Replacement battery and method of operation

Abstract

A replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification includes a battery unit, a communication circuit that acquires required voltage data of an external electronic device from the battery exchange station, a power management circuit that converts the power stored in the battery unit into power based on the required voltage data, and an output terminal that outputs the power based on the required voltage data to the external electronic device, and the required voltage data may be generated based on model data of the external electronic device previously acquired by the battery exchange station.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0171005, filed December 8, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The embodiments disclosed herein relate to replacement batteries and methods of operation. [Background technology]

[0003] A battery swapping station is designed to house and manage multiple replacement batteries so that the multiple replacement batteries can be easily used by users of electrically powered vehicles such as electric cars, electric scooters, electric bicycles, etc. For example, the battery swapping station can charge the replacement batteries using power from an external power supply and provide the fully charged replacement batteries to users of the electrically powered vehicles.

[0004] A user can remove a fully charged replacement battery from the battery exchange station and install it in an electric vehicle for use, or remove a worn-out replacement battery from an electric vehicle and install it in a battery exchange station for charging. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Electric vehicles require different voltages depending on the model, and battery exchange stations either provide replacement batteries that supply power based on the same voltage, or require users to input the required voltage of their electric vehicle into the battery exchange station before they can receive a replacement battery that supplies power appropriate for that vehicle, making use of the station inconvenient.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the embodiments disclosed in this specification can provide a replacement battery and an operating method thereof that provides power corresponding to the model data of an electrically powered vehicle when the user of the electrically powered vehicle inputs the model data of the electrically powered vehicle into a user terminal or a battery exchange station.

[0007] Additionally, the embodiments disclosed herein may provide a replacement battery and method of operation that can serve not only as a replaceable battery in an electrically powered vehicle, but also as a mobile power bank.

[0008] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in this specification are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification includes a battery unit, a communication circuit that acquires required voltage data of an external electronic device from the battery exchange station, a power management circuit that converts the power stored in the battery unit into power based on the required voltage data, and an output terminal that outputs the power based on the required voltage data to the external electronic device, and the required voltage data may be generated based on model data of the external electronic device previously acquired by the battery exchange station.

[0010] In a replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification, the power management circuit can output power based on required voltage data to the external electronic device via the output terminal when an electrical connection between the external electronic device and the replacement battery is identified via the output terminal.

[0011] A replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification further includes another output terminal that outputs the power converted by the power management circuit to another external electronic device, and the power management circuit can convert the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to the other output terminal, and output the power based on the voltage corresponding to the other output terminal to the other external electronic device via the other output terminal.

[0012] In a replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification, when an electrical connection between the replacement battery and another external electronic device via another output terminal is identified, the power management circuit can convert the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to the other output terminal.

[0013] In a replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed herein, the power management circuit can include at least one of a DC (direct current)-DC converter or a DC-AC (alternating current) inverter.

[0014] An operating method of a replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification includes the operations of obtaining required voltage data of an external electronic device from the battery exchange station, converting the power stored in the battery unit of the replacement battery into power based on the required voltage data, and outputting the power based on the required voltage data to the external electronic device via the output terminal of the replacement battery, wherein the required voltage data may be generated based on model data of the external electronic device previously obtained by the battery exchange station.

[0015] In one embodiment of a method for operating a replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station disclosed in the present specification, the operation of outputting power based on required voltage data to an external electronic device may include an operation of outputting power based on required voltage data to the external electronic device when an electrical connection between the external electronic device and the replacement battery is identified.

[0016] A method of operating a replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification may further include converting the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to another output terminal of the replacement battery, and outputting the power based on the voltage corresponding to the other output terminal to another external electronic device via the other output terminal.

[0017] In one embodiment of the method for operating a replacement battery that can be accommodated in a slot of a battery exchange station disclosed in the present specification, the operation of converting the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to another output terminal of the replacement battery may include the operation of converting the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to the other output terminal when an electrical connection between another external electronic device and the replacement battery is identified via the other output terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to various embodiments disclosed herein, the replacement battery and its operating method can provide a more convenient user experience for the user using the battery exchange system by outputting power requirements based on model data for the user's electric vehicle.

[0019] In accordance with various embodiments of the replacement battery and method of operation disclosed herein, the replacement battery that can be housed in a battery exchange station can serve not only as a replaceable battery in an electrically powered vehicle, but also as a mobile power bank.

[0020] The effects of the replacement battery and its operating method disclosed in the present specification are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure of the present specification.

