Battery replacement management method, and battery energy station of the same

Abstract

To provide a battery replacement management method, and a battery energy station of the same.SOLUTION: There is provided a battery replacement management method which is used in a battery energy station. First, a battery is stored by the battery energy station. It determines whether or not the battery energy station is connectable to a remote server via a network. When the battery energy station is not connectable to the remote server, an off-line battery replacement flag corresponding to the battery is obtained, and it determines whether or not to execute battery replacement work according to the off-line battery replacement flag corresponding to the battery. The battery replacement work selects a target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries in the battery energy station, and the battery is replaced with the target battery in the battery replacement work.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery exchange management method and a battery energy station thereof, and in particular to a system and a battery energy station thereof that can provide a battery exchange service even when the battery energy station is offline. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection and the advancement of electric vehicle technology, the development of electric vehicles powered by electrical energy has gradually become an important goal in the automotive field, replacing traditional vehicles powered by fossil fuels, and therefore electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular. In order to increase the driving range and willingness to use electric vehicles, many countries and cities have set up charging stations and battery energy stations in public places to provide charging and battery exchange for electric cars and electric motorcycles, making the use of electric vehicles more convenient.

[0003] Generally, the battery energy station can be managed through the cloud. Battery energy stations located at the same or different locations can be connected to a remote server through a network. The remote server monitors and manages the operations of these battery energy stations. For example, during a battery exchange operation of the battery energy station, the battery energy station transmits battery identification data of the corresponding battery and user identification data to the remote server through the network, and the remote server uses the received data to determine whether to agree to perform the battery exchange operation.

[0004] Conventionally, when the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server due to network isolation or other reasons, the battery exchange operation in the battery energy station will stop, which means that when the battery energy station is offline, the user cannot use the battery exchange service, which causes inconvenience to the user. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery exchange management method and a battery energy station thereof. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A battery exchange management method according to an embodiment is used in a battery energy station, and a battery is accommodated by the battery energy station. The battery energy station determines whether it can connect to a remote server through a network. When the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server, an offline battery exchange flag corresponding to the battery is obtained, and determines whether to perform a battery exchange operation according to the offline battery exchange flag corresponding to the battery. The battery exchange operation is to select a target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries in the battery energy station, and the battery is exchanged with the target battery during the battery exchange operation.

[0007] A battery energy station according to an embodiment includes a network connection unit, a battery storage unit that contains a plurality of candidate batteries and receives a battery, and a processing unit. The processing unit is coupled to the network connection unit and the battery storage unit, and determines whether the battery energy station can connect to a remote server through the network connection unit. When the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server, the processing unit obtains an offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the battery, and determines whether to perform a battery replacement operation according to the offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the battery. The battery replacement operation is to select a target battery from the candidate batteries, and the battery is replaced with the target battery during the battery replacement operation.

[0008] In some embodiments, the processing unit further determines whether an offline battery replacement flag of a corresponding battery is marked when the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server. When the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is marked, the processing unit refuses to perform the battery replacement operation. When the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is not marked, the processing unit performs the battery replacement operation and marks an offline battery replacement flag of the target battery.

[0009] In some 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 battery identification data corresponding to the target battery to the remote server via the network when the battery energy station is connected to the remote server.

[0010] In some embodiments, the battery energy station accepts a target battery, receives a command from the remote server when the battery energy station is connected to the remote server, and, in response to the command, removes the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery.

[0011] In some embodiments, the specific battery energy station contains a target battery marked with an offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the target battery, and a processing unit of the specific battery energy station determines whether the specific battery energy station can connect to a remote server via a network, and when the specific battery energy station can connect to the remote server, performs a specific battery replacement operation and removes the mark of the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery.

