Usability determination device for replaceable battery pack

Abstract

To perform determination on whether or not a replaceable battery pack is usable based on whether the replaceable battery pack can output power in an amount requested by an electric apparatus of each user, avoid a situation in which it is found that the replaceable battery pack cannot output the power requested by the user through the electric apparatus after the use of the replaceable battery pack in the electric apparatus starts, and enable a greater number of replaceable battery packs to be used in the electric apparatus using the replaceable battery pack, a charging device for the replaceable battery pack, or a distribution service system for the replaceable battery packs.SOLUTION: A usability determination device 20 for a replaceable battery pack 1 used in an electric apparatus 10 determines that one or more replaceable battery packs connected in series are available for use by the electric apparatus of one user when the power in an amount that is expected to be requested by the one user of the electric apparatus in the use thereof can be output by the one or more replaceable battery packs connected in series.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing the use of replaceable battery packs used in electric vehicles and other equipment, and more particularly to an apparatus for determining available replaceable battery packs in individual equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] A method of operating various electrical devices without charging the battery packs mounted thereon by making the battery packs replaceable has become widespread, and various techniques for this purpose have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, in a situation where battery packs of various rated voltages are used among various devices, if the battery packs used in each device are limited to those with a rated output voltage equal to the predetermined rated input voltage of each device, the options for usable battery packs are narrowed. Therefore, a configuration is proposed in which the battery packs connected in series can be used if the total output voltage value of multiple battery packs is within a predetermined discharge permission range. Patent Document 2 proposes an information processing device that adjusts an offer by one user of a vehicle equipped with an exchangeable battery to another user of an exchangeable battery that is being charged or has a charge level of a predetermined level or higher, and the acceptance of the offer by the other user. It is also proposed that such a device excludes from exchangeable batteries that are being charged or have a charge level of a predetermined level or higher that have a deterioration level of a predetermined level or higher from exchangeable batteries that are being charged or have a charge level of a predetermined level or higher. Also, a configuration has been proposed for electric vehicles in which the battery packs are replaceable so that when the vehicle stops at a station, a already charged battery pack is installed and the battery packs are switched as appropriate while the vehicle is in operation, thereby eliminating the need for time-consuming battery pack charging in the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2014-233783 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2023-50216 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, the power that a battery pack can output (maximum output power) is determined by SOC (State of charge), temperature, and SOH (State of Health-deterioration level), and therefore varies depending on the state of each battery pack. Therefore, it may be found that the replaceable battery pack installed in an electrical device cannot output the power required by the user after the start of use. In order to avoid such a situation, it is preferable that an electrical device using a replaceable battery pack, a charging device for the replaceable battery pack, or a distribution service system for the replaceable battery pack (a system that grasps the state and number of available battery packs and manages the lending and transfer of battery packs) can confirm whether or not the replaceable battery pack to be used in a given electrical device is in a state capable of outputting the power that can be required when used in that electrical device (determination of whether or not the replaceable battery pack can be used). In this regard, the amount of power required by an electrical device varies depending on the mode of use of the electrical device for each user. Therefore, when a certain user uses a replaceable battery pack in a certain electrical device, if the replaceable battery pack can output the amount of power required by the user's electrical device, it can be used. Furthermore, when determining whether or not a replaceable battery pack can be used, rather than judging the replaceable battery pack under uniform conditions, if the judgment is made on a case-by-case basis based on whether the replaceable battery pack can output the power required for use in an electrical device by the user, it is expected that more replaceable battery packs will be made usable, the number of unused replaceable battery packs will be reduced, and the depletion of usable replaceable battery packs will be prevented.

