System, information processing device, and information processing method

Abstract

This provides useful information for battery reuse. [Solution] The system includes a control unit configured to acquire information regarding degradation corresponding to at least one of the cell units or module units of a battery pack, and to output information to a display corresponding to the pack and module that displays diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the degradation information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] A method has been proposed for diagnosing the presence or absence of lithium metal precipitation in a lithium-ion battery by applying a high-frequency current and observing the response (resistance value) of the lithium-ion battery (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide information useful for battery reuse.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a diagnostic terminal that detects information related to deterioration corresponding to at least one of cell units or module units of a battery pack by a sensor, a server having a control unit that outputs information for displaying diagnostic information according to the information related to the deterioration, a user terminal, and a system including: The diagnostic terminal transmits the information related to the deterioration to the server, The control unit, Receiving information regarding the aforementioned deterioration from the diagnostic terminal, A command is sent to the user terminal to display diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the deterioration information for the display of the pack and the module, It is configured to perform, The user terminal, in response to the command received from the server, displays diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the degradation information on the display for the pack and the module. It is a system.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention involves obtaining information regarding degradation corresponding to at least one of the cell units or module units of a battery pack, To output information that displays diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the deterioration information for the pack and the module, This is an information processing device equipped with a control unit configured to perform the following:

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is that a computer Obtaining information regarding degradation corresponding to at least one of the cell-level or module-level of the battery pack, To output information that displays diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the deterioration information for the pack and the module, This is an information processing method that performs the following:

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores this program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information useful for the reuse of batteries. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of each of a user terminal, a server, and a diagnostic terminal that constitute the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the frequency of the current input to the battery and the response ratios of the structure, ionic components, and electronic components. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing the table configuration of the battery information DB. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen when a pop-up window is displayed in response to clicking or mousing over the module box. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen for displaying the details of a cell. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of a graph of the distribution of the remaining capacity of each cell. [Figure 8] It is a sequence diagram showing the overall processing of the system when providing information regarding battery deterioration according to the first embodiment to the user terminal. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing the process in which the control unit of the server collects battery information. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing the process in which the control unit of the server according to the first embodiment generates deterioration information. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing the process in which the control unit of the server provides the deterioration information to the user terminal. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen when a pop-up window is displayed in response to clicking or mousing over the module box according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing the process in which the control unit of the server according to the second embodiment generates deterioration information.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] The inventor of the present invention has found the following problems. That is, a battery pack is composed of a plurality of modules. Each module is composed of a plurality of cells. The entire battery pack is not necessarily used under the same conditions, such as the temperature being different between the outside and inside of the vehicle. As a result, each module and each cell constituting the same battery do not necessarily deteriorate in the same manner.

[0012] On the other hand, an information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure acquires information on deterioration corresponding to at least one of the cell unit or the module unit of a battery pack, and outputs information for causing a display corresponding to the pack and the module to display diagnosis information of the module according to the information on the deterioration. The information processing apparatus includes a control unit configured to execute the above.

[0013] The battery is, for example, a battery mounted on a vehicle. The battery has one or more packs, one pack has one or more modules (which may be a stack), and one module has one or more cells. The information on deterioration includes, for example, information on the amount of lithium deposition and information on capacity. The information on deterioration is acquired in units of cells or modules. The display corresponding to the pack and the module is a display that allows the user to determine the number or arrangement of the pack and the module. For example, the shape of the pack or the module is schematically represented. This may be done in a different way. This display may be on a screen. The module diagnostic information includes, for example, information such as whether the module is degraded or not, or whether at least one of the cells contained in the module is degraded. The information that causes the module diagnostic information to be displayed is, for example, information that indicates that degradation can be determined on the display corresponding to the pack and module. For example, the module diagnostic information may be displayed by adding "!" to the display corresponding to the module. The control unit may then output information to the user's terminal, for example, to display the module diagnostic information. This information may also include a command to display the module diagnostic information on the user's terminal. In this way, the state of module degradation can be displayed, so that the user can easily find out the state of module degradation.

[0014] The degradation information may include information on resistance detected when current is applied to the cell or module at a predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency may be, for example, a frequency band and its vicinity in which the response ratio of the electronic component is higher than the response ratio of the ionic component and the response ratio of the influence of structures such as terminals. By detecting resistance in such a frequency band, a resistance value corresponding to the amount of lithium deposited can be obtained. Since the amount of lithium deposited correlates with the degradation of the cell or module, the state of degradation of the cell or module can be grasped more accurately by obtaining the resistance value. Furthermore, by displaying the resistance information on the display corresponding to the pack and module, the user can easily grasp the state of battery degradation.

[0015] The aforementioned degradation information may include information regarding the capacity of the cell or module. As the battery degrades, the rechargeable or dischargeable capacity decreases. Therefore, information regarding the capacity of the cell or module correlates with the degradation of the battery. By acquiring such information, battery degradation can be detected. Furthermore, by displaying this information on the indicators corresponding to the pack and module, users can easily understand the state of battery degradation.

[0016] The degradation information includes information regarding the resistance detected when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency, and information regarding the capacitance of the cell or module. The control unit may output information to display warnings corresponding to the resistance information and warnings corresponding to the capacitance information in different display modes. Here, the importance to the user may differ between degradation that reduces capacitance and degradation that reduces resistance. By warning about these in different modes, the user can easily determine which one is causing the problem.

[0017] The control unit may output information such that the warning corresponding to the resistance information is more significant than the warning corresponding to the capacity information. In some cases, degradation that reduces resistance may be more important than degradation that reduces capacity. For example, if the amount of lithium deposited becomes too large, an internal short circuit may occur in the battery, rendering it unusable. On the other hand, even if the capacity decreases, the battery may still be usable. Therefore, by displaying a warning that is more significant than the warning corresponding to the resistance information, the user can be more reliably informed about degradation that involves a decrease in resistance. A greater warning level means that it is easier for the user to recognize, and this may include making the color of the warning mark more conspicuous, making the color of the warning mark more alarming (e.g., red), making the warning mark flash, or making the warning mark larger.

[0018] The information regarding the degradation is obtained when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency. The control unit includes information regarding the detected resistance and information regarding the capacitance of the cell or module, and outputs information to display at least one of a warning corresponding to the resistance information and a warning corresponding to the capacitance information, and in the warning corresponding to the resistance information, outputs information to display a stepwise warning according to the decrease in the resistance, or in the warning corresponding to the capacitance information, outputs information to display a stepwise warning according to the decrease in the capacitance. Displaying stepwise warnings includes, for example, setting multiple thresholds in stages to display what stage the deterioration is in. By displaying stepwise warnings in this way, the user can know the degree of deterioration.

