BATTERY WITH DOUBLE IDENTIFICATION, STATION, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REPLACING BATTERIES

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electric vehicles, and in particular electric bicycles, tricycles or quadricycles, and similar mobility solutions.

[0002] A preferred application of the present invention relates to electric scooters.

[0003] The invention relates more particularly to electric vehicles which carry at least one battery to provide electricity for powering one or more electric propulsion motors, and which are configured so that the user can exchange the battery(ies) himself when the latter is discharged. Generally speaking, exchanging a battery may consist, for a user, of going near an exchange and recharging point of a network of battery exchange stations, removing the discharged battery from his vehicle, exchanging, in a suitable device which may be called for example a "station" or "exchange station", the discharged battery for a charged battery, and placing the charged battery thus recovered in his vehicle.

[0004] This type of network of battery exchange stations is currently developing and is proving particularly useful in urban areas. Indeed, the vehicles targeted, particularly scooters, are particularly well-suited to travel there, the distances to be covered are relatively short, and it is easy to establish a network of battery exchange stations with a coherent geographical layout that can be used by many users.

[0005] To ensure a satisfactory user experience when replacing a battery, removing and installing the battery must be as simple as possible. Despite recent advances in battery technology, the weight of an electric scooter's propulsion battery remains relatively high, for example, around ten kilograms (depending on the desired range of the vehicle), so any measure that makes handling easier is desirable.

[0006] Furthermore, battery exchange must be as quick as possible. Thus, the steps for removing and installing a battery in the vehicle must be simple and intuitive, and must not present any technical complexity in order to be accessible to any user, with the best possible ergonomics. The same applies at the exchange station or terminal, where depositing a discharged battery and recovering a charged battery must be simple operations for the user.

[0007] To this end, the applicant has developed a battery of generally right prismatic shape, in this case parallelepiped, comprising on one face a carrying and handling handle, and on an opposite face an electrical connector.

[0008] The battery is thus adapted to be inserted into a correspondingly shaped receiving housing provided in the vehicle receiving the battery. The housing has on its bottom a connector adapted to cooperate by plugging with that of the battery, so as to ensure an electrical connection between the battery and the electrical system of the vehicle. The battery is also adapted to be inserted into a housing of an exchange and charging station or terminal, in a similar manner to its insertion into the housing of the vehicle. The housing has on its bottom an electrical connector adapted for recharging the battery.

[0009] This type of solution nevertheless has certain drawbacks, in particular due to the location of the exchange stations in a public space, and the fact that battery exchanges are carried out in a “self-service” mode.

[0010] Firstly, since the stations are located in public spaces, or at least open to the public, the reception areas and their connectors are likely to be damaged, for example blocked, by malicious people.

[0011] Furthermore, the fact that exchanges are carried out directly by the user requires an intuitive system, in which the selection of a charged battery to replace a discharged battery must be done simply, without risk of error or mishandling. Finally, it is necessary for the system to ensure that the user is authorized to exchange his battery, for example by checking that the battery to be exchanged is authorized to be exchanged, or that the user has a valid subscription to the exchange service.

[0012] Document US2016267579A1 proposes, in the context of battery leasing, to identify the battery on the one hand and a user on the other, in order to associate them. In particular, this involves knowing which user has which battery at any given time. While this solution allows for user identification, it does not allow for reliable battery identification. In the field of batteries in general, document TW201201106 describes that a solution for reliably identifying a battery is to combine two means of identification, in particular identification by an RFID chip or a smart card, and identification using a pattern that can be read by an optical sensor (barcode or other pattern). This helps combat battery counterfeiting or theft.

[0013] The invention thus aims to propose a device making it possible to respond to the aforementioned problems.

[0014] Thus, the invention relates to an electric vehicle battery comprising a housing containing at least one battery cell suitable for storing electrical energy and an electronic card for managing the battery, the battery further comprising an electrical connector for the battery. According to the invention, the battery comprises a radio-identification chip separate from the electronic card and the electronic card comprises a unique identifier for the battery, the unique identifier being able to be read by a suitable electronic device when the electrical connector of the battery is connected to said electronic device.

[0015] The presence of two separate identification devices, namely a radio-identification chip and a unique identifier contained in an electronic card of the battery, offers many advantages.