[0005] Thus, the main object of the present invention is to determine whether a replaceable battery pack is usable in an electrical device that uses a replaceable battery pack, a charging device for a replaceable battery pack, or a distribution service system for replaceable battery packs based on whether the replaceable battery pack can output the amount of power required by an individual user's electrical device, thereby avoiding a situation in which it is discovered after starting to use the replaceable battery pack that it cannot output the power required by the user with the electrical device, and to make more replaceable battery packs available for use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by a device for determining whether a replaceable battery pack used in an electrical device can be used, the device being configured to determine that when a single or multiple series-connected replaceable battery packs are capable of outputting an amount of power that a user of the electrical device is expected to require when using the electrical device, the single or multiple series-connected replaceable battery packs are usable for use by the single user of the electrical device.

[0007] In the above configuration, the "electrical device" may be any electrical device such as an electric vehicle or other lighting device, power supply device, etc., that is driven by the power of the replaceable battery pack. The "replaceable battery pack" may be a device that includes a plurality of chargeable and dischargeable battery cells (secondary battery cells) connected in series or parallel, a pair of input / output terminals to which the positive and negative electrodes of a cell group consisting of the plurality of battery cells are connected, and a control means that monitors the state of each battery cell and controls whether or not it can be charged or discharged, and is detachably mounted or attached to an electrical device (or a charging device) so that the cell group supplies power to the electrical device or receives power from the electrical device (in the case of a motor-generator) in a controlled manner, and is charged by a charger. The "determination device" is incorporated as a means for determining whether or not the replaceable battery pack can be used in a distribution service system for an electric vehicle or other electrical device, a charging device, or a replaceable battery pack.

[0008] In the device of the present invention, as described above, when a single or multiple serially connected replaceable battery packs can output the amount of power expected to be required by a single user of an electrical device when the user uses the electrical device, the replaceable battery pack is deemed available for use by the single user of the electrical device. Here, the replaceable battery pack to be determined may be a single battery pack or multiple serially connected replaceable battery packs. With this configuration, when a replaceable battery pack can output the power required for each use of an electrical device by a single user, it is determined to be available even if it cannot output the power required when another user uses the electrical device. This provides the advantages that more replaceable battery packs are made available for use by the electrical device, the number of unused replaceable battery packs is reduced, and the number of replaceable battery packs available for use is less likely to be in short supply.

[0009] In the above, the value of "power of a magnitude expected to be required by a user of an electric device when using the electric device" may be acquired or determined by any method. In one embodiment, a power value determined based on the past usage history of the electric device of a user, more specifically, a maximum value of a range that generally covers past power values, may be adopted as "power of a magnitude expected to be required by a user of an electric device when using the electric device", and if the replaceable battery pack can output this value, it may be determined that it is usable. The maximum value of the range that generally covers past power values ​​may be, for example, a value obtained by adding several times the standard deviation (e.g., three times, etc., but is not limited thereto) to the average value of the frequency distribution of past power values. As a result, the replaceable battery pack determined to be usable can output power that generally meets the requirements of the user when the user actually uses the electric device, and it is possible to generally avoid a situation in which it is found that the replaceable battery pack cannot output the power required by the user in the electric device after the start of use of the replaceable battery pack. More specifically, for example, in the case of an electric vehicle, the magnitude of output power corresponds to the magnitude of the vehicle's acceleration, and if a replaceable battery pack is used that can output the maximum value in a range that generally covers the power values ​​used in the past, acceleration that meets the user's request can be realized in most situations, except for the very rare case where the user (driver) requests extremely high acceleration. Or, in the case of lighting devices and power supplies, illuminance and output power that meet the request can be provided in most situations, except for the very rare case where extremely high illuminance or output power is requested. (If the past usage history of the electrical device cannot be obtained, the replaceable battery pack may be determined to be usable when it is capable of outputting the rated output of the electrical device.)