[0019] The degradation information includes degradation information corresponding to each cell of the pack, and the control unit may further output information to display the diagnostic information for each of the multiple cells included in the selected module for the display corresponding to the pack and the module. By obtaining degradation information on a cell-by-cell basis, it becomes possible to determine the degradation of each cell. Furthermore, by having the control unit determine whether or not a module contains a degraded cell, it becomes possible to determine the degradation of the module. By displaying the degradation of the module and the degradation of the cells in this way, the user can determine at a glance which module or which cell is usable.

[0020] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of these embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0021] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the user terminal 20, server 30, and diagnostic terminal 40 that constitute System 1 according to the first embodiment. In the example in Figure 1, System 1 includes the user terminal 20, server 30, and diagnostic terminal 40. The user terminal 20 is a terminal used by a user who wants to view the diagnostic results of a battery 10, for example. The diagnostic terminal 40 is a terminal that detects the degradation state of the battery 10 and provides the detection results to the server 30. The server 30 is a server that provides the user terminal 20 with information about the degradation state of the battery 10 collected from the diagnostic terminal 40.

[0022] The user terminal 20, server 30, and diagnostic terminal 40 are interconnected by network N1. Network N1 is, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, and may also be a Wide Area Network (WAN) or other communication network. Network N1 may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone network, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0023] Battery 10 is used in vehicles such as BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) and PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles). This is a secondary battery installed in an electric vehicle (Electric Vehicle) or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and is, for example, a lithium-ion battery (LiB). The battery 10 has, for example, two packs 11. One pack 11 has, for example, 10 modules 12 (which may be stacked). One module 12 has, for example, 10 cells 13. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 1, the battery 10 has 200 cells 13. The number of packs 11, modules 12, and cells 13 in one battery 10 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1 and can be set arbitrarily.

[0024] The diagnostic terminal 40 is composed of a control unit 41 and a communication module 42. The diagnostic terminal 40 is a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), main memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), and auxiliary memory (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.) It can be configured as a computer. The control unit 41 is a computing unit that realizes various functions of the diagnostic terminal 40 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 41 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 41 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM, cache memory, etc. The communication module 42 is a communication interface for connecting the diagnostic terminal 40 to the network N1. The diagnostic terminal 40 may be equipped with input devices such as a mouse and keyboard, and output devices such as an LCD or EL panel.

[0025] The control unit 41 of the diagnostic terminal 40 measures the resistance and capacity of the battery 10 as information regarding the degradation of the battery 10. The resistance of the battery 10 is a value related to the amount of lithium deposited in the battery 10. In the case of lithium-ion batteries, if the battery 10 is subjected to excessive stress, such as by rapid charging, lithium ions inside may be deposited on the surface of the negative electrode. This lithium deposition not only reduces capacity and output but can also cause internal short circuits in the battery 10. Therefore, when reusing lithium-ion batteries, it is important to diagnose not only the degradation state in terms of capacity but also the amount of lithium deposited. Thus, the amount of lithium deposited serves as an indicator of the degradation of the battery 10.

[0026] The more lithium is deposited in battery 10, the easier it is for current to flow, and the lower the internal resistance of battery 10. Therefore, by detecting the resistance of battery 10, the degree of degradation due to lithium deposition can be detected. The detection of the resistance of battery 10 can be done, for example, with MaMoRiS® (Magnified Metal Object Response Inspecting Sensor), or This can be done by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Note that other known techniques can also be used to detect the resistance of battery 10.

[0027] MaMoRiS®, compared to conventional electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, uses a higher frequency band for measurement and detects resistance from the response to high-frequency currents. MaMoRiS® focuses not on the movement of lithium ions, but on the movement of electrons, which directly affect the changes in the properties of metallic materials. Here, a phenomenon called the skin effect is known, in which when a high-frequency current flows through a conductor, the current concentrates on the surface of the conductor. When lithium is deposited on the surface of the negative electrode of battery 10, current flows more easily in the high-frequency band, so the resistance of battery 10 decreases. By utilizing this phenomenon, lithium deposited on the surface of the negative electrode can be detected.

[0028] Figure 2 shows the relationship between the frequency of the current input to the battery 10 and the response ratios of the structure, ionic component, and electronic component. Here, in a certain high-frequency band (for example, a frequency band around 10 MHz), the response ratio of the ionic component and the response ratio of the influence of the structure are lower than the response ratio of the electronic component. In other words, in a certain high-frequency band, the influence of ion movement and structures such as terminals is small, so the movement of electrons inside the battery 10 can be captured with emphasis. Furthermore, in this specific high-frequency band, as the amount of lithium deposited on the negative electrode surface increases, the internal resistance of the battery 10 changes in a direction that makes it easier for electrons to flow. By capturing this change in resistance, the amount of lithium deposited can be detected non-destructively and in real time.

[0029] The control unit 41 of the diagnostic terminal 40 detects the resistance value of the battery 10 in a specific high-frequency band. The specific high-frequency band may be, for example, a frequency band and its vicinity where the response ratio of the electronic component is higher than the response ratio of the ionic component and the response ratio of the structural influence. The specific high-frequency band is an example of a predetermined frequency.

[0030] Furthermore, the capacity of battery 10 may decrease due to various factors. Since a decrease in battery 10's capacity leads to a decline in its performance, the capacity of battery 10 serves as an indicator of its degradation. (Diagnostic terminal) The control unit 41 of terminal 40 detects the capacity of battery 10 based on the current and time during the discharge of battery 10. At this time, the control unit 41 of the diagnostic terminal 40 measures the current during the period when battery 10 is fully charged and then discharged. The control unit 41 calculates the capacity (Ah) of each battery 10 by integrating the current during discharge. Note that the method of measuring the capacity of battery 10 is not limited to this. As another example, the control unit 41 may measure the current during the period when battery 10 is charged after it has been discharged and then detect the capacity (Ah) of battery 10 by integrating that current.

[0031] The control unit 41 of the diagnostic terminal 40 may provide the detected resistance value and capacity to the server 30, or it may calculate and provide the resistance reduction rate and remaining capacity to the server 30. The resistance reduction rate is a value that indicates how much the resistance value of the battery 10 has decreased relative to the reference value of the battery's resistance value. In other words, the resistance reduction rate is a value that indicates the degree of decrease in the battery 10's resistance from the reference value. The resistance reduction rate is calculated as the ratio of the reduced resistance value to the reference value of the battery 10's resistance value. The reduced resistance value is the value obtained by subtracting the detected resistance value from the reference value of the battery 10's resistance value. The reference value is the resistance value of the battery 10 when it is new or at the time of authentication. Note that, similar to the resistance reduction rate, the amount of resistance reduction is correlated with the amount of lithium deposited. The amount of resistance reduction is the value obtained by subtracting the detected resistance value from the reference value of the battery 10's resistance value. Therefore, the control unit 41 may provide the amount of resistance reduction to the server 30. In addition, the remaining capacity is calculated as the ratio of the detected capacity to the reference value of the battery 10's capacity. The reference value is the capacity of the battery 10 when it is new or at the time of certification. The control unit 41 can detect the resistance and capacity of the battery 10 on a cell-by-cell or module-by-module basis. In this case, the user performing the diagnosis attaches a sensor to each cell or module. The detected values ​​from these sensors are input to the diagnostic terminal 40. The control unit 41, for example, associates information on the resistance and capacity of each cell with the battery ID and sends it to the server 30 as a diagnostic result.

