Battery swap management methods and related battery power supply terminals

Abstract

Battery swap management methods for use in a battery power supply station (100) are proposed. First, a battery is received by the battery power supply station (100). It is determined whether the battery power supply station (100) can be connected to a remote server (300). When the battery power supply station (100) cannot connect, an offline battery swap flag corresponding to the battery is obtained, and it is determined whether to implement a battery swap operation based on the obtained offline battery swap flag. The battery swap operation is intended to select a target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries (112, 114). [Fig. 3]

Description

Title of the invention: Battery exchange management methods and related battery power supply terminals. Field of the invention

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to battery swap management processes and related battery power supply terminals, and more particularly to processes and related battery power supply terminals that can provide battery swap services when the battery power supply terminal is offline. Description of the state of the art

[0002] Recently, due to increasing awareness of environmental protection and technological advances in electric vehicles, the development of electric vehicles powered by electricity to replace traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles has gradually become a major objective in the automotive field, thus increasing the popularity of electric vehicles. In order to increase the reach and promote the use of electric vehicles, many countries and cities have begun installing charging stations and battery supply points in public places to allow for the charging or battery swapping of electric vehicles and / or electric motorcycles, thereby facilitating the use of electric vehicles.

[0003] Typically, battery power supply stations can be managed via cloud computing. Battery power supply stations located in the same place or in different locations can be connected to a remote server via a network. The remote server monitors and manages the operation of these battery power supply stations. For example, during a battery swap operation, the battery power supply station will transmit the battery identification data and the user identification data of the corresponding battery to the remote server via the network, and the remote server will use the received data to determine whether to proceed with the battery swap operation.

[0004] Typically, when the battery power supply station cannot connect to the remote server due to a network disconnection or for other reasons, the battery swap operation on the battery power supply station is suspended. In other words, when the power supply station of The battery is offline, users cannot use the battery exchange service, causing inconvenience to users. Brief summary of the invention

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide methods for managing battery exchange and related battery power supply terminals.

[0006] In an embodiment of a battery swap management method for use in a battery power supply station, a battery is received by the battery power supply station. It is determined whether the battery power supply station can be connected to a remote server via a network. When the battery power supply station cannot connect to the remote server, an offline battery swap flag corresponding to the battery is obtained, and it is determined whether to implement a battery swap operation based on the offline battery swap flag corresponding to the battery. The battery swap operation is intended to select a target battery from among a plurality of candidate batteries in the battery power supply station, and the battery is swapped with the target battery as part of the battery swap operation.

[0007] An embodiment of a battery power supply station includes a network connection unit, a battery storage unit that stores a plurality of candidate batteries and receives one battery, and a processing unit. The processing unit couples with the network connection unit and the battery storage unit and determines whether the battery power supply station can be connected to a remote server via a network through the network connection unit. The processing unit obtains an offline battery swap flag corresponding to the battery when the battery power supply station cannot connect to the remote server and determines whether to implement a battery swap operation based on the offline battery swap flag corresponding to the battery.The battery exchange operation is intended to select a target battery from among the candidate batteries, and the battery is exchanged with the target battery as part of the battery exchange operation.

[0008] In certain embodiments, the processing unit further determines whether the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery has been marked when the battery power supply terminal cannot connect to the remote server. The processing unit refuses to perform the battery swap operation when the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery has been marked, and performs the battery swap operation and marks the offline battery swap flag of the target battery when the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery has not been marked.

[0009] In certain embodiments, the processing unit further records user identification data corresponding to the battery and battery identification data corresponding to the target battery, and transmits the user identification data corresponding to the battery and the battery identification data corresponding to the target battery to the remote server via the network when the battery power supply terminal is connected to the remote server.

[0010] In some embodiments, the battery power supply terminal receives the target battery, receives an instruction from the remote server when the battery power supply terminal is connected to the remote server, and removes the offline battery swap flag from the corresponding target battery in response to the instruction.

[0011] In certain embodiments, a specific battery power supply terminal receives the target battery, on which the offline battery swap flag corresponding to the target battery has been marked. A processing unit of the specific battery power supply terminal determines whether the specific battery power supply terminal can connect to the remote server via the network, performs a specific battery swap operation when the specific battery power supply terminal can connect to the remote server, and removes the offline battery swap flag mark from the corresponding target battery.

[0012] In some embodiments, the offline battery swap flag is defined in the battery in the form of hardware, firmware, or software.