[0016] In the context of a battery exchange network, this helps to ensure the integrity of the batteries to some extent, by verifying that the correlation between the RFID chip ID and the unique battery ID is correct, and in particular remains unchanged throughout the life of the battery and its multiple exchanges.

[0017] In addition, radio-frequency identification allows for initial remote identification of the battery. This initial wireless identification is particularly advantageous in the context of a self-service battery exchange network. Indeed, an electric vehicle battery, particularly a scooter battery, is relatively heavy to ensure satisfactory autonomy. A battery can typically weigh around ten kilograms. Radio-frequency identification allows an exchange station equipped with a radio-frequency identification chip to detect that a battery is nearby, without the user having to take any action. Thus, the user can use both hands to carry the battery until it is deposited in the battery exchange station.In this regard, the identification of the radio-identification chip may have the objective of precisely identifying a battery among all the batteries that can be exchanged in the network of battery exchange stations, or simply of ensuring that the battery belongs to the exchange network, without the exact identity of the battery being determined or used.

[0018] The unique battery identifier, read when the battery is connected for charging at a battery exchange station, allows for strong and certain identification of a particular battery. The degree of reliability of the battery identification, individually, can be higher than that of identification by wireless means. The electronic card containing the unique battery identifier can typically be a battery management system, commonly referred to by the English acronym BMS for "Battery Management System".

[0019] The radio-identification chip can advantageously be housed inside the housing. A radio-identification chip integrated into the battery housing greatly limits the risks of damage to the chip, disassembly or exchange thereof. In one embodiment, two radio-identification chips are located in two locations distant from the battery.

[0020] The presence of two chips makes detection more reliable. In particular, since radio-identification makes it possible to detect the presence of a battery authorized to be exchanged near an exchange station, this detection is carried out very reliably, regardless of the orientation of the battery when it approaches the exchange station. The invention also relates to a battery exchange station for an electric vehicle, comprising a radio-identification reader adapted to communicate with a radio-identification chip of a battery and further comprising at least one station connector adapted to be connected to the electrical connector of the battery for reading a unique identifier of the battery.

[0021] The invention thus also relates to an exchange station, complementary to the battery which is the subject of the present invention. The station allows the reading and use of the two identification information carried by the battery.

[0022] The station may comprise a set of station housings each adapted to receive a battery, each station housing comprising a device for closing said station housing controlled by an automated opening and closing system, said automated system being configured to control the opening of a station housing in response to the detection by the radio-identification reader of a proximity of a radio-identification chip to a battery and to a confirmation, on the basis of an identification of the detected radio-identification chip, that the battery is authorized to be exchanged.

[0023] The double identification of the battery is of particular interest with this type of exchange station which secures access to the station's housings and to the batteries they contain by a physical means such as a door, a shutter, etc. In particular, the first identification carried out using the radio-identification chip allows the opening of a sealing means, for example a shutter, which has the dual effect of indicating to the user in which housing to place the discharged battery and of giving access to this housing to place the discharged battery there.

[0024] The battery exchange station may include a communication system, wired or wireless, allowing data exchange with a remote computer system.

[0025] The invention also relates to a battery exchange system comprising a battery exchange station as previously defined and a remote computer system, the battery exchange station being adapted to communicate with the remote computer system via its communication system, the remote computer system containing data relating to several batteries.

[0026] In such a battery exchange system, the data contained by the remote computer system may include, for each battery: an identifier for each radio-identification chip in the battery; and the unique identifier on the battery's electronic card.

[0027] The remote computer system, comprising for example one or more servers, whether it is a computer system with centralized or distributed architecture, allows access to data relating to the batteries and their identification. In particular, it allows the consistency of the two battery identification information to be validated, which secures the system.

[0028] In the battery exchange system, the data contained by the remote computer system may further include, for each battery, an identifier of a user associated with the battery.

[0029] The data contained by the remote computer system may include, in association with a user's identifier, data relating to a user's subscription to the battery exchange system.

[0030] The opening of a station housing containing a charged battery can be ordered after verification, by communication with the remote computer system, of the data relating to the user's subscription.

[0031] The system thus makes it possible to verify not only data relating to the battery, but also to the user. In particular, the system associates, and stores in memory, the correlation between the identity of a battery and the identity of the current user of this battery. When exchanging a battery, the user's identifier is associated with a new battery, namely the charged battery borrowed by the user. This also makes it possible, where appropriate, to verify the validity of the user's subscription, or other information relating to the user's activity within the battery exchange network.

