Battery management system

Abstract

To improve convenience for a user considering replacement time of a battery.SOLUTION: A battery management system for managing a battery is provided, comprising a notification device notifying price-related information on a trade-in price of a battery on the basis of the state of the battery. Thereby, the system enables a user to recognize the price-related information. The user having recognized the price-related information of the battery can consider replacement time of the battery while recognizing the price-related information. As a result, convenience for a user when the user considers replacement time of the battery can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of battery management system, one that manages a battery (battery pack) has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This system notifies the degree of battery degradation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-40370 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, it has been proposed to trade in used batteries when replacing them and reuse them. In this type of battery reuse, the trade-in price is an important factor when users consider when to replace their batteries. The battery management system described above notifies users of the degree of battery deterioration, but is unable to provide the trade-in price of the battery. This reduces the convenience for users when considering when to replace their batteries.

[0005] The battery management system of the present disclosure has a primary purpose of improving convenience when a user considers when to replace a battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The battery management system of the present disclosure employs the following measures to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The battery management system of the present disclosure includes: A battery management system for managing a battery, a notification device that notifies price-related information regarding a trade-in price of the battery based on the state of the battery; The gist of the project is to provide the following:

[0008] The battery management system disclosed herein includes a notification device that notifies a user of price-related information related to the trade-in price of a battery based on the battery's condition. This allows the user to recognize the battery price-related information. The user, having recognized the battery price-related information, can consider when to replace the battery after understanding the price-related information. As a result, the user's convenience when considering when to replace the battery can be improved.

[0009] In the battery management system of the present disclosure, the state of the battery may be calculated as a deterioration level of the battery, thereby allowing the user to recognize price-related information based on the deterioration level of the battery.

[0010] In this case, the notification device may notify the price-related information when the deterioration level is lower than a reference value for the deterioration level of the battery in the device in which the battery is reused. In this way, the price-related information of the battery can be notified before the deterioration level exceeds the reference value for the device in which the battery is reused. This allows the price-related information to be notified to the user at an appropriate time.

[0011] In the battery management system of the present disclosure, the battery may be mounted on a vehicle, and the notification device may be a display device mounted on the vehicle or a mobile device that displays the price-related information. This allows users in the vehicle or carrying the mobile device to be aware of the price-related information. This improves convenience for users when considering when to replace the battery.

[0012] Furthermore, the battery management system of the present disclosure may include an information processing device on which an application that executes processing using the price-related information is installed. In this way, processing using the price-related information can be executed by the application, thereby further improving user convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a battery management system 10 of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a display control routine executed by an ECU 70 of the electric vehicle 20. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the health state of the battery (SOH), the trade-in price (P) of the replaced battery (36) by the manufacturer of the stationary storage battery when the replaced battery is reused as a stationary storage battery, and the elapsed time (tu) since the electric vehicle (20) began to be used after being shipped. [Figure 4] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on the display device 50 that has received a display command. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on a mobile terminal 80 that has received a display command. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on a navigation device 52 that has received a display command. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a battery management system 10 of the present embodiment. The battery management system 10 of the embodiment includes an electric vehicle (vehicle) 20 and a mobile terminal 80.

[0015] As shown in the figure, the electric vehicle 20 includes a motor 32, an inverter 34, a battery 36, a display device 50, a navigation device 52, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") 70.

[0016] The motor 32 is configured as a synchronous generator motor and includes a rotor with a permanent magnet embedded therein and a stator around which a three-phase coil is wound. The rotor of the motor 32 is connected to a drive shaft 26 which is connected to the drive wheels 22 a, 22 b via a differential gear 24.

[0017] The inverter 34 is connected to the motor 32 and also to a power line 38. The inverter 34 is configured as a well-known inverter circuit having six transistors and six diodes.

[0018] The battery 36 is configured as, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery, and is replaceably connected to the power line 38 .

[0019] The display device 50 is installed in the passenger compartment and configured as a display that visually displays a power meter 50a that indicates the output of the motor 32, a speed meter 50b that indicates the vehicle speed V, and the like.

[0020] The navigation device 52 includes a main body with a built-in control unit, a GPS antenna, and a display. The control unit of the main body has a storage medium (e.g., a hard disk or SSD), an input / output port, and a communication port. Map information and the like are stored in the storage medium. The map information includes service information (e.g., tourist information, parking lots, etc.) and road information for each driving section (e.g., between traffic lights and between intersections). The road information includes distance information, road width information, number of lanes information, area information (urban area or suburban area), type information (general road or expressway), gradient information, legal speed limit, number of traffic lights, etc. The GPS antenna receives information about the current location of the vehicle. The display is configured as a touch panel type display, and displays various information such as map information, information about the current location of the vehicle, and information about the planned driving route to the destination, and also allows the user to input various instructions. When a user operates the display to set a destination, the main body of the navigation device 52 sets a planned driving route from the current location of the vehicle to the destination based on map information, the current location of the vehicle, and the destination, and displays the set planned driving route on the display to provide route guidance.