[0013] Battery exchange management methods can be in the form of program code embedded in a tangible medium. When the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, the machine becomes an apparatus for implementing the disclosed method. Brief description of the drawings

[0014] The present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] The [Fig. 1] is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a battery power supply terminal of the present invention;

[0016] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a battery power supply terminal connecting to a remote server via a network of the present invention;

[0017] Fig. 3 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention;

[0018] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention;

[0019] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention; and

[0021] Fig. 7 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0022] The following description relates to the best envisaged embodiment of the present invention. This description is intended to illustrate the general principles of the present invention and is not to be considered limiting. It should be understood that the embodiments can be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0023] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a battery power supply terminal of the present invention. The battery power supply terminal 100 of the present invention can be used in an electronic device. As shown in Figure 1, the battery power supply terminal 100 includes at least one battery storage unit 110, a power supply module 120, a network connection unit 130, and a processing unit 140. The battery storage unit 110 has a specific mechanism (not shown in Figure 1) that can store a plurality of batteries, such as the candidate batteries 112 and 114, and selectively lock or release the batteries. The battery power supply terminal 100 can supply batteries to at least one electrical device, such as an electric motorcycle or an electric vehicle.The power supply module 120 can be electrically connected to a power grid (not shown in [Fig. 1]), thereby providing a total current sufficient to power the battery power supply terminal and charge the batteries according to the signal from the processing unit 140. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the battery storage unit 110 may include a charging module corresponding to each battery, and that the charging module has an upper and / or lower current limit for charging the corresponding battery. It should also be noted that, in some embodiments, the power supply module 120 can actively detect the total current supplied by the power grid to the battery power supply terminal 100 and notify the processing unit 140 of the corresponding total current information.The 130 network connection unit can be connected to a network, so that the battery power supply terminal. The 100 has network connectivity. In some embodiments, the network can be a wired network, a telecommunications network, and a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network, etc. The processing unit 140 can control the operation of all the hardware and software of the battery power supply terminal 100, the details of which will be described later.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of a battery power supply station connecting to a remote server via a network of the present invention. As mentioned above, the battery power supply station 100 of the present invention can have network connectivity capabilities using the network connection unit 130. The battery power supply station 100 can be connected to a remote server 300 via a network 200, such as a wired network, a telecommunications network, or a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network. It should be noted that the remote server 300 can be an electronic device. The remote server 300 can simultaneously manage battery power supply stations located at the same location or at different locations via the network 200.As mentioned above, the 100 battery power supply terminal features a plurality of batteries that can supply at least one electrical device, such as an electric motorcycle or electric vehicle.

[0025] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention. The battery exchange management method of the present invention can be used for a battery power supply terminal.

[0026] First, in step S310, the battery power supply station receives a battery. It should be noted that the battery storage unit of the battery power supply station may have at least one free slot. A user can place the battery of an electric vehicle in this free slot. Then, in step S320, it is determined whether the battery power supply station can connect to a remote server via a network. When the battery power supply station can connect to the remote server ("No" in step S330), the process terminates. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the battery power supply station can read related data from the corresponding battery, such as battery identification data, user identification data, etc.and implement battery swap operations based on the related data of the corresponding battery. When the battery power supply terminal cannot connect to the remote server ("Yes" in step S330), in step S340, an offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery is obtained, and in step S350, it is determined whether to implement a battery swap operation according to the flag. Offline battery swapping of the corresponding battery. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery can be stored in the battery power supply terminal. In some embodiments, the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery can be defined in the battery in the form of hardware, firmware, and / or software. It should be noted that the battery swap operation selects at least one target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries in the battery power supply terminal and swaps the target battery with the battery being swapped.

[0027] Figure 4 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention. The battery exchange management method of the present invention can be used for a battery power supply terminal.

[0028] First, in step S410, the battery power supply station receives a battery. Similarly, the battery storage unit of the battery power supply station may have at least one free slot. A user can place the battery of an electric vehicle in this free slot. Then, in step S420, it is determined whether the battery power supply station can connect to a remote server via a network. When the battery power supply station can connect to the remote server ("No" in step S430), the process ends. Similarly, in some embodiments, the battery power supply station can read related data from the corresponding battery, such as battery identification data, user identification data, etc., and perform battery swapping operations based on the related data of the corresponding battery.When the battery power supply terminal cannot connect to the remote server ("Yes" in step S430), in step S440, an offline battery swap flag for the corresponding battery is obtained, and in step S450, it is determined whether the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding battery has been marked. Similarly, in some embodiments, the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding battery can be registered in the battery power supply terminal. In some embodiments, the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding battery can be set in the battery as hardware, firmware, and / or software. When the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding battery has been marked ("Yes" in step S460), in step S470, the battery swap operation is refused.When the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery is not marked ("No" at . In step S460, as in step S480, a battery swap operation is performed to select at least one target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries at the battery power supply terminal, and the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding target battery is marked. The target battery will be swapped with the target battery during the battery swap operation. Then, in step S490, the user ID data of the corresponding battery and the battery ID data of the corresponding target battery are recorded.

