively connected to and / or includes a memory unit 53. The electronic control module 52 is connected to a data communication bus 51 to send or receive data items on the data communication bus 51. BMS 50 is configured to acquire and / or calculate operational and / or status data items of the rechargeable battery 30. These operational and / or status data items are, for example, data acquired and / or calculated through measurement and / or evaluation. More concisely, for the sake of brevity, the term "battery data" will be used to refer to the operational and / or status data items of the rechargeable battery. Conveniently, once the battery data has been acquired and / or calculated by BMS 50, for example, through the electronic control module 52, these data items are stored in the memory unit 53 and / or transmitted on the data communication bus 51.

[0039] The BMS 50 also includes an electrical connection interface 54 configured to electrically connect the BMS 50 to a plurality of rechargeable battery cells 36. Therefore, the BMS 50 can receive the electrical energy required for its operation from the plurality of rechargeable battery cells 36, and can also monitor the status and / or operation of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells 36 via an electronic control module 52, for example by monitoring the current and / or voltage values ​​of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells 36. Furthermore, via the electrical connection interface 54, the BMS 50 can connect to one or more sensors integrated into the plurality of rechargeable battery cells 36, for example, to at least one temperature sensor.

[0040] According to one embodiment, all of the above-described components of the BMS 50 are integrated on at least one circuit board 60.

[0041] The rechargeable battery 30 includes a hardware wallet 70, which is included in or integrated into the BMS 50, or operably connected to the BMS 50. Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware wallet 70 is operably connected to the BMS 50 via a data communication interface 71. Preferably, the data communication interface 71 is included within the hardware wallet 70 and is operably connected to a data communication bus 51. In an alternative embodiment, the hardware wallet 70 is integrated into the BMS 50. Advantageously, the data communication interface 71 is a CAN bus interface. Note that in Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware wallet 70 is integrated into the same circuit board 60 as the BMS 50, but in an alternative embodiment, the hardware wallet 70 may be integrated into a dedicated circuit board.

[0042] The hardware wallet 70 includes a protected storage area 72 in which at least one key is stored for executing, in particular requesting, transactions on the distributed ledger 200. Advantageously, the aforementioned key is a private encryption key. Advantageously, the at least one private encryption key is a seed for accessing the distributed ledger 200 and authorizing transactions on the distributed ledger 200. In particular, the seed is a sequence of alphanumeric characters, conveniently relatively long or very long, which serves as a master private key used to generate all other public and private keys required for accessing the distributed ledger 200 and authorizing transactions on the distributed ledger 200. According to an advantageous embodiment, the hardware wallet 70 includes a processing unit 73 configured to securely manage access to the protected storage area 72, i.e., to prevent unauthorized access to the storage area 72. The processing unit 73 includes, for example, a microcontroller. Conveniently, the processing unit 73 is operatively connected to the data communication bus 51 of the BMS 50, for example, via a data communication interface 71.

[0043] The hardware wallet 70 is configured to obtain at least one operational and / or status data item of the rechargeable battery 30 from the BMS 50 via the data communication bus 51, i.e., at least one battery data item. The operational and / or status data item includes, for example, one or more items from the following list: State of charge (SoC) of rechargeable battery 30. State of Health (SoH) of rechargeable battery 30; Data items related to the operating status during charging, such as the average or maximum temperature reached by the rechargeable battery 30 during charging, or the voltage and / or current values ​​provided by the charging station 100 to the rechargeable battery 30. Data items indicating successful charging or indicating faults or problems detected during charging.

[0044] For example, the processing unit 73 is configured to obtain at least one operating and / or status data item of the rechargeable battery 30 from the BMS 50 via the data communication bus 51.

[0045] The hardware wallet 70 is configured to transfer the at least one running and / or state data item and the at least one key to an external location of the rechargeable battery 30 in order to record the at least one running and / or state data item in transaction 201 on the distributed ledger 200. "Transfer to an external location of the rechargeable battery 30" is understood to mean transferring battery data items to a data processing unit external to the rechargeable battery 30. For example, without introducing any limitations, the aforementioned external data processing unit is a node of the distributed ledger 200 and / or a charging station 100 for the rechargeable battery 30. Figure 5 The data processing unit 104 and / or any data processing unit located outside the rechargeable battery 30 and positioned between the rechargeable battery 30 and the distributed ledger 200.