[0032] Furthermore, the delivery of a new battery may thus be conditional on the authorization of such delivery, after having verified for example the validity of the user's subscription, that the user has not made abusive use of the system (abusive number of exchanges over a given period, etc.).

[0033] The battery exchange system can of course include several exchange stations adapted to communicate with the same remote computer system, thus forming a network of battery exchange stations.

[0034] The battery exchange system may further comprise an electric vehicle adapted to receive a battery from a battery exchange station of said system, the vehicle comprising means adapted to read the unique identifier of the battery, the vehicle further comprising communication means adapted to communicate to the remote computer system said unique identifier of the battery and an identifier of the vehicle.

[0035] The connection between the remote computer system and devices other than the exchange stations, for example vehicles such as scooters, makes it possible to further secure the system by ensuring, for example, that the vehicle using a battery is indeed that of the user who borrowed the battery. This also makes it possible, for example, to develop vehicle fleet logic, by identifying groups of vehicles associated with groups of users.

[0036] The invention finally relates to a method for exchanging a battery of an electric vehicle by a user, for exchanging a discharged battery for a charged battery, comprising the following steps: bringing a discharged battery close to a battery exchange station; detecting by the exchange station the proximity of a radio-identification chip contained in the discharged battery and determining an identifier of the radio-identification chip; confirming, on the basis of an identifier of the chip, that the battery is authorized to be exchanged; indicating by the station a reception location for the discharged battery; connecting an electrical connector of the battery (8) to a connector of the station, at the indicated reception location; reading a unique identifier of the battery, via the battery connector in an electronic card of the battery separate from the radio-identification chip; transmitting the unique identifier of the battery to a remote computer system; verifying the correspondence between the unique identifier of the battery and the identifier of the radio-identification chip it carries;verification, in the remote computer system, that data relating to the user and associated with the battery using a user identifier, authorizes the delivery of a charged battery; if the delivery of a charged battery is authorized, association in the remote computer system of the user identifier with a charged battery contained in the exchange station and delivery of the charged battery.

[0037] The method may further comprise a step of verifying, in the remote computer system, the correspondence between the radio identification chip identifier, the unique identifier of the battery, and the identifier of the user associated with the battery.

[0038] Replacing a battery is therefore simple for the user and secure.

[0039] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description below.

[0040] In the attached drawings, given as non-limiting examples: there figure 1 represents, according to a schematic three-dimensional view, an electric scooter comprising a device for receiving a battery according to one embodiment of the invention; the figure 2 represents, according to a schematic three-dimensional view, an example of a battery which can be implemented in the invention; the figure 3 represents, according to another schematic three-dimensional view, the battery of the figure 2 ; there figure 4 represents, in a sectional view, the battery of figures 2 et 3 ; there figure 5 represents, according to a schematic three-dimensional view, a first step of a battery exchange sequence; the figure 6 represents a second step in a battery exchange sequence; the figure 7 represents a third step in a battery exchange sequence; the figure 8 represents a fourth step in a battery exchange sequence; the figure 9 represents a fifth step in a battery exchange sequence; the figure 10 represents a sixth step in a battery exchange sequence; the figure 11 represents a seventh step in a battery exchange sequence; the figure 12 represents an eighth step in a battery exchange sequence; the figure 13 represents a ninth step in a battery exchange sequence.

[0041] There figure 1 represents, in a three-dimensional view, an electric scooter comprising a device for receiving a battery according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0042] The scooter 1 is an electrically powered scooter. For this purpose, a battery 2 is intended to provide the energy necessary for the propulsion of the scooter 1. In particular, the battery powers a power electronic system which provides the electrical power to an electric motor, which makes it possible to propel the scooter. Alternatively, the vehicle may be configured to receive more than one battery, for example two batteries. This makes it possible to increase the autonomy of the vehicle, or to guarantee sufficient autonomy for a vehicle requiring significant power to move. This may concern a heavier vehicle, and / or one whose expected load is significant, for example a vehicle intended for deliveries.

[0043] According to this principle, the vehicle can have more than two batteries, for example three batteries.

[0044] The scooter 1 has a housing 3 for receiving and connecting the battery 2. The housing 3 is very easy to access, being located, in the example shown here, under the saddle 4 of the scooter. The area under the saddle 4 is, in a known manner, accessible by tilting the saddle 4.