[0029] It should be noted that, in certain embodiments, each user may be limited to a predetermined number of battery swaps at an offline battery charging station. In other words, when the user performs the predetermined number of offline battery swaps, the offline battery swap flag on the user's corresponding battery is marked, making it impossible for the user to perform any further offline battery swaps.

[0030] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery swap management method of the present invention. The battery swap management method of the present invention can be used for a battery power supply terminal. In the embodiment, when the battery power supply terminal reconnects to the remote server from the disconnected state, the related records of the battery swap operations performed during the disconnected period can be synchronized with the remote server.

[0031] First, in step S510, it is determined whether the battery power supply terminal can connect to a remote server via a network. When the battery power supply terminal cannot connect to the remote server ("No" in step S520), the process continues at step S510. When the battery power supply terminal can connect to the remote server ("Yes" in step S520), in step S530, the user identification data of the corresponding battery recorded during the battery swap operation while disconnected and the battery identification data of the corresponding target battery are transmitted to the remote server via the network. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the battery power supply terminal can delete the aforementioned data after transmitting it to the remote server.

[0032] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention. The management method The battery exchange unit of the present invention can be used for a battery power supply terminal.

[0033] First, in step S610, the battery power supply terminal receives the target battery. In step S620, it is determined whether the battery power supply terminal can connect to a remote server via a network. When the battery power supply terminal cannot connect to the remote server ("No" in step S630), the process terminates. In some embodiments, when the battery power supply terminal cannot connect to the remote server ("No" in step S630), the determination in steps S440 to S490 can be implemented.When the battery power supply terminal can connect to the remote server ("Yes" in step S630), in step S640, an offline battery swap flag for the corresponding target battery is obtained, and in step S650, an instruction is received from the remote server, and the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding target battery is removed in response to the instruction. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the remote server can check for related records sent by the battery power supply terminal when the battery power supply terminal is restored, and can then determine if there is a record for the target battery that is participating in the battery swap operation while the battery power supply terminal is offline.When there is a record of the target battery in the remote server, the offline battery swap flag mark of the corresponding target battery can be removed since the connection state has been restored, so that the target battery can perform further battery swap operations.

[0034] Figure 7 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a battery exchange management method of the present invention. The battery exchange management method of the present invention can be used for a specific battery power supply terminal.

[0035] First, in step S710, a specific battery power supply station receives the target battery. Similarly, the battery storage unit of the specific battery power supply station may have at least one free slot. A user can place a battery from an electric vehicle in this free slot. It should be noted that the target battery has been implemented with a battery swap operation in an offline battery power supply station. In other words, the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding target battery has been marked. Then, in step S720, it is determined whether the specific battery power supply station can connect to the remote server via a network. When the battery power supply station If the system cannot connect to the remote server ("No" in step S730), in step S740, the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding target battery is obtained, and in step S750, it is determined whether to perform a battery swap operation based on the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding target battery. Similarly, in some embodiments, the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding battery can be set within the battery as hardware, firmware, and / or software. In some embodiments, when the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding target battery has been marked, the battery swap operation is rejected. When the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding target battery is not marked, the battery swap operation is performed.When the specific battery supply station can connect to the remote server ("Yes" in step S730), in step S760, a specific battery swap operation is implemented, and in step S770, the offline battery swap flag mark of the corresponding target battery is removed. In other words, the target battery obtained through the offline battery swap operation can be used for swapping in another battery swap operation at a different online battery supply station. In some embodiments, even if the previously offline battery supply station has not yet completed the connection and the corresponding registration data has not yet been uploaded to the remote server, the target battery can still complete the battery swap operation at another online battery supply station.This embodiment thus makes it possible to meet the user's needs regarding battery replacement.

[0036] It is further noted that, in certain embodiments, each user may be limited to a predetermined number of battery swaps at an offline battery charging station. When the user completes the predetermined number of offline battery swaps, the offline battery swap flag for the corresponding battery for the user is marked, making it impossible for the user to perform any further offline battery swaps.

