Battery management method, battery management system, and battery storage device

Abstract

To make it easy to reduce the battery management burden.SOLUTION: A battery management method is provided, comprising acquiring a request information representing a rental request for a battery 3. The battery management method further comprises selecting a battery 3 that makes an electric bicycle 2 usable when connected to the electric bicycle 2 from among multiple batteries 3 upon acquisition of the request information, and making the selected battery 3 available for rental.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery management method, a battery management system, and a battery storage device for managing the rental of batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a control method for a battery storage device that stores a battery pack (battery). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-51761 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery management method, a battery management system, and a battery management device that can easily reduce the burden of managing a battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above object, a battery management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure acquires request information indicating a battery rental request, and upon acquiring the request information, selects a battery from a plurality of batteries that will enable the electric bicycle to be used when connected to the electric bicycle, and makes the selected battery available for rental.

[0006] A battery management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit and a processing unit. The acquisition unit acquires request information indicating a battery rental request. When the acquisition unit acquires the request information, the processing unit selects a battery from multiple batteries that will be connected to an electric bicycle to make the electric bicycle usable, and makes the selected battery available for rental.

[0007] A battery storage device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the battery management system and a plurality of connection parts that respectively hold a plurality of batteries. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The battery management method and the like according to the present disclosure have the advantage of easily reducing the burden of battery management. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of use of a battery storage device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including a battery management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram illustrating a first operation example of the battery management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating a second operation example of the battery management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating a third operation example of the battery management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including a battery management system according to a modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangements and connection forms, steps, step order, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0011] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Therefore, for example, the scales and the like do not necessarily match in each figure. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0012] Hereinafter, a battery management method, a battery management system, and a battery storage device according to embodiments will be described.

[0013] (Embodiment) [1. Sharing services] First, an example of a sharing service using a battery storage device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a sharing service using a battery storage device 1 according to an embodiment. A sharing service is a service in which a servicer that rents out vehicles rents out vehicles to users U1 who wish to use the vehicles. In the embodiment, the sharing service is a service that rents out electric bicycles 2 as vehicles and batteries 3 that are connected to the electric bicycles 2 and used.

[0014] The electric bicycle 2 is a vehicle that can travel on a road surface using electrical power supplied from a battery 3, and is, for example, an electrically assisted bicycle or a specific small motorized bicycle such as an electric kick scooter. The electric bicycle 2 may be a vehicle for which the user U1 does not need a driver's license. In the embodiment, the electric bicycle 2 is a two-wheeled bicycle consisting of two wheels, a front wheel and a rear wheel, but is not limited to this. For example, the electric bicycle 2 may be a three-wheeled bicycle consisting of one wheel at the front or rear and two wheels at the other.

[0015] In the embodiment, the sharing service is provided to users U1 (here, residents of the apartment building) who are in a closed environment by installing the battery storage device 1 on the common grounds of a facility such as an apartment building. Of course, the sharing service may also be provided to users U1 who are in an open environment by installing the battery storage device 1 in an urban area, for example.

[0016] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1(a), a user U1 who wishes to use an electric bicycle 2 requests the rental of a battery 3 by performing a predetermined operation on the battery storage device 1. The predetermined operation is, for example, an operation of inputting identification information indicating that the user U1 is a legitimate user of the sharing service. The identification information is, for example, information unique to the user U1 that is assigned to the user U1 when the user U1 signs a contract to use the sharing service. The operation includes, for example, having a reading unit 18 provided in the battery storage device 1 read the identification information stored on an information medium 4 held by the user U1.

[0017] In the embodiment, the information medium 4 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) card that holds identification information, and the reading unit 18 is a card reader. The information medium 4 may be, for example, a contactless IC card such as FeliCa (registered trademark), or a contact IC card. The information medium 4 may also be, for example, an information processing terminal such as a smartphone carried by the user U1. The reading unit 18 may also be a camera. In this case, the information medium 4 may be, for example, an identification code that holds identification information, such as a QR code (registered trademark).

[0018] The battery storage device 1 stores a plurality of batteries 3, and lends one of the plurality of batteries 3 to the user U1 in response to a request to lend the battery 3. The battery storage device 1 also notifies the user U1 of an electric bicycle 2 that becomes usable when the lent battery 3 is connected.

[0019] The notification is made by displaying information indicating the available electric bicycles 2 on a display provided in the battery storage device 1 or by outputting the information as audio from a speaker provided in the battery storage device 1. Note that this notification may also be made by transmitting the information to an information processing terminal such as a smartphone carried by the user U1. In this case, the user U1 can ascertain the available electric bicycles 2 by looking at the display provided in the information processing terminal or listening to the audio output from the speaker provided in the information processing terminal.