[0045] In order to allow easy installation and removal of the battery 2 in the housing 3, the housing 3 may essentially be in the form of a well allowing substantially vertical insertion of the battery into the housing.

[0046] So, the scooter of the figure 1 is particularly well suited for quick battery exchange, for example to replace a discharged battery with a charged one.

[0047] Replacing battery 2 on scooter 1 thus simply involves opening seat 4, pulling battery 2 out of housing 3, inserting a new battery into housing 3, and closing seat 4.

[0048] Such a simple and quick sequence is compatible with the use of the scooter in a network of battery exchange stations.

[0049] An example of a 2 battery that can be used in the scooter of the figure 1 is represented at the figure 2 .

[0050] The battery 2 comprises in a housing a set of electric cells, for example lithium-ion technologies, although any other battery technology is conceivable within the scope of the present invention (in particular lead, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride, lithium-polymer, lithium-iron-phosphate, aluminum, etc.). The nominal voltage of the battery is adapted to the intended application, and may be, for example, 36V, 48V, 60V, 72V, or any other appropriate voltage.

[0051] The battery 2 has a general shape adapted to the housing 3, and comprises a handle 5 located in the preferred area for gripping the battery, according to the direction of insertion of the battery 2 into the housing 3. The housing 3 of the scooter 1 allowing a substantially vertical insertion, the handle 5 is provided on a so-called upper face 6 of the battery.

[0052] The battery 2 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, extending in its direction of insertion into the housing 3 of the scooter 1, and comprising rounded edges. The rounded edges of the battery facilitate its insertion into the housing 3 and also make its handling more pleasant and less blunt for the user.

[0053] Of course, any other battery configuration is possible, including any straight prismatic shape as detailed below.

[0054] The battery 2 may comprise, in addition to the battery cells, one or more electronic cards, which may include in particular a microprocessor and, where appropriate, a memory. These electronic means may be intended to carry out various functions linked to the management of the battery, in particular its charging, to the recording of data relating to its use (voltage, charge / discharge currents, time information, etc.).

[0055] This (or these) electronic card forms a battery management system, commonly referred to by the English acronym BMS for "Battery Management System". The battery management system includes a unique identifier, which in fact forms a unique identifier for the battery. This unique identifier cannot be modified, or, if necessary, only with appropriate means and certain authentication. In practice, the unique identifier is assigned at the factory during the manufacture of the battery and can only be modified as part of exceptional maintenance operations.

[0056] As shown in the figure 3 , the face of the battery opposite the face on which the handle 5 is arranged, which can be called the base 7 of the battery, comprises an electrical connector for the battery 8. The base 7 also constitutes a face on which the battery can be placed on the ground, and can thus comprise support pads 9. It will be noted that although the term electrical connector is used in the singular, it is a set of several electrical contacts grouped together and organized in the form of a socket, suitable for connecting a corresponding socket.

[0057] The electrical connector of the battery 8 is called "female", in that it is formed in the battery 2 and is adapted to receive a "male" electrical connector inserted therein. The electrical connector of the battery 8 is thus provided with a set of female contacts adapted to receive corresponding male contacts. The contacts can be arranged so as to allow a connection of the battery in several orientations. For example, the contacts can be symmetrical, namely a central contact and two contacts distributed on either side, allowing a connection in two orientations. Of course, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, the polarity can be reversed in the connectors (positive pole in the center, negative poles on either side). Similarly, the male or female character of the connectors can be reversed, the battery then having a male electrical connector of the battery 8.

[0058] The battery also includes centering holes 10, allowing the battery to be centered in its receiving housing 3, and guided when connecting the battery's electrical connector 8.

[0059] The vehicle's electrical connector can in fact be mounted floating so that it can move in the plane formed by its support.

[0060] This allows automatic alignment of the vehicle's electrical connector with respect to the battery's electrical connector 8 when connecting the battery 2. However, this alignment function can be provided, as an alternative or in addition, by elastic means provided between a fixed structure of the vehicle and a support for the vehicle's electrical connector.

[0061] The use of a floating mounting of the vehicle electrical connector 12 is nevertheless preferred, in order to eliminate transverse stresses in the electrical contacts after connection of the battery 2.

[0062] The battery connector 8 also has additional electrical contacts, in addition to the poles allowing the battery to be charged and discharged.