[0032] Server 30 provides information regarding the degradation of the battery 10 in a manner that is easy for the user to understand. Server 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication module 33. Server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), main memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), and auxiliary storage (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary storage stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that match a predetermined purpose, as described later, can be realized. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0033] The control unit 31 is a computing unit that realizes various functions of the server 30 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 31 can be implemented by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 31 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM, cache memory, etc. Details of the control unit 31 will be described later.

[0034] The storage unit 32 is a means for storing information and is composed of storage media such as RAM, magnetic disks, and flash memory. The storage unit 32 stores programs executed by the control unit 31, data used by those programs, and so on. In addition, a database (battery information DB 321) is built in the storage unit 32, and this database stores information about the battery 10 collected from the diagnostic terminal 40 and information about the battery 10 calculated by the control unit 31 of the server 30.

[0035] Figure 3 shows the table structure of the battery information DB321. The battery information DB321 has fields for battery ID, cell number, location, resistance, resistance reduction rate, cell capacity, remaining capacity, and variation. The battery ID field stores identification information unique to battery 10. The cell number field stores information about the number corresponding to each cell in the battery 10. The location field stores information about the location where each cell is located. The location field stores information that allows for the determination of, for example, which module and which position the cell is located in. The resistance field stores information about the internal resistance (Ω) of the cell at the time of diagnosis. The resistance reduction rate field stores information about the ratio (%) of the reduced resistance value to the reference value of the cell's resistance value. The reduced resistance value is the value obtained by subtracting the detected resistance value from the reference value of the cell's resistance value. The reference value is the resistance value when the cell is new or at the time of authentication. Note that if information about the resistance reduction rate is transmitted from the diagnostic terminal 40 to the server 30, the above resistance field may be omitted. The cell capacity field stores information about the cell capacity (Ah) at the time of diagnosis. The remaining capacity field stores information about the ratio (%) of the cell capacity at the time of diagnosis to a reference cell capacity. The reference cell capacity may be the cell capacity when the battery 10 is new or the cell capacity at the time of authentication. Furthermore, the information stored in the remaining capacity field may also be related to SOH (State of Health) or SoCE (State of Certified Energy). The variation field stores information about the ratio (%) of the remaining capacity of each cell to the average remaining capacity of all cells included in the same battery ID. In other words, the variation field stores information that allows the user to determine how much the remaining capacity of a cell deviates from the average value.

[0036] The information stored in the battery information DB321 may all be obtained from the diagnostic terminal 40, or the data necessary for calculation may be obtained from the diagnostic terminal 40 and the control unit 31 may calculate based on that data.

[0037] The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication module 33 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server 30 can communicate data with the user terminal 20 and the diagnostic terminal 40 via the communication module 33.

[0038] The specific hardware configuration of server 30 can be modified as appropriate, with components being omitted, replaced, and added depending on the embodiment.

[0039] The user terminal 20 is, for example, a terminal used by a battery reuse business. Users register with the server 30 in advance via the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 can access the server 30 to obtain information about the degradation of used batteries 10. Therefore, users can search for batteries 10 that are in a degradation state that matches their intended use.

[0040] The user terminal 20 comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication module 23, an input unit 24, and a display 25. The control unit 21 is a processing unit that realizes various functions of the user terminal 20 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 21 can be implemented by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 21 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM, cache memory, etc. The storage unit 22 is a means for storing information and is composed of a storage medium such as RAM, a magnetic disk, or flash memory. The storage unit 22 stores the program executed by the control unit 21, the data used by the program, etc. The communication module 23 is a communication means for connecting the user terminal 20 to the network N1 and has the same configuration as the communication module 33 of the server 30.

[0041] The input unit 24 is a means for receiving input operations performed by the user. The input unit 24 and the display 25 are a means of presenting information to the user and include, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel. It may be configured as a touchscreen.

[0042] The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 accesses the server 30 in response to a predetermined input from the user to the input unit 24 and obtains information regarding battery degradation (hereinafter also referred to as degradation information). The control unit 21 displays the obtained degradation information on the display 25. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 displays information regarding SOS (State of Safety) as degradation information. It can be displayed on Ray 25.

[0043] Figure 4 shows an example of a screen 50 displayed on the display 25. Information necessary to display screen 50 on the display 25 is transmitted from the server 30 to the user terminal 20. At the top of screen 50, a field 51 is displayed showing the manufacturer, chemical composition, battery ID, and manufacturing date of the battery 10. Below this field 51, a battery pack configuration diagram 52 is displayed. In the battery pack configuration diagram 52, one module corresponds to one box 521, and there are as many boxes 521 as there are modules. The box 521 corresponding to a module will also be referred to as a module box 521 below. In the example shown in Figure 4, the 10 modules arranged horizontally represent, for example, a group of modules connected in series. These series-connected module groups are shown as A1 and A2 (reference numeral 522). Module groups A1 and A2 are connected in parallel, for example. Also, in the example shown in Figure 4, one module contains 10 cells, and the number of cells is indicated above the module box 521 (reference numeral 523). Furthermore, an alert 524 is displayed in module boxes 521 corresponding to modules that contain cells with a resistance reduction rate above a threshold or a remaining capacitance below a threshold. In the example shown in Figure 4, alert 524 is displayed in the first module box 521 from the left in module group A1, the fourth module box 521 from the left in module group A2, and the tenth module box 521 from the left in module group A2.