[0020] Next, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the user U1 carries the rented battery 3 and travels to the notified electric bicycle 2. The user U1 then connects the battery 3 to a connection device 21 (see FIG. 2) provided on the electric bicycle 2. This puts the electric bicycle 2 into a usable state. Here, "the electric bicycle 2 becomes usable" means that the lock (first lock 25 (see FIG. 2) described below) provided on the electric bicycle 2 is unlocked, allowing the wheels of the electric bicycle 2 to move. Note that "the electric bicycle 2 becomes usable" may also mean that the electric functions of the electric bicycle 2 (for example, the power assist function) become usable when power is supplied to the electric bicycle 2 from the battery 3.

[0021] After using the electric bicycle 2, the user U1 removes the battery 3 from the electric bicycle 2 and returns the removed battery 3 to the battery storage device 1. In this way, in the sharing service, the battery 3 is mounted on the electric bicycle 2 only while the electric bicycle 2 is in use, and when the electric bicycle 2 is not in use, the battery 3 is stored in the battery storage device 1. For this reason, in the sharing service, if the battery storage device 1 has a function for charging the battery 3, the battery 3 is charged while stored in the battery storage device 1. Therefore, the sharing service makes it easy to avoid a situation where the battery 3 is not charged when the user U1 uses the electric bicycle 2.

[0022] [2. Configuration] The overall configuration including the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0023] [2-1. Battery storage device and battery management system] First, the battery storage device 1 and the battery management system 100 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the battery storage device 1 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, a plurality of connection units 13, a charging unit 14, a discharging unit 15, a power supply unit 16, a power receiving unit 17, and a reading unit 18. In the embodiment, the battery storage device 1 further includes a battery management system 100. Specifically, the battery management system 100 is realized by the control unit 12 of the battery storage device 1.

[0024] The communication unit 11 performs short-range wireless communication with a communication device 28 of the electric bicycle 2, which will be described later. The communication unit 11 also performs short-range wireless communication with a communication unit 34 of the battery 3, which will be described later. Specifically, the communication unit 11 is realized by a communication module capable of performing wireless communication using a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication distance of the short-range wireless communication is, for example, several meters to several tens of meters. The communication unit 11 may also perform wired communication with the communication unit 34 of the battery 3.

[0025] The control unit 12 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer (microcontroller) or the like, and is composed of a non-volatile memory in which programs and the like are stored, a volatile memory (storage unit) that is a temporary storage area for executing the programs, an input / output port, a processor that executes the programs, etc. The control unit 12 may also be realized by a dedicated electronic circuit. The control unit 12 executes various processes of the battery storage device 1.

[0026] The multiple connection units 13 each mechanically hold multiple batteries 3. Each connection unit 13 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 12 to switch between a locked state that restricts removal of the battery 3 from the connection unit 13 and an unlocked state that allows removal of the battery 3 from the connection unit 13. In other words, each connection unit 13 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 12 to switch between a state that allows lending of the battery 3 to the user U1 and a state that restricts lending of the battery 3 to the user U1.

[0027] Furthermore, each of the plurality of connection units 13 has a terminal electrically connected to a terminal provided on a connection unit 32 (described later) of each of the plurality of batteries 3. When the battery 3 is mechanically connected, each connection unit 13 supplies power supplied from the charging unit 14 to the battery 3 via the terminal, and supplies power supplied from the battery 3 to the discharging unit 15 via the terminal.

[0028] Charging unit 14 is realized by, for example, an AC / DC converter or the like, and includes a charging circuit that uses power from an external power supply to charge each of the multiple batteries 3. Specifically, charging unit 14 converts the power received by power receiving unit 17 into power for charging each battery 3, for example by converting AC power into DC power of a predetermined voltage. Then, charging unit 14 supplies the converted power to each battery 3 via each connection unit 13.

[0029] Discharge unit 15 is realized by, for example, a DC / AC converter or the like, and includes a discharge circuit for feeding power from each battery 3 to power feeding unit 16. Specifically, discharge unit 15 converts the power from each battery 3 into power for feeding to power feeding unit 16, for example by converting DC power into DC power (or AC power) of a predetermined voltage or frequency. Discharge unit 15 then supplies the converted power to power feeding unit 16. Note that, although in the embodiment, charging unit 14 and discharge unit 15 are configured independently of each other, they may also be configured integrally.

[0030] Power supply unit 16 is connected to an external electrical device and supplies power from each battery 3 to the external electrical device via discharge unit 15. In the embodiment, power supply unit 16 is an outlet that outputs AC power of a predetermined voltage (e.g., 100 V). Note that power supply unit 16 is not limited to an outlet, and may be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal that outputs DC power of a predetermined voltage (e.g., 5 V), or a power supply coil for wireless power supply such as Qi (registered trademark).