[0063] These additional electrical contacts enable communication with the battery management system. Data can be exchanged from and / or to the battery management system. In particular, when the battery 2 is connected to a corresponding connector, for example in a charging station, the device to which the battery is connected can read the unique identifier of the battery if it is authorized to do so.

[0064] Alternatively or in addition, communication between the battery and the vehicle, and vice versa, can be achieved by contactless communication means.

[0065] Additionally, one of the additional electrical contacts may be shorter than the others, so detecting its connection can be used to ensure that the battery is correctly installed, with its connector properly connected.

[0066] According to one aspect of the invention, the battery 2 is provided with at least one radio-identification chip.

[0067] A radio-identification chip, commonly called an RFID chip (from the English radio frequency identification), is a device for storing and retrieving data remotely.

[0068] A radio-identification chip can also be referred to as “radio-label”, “RFID tag”, “RFID transponder” according to the contraction of the English terms “transmitter” and “responder”, sometimes translated into French as “transponder”.

[0069] Radio frequency identification chips usually come in the form of a label, which can be stuck on or embedded in an object.

[0070] There figure 4 represents an advantageous example of implantation of radio-identification chips in the battery 2. The figure 4 represents in particular, the base 7 of the battery, seen from inside the battery in a sectional view.

[0071] In the battery example shown here, two lateral housings 11 are formed on either side of the battery. A radio-identification chip 12 is housed in each of the lateral housings 11. The radio-identification chip 11 can be simply enclosed there, or it can be glued there for better support.

[0072] Once the battery is assembled, the radio identification chip 11 (or in this case, the two radio identification chips 11) is encapsulated in a non-removable manner in the battery, at least for the user of the battery.

[0073] In the example shown, the positioning of the radio identification chips, installed vertically in the battery near two opposite side faces, allows at least one radio identification chip to be correctly oriented with respect to a charging station equipped with a suitable reader on the front, when the battery 2 is brought close to the station.

[0074] Of course, many other variants of installation of the radio-identification chip(s) are conceivable. The radio-identification chip(s) can for example simply be glued to the battery, for example on its outer wall or in a cavity accessible from the outside of the battery. An attempt to remove the radio-identification chip 12 would result in destroying the radio-identification chip and would render it unusable.

[0075] THE figures 5 à 13 show the different steps of a sequence for exchanging batteries of an electric vehicle in an exchange and charging station 13 of a network of battery exchange stations 13. The vehicle shown as an example is an electric two-wheeled vehicle of the motorcycle type. The exchange sequence is identical for exchanging a battery of the scooter 1.

[0076] There figure 5 represents the arrival of an electric vehicle, for example a motorcycle 14, near a battery exchange and recharging station 13. The user 15 of the motorcycle 14 parks it near the station 13.

[0077] To the figure 6 , the user 15 got off the motorcycle 14. He removed the battery 2 (or if applicable the batteries), which is discharged, or insufficiently charged, from the vehicle. For this, the means for holding the battery 2 in or on the vehicle 2 were released (for example, the saddle was lifted or tilted), and the battery was detached from the vehicle.

[0078] As illustrated in the figure 7 , the user 15 then approaches the station 13. The station 13 comprises a radio-identification reader 16, making it possible to remotely detect and read the radio-identification chip(s) 12 of the battery 2.

[0079] Reading the radio-identification chip 12 makes it possible to determine whether the battery is authorized to be exchanged via the station 13. This may involve ensuring that the battery is one of the batteries in the exchange network. This may involve precisely identifying a battery among the batteries in the exchange network. This may involve verifying the origin of the battery, i.e. from which station it was delivered, and when.

[0080] This authorization may, in certain cases, be verified at the station 13 itself but is more commonly verified by interrogating a remote computer system 20. The remote computer system 20 contains the information necessary to authorize or not the exchange of the battery 2 on the basis of its identification permitted by the radio-identification chip. The remote computer system 20 transmits a response to the station 13, as to the authorization (or not) of the exchange of the battery 2.

[0081] Communication between the station 13 and the remote computer system 20 may be achieved using various communication networks, wired, fiber, and / or wireless communication networks.