[0010] When the above-mentioned determination device is mounted on an electric device, when a single or multiple serially connected replaceable battery packs are connected in parallel in multiple rows to the electric device, it may determine whether or not all of the rows of replaceable battery packs can be used.When the above-mentioned determination device is mounted on a charging device, in response to a request from a single user to use a replaceable battery pack with a single electric device, it may determine whether or not all selectable combinations of replaceable battery packs connected to the charging device can be used with the electric device requested by the single user.Furthermore, when the above-mentioned determination device is incorporated in a distribution service system for replaceable battery packs, in response to a request from a single user to use a replaceable battery pack with a single electric device, it may determine whether or not all selectable combinations of replaceable battery packs managed by the system can be used with the electric device requested by the single user. Effect of the Invention

[0011] Thus, according to the configuration of the present invention, in an electrical device that uses a replaceable battery pack, a charging device for a replaceable battery pack, or a distribution service system for replaceable battery packs, a replaceable battery pack is determined to be usable when it is capable of outputting the amount of power required by an individual user's electrical device, thereby avoiding a situation in which the power required by the user cannot be output after the electrical device begins to use the replaceable battery pack, and it is expected that more replaceable battery packs will be made available for use, thereby avoiding a situation in which the number of unused replaceable battery packs increases or a situation in which there is a shortage of replaceable battery packs, and enabling the replaceable battery packs to be used more effectively.

[0012] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]Fig. 1(A) is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a replaceable battery pack whose usability is determined by the determination device of this embodiment. Fig. 1(B) and (C) are schematic diagrams of the configuration of a power system in a vehicle equipped with a replaceable battery pack to which the determination device of this embodiment is applied. Fig. 1(D) and (E) are schematic diagrams of the configuration of a power system in a power supply device and a lighting fixture, respectively, equipped with a replaceable battery pack to which the determination device of this embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] 2(A), (B), and (C) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the change in vehicle speed over time, the change in (output) power over time, and the frequency distribution of output power, respectively, when electric power is used in a vehicle. [Diagram 3] 3(A) to 3(C) are diagrams showing, in the form of a flow chart, the process of determining whether or not a replaceable battery pack can be used in a vehicle or other device by the determination device of this embodiment. [Figure 4] Fig. 4(A) is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a power system in a charging device for a replaceable battery pack to which the determination device of this embodiment is applied, and Fig. 4(B) is a flowchart showing the process of determining whether or not a replaceable battery pack can be used in the charging device by the determination device of this embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a distribution service system for replaceable battery packs to which the determination device of this embodiment is applied. [Explanation of symbols]

[0014] 1...replaceable battery pack, 2...battery cell, 3P...positive terminal, 3N...negative terminal, 4...control unit, 4a...communication terminal, 4b...start switch, 5...circuit breaker, 6...fuse, 7...current sensor, 8...temperature sensor, 10...vehicle power system, 10a...power supply device power system, 10b...lighting device power system, 11...vehicle battery pack (stationary type), 12...motor drive circuit and PCU (power control unit), 13...DC voltage converter (DC DC), 14...auxiliary battery (sub-battery), 15P...positive power line, 15N...negative power line, 16...DC-AC inverter, 20...control unit, 21...communication line, 22...USB output terminal, 23...AC output outlet, 24...lighting power source, 25...LED or light bulb, 30...AC plug, 31...power supply unit, 32...charging unit, 34...communication line, 40...integrated control unit, 41...charging management unit, 42...communication line BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0015] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to some preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts.

[0016] Replaceable battery pack configuration The battery pack whose usability is determined by the determination device according to this embodiment may be a replaceable battery pack as shown in Fig. 1 (A) . Specifically, the replaceable battery pack 1 includes a battery cell group in which a plurality of chargeable and dischargeable battery cells (secondary battery cells) 2 are connected in series or parallel, and various means for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery. More specifically, for example, the positive and negative electrodes of the battery cell group are connected to the positive terminal 3P and the negative terminal 3N, which are the output terminals of the battery pack, via the circuit breaker 5, and when the start switch 4b is operated to start the battery pack 1, the control unit 4 is configured to determine whether or not the battery pack is chargeable or discharged (conductive) by controlling the state of the circuit breaker 5 based on communication with the power system of the vehicle or other equipment in which the battery pack is incorporated via the communication terminal 4a, while referring to the voltage of each battery cell 2, the current (current between the positive terminal 3P and the negative terminal 3N) flowing through the battery pack detected by the current sensor 7, and the temperature of the battery pack detected by a temperature sensor 8 that may be arranged at an appropriate interval near the battery cell group. The control unit 4 may be a microcomputer device of any type. The control unit 4 is also configured to appropriately store and update information such as SOC and SOH used in determining whether or not the replaceable battery pack according to this embodiment can be used, and provide the information to a control unit of the power system of the vehicle or other equipment. Furthermore, a fuse 6 may be provided between the positive electrode terminal 3P and the negative electrode terminal 3N to cut off electrical continuity when an overcurrent flows, in order to protect the circuit.