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

[0013] The battery exchange management method may take the form of program code embodied in a tangible medium, which when loaded into and executed by a machine becomes an apparatus for performing the disclosed method. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The battery exchange management method of the present invention and the battery energy station thereof can provide battery exchange services even when the battery energy station is offline. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery energy station according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery energy station connected to a remote server via a network according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flow chart of a battery exchange management method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flow chart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The following description is of the best contemplated mode for carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. It is to be understood that embodiments can be realized in software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a battery energy station according to an embodiment of the present invention. The battery energy station 100 of the present invention is used in an electronic device. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery energy station 100 includes at least a battery storage unit 110, an energy module 120, a network connection unit 130, and a processing unit 140. The battery storage unit 110 stores a plurality of batteries, such as candidate batteries 112 and 114, and has a specific mechanism (not shown in FIG. 1) that can selectively lock or release the batteries. The battery energy station 100 can provide batteries to at least one electric device, such as an electric bike or an electric car. The energy module 120 is electrically coupled to a power grid (not shown in FIG. 1) to obtain a total current and supply power to the battery energy station and charge the batteries according to a signal from the processing unit 140. It is noted that in some embodiments, the battery storage unit 110 has a charging module corresponding to each battery, and the charging module has an upper current limit and / or a lower current limit to charge the corresponding battery. It is noted that in some embodiments, the energy module 120 can actively detect the total current supplied to the battery energy station 100 by the power grid, and inform the processing unit 140 of the corresponding total current information. Since the network connection unit 130 is connected to a network, the battery energy station 100 can have a network connection capability. In some embodiments, the network is a wired network, a telecommunication network, and a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network. The processing unit 140 can control the operation of all hardware and software in the battery energy station 100, which will be described in detail later.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a battery energy station connected to a remote server via a network according to an embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned above, the battery energy station 100 of the present invention can have a network connection capability by using a network connection unit 130. The battery energy station 100 is connected to a remote server 300 via a network 200, such as a wired network, a telecommunication network, and a wireless network, for example, a Wi-Fi network. It should be noted that the remote server 300 is an electronic device. The remote server 300 can simultaneously manage battery power stations located at the same location or different locations via the network 200. As mentioned above, the battery energy station 100 has a plurality of batteries that can be provided to at least one electric device, for example, an electric motorcycle or an electric car.

[0020] 3 is a flow chart of a battery exchange management method according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is used in a battery energy station.

[0021] First, in step S310, the battery energy station accommodates a battery. It is noted that the battery storage unit of the battery energy station may have at least one free slot. A user may place the battery of the electric vehicle. Then, in step S320, it is determined whether the battery energy station can connect to a remote server through a network. When the battery energy station can connect to the remote server (step S330, No), the process ends. It is noted that in some embodiments, the battery energy station can read the relevant data of the corresponding battery, such as battery identification data, user identification data, etc., and perform a battery exchange operation according to the relevant data of the corresponding battery. When the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server (step S330, Yes), in step S340, an offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery is obtained, and in step S350, it is determined whether to perform a battery exchange operation according to the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery. It is noted that in some embodiments, the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery may be recorded in the battery energy station. In some embodiments, the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery can be set in the battery in the form of hardware, firmware, and / or software. It should be noted that the battery replacement operation includes selecting at least one target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries in the battery energy station, and replacing the battery with the target battery in the battery replacement operation.

[0022] 4 is a flow chart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The battery exchange management method of the present invention is used in a battery energy station.

[0023] First, in step S410, the battery energy station accommodates a battery. Similarly, the battery storage unit of the battery energy station has at least one free slot. A user can place a battery of an electric vehicle in the free slot. Then, in step S420, the battery energy station determines whether it can connect to a remote server through a network. When the battery energy station can connect to the remote server (step S430, No), the process ends. Similarly, in some embodiments, the battery energy station can read the relevant data of the corresponding battery, such as battery identification data, user identification data, etc., and executes a battery exchange operation based on the relevant data of the corresponding battery. When the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server (step S430, Yes), in step S440, the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery is obtained, and in step S450, it is determined whether the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery is marked. Similarly, in some embodiments, the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery is recorded in the battery energy station. In some embodiments, the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is set in the battery in the form of hardware, firmware, or software. When the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is marked (step S460, yes), the battery replacement operation is rejected in step S470. When the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is not marked (step S460, no), the battery replacement operation is performed in step S480 to select at least one target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries in the battery energy station and mark the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery. During the battery replacement operation, the target battery is replaced with a battery.Thereafter, in step S490, the user identification data of the corresponding battery and the battery identification data of the corresponding target battery are recorded.

