Power storage device

Abstract

To provide a power storage device capable of detecting abnormality such as a theft without requiring communication with the outside.SOLUTION: A power storage device includes a housing, an accumulator battery accommodated in the housing, and a control device for controlling energization of the accumulator battery. The control device includes a storage unit for storing first authentication information associated with a specific user, a reading unit for reading second authentication information from an arbitrary user, an authentication unit for checking whether or not the second authentication information matches the first authentication information, and an informing unit for informing an authentication result in the authentication unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electricity storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Power storage devices are widely used as power sources for various machines (hereinafter referred to as "machines"), such as vehicles such as automobiles and communication terminals such as smartphones. Such power storage devices are relatively expensive and are at risk of theft.

[0003] Patent Document 1 listed below describes an electricity storage device that has a function of detecting theft and the like and notifying the outside. This electricity storage device includes a storage battery, a movement detector that detects movement of the electricity storage device, an alarm that notifies the outside of an abnormality in the electricity storage device, and a controller that, when movement of the electricity storage device is detected by the movement detector while the storage battery is not discharging, causes the alarm to notify the outside of an abnormality. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-041443 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the power storage device when communication with the information terminal of the user of the power storage device is impossible using a communication device that performs short-range wireless communication with the information terminal. In this case, if the authorized user does not have the information terminal, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the power storage device even if the authorized user moves the power storage device.

[0006] In view of the above-described problems, the present disclosure has an object to provide a power storage device that can detect abnormalities such as theft without requiring communication with an external device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the storage device of claim 1 of the present disclosure includes a housing, a storage battery housed in the housing, and a control device that controls the flow of electricity to the storage battery, and the control device includes a memory unit that stores first authentication information associated with a specific user, a reading unit that reads second authentication information from any user, an authentication unit that checks whether the second authentication information matches the first authentication information, and a notification unit that notifies the authentication result in the authentication unit.

[0008] The electricity storage device according to claim 1 can detect the occurrence of theft of the electricity storage device by itself.

[0009] The storage battery device according to claim 2 of the present disclosure is the storage battery device according to claim 1 of the present disclosure, wherein the control device allows the storage battery to be energized when the storage battery is connected to the aircraft after the second authentication information and the first authentication information match in the authentication unit.

[0010] In the electricity storage device according to claim 2, it is possible to prevent anyone other than the legitimate owner from using the electricity storage device.

[0011] The power storage device according to claim 3 of the present disclosure is the power storage device according to claim 1 or claim 2 of the present disclosure, wherein the housing includes a gripping portion, and the reading portion is installed in the gripping portion and reads biometric information of a user holding the gripping portion as the second authentication information.

[0012] In the power storage device according to claim 3, verification by the authentication unit can be easily performed by simply grasping the grip portion that is held when carrying the power storage device.

[0013] The energy storage device of claim 4 is an energy storage device of any one of claims 1 to 3 of the present disclosure, further comprising a current permission determination unit that determines whether or not to permit current flow to the outside of the storage battery based on the authentication result by the authentication unit.

[0014] In the power storage device according to claim 4, control is possible in which power supply to the storage battery is not permitted unless the authentication result is satisfactory, thereby making it possible to prevent unauthorized use of the power storage device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the power storage device of the present disclosure, it is possible to detect abnormalities such as theft without requiring communication with the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of functions of a control device in the power storage device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an authentication process in the power storage device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a power storage device according to a modified example of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a connection operation in the power storage device of FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a disconnection operation in the power storage device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, each embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present disclosure will be schematically shown below, and the scope necessary for explaining the relevant parts of the present disclosure will be mainly explained, and the parts for which explanation is omitted will be referred to as publicly known technologies. Furthermore, identical or similar reference numerals will be used for identical or corresponding components in the drawings, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, when a plurality of identical or corresponding components are included in the drawings, only some of them may be referenced to make the drawings easier to understand.