[0021] The ECU 70 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU (not shown), and in addition to the CPU, it is equipped with a ROM for storing processing programs, a RAM for temporarily storing data, input / output ports, and communication ports (none of which are shown).

[0022] Signals from various sensors are input to the ECU 70 via input ports. Examples of signals input to the ECU 70 include a rotational position θm from a rotational position detection sensor (e.g., a resolver) that detects the rotational position of the rotor of the motor 32, a battery voltage Vb from a voltage sensor 36a that detects the terminal voltage of the battery 36, and a current Ib from a current sensor 36b that detects the charge / discharge current of the battery 36. The ECU 70 also receives information necessary for driving control. Examples of information necessary for driving control include an ignition signal from an ignition switch 60, a shift position from a shift position sensor 62 that detects the operating position of a shift lever 61, an accelerator opening from an accelerator pedal position sensor 64 that detects the depression amount of an accelerator pedal 63, a brake pedal position from a brake pedal position sensor 66 that detects the depression amount of a brake pedal 65, and a vehicle speed V from a vehicle speed sensor 68.

[0023] Various control signals are output via an output port from the ECU 70. Examples of the signals output from the ECU 70 include a switching control signal to the transistors of the inverter 34 and an image signal to the display device 50.

[0024] The ECU 70 transmits and receives various information to and from a mobile terminal 80 wirelessly via an in-vehicle communication device (for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module) or the like).

[0025] The ECU 70 calculates the power storage percentage SOC of the battery 36 based on the integrated value of the current Ib of the battery 36 from the current sensor 36b and the battery voltage Vb of the battery 36 from the voltage sensor 36a when no current is flowing. The power storage percentage SOC is the ratio of the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery 36 to the total capacity of the battery 36. The ECU 70 calculates the health state of the battery 36 from the integrated value of the current Ib of the battery 36 from the current sensor 36b. The health state SOH is the reciprocal of the degradation state SOD, which indicates the degree of degradation of the battery 36, and is calculated as the reciprocal of the integrated value ΣIb of the current Ib of the battery 36 from the start of use after shipment of the electric vehicle 20 to the present, multiplied by a conversion coefficient K (a positive value).

[0026] In the electric vehicle 20 , the ECU 70 controls the inverter 34 so that the electric vehicle 20 runs on power from the motor 32 .

[0027] The mobile terminal 80 is configured as an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The mobile terminal 80 is carried by the driver of the electric vehicle 20, and exchanges various information with the electric vehicle 20 via wireless communication. An application for displaying the status of the electric vehicle 20 is installed on the mobile terminal 80.

[0028] The battery management system 10 manages the state of the battery 36 and displays battery information about the battery 36 on the display device 50 and the display of the navigation device 52. The ECU 70 of the electric vehicle 20 also transmits the battery information to the mobile terminal 80. The mobile terminal 80, which has received the battery information, executes processing using the received information through an application.

[0029] Next, the operation of the battery management system 10 configured in this manner, particularly the operation when displaying price-related information related to the trade-in price P of the battery 36, will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a display control routine executed by the ECU 70 of the electric vehicle 20. This routine is executed when a display update condition is met. The display update condition is executed when any of the following conditions is met: a first condition when the system of the electric vehicle 20 is started up; a second condition when the system is stopped; a third condition when a regular inspection is performed; or a fourth condition when a predetermined period (e.g., six months or one year) has passed.

[0030] When this routine is executed, the CPU of the ECU 70 executes a process of inputting the state of health (SOH) of the battery 36 (S100). The state of health (SOH) is inputted with a value set from the integrated value ΣIb of the current Ib of the battery 36 from the current sensor 36b.

[0031] Next, the health state SOH is compared with thresholds (reference values) S1 and S2 (S110). The thresholds S1 and S2 will now be described. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the health state SOH, the trade-in price P offered by the manufacturer of a stationary storage battery when the replaced battery 36 is reused as a stationary storage battery, and the elapsed time tu since the electric vehicle 20 began to be used after shipment. The battery 36's health state SOH decreases (deterioration progresses) as the elapsed time tu passes. As illustrated, the trade-in price P decreases with the elapsed time tu, drops sharply after a time tref (e.g., 3, 4, 5, etc.), and then drops gradually to a low price after a time t2. If a user desires a relatively high trade-in price P, it is desirable to replace the battery 36 before the time tref. The threshold S1 is set to the health state SOH at a time t1 slightly earlier than the time tref (e.g., 1 month, 2 months, 3 months before the time tref). The threshold value S2 is set to the health state SOH at time t2. That is, the threshold value S1 is a threshold value for determining whether or not to recommend replacing the battery 36 from the viewpoint of the trade-in price P of the battery 36. If the user wishes to use the battery 36 to the end of its life rather than the trade-in price P, it is desirable to replace the battery 36 by time t2. The threshold value S2 is a threshold value for determining whether or not to recommend replacing the battery 36 from the viewpoint of the life of the battery 36.