[0082] Medium or long-range communication protocols may be used, including 5G, LoRa, Sigfox, NB-loT, LTE, GPRS, UMTS, GSM (registered trademarks). The use of alternative protocols of this type, known or future, is possible. As an alternative or more commonly in addition, short-range wireless communication protocols may be used, including: NFC, RFID, Bluetooth, including Bluetooth Low Energy, Lifi, and Zigbee (registered trademarks). The use of alternative protocols of this type, known or future, is possible. As illustrated in figure 8 , if the battery 2 is authorized to be exchanged, the station 13 will indicate to the user 15 where to deposit the battery 2. In the example shown here, a flap 17, which closes a station housing 18, opens, and thus frees access to said station housing 18.

[0083] The first remote identification carried out using the radio identification chip is particularly advantageous in the context of a self-service battery exchange network. It allows an exchange station equipped with a radio identification chip reader to detect that a battery is nearby, without the user having to take any action. Thus, the user can use both hands to carry the battery until it is deposited in the battery exchange station. This first identification makes it possible, for example, to validate that the battery can be exchanged in the exchange station, in particular because according to this first identification the battery is recognized as being a battery belonging to the set of batteries in the battery exchange system.

[0084] The unique battery identifier, read when the battery is connected for charging in the battery exchange station, will then allow strong and certain identification of the particular battery, and will validate that a charged battery can be provided to the user in exchange, as explained below.

[0085] The station housing 18 in which the battery 2 must be deposited is thus clearly indicated to the user, while physical access to this station housing 18 is permitted.

[0086] A screen 19 of station 13 can provide additional information to user 15.

[0087] As illustrated in the figure 9 , the user 15 then places the battery 2 in the station housing 18 which is open. The battery 2 then connects, for example under the effect of its own weight, to a connector of the station corresponding to the connector of the battery 8.

[0088] The flap 17 of the station housing 18 in which the battery 2 has been placed then closes, as illustrated in figure 10 .

[0089] Connecting battery 2 to station 13 will allow it to be recharged. Initially, it allows information stored in the battery management system, i.e., in the electronic card it contains, to be read. In particular, the battery's unique identifier is read.

[0090] The unique identifier of the battery allows strong and certain identification of a particular battery. The unique identifier, in the example shown here, is transmitted to the remote computer system 20. This makes it possible, if necessary, to verify that the correspondence between the unique identifier of the battery and the identity of the battery determined on the basis of the radio-identification chip that it carries.

[0091] This makes it possible to detect a possible anomaly, which may correspond to abnormal handling carried out on the battery. One measure may consist of not allowing the station to provide this battery to another user, and sending a technician to retrieve this battery for verification. This also makes it possible to verify information related to the user's subscription 15. For this, a user identifier is associated with the unique identification of the battery when it is provided to the user. It is thus possible to verify, for example, whether the user's subscription is in force, whether their payment is up to date, or any other information concerning the use that the user makes of their subscription and more generally of the service and the battery exchange network.

[0092] If the delivery of a new battery is authorized based on the information transmitted to the remote computer system 20, the station is authorized to deliver a recharged battery to the user 15.

[0093] In the remote computer system 20, the user identifier is then associated with a charged battery that is present in the station 13. For example, the user identifier is associated with the unique identifier of the battery. As illustrated in figure 11 , a flap 17 of the station 13 which closed the station housing 18 which contains the charged battery 2 which has been associated with the user is open.

[0094] User 15 thus knows which battery to recover, and at the same time is authorized to do so by the physical access provided to battery 2, which is a charged battery.

[0095] As represented in the figure 12 , the user 15 then grasps the battery 2 which is accessible by the handle 5 of the battery 2. The user removes the battery 2 from the station 13. After removing the battery 2 which is charged, the flap of the station housing which contained this battery closes, in order to secure the station housing. As illustrated in figure 13 , the user 15 approaches his vehicle, namely the motorcycle 14, in order to install the charged battery 2 that he has recovered.

[0096] Dual battery identification thus enables a reliable and safe battery exchange service for the user. The first detection of the battery using a radio-identification chip allows a battery exchange and charging station to detect the battery remotely from the station, without any action being required from the user. Thus, the user can hold and place the discharged battery using both hands, which is advantageous due to the weight of the battery.

[0097] The identification of a second identifier, namely a unique battery identifier, is tamper-proof.