[0017] In using a replaceable battery pack as shown in Fig. 1(A), for example, the replaceable battery pack is charged at a facility (such as a refilling station) equipped with any charging device, and the charged battery pack is mounted or installed in a vehicle or other device, and when the remaining charge of the battery pack becomes low while the device is in use, the battery pack to be used is switched to the charged battery pack. This embodiment is advantageous because it is no longer necessary to leave the device in the charging device for a long time in order to charge the battery pack, which takes time.

[0018] Equipment power system configuration In the power system of a vehicle or other equipment to which this embodiment is applied, the battery pack is selectively connected to a drive motor or other equipment via a circuit breaker or the like, and power is output to the equipment. Specifically, for example, referring to FIG. 1(B), in the power system 10 of the vehicle, a motor drive circuit and PCU 12 for driving the motor and a direct current voltage converter (DCDC) 13 for converting high voltage power of the battery pack to low voltage power and supplying power to various in-vehicle equipment are connected between power lines 15P and 15N, and a plurality of battery packs, for example, an in-vehicle battery pack 11 which may be of a stationary type and a battery pack 1 which may be of a replaceable type as described in FIG. 1(A), may be installed in a state in which they can be connected in parallel. The in-vehicle battery pack 11 may include a battery cell group in which secondary battery cells 2 are connected in series or parallel, as in the battery pack 1, and various means for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery (in the illustrated example, a circuit breaker is built in, but it may be attached externally). The number of battery packs connected in parallel between the power lines 15P and 15N may be three or more. The battery pack 1 may be a single battery pack 1 connected to each of the circuit lines connected in parallel between the power lines 15P and 15N (not shown), or may be a plurality of battery packs connected in series as shown. As shown in FIG. 1C, the in-vehicle battery pack 11 may be replaced with a replaceable battery pack 1. A control unit 20, which may be a computer device of any type, is configured to monitor the states of the PCU 12, the DCDC 13, the circuit breaker of the in-vehicle battery pack 11, and the replaceable battery pack 1, and to give control commands to each of them. The control unit 20 is operated by being supplied with power obtained by converting a high voltage from the battery pack to a low voltage by the DCDC 13. When the usability determination of the replaceable battery pack described later is performed in the vehicle, the determination device of this embodiment is realized by the control unit 20 operating according to a program. In addition to the battery packs 1 and 11, an auxiliary battery 14 (e.g., a 12V lead battery) capable of operating on-board accessories (equipment with relatively low power consumption) may be provided so as to supply power to the control unit 20, DCDC 13, etc. (the auxiliary battery 14 does not necessarily have to be provided).

[0019] The configuration of the power system of devices other than the vehicle may be substantially the same as that of the vehicle. For example, in the case of a power supply device (device that supplies power to any device) 10a as shown in Fig. 1(D), a DC-AC inverter 16 may be connected between power lines 15P and 15N, and a device may be connected thereto via an AC output outlet 23 to obtain AC power, and further, a USB output terminal 22 may be connected to a DC voltage converter 13 to obtain DC power. Also, for example, in the case of a lighting device 10b as shown in Fig. 1(D), a lighting power source 24 that outputs power to an LED or a light bulb 25 may be connected between the power lines 15P and 15N.