[0032] If the state of health SOH is higher than the threshold value S1 in S110, it is determined that the state of health SOH of the battery 36 is high and there is no need to recommend replacement, and this routine is terminated.

[0033] If the health level SOH is equal to or greater than threshold value S2 and equal to or less than threshold value S1 in S110, it is determined that it is time to recommend replacement of battery 36 from the perspective of trade-in price P. A display command is sent to display device 50 and mobile terminal 80 to display information indicating that there is a notice regarding trade-in price P of battery 36 as price-related information related to trade-in price P (S120), and this routine ends. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on display device 50 that has received a display command. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on mobile terminal 80 that has received a display command. As shown in FIG. 4, display device 50 displays a power meter 50a and a speedometer 50b. Upon receiving the display command, display device 50 displays a sentence 50c between power meter 50a and speedometer 50b as price-related information, reading, "There is a notice regarding the trade-in price P of your battery. Please contact a sales point for details." This display allows a user in the passenger compartment to recognize the price-related information of battery 36. Upon receiving the display command, the mobile terminal 80 uses an application to display a sentence 80a as price-related information, reading, "We have a notice regarding the trade-in price P of your battery. Please contact a retailer for details," as shown in FIG. 5 . This display allows the user carrying the mobile terminal 80 to recognize the price-related information of the battery 36. Having recognized the price-related information of the battery 36 from at least one of the displays on the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80, the user can inquire at a retailer and determine the specific trade-in price P of the battery 36 before considering when to replace the battery 36. In this way, the user can determine when to replace the battery 36 after understanding the price-related information, thereby improving convenience for the user when considering when to replace the battery 36.

[0034] If the health level SOH is less than the threshold value S2 in S110, a display command indicating that the battery 36 is at the end of its life is sent to the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80 (S130), and this routine ends. Upon receiving the display command indicating that the battery 36 is at the end of its life, the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80 display a message indicating that the battery 36 is at the end of its life, such as "The battery 36 is at the end of its life. Replacement is recommended." This allows a user in the passenger compartment or a user carrying the mobile terminal 80 to be aware that the battery 36 is at the end of its life. The user can determine when to replace the battery 36 after understanding that the battery 36 is at the end of its life, thereby improving convenience for the user when determining when to replace the battery 36.

[0035] According to the battery management system 10 of the present embodiment described above, price-related information regarding the trade-in price P of the battery 36 based on the condition of the battery 36 is displayed on the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80, thereby improving convenience for the user when considering when to replace the battery 36.

[0036] In addition, the battery 36 is installed in the electric vehicle 20, and the display device 50 is installed in the electric vehicle 20 and displays price-related information, thereby improving convenience for the user when considering when to replace the battery 36.

[0037] Furthermore, since the mobile terminal 80 is provided with an application installed that executes processing using price-related information, it is possible to further improve user convenience.

[0038] In the above-described embodiment, the health level SOH is compared with the thresholds S1 and S2 in S110. However, instead of the health level SOH, the degradation level SOD of the battery 36 may be compared with the thresholds S3 and S4 in S110. The threshold S3 is a threshold for the degradation level of the battery 36 used to determine whether or not to recommend replacing the battery 36 from the perspective of the trade-in price P. The threshold S4 is greater than the threshold S3 and is a threshold for the degradation level of the battery 36 used to determine whether or not to recommend replacing the battery 36 from the perspective of the lifespan of the battery 36. In this case, if the degradation level SOD is less than the threshold S3 in S110, the routine is terminated. On the other hand, if the degradation level SOD is equal to or greater than the threshold S3 and equal to or less than the threshold S4 in S110, the routine proceeds to S120, where a command to display price-related information related to the trade-in price P is sent to the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80, and the routine is terminated. Furthermore, if the deterioration level SOD is greater than threshold value S4 in S110, the process proceeds to S130, where a display command indicating that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life is sent to the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80, and the routine ends. Also, in S110, the usage history Hu of the battery 36 may be used instead of the health level SOH and the deterioration level SOD. The usage history Hu of the battery 36 indicates that the deterioration level SOD of the battery 36 is higher (the health level SOH is lower) when the electric vehicle 20 is used for a long period of time than when it is used for a short period of time. Therefore, if the usage history Hu is less than threshold value H1 in S110, the routine ends. Also, if the usage history Hu is equal to or greater than threshold value H1 but equal to or less than threshold value H2, the process proceeds to S120, where a display command for price-related information related to the trade-in price P is sent to the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80, and the routine ends. The usage history Hu can include the total distance traveled and usage time since the electric vehicle 20 began to be used after shipment, the number of times the battery 36 has been reused (replaced), and the sales history of the electric vehicle 20 (the number of times it has been sold as a used car).