[0037] Consequently, battery swap management processes and related battery power supply terminals can provide battery swap services when the battery power supply terminal is offline, by setting the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery, thereby reducing the inconveniences associated with the inability to swap batteries under unstable network conditions.

[0038] The battery exchange management methods may take the form of program code (i.e., executable instructions) embedded in a tangible medium, such as a floppy disk, CD-ROM, hard drive, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into a machine, for example, a computer, and executed by it, the machine thus becomes a device for executing the methods. The methods may also be incorporated in the form of program code transmitted over a transmission medium, such as electrical wiring, optical fiber, or any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received, loaded into a machine, for example, a computer, and executed by it, the machine becomes a device for executing the disclosed methods.When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a single device that functions analogously to application-specific logic circuits.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this. A person skilled in the art and experienced in the application of this technology may still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

Claims

1. A battery exchange management method for use in a battery power supply terminal (100), comprising: receiving (S310) a battery via the battery power supply terminal (100); determining (S320) whether the battery power supply terminal (100) can be connected to a remote server (300) via a network (200); obtaining (S340) an offline battery exchange flag corresponding to the battery when the battery power supply terminal (100) cannot connect to the remote server (300);determining (S350) whether to implement a battery swap operation according to the offline battery swap flag corresponding to the battery, wherein the battery swap operation is for selecting a target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries (112, 114) in the battery power supply terminal (100), and the battery is swapped with the target battery in the battery swap operation.;

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining (S450) whether the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery has been marked when the battery power supply terminal (100) cannot connect to the remote server (300); refusing (S470) to implement the battery swap operation when the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery has been marked; and implementing (S480) the battery swap operation, and marking the offline battery swap flag of the target battery when the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding battery has not been marked.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: recording (S490) user identification data corresponding to the battery and battery identification data corresponding to the target battery; and transmitting (S530) the user identification data corresponding to the battery and the battery identification data corresponding to the target battery to the remote server (300) via the network (200) when the battery power supply terminal (100) is connected to the remote server (300).

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: receiving (S610) the target battery via the battery power supply terminal (100); and receiving (S650) an instruction from the remote server (300) when the battery power supply terminal (100) is connected to the remote server (300), and removing the offline battery swap flag of the corresponding target battery in response to the instruction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving (S710) the target battery through a specific battery power supply terminal, in which the offline battery exchange flag corresponding to the target battery has been marked; determining (S720) whether the specific battery power supply terminal can connect to the remote server (300) through the network (200); and implementing (S760) a specific battery exchange operation when the specific battery power supply terminal can be connected to the remote server (300), and removing the mark of the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery.

6. A battery power supply terminal (100), comprising: a network connection unit (130); a battery storage unit (110) storing a plurality of candidate batteries (112, 114), and receiving a battery; and a processing unit (140) coupled to the network connection unit (130) and the battery storage unit (110), determining whether the battery power supply terminal (100) can be connected to a remote server (300) via a network (200) through the network connection unit (130), obtaining an offline battery exchange flag corresponding to the battery when the battery power supply terminal (100) cannot connect to the remote server (300), and determining whether to implementing a battery swap operation according to the offline battery swap flag corresponding to the battery, wherein the battery swap operation is for selecting a target battery from the candidate batteries (112, 114), and the battery is swapped with the target battery in the battery swap operation.

7. The battery power supply terminal of claim 6, wherein the processing unit (140) further determines whether the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery has been marked when the battery power supply terminal (100) cannot connect to the remote server (300), refuses to implement the battery exchange operation when the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery has been marked, and implements the battery exchange operation and marks the offline battery exchange flag of the target battery when the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery has not been marked.

8. The battery power supply terminal of claim 7, wherein the processing unit (140) further records user identification data corresponding to the battery and battery identification data corresponding to the target battery, and transmits the user identification data corresponding to the battery and the battery identification data corresponding to the target battery to the remote server (300) via the network (200) when the battery power supply terminal (100) is connected to the remote server (300).

9. The battery power supply terminal of claim 8, wherein the battery power supply terminal (100) receives the target battery, receives an instruction from the remote server (300) when the battery power supply terminal (100) is connected to the remote server (300), and clears the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery in response to the instruction.

10. The battery power supply terminal of claim 5, wherein a specific battery power supply terminal receives the target battery, wherein the offline battery exchange flag corresponding to the target battery has been marked, a processing unit of the specific battery power supply terminal determines whether the specific battery power supply terminal can connect to the remote server (300) via the network (200), implements a specific battery exchange operation when the specific battery power supply terminal can be connected to the remote server (300), and removes the mark of the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery.

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