[0018] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The power storage device 1 according to this embodiment may be a portable power storage device that can be freely mounted on a vehicle, for example, and used as a power source for various devices within the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the power storage device 1 includes at least a housing 10, a storage battery 20 housed in the housing 10, and a control device 30 that controls the supply of current to the storage battery 20.

[0019] The housing 10 can be configured as a box-shaped member made of synthetic resin or metal, accommodating the storage battery 20 and the control device 30 inside. A handle 11 may be provided on the top of the housing 10 as an example of a grip that a user can grip when carrying the power storage device 1. The arrangement of the handle 11 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1, and one or more handles 11 may be provided at appropriate locations on the housing 10.

[0020] The storage battery 20 can be configured as a rechargeable secondary battery, such as a lithium ion battery. The storage battery 20 is charged or discharged by being connected to the aircraft or a power supply device via a connector 33, which will be described later.

[0021] The control device 30 can be configured as a device that controls the power supply to the storage battery 20 and also has a user authentication function for detecting abnormalities such as theft. The control device 30 may include an input unit 31, an indicator 32, a speaker 33, a connector 34, a circuit switch 35, and a control device main body 40.

[0022] The input unit 31 can be configured as a user interface that allows the user to input various information, and can be one that allows at least second authentication information used for user authentication to be input. Specific examples of the input unit 31 include a physical switch that can be operated by inserting an authentication key, a numeric keypad or touch panel that allows a predetermined code to be input, etc.

[0023] The indicator 32 and the speaker 33 are devices for notifying the user when an abnormality such as theft is detected. The indicator 32 can be configured as a lighting device such as an LED. The speaker 33 can be configured as any sound device. In this embodiment, the indicator 32 and the speaker 33 are used as examples of notification means when an abnormality is detected, but other notification means, such as a display or a communication means for notifying a predetermined communication destination of the occurrence of an abnormality, may be used instead of or in addition to these.

[0024] The connector 34 may be configured as a plug connector or a receptacle connector that can be connected to the machine or the power supply. The mechanical connection of this connector 34 can be detected by a sensor (not shown). The circuit switch 35 may be configured as a switch that can allow or prohibit the passage of electricity between the machine connected to the connector 34 and the storage battery 20. When the connector 34 is connected to the power supply, it is preferable, but not limited to, that the circuit switch 35 always allow the passage of electricity. A well-known circuit breaker may also be used instead of the circuit switch 35.

[0025] The control device main body 40 can be configured as a computer including a microcontroller or the like. The computer may include, for example, a processor 41, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43 as examples of memory, a storage 44, and an input / output interface 45. These components may be connected to each other via an internal bus so that they can communicate with each other.

[0026] The processor 41 may be configured, for example, as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and may be capable of executing various programs and controlling each part. Specifically, the processor 41 may be capable of reading out various programs stored in the ROM 42 or the storage 44 and executing the programs using the RAM 43 as a work area. The processor 41 may be capable of controlling each component of the power storage device 1 and performing various arithmetic processing according to the programs.

[0027] The ROM 42 may be capable of storing various programs and various data, and the RAM 43 may be capable of temporarily storing programs or data as a working area.

[0028] The storage 44 can be composed of a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and may store various programs including an operating system and various data necessary to operate the storage device 1.

[0029] The input / output interface (I / F) 45 may be an interface for transmitting and receiving data etc. between various components of the control device 30. As shown in Fig. 1 , the input / output interface 45 of this embodiment can acquire or transmit predetermined data from, for example, the input unit 31, the indicator 32, the speaker 33, and the circuit switch 35. The components from which the input / output interface 45 acquires data or the components from which the input / output interface 45 outputs data are not limited to those described above.

[0030] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functions of the control device in the power storage device of Fig. 1. The control device 30 of this embodiment includes the functions shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, the control device 30 includes a storage unit 51, a reading unit 52, an authentication unit 53, and a notification unit 54. In addition, the control device 30 of this embodiment may further include a current supply permission determination unit 55 and a connection unit 56.