[0031] The power receiving unit 17 is connected to an external power source such as a commercial power source and receives power from the external power source for charging each battery 3. In the embodiment, the power receiving unit 17 is an outlet plug for electrically connecting to the external power source. Note that the external power source is not limited to a commercial power source, and may be, for example, a solar power generation panel, a wind power generator, a generator using an engine, a fuel cell, a storage battery, or the like.

[0032] The reading unit 18 is a device that reads the identification information stored in the information medium 4 held by the user U1. In this embodiment, the reading unit 18 is a card reader. When the reading unit 18 reads the identification information, it transmits a signal including the read identification information to the battery management system 100.

[0033] 2, the battery management system 100 includes an acquisition unit 101 and a processing unit 102. As already described, in the embodiment, the battery management system 100 is realized by the control unit 12 of the battery storage device 1. That is, in the embodiment, each function of the acquisition unit 101 and the processing unit 102 is realized by the control unit 12 of the battery storage device 1.

[0034] The acquiring unit 101 acquires request information indicating a request to lend out the battery 3. Specifically, the acquiring unit 101 acquires the request information when the battery storage device 1 accepts input of a predetermined operation by the user U1. In the embodiment, the acquiring unit 101 acquires the request information by having the reading unit 18 read identification information from the information medium 4 held by the user U1.

[0035] When the acquisition unit 101 acquires the request information, the processing unit 102 selects a battery 3 from the plurality of batteries 3 that will be connected to the electric bicycle 2 to make the electric bicycle 2 usable, and makes the selected battery 3 available for rental. In the embodiment, the processing unit 102 selects a battery 3 to be lent to the user U1 from the plurality of batteries 3 stored in the battery storage device 1 according to any one of first to third operation examples described below. Then, in the embodiment, the processing unit 102 controls the connection unit 13 of the battery storage device 1 to which the selected battery 3 is connected, thereby switching the state from locked to unlocked. This allows the user U1 to remove the battery 3 selected by the processing unit 102 from the connection unit 13 and carry the battery 3 to the electric bicycle 2 to which the selected battery 3 is to be connected.

[0036] [2-2. Electric bicycles] Next, we will explain the electric bicycle 2. As shown in Figure 2, the electric bicycle 2 is equipped with a connection device 21, a reading device 22, a control device 23, an operation unit 24, a first lock 25, a second lock 26, an electric motor 27, and a communication device 28.

[0037] The connection device 21 is a device provided in the middle of the frame of the electric bicycle 2 and mechanically holds the battery 3. When the battery 3 is mechanically connected to the connection device 21, the battery 3 and multiple components of the electric bicycle 2 that have electrical functions are electrically connected via the connection device 21, making it possible to supply power from the battery 3 to each of the multiple components. In this embodiment, the multiple components include, for example, a reading device 22, a control device 23, an operation unit 24, a first lock 25, a second lock 26, an electric motor 27, and a headlight.

[0038] The reading device 22, like the reading unit 18 of the battery storage device 1, is a device that reads identification information held on an information medium 4 held by the user U1. In this embodiment, the reading device 22 is a card reader. When the reading device 22 reads the identification information, it transmits a signal including the read identification information to the control device 23. Note that the reading device 22 may also be a camera. In this case, the information medium 4 may be an identification code that holds identification information, such as a QR code (registered trademark).

[0039] The control device 23 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer (microcontroller) or the like, and is composed of a non-volatile memory in which programs and the like are stored, a volatile memory (storage unit) which is a temporary storage area for executing the programs, an input / output port, a processor for executing the programs, etc. The control device 23 may also be realized by a dedicated electronic circuit.

[0040] The control device 23 is electrically connected to the above-mentioned multiple parts and supplies each of the multiple parts with power from the battery 3. The control device 23 receives inputs such as a signal including identification information from the reading device 22 and an operation signal corresponding to an operation by the user U1 on the operation unit 24.

[0041] The control device 23 drives the electric motor 27 according to the operation mode of the electric bicycle 2. Specifically, the control device 23 switches between assist mode, pushing mode, and self-propelled mode, and executes each mode. Assist mode is executed when the user U1 is riding the electric bicycle 2 after the operation unit 24 is operated to turn on the power. When executing assist mode, the control device 23 determines the magnitude of the auxiliary driving force generated by the electric motor 27 based on the pedal force, the speed of the electric bicycle 2, and the like. Pushing mode is executed when the user U1 is not riding the electric bicycle 2, operates the operation unit 24 to turn on the power, and pushes the electric bicycle 2 while walking. Self-propelled mode, like the pushing mode, is executed when the user U1 is not riding the electric bicycle 2 and is walking while supporting the electric bicycle 2. In self-propelled mode, the user U1 is not exerting any force to push the electric bicycle 2 forward. Furthermore, when the pushing mode is executed, the control device 23 determines the magnitude of the auxiliary driving force to be generated by the electric motor 27 based on the pushing force on the electric bicycle 2 and the speed of the electric bicycle 2. Furthermore, when the self-propelled mode is executed, the control device 23 determines the magnitude of the predetermined auxiliary driving force to be generated by the electric motor 27. Note that in the self-propelled mode, the user U1 may be riding the electric bicycle 2.