[0046] According to an advantageous embodiment, the hardware wallet 70 is configured to perform the aforementioned transmission at the start and / or during and / or at the end of recharging the rechargeable battery 30. According to an advantageous embodiment, the BMS 50 notifies the hardware wallet 70 when initiating and / or ending the charging operation of the rechargeable battery 30, enabling the hardware wallet 70 to initiate or schedule the aforementioned transmission.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the rechargeable battery 30 includes a short-range radio communication interface 74, which is operatively connected to or integrated into a hardware wallet 70. The hardware wallet 70 is configured to transmit the key and the at least one operational and / or status data item via the short-range radio communication interface 74. For example, the short-range radio communication interface 74 is a Bluetooth or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) interface. In a variant embodiment, the short-range communication interface 74 is an NFC or RF-ID interface.

[0048] According to one embodiment, a short-range radio communication interface 74 is operatively connected to a processing unit 73 for control by the processing unit 73 to transmit battery data to the outside of the rechargeable battery 30.

[0049] Therefore, it can be seen that because a hardware wallet 70 is set up in the rechargeable battery 30, which is operatively connected to, included in, or integrated into the BMS 50, and internally stores keys for executing, particularly requesting, transactions on the distributed ledger 200, information items regarding the status and / or operation of the rechargeable battery 30 can be securely and immutably recorded or tracked in the distributed ledger 200. This information is obtained by the same BMS 50 as the rechargeable battery 30 and provided to the hardware wallet 70. Thus, users of the rechargeable battery 30 can reliably and transparently access important information about its status and operation. This helps users build greater trust in charging systems based on replacing low-power batteries with rechargeable ones. Furthermore, operators of the charging system and owners of the rechargeable battery 30 can also easily obtain accurate and reliable information about its status and / or operation.

[0050] A distributed ledger is a replicated electronic register shared and synchronized among multiple entities geographically distributed across multiple locations, countries, or institutions. Unlike centralized databases, distributed ledgers do not require a central administrator, thus eliminating single points of failure (centrality). Distributed ledgers are characterized by: data digitization, decentralization, disintermediation, traceability of transfers, transparency / verifiability, and the immutability or programmability of the register. With these characteristics, distributed ledgers are considered an alternative to databases and registers centrally managed by recognized, regulated authorities (public administration agencies, banks, insurance companies, payment intermediaries, etc.) in terms of security, reliability, transparency, and cost.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the distributed ledger 200 described above is a blockchain. A blockchain is a data structure consisting of a continuously growing list of records (called "blocks") that are securely linked together using cryptographic techniques. Each block contains the cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data. Because each block contains information about the previous block, they essentially form a chain where each additional block is linked to the previous one. Therefore, blockchain transactions are irreversible because once recorded, the data in a particular block cannot be changed afterwards unless all subsequent blocks are modified.

[0052] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the aforementioned distributed ledger 200 is IOTA. IOTA is the first open-source distributed ledger developed to provide the future of the Internet of Things (IoT), with the goal of allowing interconnected computing devices to autonomously execute transactions in a secure and trusted environment, without fees or human interaction. IOTA is also the name of the cryptocurrency used in the distributed ledger IOTA. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the at least one key stored in the hardware wallet 70 is a seed used to access the distributed ledger IOTA 200 and authorize transactions on the distributed ledger IOTA 200. Specifically, the seed is an alphanumeric character sequence, conveniently relatively long or very long, which serves as the master private key to generate all other public and private keys required for accessing the distributed ledger 200 and authorizing transactions on the distributed ledger 200. Essentially, the seed is the master private encryption key that generates all other keys. Conversely, the private key is the key used to sign transactions and authorize the sending of funds to the IOTA network. The private key is generated from the seed and used to ensure secure transactions.