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, in S120, a display command is sent to the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80 to display information indicating that there is a notice regarding the trade-in price P of the battery 36 as price-related information related to the trade-in price P. However, in S120, the trade-in price P of the battery 36, the price of the battery 36 at the time of purchase of the electric vehicle 20, or the ratio of the trade-in price O to an estimated value of that price may also be used as the price-related information.

[0040] In the above-described embodiment, a display command for displaying price-related information and information indicating that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life is transmitted to the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80, and the price-related information and information indicating that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life are displayed on the display device 50 and the mobile terminal 80. However, a display command for displaying price-related information and information indicating that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life may be transmitted to at least one of the display device 50, the mobile terminal 80, and the navigation device 52, and at least one of the display device 50, the mobile terminal 80, and the navigation device 52 may display the price-related information and information indicating that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life. For example, a display command for displaying price-related information and information indicating that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life may be transmitted only to the navigation device 52. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on the navigation device 52 that has received a display command for price-related information. In this way, displaying the information on the navigation device 52 can also improve convenience for the user when considering when to replace the battery 36.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment, the thresholds S1 and S2 are set based on an example of the relationship between the health state of health (SOH), the trade-in price P offered by the manufacturer of the stationary storage battery when the replaced battery 36 is reused as a stationary storage battery, and the elapsed time tu since the electric vehicle 20 began to be used after being shipped. However, the thresholds S1 and S2 may also be set based on the relationship between the trade-in price P and the mileage Lr since the electric vehicle 20 began to be used after being shipped. In this case, the relationship between the health state of health (SOH), the trade-in price P, and the mileage Lr is similar to the relationship between the health state of health (SOH), the trade-in price P, and the elapsed time tu. That is, the health state of health (SOH) decreases when the mileage Lr is long compared to when it is short, and the trade-in price P decreases when the mileage Lr is long compared to when it is short, decreasing rapidly when the mileage Lr exceeds a predetermined distance L1, and then gradually decreasing in a low price range when it exceeds a predetermined distance L2 that is longer than the predetermined distance L1.

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, the price-related information and the information that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life are displayed on the display device 50 or the mobile terminal 80. However, the price-related information and the information that the battery 36 is nearing the end of its life may be notified to the user by outputting a sound, turning on a warning light, or the like.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the battery management system 10 includes the electric vehicle 20 and the mobile terminal 80. However, the battery management system 10 may include the electric vehicle (vehicle) 20 without including the mobile terminal 80.

[0044] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem will be explained below. In the embodiment, the battery 36 corresponds to the "battery" and the display device 30 corresponds to the "alert device."

[0045] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiments and the main elements of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section does not limit the elements of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section, since the embodiments are examples for specifically explaining the mode for implementing the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section should be based on the description in that section, and the embodiments are merely specific examples of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section.

[0046] The above describes embodiments for implementing the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can, of course, be implemented in various forms within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0047] The present disclosure is applicable to the manufacturing industry of battery management systems, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 battery management system, 20 electric vehicle, 22a, 22b drive wheels, 24 differential gear, 26 drive shaft, 30 display device, 32 motor, 34 inverter, 36 battery, 36a voltage sensor, 36b current sensor, 38 power line, 50 display device, 50a power meter, 50b speedometer, 50c, 80a text, 52 navigation device, 60 ignition switch, 61 shift lever, 62 shift position sensor, 63 accelerator pedal, 64 accelerator pedal position sensor, 65 brake pedal, 66 brake pedal position sensor, 68 vehicle speed sensor 70 ECU, 80 mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A battery management system for managing a battery, a notification device that notifies price-related information regarding a trade-in price of the battery based on the state of the battery; A battery management system comprising:

2. 2. The battery management system of claim 1, The deterioration level of the battery is calculated as the state of the battery. Battery management system.

3. 3. The battery management system according to claim 2, The notification device notifies the price-related information when the deterioration level is lower than a reference value of the deterioration level of the battery in the device in which the battery is reused. Battery management system.

4. 2. The battery management system of claim 1, The battery is mounted on a vehicle, The notification device is a display device that is mounted on the vehicle or the mobile terminal and displays the price-related information. Battery management system.

5. 2. The battery management system of claim 1, an information processing device having installed thereon an application for executing a process using the price-related information; A battery management system comprising:

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