[0042] Furthermore, when the control device 23 receives a signal including identification information from the reading device 22, it executes a process of comparing the identification information included in the received signal with the identification information stored in the battery 3. This process is executed when the battery management system 100 executes a third operation example, which will be described later.

[0043] The operation unit 24 is an operation terminal such as a cycle computer that is provided on the handlebars and has a light switch for turning on the headlights, etc. The operation unit 24 has buttons and the like for accepting operations by the user U1. The buttons are touch panel displays, mechanical buttons, etc. The operation unit 24 has a switch for turning on / off the power supply for supplying power from the battery 3 to the above-mentioned multiple components.

[0044] The first lock 25 is a member provided at the rear of the frame of the electric bicycle 2 and restricts the movement of the wheel (here, the rear wheel) when locked. The first lock 25 is a so-called circle lock or U-lock, and is configured to switch between one of two states: a locked state in which wheel movement is restricted by closing both ends, and an unlocked state in which restriction on wheel movement is released by opening both ends. In this embodiment, the first lock 25 is configured to switch from the locked state to the unlocked state under the control of at least the control device 23. Note that the first lock 25 may also be configured to mechanically switch from the locked state to the unlocked state by manually closing both ends.

[0045] The second lock 26 is a member provided in the connection device 21 that restricts removal of the battery 3 by locking. The second lock 26 is configured to switch between a locked state that restricts removal of the battery 3 from the connection device 21, and an unlocked state that allows removal of the battery 3 from the connection device 21. In the embodiment, the second lock 26 is configured to switch from the locked state to the unlocked state under control of at least the control device 23. Note that the second lock 26 may also be configured to mechanically switch from the unlocked state to the locked state by mechanically connecting the battery 3 to the connection device 21.

[0046] The electric motor 27 applies an auxiliary driving force to assist the electric bicycle 2 in traveling. The electric motor 27 receives power from the battery 3 and is driven under the control of the control device 23. The electric motor 27 transmits rotational torque as the auxiliary driving force to a rear sprocket via a chain to rotate the rear wheel. The electric motor 27 may be, for example, an in-wheel motor configured integrally with the rear wheel. In this case, the chain is not required. The rotational torque is the auxiliary driving force, which is a driving force by the electric motor 27 to be added to the human-powered driving force, and the auxiliary driving force, which is an auxiliary force imparted to the force of pushing or walking while supporting the electric bicycle 2. The electric motor 27 adds the auxiliary driving force to the human-powered driving force based on the pedal force during the assist mode. Furthermore, the electric motor 27 adds the auxiliary driving force to the force of pushing the electric bicycle 2 during the pushing-walking mode. Furthermore, the electric motor 27 adds the auxiliary driving force to the force of pushing the electric bicycle 2 during the self-propelling mode, allowing the electric bicycle 2 to self-propel while being supported by the user U1.

[0047] The communication device 28 performs short-range wireless communication with the communication unit 11 of the battery storage device 1. The communication device 28 also performs short-range wireless communication with the communication unit 34 of the battery 3. Like the communication unit 11 of the battery storage device 1, the communication device 28 is realized by a communication module capable of performing wireless communication using a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication device 28 may also perform wired communication with the communication unit 34 of the battery 3.

[0048] [2-3. Battery] Next, a description will be given of the battery 3. The battery 3 includes a storage battery 31, a connection unit 32, a control unit 33, and a communication unit 34, as shown in FIG.

[0049] The storage battery 31 is configured by connecting a plurality of cells in parallel or in series. Each cell is, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery. Each cell may also be, for example, a capacitor.

[0050] The connection part 32 is configured to be mechanically connectable to any of the multiple connection parts 13 of the battery storage device 1. The connection part 32 is also configured to be mechanically connectable to the connection device 21 of the electric bicycle 2. The connection part 32 has a terminal that is electrically connected to a terminal provided on the connection part 13 of the battery storage device 1. The terminal is also electrically connected to a terminal provided on the connection device 21 of the electric bicycle 2.

