Station management device

Abstract

To facilitate battery replacement in a battery replacement station.SOLUTION: A station management device in a battery replacement station including a plurality of charging devices for charging an on-vehicle battery using external power replaces the on-vehicle battery with a charged battery. The station management device notifies a registered user that the cost of battery replacement will be reduced when a specified number or more of batteries in which power storage ratio reaches equal to or more than a predetermined ratio remains for a specified duration or longer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a station management device, and more particularly to a station management device in a battery exchange station where an on-board battery is exchanged for a charged battery. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional station management device of this type is proposed to search for a route for a mobile object powered by electric energy from a replaceable battery to reach its destination (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This device searches for a route to reach the destination via a battery exchange station based on inventory information of replaceable batteries at the battery exchange station and the range of movement based on the remaining charge of the replaceable battery installed in the mobile object. The exchange fee is then adjusted according to the charge level of the battery in the exchange station. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 061415 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the above-mentioned station management device, there are times when battery replacements are frequent and times when they are infrequent, and if a fully charged battery is stored for a long period of time, it may deteriorate. This problem is particularly noticeable at stations where commercial vehicle batteries are replaced.

[0005] The station management device of the present disclosure has a primary purpose of promoting battery exchange at a battery exchange station. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The station management device of the present disclosure employs the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The station management device of the present disclosure includes: A station management device in a battery exchange station that has a plurality of charging devices that charge vehicle batteries using external power and exchanges vehicle batteries with charged batteries, When a state in which a predetermined number or more batteries that have been charged to a power storage rate equal to or greater than a predetermined rate continues for a predetermined time or longer, the registered user is notified that the cost required for battery replacement will be reduced. It is characterized by:

[0008] The station management device of the present disclosure notifies registered users that the cost of battery replacement will be reduced when a predetermined number of batteries or more that have been charged to a predetermined storage ratio continue for a predetermined period of time, thereby promoting battery replacement at battery exchange stations. As a result, battery deterioration caused by storing fully charged batteries for a long period of time can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a battery exchange station 20 having a station management device 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an exchange promotion process executed by a station management device 30 of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Next, a mode (embodiment) for carrying out the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a battery exchange station 20 having a station management device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The battery exchange station 20 includes a plurality of charging devices 22a to 22n and the station management device 30.

[0011] The multiple charging devices 22a-22n are configured as well-known charging devices that charge the multiple batteries 24a-24n using power from the external power supply 10. The multiple charging devices 22a-22n calculate the amounts of charging energy WHa-WHn of the multiple batteries 24a-24n and the power storage rates SOCa-SOCn of the multiple batteries 24a-24n. The multiple charging devices 22a-22n transmit the calculated amounts of charging energy WHa-WHn and the power storage rates SOCa-SOCn to the station management device 30. The multiple batteries 24a-24n are configured as, for example, lithium ion secondary batteries.

[0012] The station management device 30 is configured with a microcomputer centered around a CPU (not shown), and in addition to the CPU, is also equipped with RAM, ROM, flash memory, input ports, output ports, communication devices, etc. As described above, the station management device 30 receives the amounts of charging energy WHa-WHn and the power storage rates SOCa-SOCn from the multiple charging devices 22a-22n. The station management device 30 also communicates with the mobile terminals 12 of pre-registered users and the on-board devices 14 installed in the users' vehicles.

[0013] Next, the operation of the station management device 30 of the embodiment configured as described above will be described, particularly the operation when the batteries 24a to 24n are charged to a certain extent and a battery exchange is promoted. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the exchange promotion process executed by the station management device 30 of the embodiment. This process is executed repeatedly.

[0014] When the exchange promotion process is executed, the station management device 30 first acquires the number N of batteries 24a-24n that are being charged by the charging devices 22a-22n and whose power storage ratios SOCa-SOCn have reached or exceeded a threshold value Sref (step S100). The threshold value Sref is a value close to full charge, and may be, for example, 95%. The power storage ratios SOCa-SOCn of the batteries 24a-24n calculated by the charging devices 22a-22n may be input and used.

[0015] Next, it is determined whether the number N of batteries whose power storage ratio SOC has reached or exceeded the threshold value Sref is equal to or greater than a predetermined number Nref (step S110). The predetermined number Nref is preferably set to a value that increases as the scale of the battery exchange station 20, i.e., the number of charging devices installed in the battery exchange station 20, increases, and is set to an integer value equal to or greater than 1. If it is determined that the number N of batteries whose power storage ratio SOC has reached or exceeded the threshold value Sref is less than the predetermined number Nref, it is determined that promoting battery exchange is not necessary, and this process ends.

[0016] If it is determined in step S110 that the number N of batteries whose power storage ratio SOC has reached or exceeded the threshold value Sref is equal to or greater than the predetermined number Nref, it is then determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since this determination (step S120). The predetermined time may be, for example, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours. If it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed, it is determined that promoting battery replacement is not yet necessary, and this process is terminated.

[0017] If it is determined in step S120 that a predetermined time has elapsed since the number N of batteries whose power storage ratio SOC has reached or exceeded the threshold value Sref reached or exceeded the predetermined number Nref, the battery exchange fee is reduced (step S130), and the registered user is notified of the reduction in the battery exchange fee (step S140), after which the process ends. The registered user can be notified by sending a message to the mobile terminal 12 of the pre-registered user or the on-board device 14 installed in the user's vehicle. This reduction in the battery exchange fee and notification of this reduction can encourage battery exchange at the battery exchange station 20.

[0018] In the station management device 30 of the embodiment described above, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the number N of batteries whose power storage ratio SOC has reached or exceeded the threshold value Sref reached or exceeded the predetermined number Nref, the battery exchange fee is reduced and registered users are notified of this. This can promote battery exchange at the battery exchange station 20.

[0019] In the station management device 30 of the embodiment, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the number N of batteries whose power storage ratio SOC has reached or exceeded the threshold value Sref has reached or exceeded a predetermined number Nref, the battery replacement fee is reduced and registered users are notified of this. However, it is also possible to immediately reduce the battery replacement fee and notify registered users of this when the number N of batteries whose power storage ratio SOC has reached or exceeded the threshold value Sref has reached or exceeded the predetermined number Nref.

[0020] Other possible methods for promoting battery exchange at battery exchange stations 20 include: identifying the time periods when battery exchanges are frequent at battery exchange stations 20 and the time periods when battery exchanges are rarely performed, and reducing the battery exchange fee during the time periods when battery exchanges are rarely performed and informing registered users of this; installing a solar power generation device at battery exchange station 20, reducing the battery exchange fee and informing registered users of this;

[0021] 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. In the embodiment, the multiple charging devices 22a to 22n correspond to the "multiple charging devices," and the station management device 30 corresponds to the "station management device."

[0022] 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.

[0023] The present disclosure has been described above using embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments in any way, and it goes without saying that the present disclosure can be embodied in various forms within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0024] The present disclosure is applicable to industries such as the manufacturing industry of station management devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 10 external power supply, 12 mobile terminal, 14 in-vehicle device, 20 battery exchange station, 22a to 22n charging device, 24a to 24n battery, 30 station management device.

Claims

[Claim 1] A station management device in a battery exchange station that has a plurality of charging devices that charge vehicle batteries using external power and exchanges vehicle batteries with charged batteries, When a state in which a predetermined number or more batteries that have been charged to a power storage rate equal to or greater than a predetermined rate continues for a predetermined time or longer, the registered user is notified that the cost required for battery replacement will be reduced. A station management device characterized by:

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