[0031] The memory unit 51 may be mainly realized by the storage 44, and stores first authentication information configured with at least information about the legitimate owner of the power storage device 1. The first authentication information may be provided in the form of, for example, a password set by the legitimate owner, or an insertion hole arranged adjacent to a physical switch and shaped to allow insertion of an authentication key. The reader 52 may be mainly realized by the input unit 31, and reads second authentication information input by a user operating the power storage device 1. The second authentication information may be set in accordance with the first authentication information stored in the memory unit 51. Specifically, it may be a password or an authentication key.

[0032] The first authentication information may include, for example, authentication information associated with a legitimate user authorized by the legitimate owner, in addition to information set by the legitimate owner of the power storage device 1. The operation of adding such first authentication information may be performed by the legitimate owner via the input unit 31, or via a terminal device (not shown) that can communicate with the power storage device 1.

[0033] The authentication unit 53 may be realized mainly by the processor 41, and collates the first authentication information stored in the storage unit 51 with the second authentication information read by the reading unit 52 to determine whether they match. The notification unit 54 may be realized mainly by the indicator 32 and the speaker 33, and notifies the user who input the second authentication information of the authentication result by the authentication unit 53.

[0034] The power supply permission determination unit 55 may be realized mainly by the processor 41 and the storage 44, and determines whether or not to permit power supply to the outside of the storage battery 20 based on the authentication result by the authentication unit 53. The power supply permission determination unit 55 of this embodiment turns on the circuit switch 35 to permit power supply to the outside of the storage battery 20, more specifically, to the machine, only when the authentication unit 53 determines that the first authentication information and the second authentication information match. In addition, the connection unit 56 may be realized by a sensor (not shown) provided in the connector 34, and detects whether the connector 34 is connected to the machine. The detection result by the connection unit 56 may be sent to the power supply permission determination unit 55.

[0035] An authentication process using the power storage device 1 having the above-described configuration will be described below mainly with reference to Fig. 3. The authentication process can be realized mainly by the control device 30.

[0036] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of an authentication process in the power storage device of Fig. 1. In the power storage device 1 according to this embodiment, before starting a series of authentication processes, the legitimate owner is requested to set first authentication information in advance, and the set first authentication information is stored in the storage unit 51. In the following description, it is assumed that the power storage device 1 is connected to the machine when the authentication process starts.

[0037] When the connection unit 56 detects that the connector 34 has been disconnected while the power storage device 1 is operating (step S01), the control device 30 turns off the circuit switch 35 to terminate the current supply (step S02). This allows the power storage device 1 to be separated from the machine to which it was connected.

[0038] When the connection of the power storage device 1 is released, the second authentication information can be read by the reading unit 52. At this time, if any user inputs the second authentication information via the input unit 31 (Yes in step S03), the control device 30 starts the authentication process.

[0039] When the authentication process starts, first, the authentication unit 53 compares the second authentication information read by the reading unit 52 with the first authentication information stored in the storage unit 51 (step S04). If the comparison shows that the authentication information matches (Yes in step S05), the control device 30 stores in the power supply permission determination unit 55 that the authentication is OK (step S06) and notifies the user that the authentication is OK via the notification unit 54 (step S08). The information indicating that the authentication is OK and stored in the power supply permission determination unit 55 may be retained until connection of the connector 34 is detected again, or may be deleted after a predetermined time has elapsed, for example.

[0040] On the other hand, if the authentication information does not match as a result of the comparison (No in step S05), the control device 30 notifies the user that the authentication was not successful via the notification unit 54 (step S07). If the authentication was not successful, the process returns to step S03, and the state returns to one in which the second authentication information can be input again.

[0041] When the power storage device 1 that has been separated from the machine is connected to the machine again (Yes in step S09), it is determined whether information indicating authentication OK is stored in the power supply permission determination unit 55 (step S10). If the result of the determination shows that information indicating authentication OK is not stored, the control device 30 does not permit power supply to the storage battery 20 in the power supply permission determination unit 55 and returns to step S03 to request second authentication information. On the other hand, if the result of the determination shows that information indicating authentication OK is stored, the control device 30 permits power supply to the storage battery 20 in the power supply permission determination unit 55 and turns the circuit switch 35 to the ON state (step S11).