[0021] In addition, various other effects can be provided that can be directly or indirectly grasped by the present specification. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a battery exchange system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a replacement battery according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a replacement battery according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a replacement battery according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a replacement battery according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the present invention to the particular embodiments, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] The various embodiments and terms used in the present specification are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for like or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to a description may include one or more of the description, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0025] As used herein, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed with that phrase. Terms such as "first," "second," "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," or "(b)" may be used merely to distinguish one element from another and do not limit the elements in any other manner (e.g., in importance or order) unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0026] As used herein, when a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "connected with," "coupled with," "linked with," "coupled with," or "connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "operatively" or "communicatively," this means that the component may be coupled to the other component directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0027] According to one embodiment, a method according to various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated on a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or an intermediary server.

[0028] According to various embodiments, each of the aforementioned components (e.g., modules or programs) may include one or more individuals, and some of the individuals may be located separately in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the aforementioned components or operations may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in a manner identical or similar to that performed by that component of the multiple components before integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a battery exchange system according to an embodiment.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, the battery exchange system may include a battery exchange station 110 , a replacement battery 120 , a user terminal 130 , and / or a server 140 .

[0031] A battery exchange station 110 may be provided for each designated charging station. According to one embodiment, the battery exchange station 110 may include multiple slots 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 capable of accommodating and charging replacement batteries 120. The battery exchange station 110 may supply power to the accommodated replacement batteries 120 when the replacement batteries 120 are accommodated in the multiple slots 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116.

[0032] According to one embodiment, when a user of an electrically driven vehicle (e.g., an electric car, an electric scooter, an electric bicycle, etc.) returns a used replacement battery 120 and pays the charging fee, the battery exchange station 110 can provide the user with one of the other replacement batteries that have already been charged. For example, when the user returns the replacement battery 120 they used to slot 113 of the battery exchange station 110, the replacement battery 120 may be installed in slot 113. Thereafter, when the user pays the charging fee, the other replacement battery installed in one of the remaining slots 111, 112, 114, 115, and 116 may be removed from the slot and provided to the user.

[0033] The replacement battery 120 may be a battery pack that can be installed and used in an electric vehicle. The replacement battery 120 may be removed from the electric vehicle and placed in one of a plurality of slots 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 of the battery exchange station 110. The replacement battery 120 placed in one of the plurality of slots 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 can receive power from the battery exchange station 110.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the battery exchange station 110 may be coupled to the user terminal 130 and / or the server 140 via wired and / or wireless connections.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the connection 101 and / or 102 between the battery exchange station 110 and the user terminal 130 and / or the server 140 may be a communication connection via a wired and / or wireless network. According to an embodiment, the wired network may be based on a local area network (LAN) communication or a power-line communication. According to an embodiment, the wireless network may be based on a local area network (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity), IrDA (infrared data association)) or a wide area network (cellular network, 4G network, 5G network).

[0036] According to one embodiment, the battery exchange station 110 can acquire model data of the external electronic device from the user terminal 130 via a connection 101 with the user terminal 130. Here, the external electronic device may be an electrically powered vehicle to which a replacement battery 120 provided by the battery exchange station 110 is to be fitted.

[0037] In one embodiment, the battery exchange station 110 can obtain information corresponding to the model data (e.g., manufacturing date, manufacturer, required voltage, etc.) from the server 140 via the connection 102 with the server 140. In one embodiment, when the battery exchange station 110 obtains the model data from the user terminal 130, the battery exchange station 110 can request information corresponding to the model data from the server 140 via the connection 102 with the server 140. The battery exchange station 110 can obtain the information transmitted from the server 140 in response to the request via the connection 102 with the server 140.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the battery exchange station 110 can generate required voltage data for the external electronic device based on model data acquired from the user terminal 130. For example, the battery exchange station 110 can generate required voltage data based on information (e.g., required voltage) corresponding to model data previously stored in memory.

[0039] According to another embodiment, the battery exchange station 110 can generate required voltage data for the external electronic device based on model data of the external electronic device obtained from the user terminal 130 and information corresponding to the model data obtained from the server 140.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the battery exchange station 110 can communicate the generated required voltage data to a replacement battery 120 housed in one of a plurality of slots 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, .

[0041] 2 is a block diagram of a replacement battery according to one embodiment. The battery exchange station 110 and the replacement battery 120 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be identical to each other.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, the replacement battery 120 may include a communication circuit 121, a battery unit 122, a power management circuit 123, and a first output terminal .

[0043] In one embodiment, the communication circuitry 121 can transmit and receive data over a connection 201 between the replacement battery 120 and the battery exchange station 110. In one embodiment, the connection 201 between the replacement battery 120 and the battery exchange station 110 can be a communication connection over a wired and / or wireless network.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit 121 can obtain required voltage data of the first external electronic device 210 from the battery exchange station 110. Here, the first external electronic device 210 may be an electrically driven vehicle (e.g., an electric car, an electric scooter, an electric bicycle, etc.).