[0044] Here, when the user clicks or mouses over the module box 521 displaying alert 524 using the input unit 24, the details of alert 524 are displayed in a pop-up window. Figure 5 shows an example of screen 50 when the pop-up window 525 is displayed in response to clicking or mouseing over the module box 521. The information necessary to display the pop-up window 525 on the display 25 is sent from the server 30 to the user terminal 20. The pop-up window 525 displays the boxes 526 corresponding to the cells that make up the module. Hereafter, the boxes 526 corresponding to cells will also be called cell boxes 526. Each cell box 526 is assigned a number. In the example shown in Figure 5, since there are 10 cells in one module, 10 cell boxes 526 are displayed. For example, a red circle is displayed for the cell box 526 corresponding to a cell whose resistance reduction rate is above a threshold, and a yellow circle is displayed for the cell box 526 corresponding to a cell whose remaining capacity is below a threshold. A mark, such as a circle, placed on the cell box 526 corresponding to a cell with a resistance reduction rate above a threshold will hereafter be referred to as a resistance reduction rate alert mark 527, and a mark, such as a circle, placed on the cell box 526 corresponding to a cell with a remaining capacity below a threshold will hereafter be referred to as a remaining capacity alert mark 528. The threshold for the resistance reduction rate is a value that takes into account a certain margin of safety when the amount of lithium deposited exceeds the limit. This threshold may be, for example, a resistance reduction rate at which there is a risk of internal short circuit. Furthermore, the threshold for the resistance reduction rate may differ depending on the type of battery 10. Furthermore, the threshold for the remaining capacity may be the lower limit of the allowable remaining capacity. This threshold may be arbitrarily determined. Furthermore, the threshold for the remaining capacity may differ depending on the type of battery 10. Note that an increase in the resistance reduction rate is more important than a decrease in remaining capacity. Since the resistance drop rate is sometimes considered a more important indicator of battery degradation, warnings about resistance drop rates exceeding a threshold may be displayed more prominently or in a more alarming color than warnings about remaining capacity below a threshold. For example, cells with a resistance drop rate above a threshold may be prominently displayed with a red circle, and cells with remaining capacity below a threshold may be displayed with a yellow circle. In this way, the degree of warning for an increase in resistance drop rate may be displayed more strongly than the degree of warning for a decrease in remaining capacity. Also, for example, cells with a resistance drop rate above a threshold may be marked with a larger mark than cells with remaining capacity below a threshold. Also, for example, cell boxes 526 corresponding to cells with a resistance drop rate below a threshold and remaining capacity greater than a threshold may be marked with a green circle to indicate that there is no problem. As another example, the same mark may be applied to cell boxes 526 corresponding to cells with a resistance drop rate above a threshold and cell boxes 526 corresponding to cells with remaining capacity below a threshold.

[0045] Furthermore, the control unit 21 can obtain details of the resistance reduction rate and remaining capacity for each cell from the server 30 and display them on the display 25. Figure 6 shows an example of a screen 60 that displays the details of the cells. The information necessary to display the screen 60 on the display 25 is transmitted from the server 30 to the user terminal 20. The screen 60 that displays the details of the cells may be displayed below the battery pack configuration diagram 52. For example, the screen 60 may appear by scrolling the screen 50. The screen 60 that displays the details of the cells displays the cell number, location, resistance reduction rate (%), and remaining capacity variation corresponding to the cell. The remaining capacity variation includes cell capacity (Ah), remaining capacity (%), and variation (%). These correspond to the information stored in the battery information DB 321. The control unit 21 obtains the information necessary to display the screen 60 from the server 30 and displays the screen 60. In addition, areas where the resistance reduction rate is above a threshold and areas where the remaining capacity is below a threshold are colored differently from other areas to make them stand out. In Figure 6, areas colored differently from other areas are indicated by reference numeral 601. The screen shown in Figure 6 is configured to be scrollable, allowing the user to view details of cells corresponding to cell numbers by scrolling.

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 21 can also display a screen 70 on the display 25 that shows the distribution of the remaining capacity of each cell as a graph. Figure 7 shows an example of a graph of the distribution of the remaining capacity of each cell. The information necessary to display screen 70 on the display 25 is transmitted from the server 30 to the user terminal 20. The horizontal axis represents the remaining capacity (%), and the vertical axis represents the number of cells. Figure 7 shows the distribution of the remaining capacity of all cells contained in one battery 10. The graph shown in Figure 7 may be displayed to the right of the screen 60 that displays the details of the cells shown in Figure 6.

[0047] Next, the control unit 31 of the server 30 will be described in detail. The control unit 31 of the server 30 receives information from the diagnostic terminal 40 regarding the resistance and capacitance of each cell. Furthermore, the control unit 31 calculates the resistance reduction rate and the remaining capacitance of each cell. This resistance reduction rate is the ratio (%) of the amount of resistance reduction of the cell at the time of diagnosis to the reference value of the cell's resistance. The reference value is the resistance of the cell when it is new or at the time of authentication. The amount of resistance reduction of the cell at the time of diagnosis is the value obtained by subtracting the resistance of the cell at the time of diagnosis from the reference value of the cell's resistance. The remaining capacitance is the ratio (%) of the capacitance at the time of diagnosis to the capacitance of the cell when it is new or at the time of authentication. The resistance and capacitance of the cell when it is new or at the time of authentication are provided by an external server, such as the cell manufacturer or the manufacturer of the vehicle equipped with the battery 10, and stored in the storage unit 32. As another example, the control unit 41 of the diagnostic terminal 40 may calculate the resistance reduction rate and remaining capacitance of each cell and transmit them to the server 30. Furthermore, the control unit 41 calculates the variation in the remaining capacity (%) of each cell. The variation is the ratio of the remaining capacity calculated for each cell to the average value of the remaining capacity of all cells contained in the battery 10. In other words, the variation is a value that indicates how far the remaining capacity of each cell deviates from the average value.

[0048] The control unit 31 of the server 30 stores the cell resistance, cell capacity, calculated resistance reduction rate, calculated remaining capacity, and variation obtained from the diagnostic terminal 40 into the battery information DB 321 for each cell.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 31 generates the screen 50 shown in Figure 4 based on the information stored in the battery information DB 321. This generation may be triggered by a request from the user terminal 20, or by the storage of information in the battery information DB 321. The field 51 displayed on the screen 50 is a field that displays information associated with the battery ID stored in the battery information DB 321. The information displayed in this field 51 is associated with the battery ID and stored in the storage unit 32. The control unit 31 identifies cells whose resistance reduction rate is above a threshold and cells whose remaining capacity is below a threshold. Furthermore, the control unit 31 identifies a module that includes at least one of the cells whose resistance reduction rate is above a threshold and cells whose remaining capacity is below a threshold. The module identified by the control unit 31 at this time will be referred to as the "warning module" below.

[0050] When generating screen 50, the control unit 31 generates a battery pack configuration diagram 52. The control unit 31 arranges the module boxes 521 in the battery pack configuration diagram 52 such that modules connected in series are arranged horizontally and groups of modules connected in parallel are arranged vertically. Also, as indicated by reference numeral 523 in Figure 4, the control unit 31 generates the configuration diagram 52 so that the number of cells corresponding to each module is displayed above the module boxes 521. Also, as indicated by reference numeral 522 in Figure 4, the control unit 31 generates the configuration diagram 52 so that the symbols corresponding to each module group are displayed to the left of each module group. In addition, an alert 524 is added to and displayed on the module box 521 corresponding to the warning module. In this way, the control unit 31 generates the battery pack configuration diagram 52.