[0024] It should be noted that in some embodiments, each user is limited to a predetermined number of battery exchanges at the offline battery energy station, in other words, when a user performs a predetermined number of offline battery exchanges, an offline battery exchange flag of the battery corresponding to the user will be marked, and the user will be unable to perform further offline battery exchanges.

[0025] 5 is a flow chart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The battery exchange management method of the present invention is used in a battery energy station. In this embodiment, when the battery energy station reconnects to the remote server from a disconnected state, the related records of the battery exchange operations performed during the disconnected period can be synchronized to the remote server.

[0026] First, in step S510, it is determined whether the battery energy station can connect to the remote server via the network. When the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server (step S520, no), the process continues with step S510. When the battery energy station can connect to the remote server (step S520, yes), in step S530, during the disconnection period, the user identification data of the corresponding battery recorded during the battery exchange operation 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, after being transmitted to the remote server, the battery energy station can delete the above data.

[0027] 6 is a flow chart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The battery exchange management method of the present invention is used in a battery energy station.

[0028] First, in step S610, the battery energy station accommodates the target battery. In step S620, it is determined whether the battery energy station can connect to the remote server via the network. When the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server (step S630, no), the process ends. In some embodiments, when the battery energy station is not connected to the remote server (step S630, no), the determinations of steps S440 to S490 are performed. When the battery energy station can connect to the remote server (step S630, yes), in step S640, the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery is obtained, and in step S650, a command is received from the remote server, and the mark of the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery is removed according to the command. It is to be noted that in some embodiments, when the battery energy station recovers, the remote server can check whether there is a related record sent by the battery energy station, and then determine whether there is a record of the target battery participating in the battery replacement operation when the battery energy station is offline. When the record of the target battery is in the remote server, the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery is unmarked since the connection status is restored, so that the target battery can perform other battery replacement operations.

[0029] 7 is a flow chart of a battery exchange management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The battery exchange management method of the present invention is used in a specific battery energy station.

[0030] First, in step S710, a specific battery energy station accommodates a target battery. Similarly, the battery storage unit of the specific battery energy station has at least one free slot. A user can place a battery of an electric vehicle in this free slot. It should be noted that the target battery is an offline battery energy station, and a battery exchange operation has been performed on the target battery. In other words, the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery has already been marked. Then, in step S720, it is determined whether the specific battery energy station can connect to a remote server via a network. When the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server (step S730: No), in step S740, the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery is obtained, and in step S750, it is determined whether to perform a battery exchange operation according to the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery. Similarly, in some embodiments, the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding battery is set in the battery in the form of hardware, firmware, and / or software. In some embodiments, when the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery is marked, the execution of the battery exchange operation is refused. When the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery is not marked, the battery replacement operation is performed. When the specific battery energy station can connect to the remote server (YES in step S730), the specific battery replacement operation is performed in step S760, and the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery is unmarked in step S770. In other words, the target battery obtained in the offline battery replacement operation can perform another battery replacement operation in another online battery energy station.In some embodiments, the target battery can still complete the battery exchange operation with another online battery energy station even if the previous offline battery energy station has not yet completed the connection and the related record data has not yet been uploaded to the remote server. This embodiment ensures the user's demand for battery exchange.

[0031] It is again worth noting that in some embodiments, each user is limited to a predefined number of battery exchanges at the offline battery energy station, and when a user performs a predefined number of offline battery exchanges, an offline battery exchange flag for the battery corresponding to the user is marked, preventing the user from performing any more offline battery exchanges.