[0042] As described above, according to the energy storage device 1 of this embodiment, the control device 30 in the energy storage device 1 can complete the authentication process without requiring any other information terminal, etc. This makes it possible to accurately detect abnormalities such as theft.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which a physical switch or a numeric keypad is used as the input unit 31, but other input means can also be adopted. Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the authentication process is executed when the power storage device 1 is in a state in which the connection with the device is released, but the timing of execution of the authentication process is not limited to this. Therefore, a modified example of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0044] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a power storage device according to a modified example of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 4, a power storage device 1A of this modified example differs from the power storage device 1 of the embodiment mainly in that a biometric information acquisition unit 31A is employed in place of the input unit 31 of the above-described embodiment, and is provided in the handle 11. Note that, for the power storage device 1A of the modified example shown below, components similar to those of the power storage device 1 according to the above-described embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences.

[0045] The biometric information acquisition unit 31A is capable of acquiring biometric information specific to the user from the user's fingers. The biometric information may include, for example, information about fingerprints and veins. The biometric information acquisition unit 31A is preferably placed at an appropriate position on the handle 11, taking into consideration the placement of the user's fingers when gripping the handle 11.

[0046] According to the energy storage device 1A of this modified example, in addition to the effects achieved by the energy storage device 1 of the above-described embodiment, it is possible to perform authentication processing simply by gripping the handle 11 without performing any special operation to input the second authentication information.

[0047] Regarding the authentication process using the power storage device 1A having the above-described configuration, the process when connecting to the device will be described below mainly with reference to Fig. 5, and the process when disconnecting from the device will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 6. Note that the authentication process described below can also be implemented in the power storage device 1 of the above-described embodiment, except for the step performed by the biometric information acquisition unit 31A.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a connection operation in the power storage device of FIG. 4. First, an operation of connecting the power storage device 1A to the device will be described with reference to FIG. 5. When the operation of connecting the power storage device 1A to the device starts from a state where it is separated from the device, and the connection of the connector 34 is detected at the connection unit 56, the control device 30 first detects, using the biometric information acquisition unit 31A, whether the handle 11 is being held in a state where biometric information can be acquired (step S31). Here, if it is detected that the handle 11 is being held (Yes in step S31), the control device 30 starts an authentication process (step S32). This authentication process is the same as the process described as steps S04-S08 in the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, if the handle 11 is not being held in a state where biometric information can be acquired (No in step S31), the control device 30 does not start the authentication process. At this time, if the grip position of the handle 11 is deviated from the position where the biometric information acquisition unit 31A is provided, the indicator 32 and the speaker 33 may notify the user of this.

[0049] When the authentication process is completed, the control device 30 determines whether or not information indicating authentication OK is stored in the power supply permission determination unit 55 (step S33). If the result of the determination is that information indicating authentication OK is not stored (No in step S33), the control device 30 causes the power supply permission determination unit 55 to not permit power supply to the battery 30, turns off the circuit switch 35, and notifies the user via the notification unit 54 that power supply is not permitted (step S36).

[0050] On the other hand, if the result of the determination shows that information indicating certification is OK is stored (Yes in step S33), the control device 30 then determines whether the gripping state of the handle 11 is maintained (step S34). If the gripping state of the handle 11 is maintained (Yes in step S34), the control device 30 causes the power supply permission determination unit 55 to permit power supply to the storage battery 20, turns the circuit switch 35 to the ON state, and starts power supply from the storage battery 20 (step S35). On the other hand, if the gripping state of the handle 11 is not maintained (No in step S34), the control device 30 causes the power supply permission determination unit 55 to not permit power supply to the storage battery 20, turns the circuit switch 35 to the OFF state, and causes the notification unit 54 to notify that power supply is not permitted (step S36).