[0020] Determining whether replaceable battery packs can be used In this embodiment, in order to avoid a situation in which it is found that the replaceable battery pack cannot output the power required by the device after the use of the replaceable battery pack is started in the device, when the use of the replaceable battery pack is started, it is confirmed that the replaceable battery pack can output the power required by the device. In this regard, since the power required by the device varies depending on the user of the device, in this embodiment, it is determined whether the outputtable power of the replaceable battery pack to be used exceeds the maximum value of the power (maximum expected power) expected to be required by the user who is about to start using the replaceable battery pack. Specifically, first, the outputtable power of the replaceable battery pack can be determined by the SOC, temperature, and SOH, and therefore may be determined using the current value of the SOC of the replaceable battery pack (or a predicted value at a future time if charging), the expected operating temperature of the device, and the current value of the SOH. The outputtable power of the replaceable battery pack may typically be determined by a map that gives the outputtable power using the above three values ​​prepared in advance as variables (SOH is determined based on the charge / discharge history of the replaceable battery pack or the amount of power required when the SOC is charged from one percentage value (e.g., 0%) to another percentage value (e.g., 100%)). Furthermore, a plurality of replaceable battery packs may be used connected in series, in which case the outputtable power is the power that can be output from the series of replaceable battery packs connected in series (in this case, the outputtable current of the battery pack series is limited to the current (minimum current) of the battery pack with the smallest outputtable current, so the outputtable power may be calculated as [minimum current] x (the sum of [output voltage of each pack]).).

[0021] On the other hand, the expected maximum power value may be determined in any manner based on the past history of the device by the user. For example, in one manner, the power values ​​of the battery pack in a vehicle or device of a user when it is used are sequentially recorded, and the maximum value of the power value range that generally covers the recorded power values ​​(power values ​​with a history of use), for example, a value obtained by adding the standard deviation times a predetermined value (for example, 3) to the average value of the frequency distribution of the recorded power values, may be selected as the expected maximum power value. For example, in the case of a vehicle, as illustrated in FIG. 2(A), when the vehicle speed changes due to driving by a certain user, the power of the battery pack changes as illustrated in FIG. 2(B), and if the frequency distribution of the power values ​​in this case is as illustrated in FIG. 2(C), then if the expected maximum power value is set to the average value m+3×standard deviation σ, the power range used in the driving of the user can be generally covered. It is possible that the battery pack cannot output power exceeding the maximum expected power, and in that case, for example, a vehicle may not achieve the acceleration required by the user, a power supply device may not obtain the output power required by the user, or a lighting device may not obtain the illuminance required by the user. However, it is extremely rare for power exceeding the maximum expected power to be required, and it is not expected to be a problem in practice. If there is no past history of the device by the user, the rated output value of the device may be used as the maximum expected power.

[0022] Processing to determine whether or not replaceable battery packs can be used in vehicles or equipment When determining whether or not a replaceable battery pack can be used in a vehicle or device, the following process may be executed in a control unit of the power system of the vehicle or device.

[0023] First, when the power system is equipped with an auxiliary battery, the power to the control unit is supplied by the auxiliary battery. In the process, the connection of a battery pack to the power system is detected (step 1), the battery pack is started (step 2), and the state of the battery pack is confirmed (step 3), and then a step of determining whether or not the replaceable battery pack can be used is started. Here, when multiple battery packs are used in series connection (step 4), it is confirmed that the variations in SOC and SOH are within predetermined ranges that are appropriately set (steps 5 and 6). Then, when the outputtable power of a single battery pack or multiple battery packs connected in series (a battery pack string) exceeds the above-mentioned "expected maximum power" (step 7), the battery pack or battery pack string is determined to be usable, and the conduction of charging and discharging of each battery pack is permitted (step 8). On the other hand, when the SOC variation or SOH variation is not within the specified range, or when the output power is below the maximum predicted power value, if there is another battery pack or battery pack string attached to the power system whose usability has not yet been confirmed (steps 9 and 10), steps 4 to 7 are repeated for that other battery pack or battery pack string. If there is no other battery pack or battery pack string, it is determined that no usable battery pack or battery pack string is connected to the power system, and the conductivity of each battery pack is cut off (step 10).