[0051] The control unit 33 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer (microcontroller) or the like, and is composed of a non-volatile memory in which programs and the like are stored, a volatile memory (storage unit) which is a temporary storage area for executing the programs, an input / output port, a processor for executing the programs, etc. The control unit 33 may also be realized by a dedicated electronic circuit. The control unit 33 executes various processes for the battery 3.

[0052] The communication unit 34 performs short-range wireless communication with the communication unit 11 of the battery storage device 1. The communication unit 34 also performs short-range wireless communication with the communication device 28 of the electric bicycle 2. Like the communication unit 11 of the battery storage device 1, the communication unit 34 is realized by a communication module capable of performing wireless communication using a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Note that the communication unit 34 may also perform wired communication with the communication unit 11 of the battery storage device 1.

[0053] [3. Operation] Hereinafter, an operation example of the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment will be described. In the embodiment, the battery management system 100 executes any one of the first to third operation examples.

[0054] [3-1. First operation example] 3 is a sequence diagram showing a first operation example of the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment. In the first operation example, the combination of the battery 3 and the electric bicycle 2 that becomes usable when the battery 3 is connected is fixed in advance. Therefore, data associating the battery 3 with the electric bicycle 2 is stored in advance for each battery 3 in the memory provided in the battery management system 100.

[0055] First, the acquisition unit 101 of the battery management system 100 acquires the request information by having the reading unit 18 read the identification information from the information medium 4 held by the user U1 (S101).

[0056] Next, when the acquisition unit 101 acquires the request information, the processing unit 102 of the battery management system 100 selects one battery 3 from the plurality of batteries 3 (S102). Then, the processing unit 102 selects an electric bicycle 2 associated with the selected battery 3 by referring to data stored in memory (S103). Note that after selecting an arbitrary electric bicycle 2, the processing unit 102 may select a battery 3 associated with the electric bicycle 2 by referring to data stored in memory.

[0057] Next, the processing unit 102 controls the connection unit 13 of the battery storage device 1 to which the selected battery 3 is connected, thereby switching the connection unit 13 from a locked state to an unlocked state, thereby making the selected battery 3 available for rental (S104). The processing unit 102 also notifies the user U1 of information indicating the selected electric bicycle 2 (i.e., the electric bicycle 2 to which the rented battery 3 is to be connected) by, for example, controlling a display or speaker built into the battery storage device 1 (S105). In other words, the processing unit 102 notifies the user U1 to whom the selected battery 3 is to be rented of the electric bicycle 2 to which the selected battery 3 is to be connected.

[0058] The user U1 then removes the rented battery 3 from the connection unit 13 and carries it to the location of the electric bicycle 2 to be connected. The user U1 then connects the rented battery 3 to the connection device 21 of the electric bicycle 2 to be connected (S106). This makes the electric bicycle 2 to be connected ready for use (S107).

[0059] Specifically, when a battery 3 is connected to the connection device 21, the control device 23 of the electric bicycle 2 determines whether or not the battery 3 is associated with itself by referencing the identifier stored in the battery 3. If it determines that the battery 3 is associated with itself (i.e., if a battery 3 rented from the battery storage device 1 is connected to the connection device 21), the control device 23 makes the electric bicycle 2 that includes itself usable. On the other hand, if it determines that the battery 3 is not associated with itself (i.e., if a battery 3 other than the battery 3 rented from the battery storage device 1 is connected to the connection device 21), the control device 23 does not make the electric bicycle 2 that includes itself usable.

[0060] [3-2. Second operation example] 4 is a sequence diagram showing a second operation example of the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment. In the second operation example, the combination of the battery 3 and the electric bicycle 2 that becomes usable when the battery 3 is connected is not fixed in advance.

[0061] First, the acquisition unit 101 of the battery management system 100 acquires the request information by having the reading unit 18 read the identification information from the information medium 4 held by the user U1 (S201).

[0062] Next, when the acquisition unit 101 acquires the request information, the processing unit 102 of the battery management system 100 selects one battery 3 from the plurality of batteries 3 (S202). Then, the processing unit 102 selects a plurality of electric bicycles 2 within a predetermined range (here, a range within which the communication unit 11 of the battery storage device 1 can communicate) (S203).

[0063] Next, the processing unit 102 controls the connection unit 13 of the battery storage device 1 to which the selected battery 3 is connected, thereby switching the connection unit 13 from a locked state to an unlocked state, thereby making the selected battery 3 available for rental (S204). The processing unit 102 also notifies the user U1 of information indicating the selected multiple electric bicycles 2 (i.e., the multiple electric bicycles 2 to which the rented battery 3 is to be connected) by, for example, controlling a display or speaker built into the battery storage device 1 (S205). The processing unit 102 may also notify the user U1 of information indicating the locations of the multiple electric bicycles 2.

