Wireless communication unit and power storage device

Abstract

To provide a wireless communication unit and a power storage device that can easily transmit internal information to an external information terminal.SOLUTION: A wireless communication unit is connected to a power storage device main body and communicates with the outside by wireless communication. The wireless communication unit includes a communication section that wirelessly outputs information received from the power storage device main body and a power supply that supplies power to the communication section, and is formed separately from the power storage device main body, and the power supply is different from a power supply of the power storage device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication unit and a power storage device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a system that supplies power from a power source to a load, in the event of a power outage of the power source or the like, in order to appropriately supply power to the load in place of the power source, a power storage device equipped with a secondary battery capable of charging and discharging is used as a BBU (Battery Backup Unit).

[0003] Such a power storage device is equipped with a communication function for communicating with an external information terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer) so that an operator or user can grasp internal information of the power storage device such as the state of the mounted secondary battery and the installation state of the power storage device.

[0004] Communication between the power storage device and the information terminal is usually performed by a wired connection (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Therefore, when using the communication function, the power storage device and the information terminal are connected by wire.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, when communicating between the power storage device and the information terminal, it is necessary to connect the communication line each time, which is a time-consuming problem. Therefore, in reality, the connection between the power storage device and the information terminal may be omitted during maintenance work, and the internal information of the power storage device may not be acquired. Thus, if the internal information of the power storage device is not acquired during maintenance work, signs of abnormality may be missed.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wireless communication unit and a power storage device capable of easily transmitting internal information to an external information terminal.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The wireless communication unit according to the present disclosure is a wireless communication unit connected to the power storage device main body and communicating with the outside by wireless communication, a communication unit that wirelessly outputs the information received from the power storage device main body, a power source that supplies power to the communication unit and is provided with formed separately from the power storage device main body, and the power source is different from the power source of the power storage device.

[0009] Further, the power storage device according to the present disclosure is a power storage device main body having a rechargeable secondary battery, the above wireless communication unit and is provided with

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the internal information of the power storage device can be easily transmitted to an external information terminal.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure includes all combinations of configurable configurations among the configurations shown in the following embodiments. Also, in each figure, those denoted by the same reference numerals are the same or corresponding ones, which is common throughout the entire specification.

[0013] [Usage Mode of Power Storage Device] The power storage device according to the present embodiment is connected to an information terminal such as an external PC during maintenance work or the like, and transmits information regarding the power storage device to the information terminal.

[0014] As described in the background art section, usually, the power storage device communicates by connecting to an information terminal using a wired cable or the like. However, connecting a wired cable during maintenance work makes the work complicated. Therefore, it is conceivable to wirelessly connect the power storage device and the information terminal so that the complexity of the connection can be eliminated and information regarding the power storage device can be easily transmitted.

[0015] On the one hand, the housing of the power storage device is usually made of metal. This is because it is necessary to consider the cost of the product and the required specifications. Since metal has the property of blocking radio waves, when the housing is made of metal, the radio waves output from the power storage device during wireless communication cannot pass through the housing. Therefore, when equipping the power storage device with a wireless communication function, it is conceivable to form the housing of the power storage device using a material through which radio waves can pass, such as resin.

[0016] However, since the housing of the power storage device needs to be made of metal for the reasons described above, it is difficult to form it with resin or the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to equip the power storage device with a wireless communication function, a wireless communication unit is externally attached and arranged outside the housing of the power storage device.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the installation mode of the power storage device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a BBU1 which is an example of the power storage device and a wireless communication unit 4 externally attached to the BBU1 are accommodated in an instrument box 200 with a door 200a installed outdoors, for example.

[0018] When maintenance work on the BBU1 accommodated in the instrument box 200 is performed, a user such as a maintenance worker opens the door 200a of the instrument box 200 and wirelessly connects the BBU1 to an information terminal 5 such as a maintenance PC or tablet. Then, maintenance work on the BBU1 is performed by performing wireless communication between the BBU1 and the information terminal 5.