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit 31 generates a pop-up window 525 as shown in Figure 5. The timing of generating the pop-up window 525 may be when the battery pack configuration diagram 52 is generated, when screen 50 is displayed on the user terminal 20, or when the warning module is clicked or moused over on the user terminal 20. The control unit 31 displays cell boxes 526 horizontally, equal to the number of cells included in the warning module. If it is difficult to display all cell boxes 526 in a single horizontal column due to the large number of cells, multiple rows may be generated vertically to arrange the cell boxes 526. The control unit 31 displays numbers sequentially in each cell box 526. The control unit 31 also identifies cells whose resistance reduction rate is above a threshold and cells whose remaining capacity is below a threshold, respectively, and places a resistance reduction rate alert mark 527 or a remaining capacity alert mark 528 in the upper left corner of the corresponding cell box 526. For cell boxes 526 corresponding to cells where the resistance reduction rate is above a threshold and the remaining capacity is below a threshold, both marks may be applied side by side, or only the resistance reduction rate alert mark 527, which is of higher importance, may be applied preferentially. A popup window 525 may be displayed when a module box 521 on which alert 524 is not displayed is clicked or the mouse hovers over. The popup window 525 displayed at this time may show cell boxes 526 on which the resistance reduction rate alert mark 527 and the remaining capacity alert mark 528 have not been applied. The resistance reduction rate alert mark 527 is an example of a warning corresponding to information about resistance, and the remaining capacity alert mark 528 is an example of a warning corresponding to information about capacity.

[0052] The control unit 31 may display the resistance reduction rate alert mark 527 and the remaining capacity alert mark 528 in such a way that the warning for the resistance reduction rate being above a threshold is displayed in a more conspicuous or more warning-like color than the warning for the remaining capacity being below a threshold. In this way, the control unit 31 will display the resistance reduction rate alert mark 527 and the remaining capacity alert mark 528. The resistance reduction rate alert mark 527 and the remaining capacity alert mark 528 are displayed such that the degree of warning for an increase in the rate is greater than the degree of warning for a decrease in remaining capacity. The control unit 31 may also display a green circle to indicate that there is no problem for cell boxes 526 corresponding to cells where the resistance reduction rate is below the threshold and the remaining capacity is greater than the threshold. As another example, the control unit 31 may also assign the same mark to cell boxes 526 corresponding to cells where the resistance reduction rate is above the threshold and to cell boxes 526 corresponding to cells where the remaining capacity is below the threshold.

[0053] Furthermore, the control unit 31 generates a screen 60 that displays the details of the cells. The control unit 31 generates the screen 60 so that it displays the information stored in the battery information DB 321. In addition, the control unit 31 generates the screen 60 so that the areas displaying the resistance reduction rate corresponding to cells with a resistance reduction rate above a threshold, and the areas displaying the cell capacity, remaining capacity, and variation corresponding to cells with a remaining capacity below a threshold, are colored differently from other areas.

[0054] Furthermore, the control unit 31 generates a screen 70 that displays the graph. The number of cells corresponding to each remaining capacity on the horizontal axis of the graph is counted from the remaining capacity field of the battery information DB 321 to generate the screen 70. The number of cells for each module may also be transmitted from the diagnostic terminal 40.

[0055] The control unit 31 transmits information to the user terminal 20 to display screens 50, 60, and 70 in response to a request from the user terminal 20. At this time, the control unit 31 may also transmit a command to the user terminal 20 to display screens 50, 60, and 70 on the display 25 of the user terminal 20. Furthermore, in response to a click or mouseover of the module box 521 corresponding to the warning module on screen 50, the control unit 31 transmits information to the user terminal 20 to display a pop-up window 525. The control unit 31 may transmit the information to display the pop-up window 525 together with the information to display screen 50 to the user terminal 20. Furthermore, the control unit 31 may transmit a command to the user terminal 20 to display the pop-up window 525 on the display 25 of the user terminal 20 in response to a click or mouseover of the module box 521 corresponding to the warning module.

[0056] Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing the overall processing of System 1 when providing information regarding the degradation of the battery 10 according to the first embodiment to the user terminal 20. First, the control unit 41 of the diagnostic terminal 40 detects the resistance and capacity of each cell of the battery 10 (S01). The control unit 41 transmits the detected resistance and capacity of each cell, along with the cell number and location of the cell, to the server 30, linked to the battery ID (S02).

[0057] The control unit 31 of the server 30 stores the cell resistance and capacitance received from the diagnostic terminal 40 in the battery information DB 321 (S11). The control unit 31 also calculates the resistance reduction rate of each cell based on the resistance of each cell (S12). Furthermore, the control unit 31 calculates the remaining capacitance of each cell based on the capacitance of each cell (S13). The control unit 31 updates the battery information DB 321 by storing the calculated resistance reduction rate and remaining capacitance of each cell in the battery information DB 321 (S14). The control unit 31 also generates degradation information based on the information stored in the battery information DB 321 (S15). The degradation information is information used to display the screen 50 shown in Figure 4, the pop-up window 525 shown in Figure 5, the screen 60 shown in Figure 6, and the screen 70 shown in Figure 7 on the user terminal 20. Note that the degradation information is an example of information used to display diagnostic information. When the control unit 31 generates degradation information, it stores that degradation information in the storage unit 32, associating it with the battery ID (S16).

[0058] The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 is configured to allow the user to view battery degradation information of the battery 10. The control unit 21 accepts a predetermined input (S21). For example, when a user starts a predetermined application software that displays screen 50, etc., or opens a web page that displays screen 50 in a web browser, the control unit 21 accepts a predetermined input. When the control unit 21 accepts a predetermined input, it sends a degradation information request to the server 30, which is a request to send degradation information (S22). The control unit 31 of the server 30 sends information regarding a list of viewable batteries 10 to the user terminal 20 (S23). At this time, the control unit 31 of the server 30 may also send a command to the user terminal 20 to display the list of viewable batteries 10 on the display 25 of the user terminal 20. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 displays the list of viewable batteries 10 on the display 25. Then, it identifies the battery 10 selected by the user via the input unit 24 (S24). The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 sends information regarding the battery 10 selected by the user to the server 30 (S25). The control unit 31 of the server 30 extracts degradation information corresponding to the information about the battery 10 selected by the user and sends it to the user terminal 20 (S26). At this time, the control unit 31 of the server 30 may also send a command to the user terminal 20 to display the degradation information on the display 25 of the user terminal 20. Upon receiving the degradation information, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 displays a screen corresponding to the degradation information on the display 25 (S27).