[0024] When a vehicle or device is to determine whether a replaceable battery pack can be used, and if the power system is not equipped with an auxiliary battery, the power of the battery pack is used as the power for the control unit, so a part of the process in FIG. 3(A) is changed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the determination of whether a replaceable battery pack can be used (steps 4-) is started when the activation of the battery pack is detected (step 1a) and communication between the battery packs is started (this step is unnecessary when a single battery pack is used). Then, when multiple battery packs are used in series connection as shown in FIG. 3(C), if it is confirmed that the SOC variations and SOH variations are within appropriately set ranges, the discharge of the battery packs is permitted (step 6a), and when communication between the battery packs and the control unit (ECU) in the device is started (steps 6b and 6c), steps 7 and after are executed.

[0025] Determining whether a replaceable battery pack can be used in a charging device for the replaceable battery pack The replaceable battery pack usability determination device according to the present embodiment may also be applied to a charging device for a replaceable battery pack. Referring to FIG. 4(A), in the charging device, a plurality of charging units 32 are connected to a power supply unit 31 that receives power from an arbitrary AC power supply (commercial power supply) via an AC plug 30, and a replaceable battery pack 1 is detachably connected to each charging unit 32 and charged. The states of each charging unit 32 and the replaceable battery pack 1 are managed by a charging management unit 41, which may be any type of computer device, via a communication line 34, and each charging management unit 41 is further connected to an integrated control unit 40, which may be any type of computer device, via a communication line 42. The integrated control unit 40 may be configured to manage the charging progress status, usage history, and availability of charging slots of each battery pack, and to transmit and receive such information to and from a server (not shown) that manages the distribution (rental, transfer, etc.) of the replaceable battery packs via a network NW. The device for determining whether or not a replaceable battery pack is usable may be realized by operation according to a program in the integrated control unit 40 .

[0026] The determination of usability of the replaceable battery pack in the charging device as exemplified in Fig. 4(A) may basically be executed in the same manner as in Fig. 3(A). For example, when a user requests a charging device to lend a replaceable battery pack for use in a certain device, the process of determining whether to accept the user's request for lending may be executed in the integrated control unit 40 as shown in Fig. 4(B) based on the state of the replaceable battery pack connected to the charging device.

[0027] In a specific process, when a request for replacement of a replaceable battery pack is received from a user, it is confirmed whether the requested number of battery packs are present in the charging device (step 21). If the requested number is present, a battery pack that constitutes a configuration (a single battery pack or a series of battery packs connected in series) to be verified as to whether it satisfies the condition of the outputtable power is selected from the group of battery packs present in the charging device (step 22). Thereafter, similarly to steps 4 to 7 in FIG. 3(A), it is determined whether a plurality of battery packs are used in series connection (step 24), whether the variation of SOC and the variation of SOH are within a predetermined range that is appropriately set (steps 25, 26), and whether the outputtable power of the battery pack of the verified configuration exceeds the "maximum expected power" (step 27). Here, the maximum expected power may be determined in the same manner as above, based on the user's past usage history of the device in which the requested replaceable battery pack is used. The outputtable power of the battery pack of the configuration being verified is determined by reference to the SOC, SOH, etc. of the battery pack in question. With regard to the SOC, when the battery pack is being charged, not only the current value but also a value at a future point in time, which may be set arbitrarily, is referenced, and in step 27 it may be determined whether the outputtable power in the future exceeds the predicted maximum power value.

[0028] In step 27, when it is confirmed that the current or future output power of the battery pack in question exceeds the predicted maximum power, a determination is made as to whether the SOC of the battery pack will have recovered to a value that will provide an output power that exceeds the predicted maximum power by the scheduled time of lending the requested battery pack (step 27a), and if the SOC is expected to recover, it is determined that the battery pack can be borrowed, the user's request is accepted, and the battery pack to be borrowed is set aside (step 28).