[0053] The underlying data structure of IOTA is called Tangle, which is a directed acyclic graph (DAG). Tangle was developed as an alternative and evolution to ordinary blockchain architectures. The founders of IOTA believed that ordinary blockchain architectures could not meet the increasing demands for scalability, speed, and cost from the growing number of devices forming the Internet of Things.

[0054] For Tangle, to correctly enter each transaction, each transaction must validate two previous transactions that have not yet been validated. In effect, this eliminates the distinction between users and "miners" present in blockchains, because validation is not based on competition between nodes, but rather performed in a distributed and unified manner by all network participants. This leads to two particularly significant results. First, theoretically, IOTA is infinitely scalable because as the number of transactions increases, the number of validated transactions also increases (each new transaction validates two previous transactions). In contrast, in blockchains, inserting a block at a constant rate (an average of every ten minutes) is the bottleneck for network performance. Second, no fees are incurred for transactions because every node participates in the network in the same way, with no competition, thus eliminating the need to invest in increasingly expensive hardware to maintain nodes (unlike blockchain mining).

[0055] Now refer to Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a non-limiting embodiment of a system 400 for tracking operational and / or status data items of at least one rechargeable battery 30, which is also simply referred to as the tracking system 400.

[0056] The tracking system 400 includes at least one charging station 100 configured to charge at least one rechargeable battery 30 of the aforementioned type. Conveniently, the charging station 100 is configured to charge multiple rechargeable batteries 30 of the aforementioned type simultaneously.

[0057] The charging station 100 includes a container body 101, such as a cabinet, having at least one receiving and / or supporting seat 103 configured to receive and / or support a corresponding rechargeable battery 30. Conveniently, the charging station 100 includes a plurality of receiving and / or supporting seats 103, wherein each receiving and / or supporting seat is configured to receive and / or support a corresponding rechargeable battery 30.

[0058] When a low-power rechargeable battery 30 is placed in the seating portion 103, the rechargeable battery 30 is operably connected to a charging device (not shown) provided in the charging station 100, and can therefore be recharged.

[0059] The charging station 100 is configured to receive operating and / or status data items and the key from the at least one rechargeable battery 30, and transmit the data via an electronic communication network 150 to record the operating and / or status data items in at least one transaction 201 on the distributed ledger 200.

[0060] For example, charging station 100 includes a data processing unit 104 and a network communication interface 105 connected to the data processing unit 104. For example, the network communication interface 105 allows charging station 100, and in particular data processing unit 104, to be connected to at least one electronic communication network 150, such as a wired network or a wireless network or a hybrid network of both wired and wireless.

[0061] Charging station 100 is configured to access distributed ledger 200 (advantageously IOTA) via electronic communication network 150, conveniently using the Internet. Therefore, operational and / or status data items (and keys) transmitted from hardware wallet 70 to the outside of rechargeable battery 30 can be received by charging station 100, and with these keys, the aforementioned data can be stored in transaction 201 of distributed ledger 200. For example, charging station 100 includes a short-range radio communication interface 106 configured to be operatively connected to short-range radio communication interface 74 of hardware wallet 70 of rechargeable battery 30 to receive battery data (and keys) transmitted by hardware wallet 70. Short-range radio communication interface 106 is conveniently operatively connected to data processing unit 104 of charging station 100, which manages access to distributed ledger 200 to generate transactions that allow the storage of battery data of the rechargeable battery 30 receiving charging in distributed ledger 200. The short-range radio communication interface 106 of the charging station is preferably a Bluetooth or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) interface. In a variant embodiment, the short-range radio communication interface 106 is an NFC or RF-ID interface.

[0062] Advantageously, the tracking system 400 includes an application (APP) installed on or installable on a personal mobile communication device 300 (e.g., a smartphone or tablet), and / or the tracking system 400 includes a web portal accessible via the Internet. Once the operating and / or status information of the rechargeable battery 30 has been recorded in transactions on the distributed ledger 200, the user can access this information via the application or through the web portal accessible via the Internet. To access a specific operating and / or status data item for the rechargeable battery 30, the user can use, for example, a unique identifier for the battery (e.g., a serial number) and / or communicate the hardware wallet 70 with the personal mobile communication device 300, for example, via the short-range radio communication interface 74 of the hardware wallet 70.