[0032] Therefore, the battery exchange management method and its battery energy station can provide a battery exchange service by setting an offline battery exchange flag for the corresponding battery when the battery energy station is offline, thereby reducing the inconvenience of being unable to exchange batteries due to unstable network conditions.

[0033] The battery charging data management method may take the form of program code (i.e., executable instructions) embodied in a tangible medium, such as a floppy disk, CD-ROM, hard drive, or any other machine-readable storage medium, which when loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, thereby becomes an apparatus for performing the method. The method may also be embodied in the form of program code transmitted over some transmission medium, such as transmission over electrical wiring, cabling, or optical fiber, which when received, loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, becomes an apparatus for performing the disclosed method. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates analogously to application-specific logic circuits.

[0034] Although the present invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may still make various changes 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 100…Battery Energy Station 110…Battery storage unit 112, 114... Candidate battery 120…Energy module 130…Network connection unit 140... Processing unit 200…Network 300 - Remote server S310, S320, S330, S340, S350, S410, S420, S430, S440, S450, S460, S470, S480, S490, S510, S520, S530, S610, S620, S630, S640, S650, S710, S720, S730, S740, S750, S760, S770... Engineering

Claims

1. A battery exchange management method for use in a battery energy station, comprising: receiving a battery by the battery energy station; determining whether the battery energy station can connect to a remote server over a network; obtaining an offline battery exchange flag corresponding to the battery when the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server; and determining whether to perform a battery replacement operation according to the offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the battery; The method, characterized in that the battery exchange operation comprises selecting a target battery from a plurality of candidate batteries in the battery energy station, and the battery is exchanged with the target battery during the battery exchange operation.

2. moreover, determining whether the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is marked when the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server; refusing to perform the battery replacement operation when the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is already marked; and performing the battery replacement operation and marking the offline battery replacement flag of the target battery when the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is not marked; 2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

3. moreover, recording user identification data corresponding to the battery and battery identification data corresponding to the target battery; and when the battery energy station is connected to the remote server, transmitting 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; 3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

4. moreover, receiving the target battery by the battery energy station; and receiving a command from the remote server when the battery energy station is connected to the remote server, and deleting the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery in response to the command; 4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

5. moreover, receiving the target battery with a specific battery energy station marked with the offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the target battery; determining whether the particular battery energy station can connect to the remote server via the network; and performing a specific battery exchange operation when the specific battery energy station can connect to the remote server and removing the mark of the offline battery exchange flag of the corresponding target battery; 2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

6. 1. A battery energy station, comprising: A network connection unit; a battery storage unit for housing a plurality of candidate batteries and for receiving the battery; and a processing unit coupled to the network connection unit and the battery storage unit, for determining whether the battery energy station can connect to a remote server through the network connection unit, and when the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server, for obtaining an offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the battery, and for determining whether to perform a battery replacement operation according to the offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the battery; A battery energy station, characterized in that the battery replacement operation comprises selecting a target battery from the candidate batteries, and the battery is replaced with the target battery during the battery replacement operation.

7. The battery energy station of claim 6, characterized in that the processing unit further determines whether the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is marked when the battery energy station cannot connect to the remote server, and refuses to perform the battery replacement operation when the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is marked, and performs the battery replacement operation and marks the offline battery replacement flag of the target battery when the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding battery is not marked.

8. The battery energy station of claim 7, characterized in that the processing unit further records user identification data corresponding to the battery and battery identification data corresponding to the target battery, and when the battery energy station is connected to the remote server, 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.

9. The battery energy station of claim 8, characterized in that the battery energy station contains the target battery, and when the battery energy station is connected to the remote server, receives an instruction from the remote server, and deletes the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery in response to the instruction.

10. The battery energy station of claim 5, characterized in that a specific battery energy station contains a target battery in which the offline battery replacement flag corresponding to the target battery is marked, and a processing unit of the specific battery energy station determines whether the specific battery energy station can connect to the remote server via the network, and when the specific battery energy station can connect to the remote server, performs a specific battery replacement operation and removes the mask of the offline battery replacement flag of the corresponding target battery.

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