[0059] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the process by which the control unit 31 of the server 30 collects battery information. The flowchart shown in Figure 9 is executed when the server 30 receives information regarding the resistance and capacity of the battery 10 from the diagnostic terminal 40.

[0060] In step S101, the control unit 31 determines whether or not it has received information regarding the resistance and capacity of the battery 10 (battery information) from the diagnostic terminal 40. The control unit 31 determines, for example, whether or not it has received the cell number, location, resistance, and cell capacity corresponding to each cell, along with the battery ID. The diagnostic terminal 40 may transmit the resistance reduction rate instead of the resistance, or the remaining capacity instead of the capacity. If the control unit 31 determines in step S101 to be positive, the process proceeds to step S102; if it determines to be negative, this routine terminates.

[0061] In step S102, the control unit 31 stores the received battery information in the battery information DB 321. The control unit 31 may also receive information about the diagnostic terminal 40 along with the battery information and store that information in the storage unit 32.

[0062] Next, the control unit 31 repeatedly performs the following steps S103 to S106 for all cells included in the battery 10. In step S103, the control unit 31 calculates the resistance reduction rate of the cells. The control unit 31 reads a reference value of the cell's resistance from the storage unit 32, or obtains a reference value of the cell's resistance from an external server. In this case, for example, the reference value of the resistance corresponding to the battery ID may be obtained. The reference value of the resistance may be the resistance when the battery is new or the resistance at the time of authentication. The control unit 31 calculates the ratio of the reduced resistance value to the reference value of the resistance. The reduced resistance value is the value obtained by subtracting the diagnostic resistance value stored in the battery information DB 321 from the reference value of the cell's resistance. When the processing in step S103 is completed, in step S104, the control unit 31 stores the information regarding the calculated resistance reduction rate in the resistance reduction rate field of the battery information DB 321.

[0063] Furthermore, in step S105, the control unit 31 calculates the remaining capacity of the cell. The control unit 31 reads a reference value for the cell capacity from the storage unit 32, or obtains a reference value for the cell capacity from an external server. In this case, for example, the reference value for the cell capacity corresponding to the battery ID may be obtained. The reference value for the cell capacity may be the cell capacity when new or the cell capacity at the time of authentication. The control unit 31 calculates the ratio of the cell capacity at the time of diagnosis, which is stored in the battery information DB 321, to the reference value for the cell capacity. When the processing in step S105 is completed, in step S106, the control unit 31 stores the calculated remaining capacity information in the remaining capacity file of the battery information DB 321. Store in the folder.

[0064] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the process by which the control unit 31 of the server 30 generates degradation information according to the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 10 may be executed when the process shown in Figure 9 is completed in the server 30, or when a request for degradation information is received from the user terminal 20. As another example, the flowchart shown in Figure 10 may be executed at any time after the process shown in Figure 9 is completed in the server 30. The control unit 31 repeatedly executes the following steps S201 to S209 for all modules included in the battery 10. The control unit 31 also repeatedly executes the following steps S201 to S204 for all cells included in each module.

[0065] In step S201, the control unit 31 determines whether the resistance reduction rate is above a threshold. The threshold for the resistance reduction rate is stored in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the resistance reduction rate is above the threshold in step S201, the process proceeds to step S202. In step S202, the control unit 31 stores the cell numbers of the cells whose resistance reduction rate is above the threshold in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the resistance reduction rate is above the threshold in step S201, or if the process in step S202 is completed, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0066] In step S203, the control unit 31 determines whether the remaining capacity is below a threshold. The threshold for remaining capacity is stored in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the remaining capacity is below the threshold in step S203, the process proceeds to step S204. In step S204, the control unit 31 stores the cell numbers of the cells whose remaining capacity is below the threshold in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the remaining capacity is below the threshold in step S203, or if the process in step S204 is completed, the process returns to step S201 or proceeds to step S205.

[0067] In step S205, the control unit 31 determines whether the cell numbers of cells with a resistance reduction rate above a threshold or cells with remaining capacity below a threshold are stored in the storage unit 32. That is, the control unit 31 determines whether or not it stored cell numbers in step S202 or step S204. If the control unit 31 determines affirmatively in step S205, the process proceeds to step S206. In step S206, the control unit 31 generates information regarding the arrangement of cell boxes 526 when displaying the popup window 525 on the screen 50. That is, it generates information to display the number of cell boxes 526 corresponding to the number of cells in the popup window 525. The number of cells included in the module is equal to the number of times the processes from step S201 to step S204 have been executed. The control unit 31 counts the number of cells and generates the arrangement of cell boxes 526 so that the cell boxes 526 are displayed corresponding to the number of cells.

[0068] Once the processing in step S206 is complete, the process proceeds to step S207. In step S207, the control unit 31 assigns a resistance reduction rate alert mark 527 to the cell box 526 whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S202. Next, in step S208, the control unit 31 assigns a remaining capacity alert mark 528 to the cell box 526 whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S204. Then, in step S209, the control unit 31 generates the pop-up window 525 shown in Figure 5. If the control unit 31 makes a negative determination in step S205, or if the processing in step S209 is completed, the process returns to step S201 or proceeds to step S210.

[0069] In step S210, the control unit 31 generates information regarding the arrangement of module boxes 521 to be displayed on the screen 50. That is, the number of modules corresponding to the modules Information is generated to display box 521 on screen 50. The number of modules is equal to the number of times the process in step S205 has been executed. The control unit 31 counts the number of modules and generates the arrangement of module boxes 521 so that module boxes 521 are displayed in accordance with the number of modules.

[0070] In step S211, the control unit 31 identifies a module containing a cell whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S202 or step S204. Furthermore, in step S212, the control unit 31 issues an alert 524 to the module box 521 identified in step S211. Next, in step S213, the control unit 31 generates the battery pack configuration diagram 52 shown in Figure 4.

[0071] Furthermore, in step S214, the control unit 31 generates the cell details shown in Figure 6 according to the information stored in the battery information DB 321. In addition, in step S215, the control unit 31 assigns a warning color (e.g., red) to the cells whose cell numbers were stored in the storage unit 32 in step S202 or step S204 (see reference numeral 601 in Figure 6). For the cells stored in step S202, the control unit 31 assigns a warning color to the resistance reduction rate column, and for the cells stored in step S204, it assigns a warning color to the cell capacity, remaining capacity, and variation columns. Furthermore, in step S216, the control unit 31 generates the graph shown in Figure 7. The control unit 31 counts the number of cells for each remaining capacity and generates the graph shown in Figure 7.