[0019] At this time, the power of the wireless communication unit 4 externally attached to the BBU1 is turned ON / OFF according to the opening and closing of the door 200a of the instrument box 200. That is, when the door 200a is opened by the user for maintenance work, the power of the wireless communication unit 4 is turned ON. Also, when the maintenance work is completed and the door 200a is closed by the user, the power of the wireless communication unit 4 is turned OFF.

[0020] [Configuration of Power Storage System 100] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the power storage system 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the power storage system 100 includes a BBU1 which is a power storage device, a power source 2, and a load device 3 which is a power supply target. In the present embodiment, at least the BBU1 is housed in the instrument box 200.

[0021] The power source 2 is provided to supply power to the load device 3 and the BBU1. The load device 3 receives power from the power source 2 or the BBU1.

[0022] The BBU1 includes a secondary battery (not shown), stores the power supplied from the outside during charging in the secondary battery, and outputs the power stored in the secondary battery to the outside during discharging. Specifically, the BBU1 stores the power supplied from the power source 2 in the secondary battery. Then, when the power supply from the power source 2 to the load device 3 is interrupted due to a power failure or the like, the BBU1 supplies the power stored in the secondary battery to the load device 3.

[0023] (Wireless communication unit 4) Also, in the present embodiment, the BBU1 includes a wireless communication unit 4. The wireless communication unit 4 exchanges information regarding the BBU1 with an information terminal 5 such as an external PC or tablet by wireless communication.

[0024] The wireless communication unit 4 is formed separately from the main body of the BBU1. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 4 is disposed, for example, outside the housing of the BBU1. The wireless communication unit 4 is connected to a communication terminal for wired connection provided on the BBU1. Hereinafter, the BBU1 excluding the externally attached wireless communication unit 4 may be referred to as the "BBU main body" for explanation.

[0025] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the wireless communication unit 4 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the wireless communication unit 4 has a communication module 40, an open / close detector 50, a switch unit 60, and a primary battery 70.

[0026] The opening / closing detector 50 is a sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the door 200a of the instrument box 200. When the opening / closing detector 50 detects that the door 200a of the instrument box 200 has been opened, it outputs a detection signal. As the opening / closing detector 50, for example, a human sensor for detecting a person or an optical sensor for detecting light is used. The opening / closing detector 50 corresponds to the "detection unit" in the present disclosure.

[0027] The switch unit 60 is disposed on the power supply path connecting the primary battery 70 and the communication module 40. The switch unit 60 is turned ON by the detection signal from the opening / closing detector 50. Thereby, the power supply path between the primary battery 70 and the communication module 40 is connected.

[0028] The primary battery 70 is, for example, a lithium battery and is provided as the power supply for the communication module 40. The primary battery 70 may use one battery, or a plurality of batteries may be connected in series or in parallel for use.

[0029] The communication module 40 is wired-connected to the terminal for wired connection provided on the BBU main body via the communication terminal 45. The communication module 40 receives the internal information of the BBU1 from the BBU main body and transmits it to the external information terminal 5. When communicating with the information terminal 5, for example, the communication module 40 is Bluetooth (registered trademark) -connected to the information terminal 5. The internal information is information indicating the state of the BBU1. The internal information includes, for example, the voltage, temperature, current, and SOC (State Of Charge) of the secondary battery mounted on the BBU1.

[0030] The communication module 40 has a control unit 41, a communication unit 42, and an antenna unit 43.

[0031] The control unit 41 controls the entire communication module 40. For example, the control unit 41 controls the communication by the communication unit 42 when transmitting the internal information of the BBU 1 to the external information terminal 5. The control unit 41 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (none of which are shown in the figure). The CPU reads a program corresponding to the processing content from the ROM and expands it in the RAM, and centrally controls the operation of the communication module 40 in cooperation with the expanded program.