[0051] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a disconnection operation in the power storage device of FIG. 4. Next, an operation for disconnecting the power storage device 1A from the device will be described with reference to FIG. 6. Note that this operation has many parts in common with the steps shown in FIG. 5 described above, and therefore the same steps as those shown in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the above description of each step will be used for details. When the power storage device 1A starts an operation for disconnecting from the device while connected to the device, the control device 30 first detects, using the biometric information acquisition unit 31A, whether the handle 11 is being held in a state in which biometric information can be acquired (step S31). If the handle 11 is being held (Yes in step S31), the control device 30 starts authentication processing (step S32). On the other hand, if the handle 11 is not being held in a state in which biometric information can be acquired (No in step S31), the control device 30 does not start authentication processing.

[0052] When the authentication process is completed, the control device 30 determines whether or not information indicating authentication OK is stored in the power supply permission determination unit 55 (step S33). If the result of the determination is that information indicating authentication OK is not stored (No in step S33), the control device 30 causes the power supply permission determination unit 55 to notify the user that disconnection of the power storage device 1A is not permitted, and notifies the user that disconnection is not permitted through the notification unit 54 (step S43).

[0053] On the other hand, if the result of the determination shows that information indicating certification is OK is stored (Yes in step S33), the control device 30 then determines whether the gripping state of the handle 11 is maintained (step S34). If the gripping state of the handle 11 is maintained (Yes in step S34), the control device 30 turns the circuit switch 35 to the OFF state to terminate the current supply (step S41), and notifies the user via the notification unit 54 that the disconnection of the power storage device 1A from the machine body is permitted (step S42). On the other hand, if the gripping state of the handle 11 is not maintained (No in step S34), the control device 30 does not permit the disconnection of the power storage device 1A, and notifies the user via the notification unit 54 that the disconnection is not permitted (step S43).

[0054] Like the power storage device 1A of this modification, if the authentication process is performed not only when the power storage device 1A and the device are connected but also when the connection between the power storage device 1A and the device is released, it is possible to issue a notification when the power storage device 1A is separated from the device. This is expected to have the effect of preventing not only fraudulent use but also the effect of preventing the power storage device 1A from being taken away. Furthermore, since permission for energization and permission for disconnection are granted only when the handle 11 is being held, fraudulent use, etc. can be effectively suppressed.

[0055] In relation to the notification of denial of disconnection shown in step S43 described above, it is also possible to provide a locking mechanism in the power storage device 1A that maintains the state of connection with the gas, and to add control such that the locking mechanism is not unlocked when denial of disconnection is notified. By providing such a locking mechanism, it is possible to more effectively prevent the power storage device 1A from being taken away.

[0056] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. These modifications are all included in the technical concept of the present disclosure. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each component of the present disclosure is not limited to one, and may be present in multiple forms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1, 1A storage device 10. Cabinet 11 Handle (an example of a gripping part) 20 Storage battery 30 Control device 31 Input section 31A Biometric information acquisition unit 34 Connector 35 Circuit Switch 40 Control device main body 51 Storage section 52 Reading unit 53 Authentication Section 54 Information Department 55 Energization permission determination section 56 Connection

Claims

1. The housing and a storage battery housed within the housing; a control device that controls the current supply to the storage battery, The control device a storage unit that stores first authentication information associated with a specific user; a reading unit that reads second authentication information from an arbitrary user; an authentication unit that checks whether the second authentication information matches the first authentication information; a notification unit that notifies the authentication result of the authentication unit, Energy storage device.

2. the control device permits power supply to the storage battery when the storage battery is connected to the aircraft after the authentication unit determines that the second authentication information matches the first authentication information; The power storage device according to claim 1 .

3. The housing includes a grip portion, the reading unit is installed in the grip unit and reads biometric information of a user who grips the grip unit as the second authentication information. The power storage device according to claim 1 .

4. The storage battery may further include a power supply permission determination unit that determines whether to permit power supply to an external device based on an authentication result by the authentication unit. The power storage device according to claim 1 .

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