[0072] In step S217, the control unit 31 generates degradation information to display the screen 50 shown in Figure 4, the pop-up window 525 shown in Figure 5, the screen 60 showing details of the cells shown in Figure 6, and the screen 70 showing the distribution of the remaining capacity of each cell as a graph shown in Figure 7 on the display 25 of the user terminal 20. This degradation information may include commands to display each screen on the display 25 and commands to display the pop-up window 525 when the warning module is clicked or moused over. Then, in step S218, the control unit 31 stores the generated degradation information in the storage unit 32, linking it with the battery ID.

[0073] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the process by which the control unit 31 of the server 30 provides degradation information to the user terminal 20. The flowchart shown in Figure 11 is executed when a degradation information request is received from the user terminal 20. In step S301, the control unit 31 determines whether or not it has received a degradation information request from the user terminal 20. If the control unit 31 determines that it has received a degradation information request in step S301, the process proceeds to step S302; if it determines that it has received a degradation information request, the routine terminates.

[0074] In step S302, the control unit 31 generates a list of batteries. The list of batteries is information for presenting to the user batteries 10 for which degradation information can be provided. The control unit 31 generates a list of batteries 10 stored in the battery information DB 321. The control unit 31 may generate this list of batteries 10 so that it displays information such as the manufacturer, chemical composition, battery ID, and manufacturing date of each battery 10, as shown at the top of the screen 50.

[0075] In step S303, the control unit 31 transmits the battery list generated in step S301 to the user terminal 20. At this time, the control unit 31 may also transmit a command to display the battery list on the display 25 of the user terminal 20.

[0076] In step S304, the control unit 31 obtains information (selection information) about the battery 10 selected by the user from the battery list from the user terminal 20. In step S305, the control unit 31 obtains the degradation information corresponding to the selection information from the degradation information stored in the storage unit 32. The control unit 31 extracts the battery ID from the selected information and extracts the degradation information corresponding to this battery ID from the storage unit 32.

[0077] In step S306, the control unit 31 transmits the extracted degradation information to the user terminal 20. This degradation information includes commands to display each screen on the display 25 and commands to display a pop-up window 525 in response to a click or mouseover on the warning module.

[0078] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control unit 31 can provide the user with information about the battery 10 so that the degradation status of the battery 10 can be easily understood. This improves usability.

[0079] <Second Embodiment> Figure 12 shows an example of screen 50 when a popup window 525 is displayed in response to clicking or hovering over module box 521 according to the second embodiment. The main points that differ from Figure 5 will be explained. In the example shown in Figure 12, a mark 531 corresponding to a high resistance reduction alert is displayed for cells where the resistance reduction rate is above the first threshold, a mark 532 corresponding to a low resistance reduction alert is displayed for cells where the resistance reduction rate is above the second threshold but below the first threshold, a mark 533 corresponding to a high remaining capacity alert is displayed for cells where the remaining capacity is below the first threshold, and a mark 534 corresponding to a low remaining capacity alert is displayed for cells where the remaining capacity is above the first threshold but below the second threshold.

[0080] Here, the first threshold for the resistance reduction rate may be the same value as the threshold for the resistance reduction rate in the first embodiment. The second threshold for the resistance reduction rate is a value lower than the first threshold, where the resistance reduction rate has become somewhat large and it is considered preferable to warn the user. The second threshold for the resistance reduction rate can be arbitrarily determined. The first threshold for the remaining capacity may be the same value as the threshold for the remaining capacity in the first embodiment. The second threshold for the remaining capacity is a value higher than the first threshold, where the remaining capacity has become somewhat small and it is considered preferable to warn the user. The second threshold for the remaining capacity can be arbitrarily determined.

[0081] In this way, the control unit 31 can provide stepwise warnings for increasing resistance and decreasing remaining capacity. Specifically, the control unit 31 can output information to display stepwise warnings corresponding to the decrease in resistance, or output information to display stepwise warnings corresponding to the decrease in capacity. Since an increase in resistance is sometimes considered a more important indicator of battery 10 degradation than a decrease in remaining capacity, a warning for a resistance reduction rate above a first threshold may be displayed more prominently than a warning for remaining capacity below the first threshold. Furthermore, a warning for a resistance reduction rate above a second threshold may be displayed more prominently than a warning for remaining capacity below the second threshold. Alternatively, the control unit 31 may provide stepwise warnings only for the resistance reduction rate, while providing warnings for remaining capacity according to thresholds, similar to the first embodiment. As another example, the control unit 31 may provide stepwise warnings only for remaining capacity, while providing warnings for resistance reduction rate according to thresholds, similar to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the control unit 31 may provide even more multi-stage warnings according to a third threshold for the resistance reduction rate and a third threshold for the remaining capacity.

[0082] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the process by which the control unit 31 of the server 30 generates degradation information according to the second embodiment. The flowchart shown in Figure 13 may be executed when the process shown in Figure 9 is completed in the server 30, or when a request for degradation information is received from the user terminal 20. As another example, the flowchart shown in Figure 13 may be executed at any time after the process shown in Figure 9 is completed in the server 30. The control unit 31 repeatedly executes the following steps S401 to S414 for all modules included in the battery 10. Furthermore, the control unit 31 repeatedly executes the processes from steps S401 to S408 for all cells included in each module. Note that the same processes as those shown in the routine in Figure 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanation is omitted. In the second embodiment as well, the control unit 31 separately executes the processes shown in Figure 9 and Figure 11.

[0083] In step S401, the control unit 31 determines whether the resistance reduction rate is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The first threshold is stored in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines in step S401 that the resistance reduction rate is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the process proceeds to step S402. In step S402, the control unit 31 stores the cell numbers of the cells whose resistance reduction rate is equal to or greater than the first threshold in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines in step S401 that the resistance reduction rate is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the process proceeds to step S403.

[0084] In step S403, the control unit 31 determines whether the resistance reduction rate is greater than or equal to the second threshold and less than the first threshold. The second threshold is stored in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the resistance reduction rate is positive in step S403, the process proceeds to step S404. In step S404, the control unit 31 stores the cell numbers of the cells whose resistance reduction rate is greater than or equal to the second threshold and less than the first threshold in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the resistance reduction rate is negative in step S403, or if the process in step S404 is completed, the process proceeds to step S405.

[0085] In step S405, the control unit 31 determines whether the remaining capacity is less than or equal to the first threshold. The first threshold is stored in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the remaining capacity is less than or equal to the first threshold in step S405, the process proceeds to step S406. In step S406, the control unit 31 stores the cell numbers of the cells whose remaining capacity is less than or equal to the first threshold in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the remaining capacity is less than or equal to the first threshold in step S405, or if the process in step S406 is completed, the process proceeds to step S407.