Claims

1. Electric-vehicle battery (2) including a case containing at least one battery cell adapted to store electrical energy, the battery (2) including an electrical connector (8) of the battery and a radio-identification chip (12) including an identifier; characterized in that the battery includes an electronic card for managing the battery, distinct from the radio-identification chip (12), and in that the electronic card includes a unique identifier of the battery, the unique identifier being able to be read by an adapted electronic device when the electrical connector (8) of the battery is connected to said electronic device.

2. Battery according to claim 1, wherein the radio-identification chip (12) is housed inside the case.

3. Battery according to claim 1 or claim 2, including two radio-identification chips (12) located at two locations distant from the battery (2).

4. Battery-exchange system including - a battery-exchange station (13) for electric vehicles, including: ∘ a radio-identification reader (16) adapted to communicate with a radio-identification chip (12) of a battery including an identifier, o a station connector adapted to be connected to the electrical connector of the battery (8) for reading a unique identifier of the battery distinct from the identifier of the radio-identification chip and transmitting same to a remote computer system, and o a communication system, wired or wireless, allowing an exchange of data with the remote computer system (20), - the remote computer system, which contains data relating to a plurality of batteries (2) and is configured to check the match between the unique identifier of the battery and the identifier of the radio-identification chip that it carries.

5. Battery-exchange system according to claim 4, wherein the battery-exchange station (13) includes a set of station housings (18) adapted each to receive a battery, each station housing (18) including a device for closing said station housing (18) controlled by an automated opening and closing system, said automated system being configured to control the opening of a station housing (18) in response to the detection, by the radio-identification reader (16), of a proximity of a radio-identification chip (12) of a battery (2) and to a confirmation, on the basis of an identification of the radio-identification chip (12) detected, that the battery (2) is authorized to be exchanged.

6. Battery-exchange system according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the data contained by the remote computer system (20) include, for each battery (2): - an identifier of each radio-identification chip (12) that the battery (2) includes; and - the unique identifier that the electronic card of the battery includes.

7. Battery-exchange system according to claim 6, wherein the data contained by the remote computer system (20) furthermore include, for each battery (2), an identifier of a user (15) associated with the battery.

8. Battery-exchange system according to claim 7, wherein the data contained by the remote computer system (20) include, in association with the identifier of a user, data relating to a subscription of the user (15) to the battery-exchange system.

9. Battery-exchange system according to claim 8, wherein the opening of a station housing (18) containing a charged battery (2) is controlled after checking, by communication with the remote computer system (20), of the data relating to the subscription of the user.

10. Battery-exchange system according to one of claims 4 to 9, including a plurality of exchange stations (13) adapted to communicate with the same remote computer system (20), thus forming a network of battery-exchange stations.

11. Battery-exchange system according to one of claims 4 to 10, furthermore including an electric vehicle adapted to receive a battery (2) coming from a battery-exchange station (13) of said system, the vehicle including means adapted to read the unique identifier of the battery, the vehicle furthermore including communication means adapted to communicate, to the remote computer system (20), said unique identifier of the battery (2) and an identifier of the vehicle.

12. Method for exchanging a battery of an electric vehicle by a user (15), for exchanging a discharged battery (2) against a charged battery (2), including the following steps: - provision of a discharged battery (2) in proximity to a battery-exchange station (13); - detection, by the exchange station (13), of the proximity of a radio-identification chip (12) that the discharged battery (2) includes and determination of an identifier of the radio-identification chip (12); - confirmation, based on an identifier of the chip, that the battery is authorized to be exchanged; - indication, by the station (13), of a reception location for the discharged battery (2); - connection of an electrical connector of the battery (8) to a connector of the station, at the indicated reception location; - reading of a unique identifier of the battery in an electronic card of the battery distinct from the radio-identification chip, via the connector of the battery; - transmission of the unique identifier of the battery to a remote computer system; - checking of the match between the unique identifier of the battery and the identifier of the radio-identification chip that it carries; - checking, in the remote computer system (20), that the data relating to the user and associated with the battery by means of an identifier of the user authorize the delivery of a charged battery (2); - if the delivery of a charged battery (2) is authorized, association, in the remote computer system (20), of the identifier of the user with a charged battery (2) that the exchange station (13) contains, and delivery of the charged battery (2).

13. Exchange method according to claim 12, furthermore including a step of checking, in the remote computer system (20), the match between the radio-identification chip identifier, the unique identifier of the battery and the identifier of the user associated with the battery.