[0029] When the SOC is not expected to recover by the scheduled rental time in step 27a, or when the SOC variation and SOH variation are outside the specified range in steps 25 and 26, or when the output power of the battery pack falls below the expected maximum power in step 27, if the charging device can select another battery pack or battery pack string (steps 27b and 29), steps 24 to 27 may be repeated with the other battery pack or battery pack string.

[0030] When the SOC is not expected to recover by the scheduled rental time in step 27a, and another individual battery pack or battery pack string cannot be selected in the charging device (step 27b), a proposal to change the rental time may be made to the user (step 27c), and if the proposal is accepted by the user (step 27d), it is determined that the battery pack can be rented out, the user's request is accepted, and the rented battery pack is set aside (step 28). If the number of battery packs requested in step 21 is not available, the proposal is not accepted in step 27d, or another individual battery pack or battery pack string cannot be selected in step 29, it is determined that the battery pack cannot be rented out, the user's request is rejected, and the user is notified of this (step 30).

[0031] Thus, with the above configuration, in addition to the advantages of this embodiment already described, when a user attempts to borrow a replaceable battery pack from a charging device, the user can check whether a battery pack capable of outputting the power expected to be required when the user uses the device is available, thereby avoiding a situation in which the user borrows a battery pack that cannot output the power expected when using the device.

[0032] Determining whether a replaceable battery pack can be used in a replaceable battery pack distribution service system The replaceable battery pack usability determination device according to the present embodiment may also be applied to a replaceable battery pack distribution service system as illustrated in FIG. 5. The system as illustrated in FIG. 5 has a configuration in which a device (vehicle) used by a user, a mobile terminal such as the user's smartphone, a server managing the system, and a charging device managed by the server are connected via a communication network, and in response to a user's request for lending or transferring a replaceable battery pack based on the status of the battery pack of the device, the server may be configured to select a combination of replaceable battery packs that can be used at the user's request from among the replaceable battery packs attached to the charging device. Generally speaking, the flow of information processing in the above system is as follows: first, information on batteries A, B, C, etc. in the device (information on SOC, SOH, etc.) and information on the device (information on the required power and number of packs required for the device used by the user, information on the driving route, power usage, etc. in advance) are taken into the mobile terminal, and the information is transmitted to the server as the user's request for replacement. Then, the server searches for charging devices (such as charging stations) that can provide replaceable battery packs in the vicinity of the user, selects a battery pack or a combination thereof (battery pack string) that best suits the user's needs from battery packs X, Y, Z, etc. in the searched charging devices, and executes a usability determination of the replaceable battery pack according to the present embodiment described above for the selected battery pack or battery pack string by referring to device information from the user, and transmits the usability determination result to the user's mobile terminal. If a usable battery pack or battery pack string is found, information that reservation is possible is given, and if a usable battery pack or battery pack string is not found, information that reservation is not possible is given. If reservation is possible, the server instructs the charging device to reserve or put aside the usable battery pack or battery pack string.

[0033] In the above system, the process of determining whether or not a replaceable battery pack can be used may be the same as the process in Fig. 4(B). According to this configuration, in addition to the advantages of the present embodiment already described, when a user wishes to borrow a replaceable battery pack, the user can use a mobile terminal to arrange and reserve a battery pack capable of outputting the power expected to be required when the user uses the device, thereby avoiding a situation in which the user borrows a battery pack that cannot output the power expected when the user uses the device.

[0034] The above description has been given in relation to the embodiment of the present invention, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes can be easily made thereto, and that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment exemplified above, but can be applied to various devices without departing from the concept of the present invention.

[0035] For example, in the process of determining whether a replaceable battery pack can be used (steps 7 and 27), it may be determined that the battery pack or battery pack string can be used when its stored or storable power amount exceeds the amount of power desired by the user.

Claims

[Claim 1] A device for determining whether a replaceable battery pack can be used for an electrical device, the device being configured to determine that one or more series-connected replaceable battery packs are usable for use by a user of the electrical device when the one or more series-connected replaceable battery packs are capable of outputting an amount of power that a user of the electrical device is expected to require when using the electrical device.

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