[0032] The communication unit 42 is a communication interface that communicates with the external information terminal 5. For example, the communication unit 42 performs communication using Bluetooth as the communication standard with the information terminal 5 via the antenna unit 43. Note that the antenna unit 43 may be built into the communication module 40 or may be arranged outside the communication module 40.

[0033] [Operation of the power storage system 100] The operation of the power storage system 100 having the above configuration will be described.

[0034] First, when the door 200a of the instrument box 200 is opened by a user such as an operator, the opening / closing detector 50 of the wireless communication unit 4 detects that the door 200a has been opened and outputs a detection signal. The detection signal output from the opening / closing detector 50 is supplied to the switch unit 60.

[0035] When the switch unit 60 receives the detection signal from the opening / closing detector 50, it turns ON. As a result, the power supply path between the primary battery 70 and the communication module 40 is connected, and the power from the primary battery 70 is supplied to the communication module 40.

[0036] The communication module 40 is activated by the supply of power via the power supply path. As a result, the communication module 40 receives the internal information of the BBU 1 from the BBU 1 via the communication terminal 45.

[0037] Next, the control unit 41 of the communication module 40 supplies the internal information received from the BBU1 to the communication unit 42. The communication unit 42 transmits the received internal information to the external information terminal 5 connected via the antenna unit 43.

[0038] The external information terminal 5 receives the internal information from the BBU1 (communication module 40) and displays the received internal information of the BBU1. Then, maintenance work is performed by the user. The display of the internal information by the information terminal 5 will be described later.

[0039] On the other hand, when the maintenance work is completed and the door 200a of the instrument box 200 is closed by the user, the opening / closing detector 50 detects that the door 200a has been closed and stops outputting the detection signal. The switch unit 60 turns OFF based on the detection result by the opening / closing detector 50.

[0040] As a result, the power path between the primary battery 70 and the communication module 40 is cut off, and the power supply to the communication module 40 is stopped. When the power is cut off, the communication module 40 stops.

[0041] As described above, the BBU1 according to the present embodiment includes an external wireless communication unit 4 and performs wireless communication with an external information terminal 5. As a result, the labor of physically connecting a communication line is eliminated, so that labor can be saved when communicating between the BBU1 and the information terminal 5.

[0042] In addition, a power source different from the BBU1 is used to supply power to the communication module 40. As a result, connection work such as a power cable is not required, and more labor can be saved.

[0043] Furthermore, when communication is performed due to maintenance work or the like, the power supply to the communication module 40 is started, and when the maintenance work or the like is completed, the power supply to the communication module 40 is stopped. As a result, unnecessary power supply to the communication module 40 is suppressed, so that power consumption can be reduced.

[0044] In addition, in this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 4 that communicates with the external information terminal 5 is connected to a communication terminal for wired connection provided in the BBU 1. Therefore, a wireless communication function can be added to the existing BBU 1.

[0045] [Example of Display of Internal Information by Information Terminal 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of display of the internal information of the BBU 1 displayed on the information terminal 5. When the internal information of the BBU 1 is received by the information terminal 5, as shown in FIG. 4, various types of information indicating the state of the secondary battery mounted on the BBU 1 are displayed in the display area 500 of the information terminal 5. In this example, in the display area 500, a voltage information display 501 indicating the voltage of the secondary battery, a current information display 502 indicating the current, a temperature information display 503 indicating the temperature, and a charge information display 504 indicating the SOC are displayed.

[0046] The information indicating the state of the secondary battery displayed in the display area 500 is displayed, for example, using a double annular display composed of a first display 510 and a second display 520. Also, in the center of the annular display, a specific value indicating the corresponding state of the secondary battery is displayed.

[0047] The outer first display 510 indicates the normal or abnormal range in the value indicating the corresponding state of the secondary battery mounted on the BBU 1. The first display 510 is divided into a plurality of regions including a normal region, a caution region, and an abnormal region according to the state of the secondary battery.