[0064] The user U1 then removes the rented battery 3 from the connection unit 13 and carries it to a location where the multiple electric bicycles 2 to be connected are located. The user U1 then connects the rented battery 3 to the connection device 21 of one of the multiple electric bicycles 2 to be connected (S206). This makes the electric bicycle 2 with the battery 3 connected available for use (S207).

[0065] Specifically, when the battery 3 is connected to the connection device 21, the control device 23 of the electric bicycle 2 transmits a signal indicating that the battery 3 has been connected to the communication unit 11 of the battery storage device 1 via the communication device 28.

[0066] When the communication unit 11 receives the signal, the processing unit 102 of the battery management system 100 determines whether the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 is connected is included among the multiple electric bicycles 2 to be connected. If it is determined that the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 is connected is included among the multiple electric bicycles 2 to be connected, the processing unit 102 transmits an authorization signal to the communication device 28 of the electric bicycle 2 via the communication unit 11, permitting use of the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 is connected. When the communication device 28 receives the authorization signal, the control device 23 of the electric bicycle 2 makes the electric bicycle 2 that it is equipped with available for use.

[0067] As described above, in the second operation example, there are multiple electric bicycles 2 to which the battery 3 selected by the processing unit 102 is connected. When the battery 3 selected by the battery management system 100 is connected to any one of the multiple electric bicycles 2, the processing unit 102 makes the electric bicycle 2 available for use.

[0068] Furthermore, if the battery 3 selected by the processing unit 102 is connected to an electric bicycle 2 outside the specified range, the electric bicycle 2 will not be able to communicate with the battery storage device 1, and the electric bicycle 2 will not be usable.

[0069] [3-3. Third operation example] 5 is a sequence diagram showing a third operation example of the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment. In the third operation example, the processing unit 102 of the battery management system 100 stores, in the selected battery 3, condition information including conditions for making the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 is connected usable.

[0070] First, the acquisition unit 101 of the battery management system 100 acquires the request information by having the reading unit 18 read the identification information from the information medium 4 held by the user U1 (S301).

[0071] Next, when the acquisition unit 101 acquires the request information, the processing unit 102 of the battery management system 100 selects one battery 3 from the plurality of batteries 3 (S302). Then, the processing unit 102 stores the identification information read by the reading unit 18 in the memory of the selected battery 3 (S303). That is, the processing unit 102 acquires the identification information related to the user U1 to whom the selected battery 3 is to be loaned, and stores the acquired identification information in the selected battery 3 as condition information.

[0072] Next, the processing unit 102 controls the connection unit 13 of the battery storage device 1 to which the selected battery 3 is connected, thereby switching the connection unit 13 from a locked state to an unlocked state, thereby making the selected battery 3 available for loan (S304).

[0073] Thereafter, the user U1 removes the rented battery 3 from the connection unit 13 and carries it to the location of any electric bicycle 2. Next, the user U1 connects the rented battery 3 to the connection device 21 of the electric bicycle 2 (S305). Then, the user U1 causes the reading device 22 of the electric bicycle 2 to read the identification information stored in the information medium 4 (S306).

[0074] When the reading device 22 reads the identification information, the control device 23 of the electric bicycle 2 communicates with the communication unit 34 of the battery 3 connected to the connection device 21 via the communication device 28 to acquire the identification information stored in the battery 3 (S307). The control device 23 then determines whether the read identification information matches the identification information stored in the battery 3 (S308). If these pieces of identification information match, the control device 23 makes the electric bicycle 2 that includes it usable (S309). Note that if these pieces of identification information do not match, the control device 23 does not make the electric bicycle 2 that includes it usable.

[0075] As described above, in the third operation example, the electric bicycle 2 has a function to read identification information. Then, the electric bicycle 2 becomes usable when the read identification information matches the identification information of the battery 3 selected by the battery management system 100.

[0076] Thereafter, when the user U1 turns on the power of the electric bicycle 2 by operating the operation unit 24, the control device 23 switches the first lock 25 from a locked state to an unlocked state. This allows the user U1 to travel using the electric bicycle 2. In other words, the condition information (here, the identification information) can be said to be used to unlock the first lock 25 that restricts travel of the electric bicycle 2 when the power of the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 selected by the battery management system 100 is connected is turned on.