[0063] Based on the above explanation, it can be understood how the rechargeable battery 30 of the above type can achieve the purpose described above with reference to the prior art.

[0064] Without prejudice to the principles of the invention, various modifications may be made to the embodiments and construction details based on the above description disclosed by way of non-limiting example only, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1), said rechargeable battery (30) comprising: - A plurality of rechargeable cells (36), the plurality of rechargeable cells (36) being electrically connected to each other and housed in a container body (35); - Battery Management System (BMS) (50), the Battery Management System (BMS) (50) is configured to control and monitor the state and / or operation of the rechargeable battery (30), wherein the BMS (50) includes at least one data communication bus (51) and at least one circuit board (60) housed in the container body (35). Its features are, - The rechargeable battery (30) includes a hardware wallet (70), which is contained in or operatively connected to the BMS (50). - The hardware wallet (70) includes a protected storage area (72) in which at least one key for recording transactions (201) on the distributed ledger (200) is stored; - The hardware wallet (70) is configured to obtain at least one running and / or status data item of the rechargeable battery (30) from the BMS (50) via the data communication bus (51); - The hardware wallet (70) is configured to transmit the at least one key and the at least one running and / or status data item to the outside of the rechargeable battery (30) to record the at least one running and / or status data item in a transaction (201) in the distributed ledger (200).

2. The rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The hardware wallet (70) is integrated into the circuit board (60).

3. The rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The data communication bus (51) is a CAN bus.

4. The rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, The hardware wallet (70) includes a CAN bus data communication interface (71) which is operatively connected to the data communication bus (51).

5. A rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The distributed ledger (200) is IOTA.

6. A rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the rechargeable battery (30) comprising a short-range data communication interface (73), the short-range data communication interface (73) being operatively connected to or integrated into the hardware wallet (70), and wherein, The hardware wallet (70) is configured to transmit the key and the at least one running and / or status data item via the short-range data communication interface (73).

7. A rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The running and / or status data items include one or more of the following data items, for example: - The SoC (State of Charge) of the rechargeable battery (30). - The SoH (state of health) of the rechargeable battery (30); - Data items related to the operating status of the rechargeable battery (30) being charged; - Data items that indicate successful charging or faults or problems detected during charging.

8. A rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The hardware wallet (70) is configured to perform the above-described transmission at the start of charging of the rechargeable battery (30) and / or during charging of the rechargeable battery (30) and / or at the end of charging of the rechargeable battery (30).

9. The rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle according to claim 8, wherein, The BMS (50) is configured to communicate with the hardware wallet (70) at the start and / or end of the operation of charging the rechargeable battery (30), enabling the hardware wallet (70) to initiate or schedule the transmission of the at least one running and / or status data item.

10. A rechargeable battery (30) for an electric vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The container body (35) is provided with an anti-tampering device (37), for example, the container body (35) is provided with a sealing device to prevent the container body (35) from being opened without authorization.

11. An electric traction vehicle (1), said electric traction vehicle (1) comprising a rechargeable battery (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The vehicle (1) is a motor vehicle with two or three wheels and a rideable seat.

12. A tracking system (400) for tracking said operating and / or status data items of at least one rechargeable battery (30), wherein, The tracking system (400) includes: - At least one rechargeable battery (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 10. - At least one charging station (100), at least one of the charging stations (100) being configured to: charge the rechargeable battery (30) and receive the operation and / or status data items and the key from the rechargeable battery (30), and transmit the data via an electronic communication network (150) to record the operation and / or status data items in at least one transaction (201) on the distributed ledger (200).

13. The tracking system (400) according to claim 12, wherein the tracking system (400) comprises: - An application that is installed or can be installed on a personal mobile communication device (300); And / or - A web portal accessible via the internet; And wherein the application and / or the web portal are configured to allow users to access the distributed ledger (200) to view at least one of the operational and / or status data items of the rechargeable battery (30).

Images