[0048] The normal region is a region indicating that the state of the secondary battery is normal. The caution region is a region indicating that attention is required for the state of the secondary battery. Note that depending on the type of state, there may be no caution region. In this example, there is no caution region in the first display 510 indicating the voltage, current, and SOC of the secondary battery. The abnormal region is a region indicating that the state of the secondary battery is abnormal.

[0049] The second display 520 on the inner side indicates the current state of the secondary battery. The second display 520 is provided with a marker 530 indicating the current state of the secondary battery. If this marker 530 exists within the range of the normal region 511 in the first display 510, it indicates that the state of the corresponding information of the secondary battery is normal. Also, if the marker 530 exists within the range of the abnormal region 513 in the first display 510, it indicates that the state of the corresponding information of the secondary battery is abnormal.

[0050] Note that in this example, the display indicating the state of the secondary battery has been described as being annular, but it is not limited to this. Any display may be used as long as the state of the secondary battery can be easily visually recognized.

[0051] Also, on the information terminal 5, for example, at least any one of the various types of information shown in the above-described example may be displayed, or in addition to the above-described various types of information, for example, the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery mounted on the BBU1 or the content of the abnormality at the time of occurrence of an abnormality may be displayed.

[0052] Furthermore, when the internal information of the BBU1 has not been received, the information terminal 5 may display that the internal information has not been received.

[0053] As described above, the wireless communication unit 4 according to the present embodiment is formed separately from the main body of the BBU1, and the power source is different from the power source of the BBU1. Thereby, when connecting the BBU1 and the external information terminal 5, there is no need to physically connect the communication line and the power line. Therefore, the internal information of the BBU1 can be easily transmitted to the external information terminal 5.

[0054] The above describes the present embodiment. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the wireless communication unit 4 may further include a notification such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that simply displays the state of the BBU1 or displays the operating state of the wireless communication unit 4 or the like. By providing such a notification unit, the state of the BBU1 can be simply notified to the user without connecting to the information terminal 5.

Explanation of Signs

[0055] 1 BBU 2 Power supply 3 Load device 4 Wireless communication unit 5 Information terminal 40 Communication module 41 Control unit 42 Communication section 43 Antenna section 45 Communication terminal 50 Open / close detector 60 Switch section 70 Primary battery 100 Power storage system 200 Instrument box 200a Door 500 Display area 501 Voltage information display 502 Current information display 503 Temperature information display 504 Charging information display 510 First display 511 Normal area 512 Caution area 513 Abnormal area 520 Second display 530 Marker

Claims

1. A wireless communication unit connected to a main body of a power storage device and communicating with the outside by wireless communication, a communication unit that wirelessly outputs information received from the main body of the power storage device, and a power source that supplies power to the communication unit and comprising, formed separately from the main body of the power storage device, wherein the power source is different from the power source of the power storage device, a wireless communication unit.

2. accommodated in an instrument box with a door together with the main body of the power storage device, further comprising a detection unit that detects opening and closing of the door of the instrument box, based on the detection result of the detection unit, power from the power source is supplied or cut off, The wireless communication unit according to claim 1.

3. The detection unit, when the door of the instrument box is opened, outputs a detection signal for supplying the power, The wireless communication unit according to claim 2.

4. The detection unit, is a human presence sensor that detects a person, The wireless communication unit according to claim 2.

5. The detection unit, is an optical sensor that detects light, The wireless communication unit according to claim 2.

6. further comprising a communication terminal for communicating with the main body of the power storage device, wherein a wired connection terminal of the main body of the power storage device and the communication terminal are connected via a communication line, The wireless communication unit according to claim 1.

7. further comprising a notification unit that notifies the state of the main body of the power storage device, The wireless communication unit according to claim 1.

8. a power storage device main body having a rechargeable secondary battery, and the wireless communication unit according to claim 1, a power storage device comprising.

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