[0077] Furthermore, after using the electric bicycle 2, when the user U1 turns off the power of the electric bicycle 2 by operating the operation unit 24, the control device 23 determines that one of the multiple conditions for switching the second lock 26 from a locked state to an unlocked state has been met. Then, when the control device 23 determines that all of the multiple conditions have been met, it switches the second lock 26 from a locked state to an unlocked state. This allows the user U1 to remove the battery 3 from the connection device 21 of the electric bicycle 2 and return the battery 3 to the battery storage device 1 by performing a predetermined operation on the electric bicycle 2 to satisfy the remaining multiple conditions. The predetermined operation is, for example, an operation to have the reading device 22 of the electric bicycle 2 read the identification information held on the information medium 4. In other words, the condition information (here, the identification information) can be said to be used to unlock the second lock 26 that mechanically secures the battery 3 to the electric bicycle 2 when the power of the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 selected by the battery management system 100 is to be connected is turned off.

[0078] [4. Advantages] The advantages of the battery management system 100 (battery management method) according to the embodiment will be described below, along with a comparison with a battery management system of a comparative example. The battery management system of the comparative example differs from the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment in that, when lending a battery to a user, the comparative example lends the user a key for unlocking the first lock and the second lock of the electric bicycle to which the battery is connected.

[0079] In a sharing service, a battery is rented from a large number of batteries, and users can use an electric bicycle by connecting the battery to any of the large number of electric bicycles. Because of this, the number of combinations of batteries and electric bicycles is enormous, and the battery management system of the comparative example has a problem in that it must prepare keys for each of the enormous number of combinations, which tends to increase the burden of battery management.

[0080] In contrast, the battery management system 100 of the embodiment selects a battery 3 that will make the electric bicycle 2 usable when connected to the electric bicycle 2, and makes the battery 3 available for rental, which has the advantage that there is no need to prepare a key for each combination of battery 3 and electric bicycle 2, making it easier to reduce the burden of managing the battery 3.

[0081] (Other variations, etc.) Although the present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the battery management system 100 is mounted on the battery storage device 1, but is not limited to this. For example, the battery management system 100A may be realized by a server 5 as shown in FIG.

[0083] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including a battery management system 100A according to a modified example of the embodiment. In this modified example, as shown in Fig. 6, the server 5 is provided with the battery management system 100A and is configured to be able to communicate with the battery storage device 1. Note that the battery management system 100A is basically the same as the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment, and therefore a description of the common points will be omitted.

[0084] In this modification, the battery management system 100A exchanges information between the battery storage device 1 and the server 5, thereby executing the same processing as that of the battery management system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0085] Furthermore, each processing unit used in the battery management system 100 according to the above embodiment is typically realized as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These may be individually implemented as single chips, or some or all of them may be integrated into a single chip.

[0086] Furthermore, the integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by dedicated circuits or general-purpose processors. FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), which can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or reconfigurable processors, which allow the connections and settings of circuit cells within LSI to be reconfigured, may also be used.

[0087] In the above-described embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0088] Furthermore, all of the numbers used above are examples for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the numbers shown as examples.

[0089] The division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in time-sharing by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0090] The order in which the steps are executed in the sequence diagram is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and an order other than the above may be used. Also, some of the steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps.

[0091] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by making various modifications to the embodiments that a person skilled in the art would think of, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiments within the scope that does not deviate from the intent of this disclosure.

[0092] (summary) As described above, the battery management method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure acquires request information indicating a request to rent a battery 3. When the battery management method acquires the request information, it selects a battery 3 from the plurality of batteries 3 that will make the electric bicycle 2 usable when connected to the electric bicycle 2, and makes the selected battery 3 available for rental.

[0093] This has the advantage that a battery 3 that can be connected to an electric bicycle 2 to make the electric bicycle 2 usable is selected and made available for rental, eliminating the need to prepare a key for each combination of battery 3 and electric bicycle 2, making it easier to reduce the burden of managing the battery 3.

[0094] In addition, in the battery management method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the selected battery 3 is caused to store condition information including conditions for making the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 is connected usable.

[0095] This has the advantage that the electric bicycle 2 can be made usable by referring to the condition information stored in the battery 3, so that the authentication process can be achieved only through communication between the battery 3 and the electric bicycle 2, eliminating the need for the electric bicycle 2 to perform the authentication process via a wide area network.

[0096] In addition, in the battery management method according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the second aspect, identification information regarding the user U1 to whom the selected battery 3 is to be loaned is obtained, and the obtained identification information is stored in the selected battery 3 as condition information.

[0097] According to this, the identification information can be used as the condition information as it is, which has the advantage that the processing load can be easily reduced compared to when the condition information is stored in the battery 3 separately from the identification information.

[0098] In addition, in the battery management method according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the third aspect, the electric bicycle 2 has a function to read identification information. The electric bicycle 2 becomes usable when the read identification information matches the identification information of the selected battery 3.

[0099] This has the advantage that the authentication process can be executed if the electric bicycle 2 has the function of reading the identification information, making it easy to reduce the processing load for realizing the authentication process.