[0045] According to one embodiment, the required voltage data may be data generated by the battery exchange station 110 based on model data of the first external electronic device 210 acquired from a user terminal (e.g., the user terminal 130 in FIG. 1 ). According to another embodiment, the required voltage data may be data generated by the battery exchange station 110 based on model data and information corresponding to the model data acquired from a server (e.g., the server 140 in FIG. 1 ).

[0046] In one embodiment, the battery unit 122 may be a battery cell or a battery module that supplies or receives power from an external source.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the battery unit 122 may be electrically coupled to the power management circuit 123. The battery unit 122 may receive power from the power management circuit 123 or may transfer power to the power management circuit 123.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can manage power received from the battery exchange station 110 through a connection 202 between the replacement battery 120 and the battery exchange station 110. Here, the connection 202 between the replacement battery 120 and the battery exchange station 110 may be formed when the replacement battery 120 is inserted into a slot (e.g., slot 113 in FIG. 1 ) of the battery exchange station 110. According to one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can convert the power received from the battery exchange station 110 to a specified voltage and current. The power management circuit 123 can transmit power based on the converted voltage and current to the battery unit 122.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can manage the power output to the first external electronic device 210 via the first output terminal 124. The power management circuit 123 and the first external electronic device 210 can be coupled via the first output terminal 124 when the replacement battery 120 is removed from a slot (e.g., slot 113 in FIG. 1 ) of the battery exchange station 110 and coupled to the first external electronic device 210. According to one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can convert the power stored in the battery unit 122 to a specified voltage and current. The power management circuit 123 can output power based on the converted voltage and current to the first external electronic device 210 via the first output terminal 124.

[0050] According to an embodiment, the power management circuit 123 may convert the power stored in the battery unit 122 into power based on the required voltage data of the first external electronic device 210. For example, the power management circuit 123 may convert the voltage of the power stored in the battery unit 122 into the required voltage of the first external electronic device 210.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the power management circuit 123 may output the power converted based on the required voltage data to the first external electronic device 210 via the first output terminal 124 .

[0052] In one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can identify an electrical connection between the first external electronic device 210 and the replacement battery 120. In one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can identify an electrical connection between the first external electronic device 210 and the replacement battery 120 via the first output terminal 124.

[0053] According to one embodiment, when an electrical connection between the first external electronic device 210 and the replacement battery 120 is identified, the power management circuit 123 can output power converted based on the required voltage data to the first external electronic device 210 via the first output terminal 124.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 may include at least one of a DC-DC converter capable of converting a direct current (DC) voltage to a DC voltage, or a DC-AC inverter capable of converting a DC voltage to an alternating current (AC) voltage.

[0055] The replacement battery 120, which also serves as a portable power bank, will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0056] 3 is a block diagram of a replacement battery according to one embodiment. The battery exchange station 110 and the replacement battery 120 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 may be identical to each other.

[0057] In this specification, the same components as those shown in FIG. 2 (for example, the connection 201, the connection 202, the communication circuit 121, the battery unit 122, the power management circuit 123, and the first output terminal 124) will not be described again.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the power management circuit 123 may manage power output to the second external electronic device 310 (or the third external electronic device 320) via the second output terminal 125 (or the third output terminal 126). Here, the second external electronic device 310 (or the third external electronic device 320) may be any electronic device electrically connected to the replacement battery 120 used as a portable power bank via the second output terminal 125 (or the third output terminal 126) and receiving power from the replacement battery 120. According to an embodiment, the power management circuit 123 may convert power stored in the battery unit 122 into a voltage and / or current corresponding to the second output terminal 125 (or the third output terminal 126).

[0059] According to one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can output power based on the converted voltage and / or current to the second external electronic device 310 (or the third external electronic device 320) via the second output terminal 125 (or the third output terminal 126).

[0060] According to one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can identify an electrical connection between the second external electronic device 310 (or the third external electronic device 320) and the replacement battery 120. In one embodiment, the power management circuit 123 can identify an electrical connection between the second external electronic device 310 (or the third external electronic device 320) and the replacement battery 120 via the second output terminal 125 (or the third output terminal 126).

[0061] According to one embodiment, when an electrical connection between the second external electronic device 310 (or the third external electronic device 320) and the replacement battery 120 is identified, the power management circuit 123 can convert the power stored in the battery unit 122 into a voltage corresponding to the second output terminal 125 (or the third output terminal 126).

[0062] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a replacement battery according to one embodiment of the present invention, which can be explained using the configurations of FIGS.

[0063] The embodiment shown in Figure 4 is just one embodiment, and the order of steps according to various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in Figure 4, and some steps shown in Figure 4 may be omitted, the order of steps may be changed, or steps may be merged. For example, operation 415 may be omitted. As another example, the order of operations 410 and 415 may be changed.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, in operation 405, the replacement battery 120 may obtain voltage requirement data for an external electronic device (eg, the first external electronic device 210 of FIG. 2).