[0100] In addition, in the battery management method relating to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the condition information is used to unlock the first lock 25 that restricts the movement of the electric bicycle 2 to which the selected battery 3 is connected when the power is turned on.

[0101] This has the advantage that the electric bicycle 2 can unlock the first lock 25 by referring to the condition information stored in the battery 3, which makes it easier to reduce the processing burden for unlocking the first lock 25.

[0102] In addition, in the battery management method relating to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the second to fifth aspects, the condition information is used to unlock the second lock 26 that mechanically fixes the battery 3 to the electric bicycle 2 when the power of the electric bicycle 2 to which the selected battery 3 is to be connected is turned off.

[0103] This has the advantage that the electric bicycle 2 can satisfy one of the conditions for unlocking the second lock 26 by referring to the condition information stored in the battery 3, which makes it easier to reduce the processing burden for unlocking the second lock 26.

[0104] In addition, in the battery management method according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the electric bicycle 2 to which the selected battery 3 is to be connected is notified to the user U1 to whom the selected battery 3 is to be rented.

[0105] This has the advantage that the user U1 can know the electric bicycle 2 to which the battery 3 is to be connected, making it easier to avoid a situation in which the user U1 mistakenly connects the battery 3 to an electric bicycle 2 other than the intended one.

[0106] Furthermore, in a battery management method according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, there are multiple electric bicycles 2 to which the selected battery 3 is connected. In the battery management method, when the selected battery 3 is connected to any one of the multiple electric bicycles 2, the electric bicycle 2 is made usable.

[0107] This has the advantage that the user U1 can use any electric bicycle 2 from among a plurality of electric bicycles 2, making it easier for the user U1 to use the electric bicycle 2 that he or she desires.

[0108] Furthermore, the battery management systems 100, 100A according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure include an acquisition unit 101 and a processing unit 102. The acquisition unit 101 acquires request information indicating a request to lend a battery 3. When the acquisition unit 101 acquires the request information, the processing unit 102 selects a battery 3 from the plurality of batteries 3 that will be connected to the electric bicycle 2 to make the electric bicycle 2 usable, and makes the selected battery 3 available for lending.

[0109] This has the advantage that a battery 3 that can be connected to an electric bicycle 2 to make the electric bicycle 2 usable is selected and made available for rental, eliminating the need to prepare a key for each combination of battery 3 and electric bicycle 2, making it easier to reduce the burden of managing the battery 3.

[0110] A battery storage device 1 according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure includes the battery management system 100 according to the ninth aspect and a plurality of connection parts 13 that respectively hold the plurality of batteries 3.

[0111] This has the advantage that a battery 3 that can be connected to an electric bicycle 2 to make the electric bicycle 2 usable is selected and made available for rental, eliminating the need to prepare a key for each combination of battery 3 and electric bicycle 2, making it easier to reduce the burden of managing the battery 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1 Battery storage device 13 Connection 2. Electric bicycles 25 First Lock 26 Second lock 3 Battery 100,100A Battery Management System 101 Acquisition Department 102 Processing section U1 User

Claims

1. Obtaining request information indicating a battery rental request; When the request information is acquired, a battery is selected from a plurality of batteries that can be connected to the electric bicycle to make the electric bicycle usable, and the selected battery is made available for rental. Battery management methods.

2. storing, in the selected battery, condition information including conditions for bringing the electric bicycle to a usable state; The battery management method of claim 1 .

3. acquiring identification information relating to a user to whom the selected battery is to be rented, and storing the acquired identification information in the selected battery as the condition information; The battery management method of claim 2 .

4. the electric bicycle has a function of reading the identification information, The electric bicycle is put into a usable state when the read identification information matches the identification information of the selected battery. The battery management method according to claim 3 .

5. the condition information is used to unlock a first lock that restricts movement of the electric bicycle to which the selected battery is connected when the electric bicycle is powered on; The battery management method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. the condition information is used to unlock a second lock that mechanically fixes the battery to the electric bicycle when the electric bicycle to which the selected battery is to be connected is powered off; The battery management method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

7. notifying the user to whom the selected battery is to be rented of the electric bicycle to which the selected battery is to be connected; The battery management method of claim 1 .

8. There are a plurality of electric bicycles to be connected to the selected battery, When the selected battery is connected to any one of the plurality of electric bicycles, the electric bicycle is brought into a usable state. The battery management method of claim 1 .

9. an acquisition unit that acquires request information indicating a battery rental request; a processing unit that, when the acquisition unit acquires the request information, selects a battery from a plurality of batteries that will be connected to the electric bicycle to make the electric bicycle usable, and makes the selected battery available for rental; Battery management system.

10. The battery management system of claim 9 ; a plurality of connection portions that respectively hold a plurality of batteries; Battery storage device.

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