[0065] According to one embodiment, the required voltage data may be data generated by the battery exchange station 110 based on model data of the external electronic device acquired from a user terminal (e.g., user terminal 130 in FIG. 1 ). According to another embodiment, the required voltage data may be data generated by the battery exchange station 110 based on model data and information corresponding to the model data acquired from a server (e.g., server 140 in FIG. 1 ).

[0066] In operation 410, the replacement battery 120 can convert the power stored in the battery unit 122 into power based on the required voltage data obtained in operation 405. For example, the replacement battery 120 can convert the voltage of the power stored in the battery unit 122 into the required voltage of the external electronic device.

[0067] At operation 415, the replacement battery 120 can identify an electrical connection between the external electronic device and the replacement battery 120. In one embodiment, the replacement battery 120 can identify an electrical connection between the external electronic device and the replacement battery 120 via the first output terminal 124.

[0068] In operation 420, the replacement battery 120 can output the power converted in operation 410 to an external electronic device. According to one embodiment, the replacement battery 120 can output the power converted in operation 410 to the external electronic device via first output terminal 124.

[0069] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a replacement battery according to one embodiment of the present invention, which can be explained using the configurations of FIGS.

[0070] The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is just one embodiment, and the order of steps according to various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in FIG. 5, and some steps shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted, the order between steps may be changed, or steps may be merged.

[0071] 5, in operation 505, the replacement battery 120 can identify an electrical connection between another external electronic device (e.g., the second external electronic device 310 and / or the third external electronic device 320 in FIG. 3) and the replacement battery 120. In one embodiment, the replacement battery 120 can identify an electrical connection between the other external electronic device and the replacement battery 120 via another output terminal (e.g., the second output terminal 125 and / or the third output terminal 126 in FIG. 3).

[0072] In operation 510, the replacement battery 120 can convert the power stored in the battery unit 122 into power based on a voltage corresponding to another output terminal. Here, the other output terminal may refer to an output terminal that electrically connects the replacement battery 120 to another external electronic device.

[0073] In operation 515, replacement battery 120 may output the power converted in operation 510 to another external electronic device. According to one embodiment, replacement battery 120 may output the power converted in operation 510 to another external electronic device via another output terminal.

[0074] As used above, terms such as "comprise," "comprise," or "have" mean that the relevant element can be contained within the term, unless otherwise specified, and should be interpreted as meaning that other elements may be included, rather than excluding other elements. All terms, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as dictionary-defined terms, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

Claims

1. a replacement battery receivable in a slot of a battery exchange station, The replacement battery is A battery unit; a communication circuit for acquiring voltage requirements data of an external electronic device from the battery exchange station; a power management circuit that converts the power stored in the battery unit into power based on the required voltage data; an output terminal that outputs the power based on the required voltage data to the external electronic device; The required voltage data is generated based on model data of the external electronic device previously acquired by the battery exchange station.

2. The power management circuitry includes:

2. The replacement battery of claim 1, wherein when an electrical connection between the external electronic device and the replacement battery is identified via the output terminal, the power based on the required voltage data is output to the external electronic device via the output terminal.

3. and further including another output terminal for outputting the power converted by the power management circuit to another external electronic device; The power management circuitry includes: converting the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to the other output terminal; 3. The replacement battery according to claim 1, wherein the power based on the voltage corresponding to the other output terminal is output to the other external electronic device via the other output terminal.

4. 4. The replacement battery of claim 3, wherein the power management circuit converts the power stored in the battery unit into the power based on the voltage corresponding to the other output terminal when an electrical connection between the other external electronic device and the replacement battery is identified via the other output terminal.

5. 3. The replacement battery of claim 1, wherein the power management circuitry includes at least one of a DC-DC converter or a DC-AC inverter.

6. 1. A method of operating a replacement battery receivable in a slot of a battery exchange station, comprising: The operating method includes: obtaining voltage requirements data of an external electronic device from the battery exchange station; converting the power stored in the battery unit of the replacement battery into power based on the required voltage data; and outputting the power based on the required voltage data to the external electronic device via an output terminal of the replacement battery; A method for operating a replacement battery, wherein the required voltage data is generated based on model data of the external electronic device previously acquired by the battery exchange station.

7. outputting the power based on the required voltage data to the external electronic device; 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: outputting the power based on the required voltage data to the external electronic device when an electrical connection between the external electronic device and the replacement battery is identified.

8. converting the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to another output terminal of the replacement battery; 8. The method for operating a replacement battery according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising: outputting the power based on the voltage corresponding to the other output terminal to another external electronic device via the other output terminal.

9. converting the power stored in the battery unit into power based on a voltage corresponding to another output terminal of the replacement battery; 9. The method for operating a replacement battery according to claim 8, further comprising converting the power stored in the battery unit into the power based on the voltage corresponding to the other output terminal when an electrical connection between the other external electronic device and the replacement battery is identified via the other output terminal.

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