[0086] In step S407, the control unit 31 determines whether the remaining capacity is higher than the first threshold and less than the second threshold. The second threshold is stored in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the remaining capacity is positive in step S407, the process proceeds to step S408. In step S408, the control unit 31 stores the cell numbers of the cells whose remaining capacity is higher than the first threshold and less than the second threshold in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 determines that the remaining capacity is negative in step S407, or if the process in step S408 is completed, the process returns to step S401 or proceeds to step S409.

[0087] In step S409, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a cell number is stored in step S402, step S404, step S406, or step S408. If the control unit 31 determines in step S409 that it is positive, the process proceeds to step S206, where the control unit 31 generates the arrangement of the cell boxes 526. Once the process in step S206 is completed, the process proceeds to step S410.

[0088] In step S410, the control unit 31 assigns a high resistance reduction rate alert mark 531 to the cell box 526 whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S402. In step S411, the control unit 31 assigns a low resistance reduction rate alert mark 532 to the cell box 526 whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S404. In step S412, the control unit 31 assigns a high remaining capacity alert mark 533 to the cell box 526 whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S406. In step S413, the control unit 31 assigns a low remaining capacity alert mark 534 to the cell box 526 whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S408. Then, in step S414, the control unit 31 generates the pop-up window 525 shown in Figure 12. If the control unit 31 determines in step S409 that it is negative, or if it is a st If the processing in step S414 is completed, the process returns to step S401 or proceeds to step S415.

[0089] In step S415, the control unit 31 generates information regarding the arrangement of module boxes 521 to be displayed on the screen 50. That is, it generates information to display a number of module boxes 521 on the screen 50 corresponding to the number of modules. The number of modules is equal to the number of times the process in step S409 has been executed. The control unit 31 counts the number of modules and generates information regarding the arrangement of module boxes 521 so that module boxes 521 are displayed in accordance with the number of modules.

[0090] In step S416, the control unit 31 identifies a module containing a cell whose cell number was stored in the storage unit 32 in step S402, step S404, step S406, or step S408. Once the processing in step S416 is complete, the process proceeds to step S212. Furthermore, once the processing in step S214 is complete, the process proceeds to step S417.

[0091] In step S417, the control unit 31 assigns a warning color (e.g., red) to the cells whose cell numbers were stored in the storage unit 32 in step S402, step S404, step S406, or step S408 (see reference numeral 601 in Figure 6). For cells stored in step S402 or step S404, the control unit 31 assigns a warning color to the resistance reduction rate column, and for cells stored in step S406 or step S408, it assigns a warning color to the cell capacity, remaining capacity, and variation columns. The warning color may correspond to the color of each alert mark. Once the processing in step S417 is completed, the process proceeds to step S216.

[0092] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control unit 31 can display and provide the user with a step-by-step indication of the degradation state of the battery 10. This improves usability.

[0093] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and the present invention can be modified and implemented as appropriate without departing from its spirit. The processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. Furthermore, processes described as being performed by one device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, processes described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed. For example, the diagnostic terminal 40 may have the functions of the server 30.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the control unit 31 of the server 30 acquires resistance and capacitance from the diagnostic terminal 40 on a cell-by-cell basis. However, as another example, the data may be acquired on a module-by-module basis. In this case, the control unit 31 does not generate the pop-up window 525, but instead generates the battery pack configuration diagram 52. Furthermore, the control unit 31 does not generate screens 60 and 70.

[0095] In the above embodiment, resistance and capacitance are detected in the diagnostic terminal 40 or server 30. However, as another example, resistance and capacitance may be detected in the vehicle equipped with the battery 10, and the detected values ​​may be transmitted from the vehicle to the server 30. For example, resistance measurement sensors may be attached to each cell or module of the battery 10, and the resistance value may be measured in the vehicle. Alternatively, for example, the vehicle can acquire parameters that allow for the estimation of SOH for each cell, module, or pack, and the SOH may be detected in the vehicle and transmitted from the vehicle to the server 30. H may be sent. When the vehicle sends data to the server 30, it may send data linked to the battery ID.

[0096] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-temporary computer-readable storage mediums include, for example, any type of disk such as magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 1 System 10 batteries 20 User Terminals 30 servers 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communication Module 40 Diagnostic terminals

Claims

1. A diagnostic terminal that uses sensors to detect information regarding degradation corresponding to at least one of the cell-level or module-level of a battery pack, A server having a control unit that outputs information to display diagnostic information corresponding to the aforementioned deterioration information, User terminal and A system equipped with, The diagnostic terminal transmits the information regarding the deterioration to the server. The control unit, Receiving information regarding the aforementioned deterioration from the diagnostic terminal, A command is sent to the user terminal to display diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the deterioration information for the display of the pack and the module, It is configured to perform, The user terminal, in response to the command received from the server, displays diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the degradation information on the display for the pack and the module. system.

2. Obtaining information regarding degradation corresponding to at least one of the cell-level or module-level of the battery pack, To output information that displays diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the deterioration information for the pack and the module, An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to perform the following:

3. The degradation information includes information on resistance detected when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The information relating to the degradation includes information relating to the capacity of the cell or the module. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

5. The degradation information includes information regarding the resistance detected when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency, and information regarding the capacitance of the cell or module. The control unit outputs information that displays a warning corresponding to the information regarding the resistance and a warning corresponding to the information regarding the capacitance in different display modes. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

6. The control unit outputs information such that the warning corresponding to the resistance information is greater than the warning corresponding to the capacitance information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The degradation information includes information regarding the resistance detected when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency, and information regarding the capacitance of the cell or module. The control unit, Information is output to display at least one of the following: a warning corresponding to the information regarding the resistance, and a warning corresponding to the information regarding the capacitance. In the warning corresponding to the information regarding the resistance, a stepwise warning is given in accordance with the decrease in the resistance. At least one of the following is performed: outputting information to display a notice, or, in a warning corresponding to the information about the capacity, outputting information to display a stepwise warning in accordance with the decrease in the capacity. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

8. The aforementioned degradation information includes degradation information corresponding to the cell unit of the pack, The control unit further outputs information to display the diagnostic information of each of the multiple cells included in the selected module for the display corresponding to the pack and the module. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

9. Computers Obtaining information regarding degradation corresponding to at least one of the cell-level or module-level of the battery pack, To output information that displays diagnostic information for the module corresponding to the deterioration information for the pack and the module, An information processing method that performs the following.

10. The degradation information includes information on resistance detected when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency. The information processing method according to claim 9.

11. The information relating to the degradation includes information relating to the capacity of the cell or the module. The information processing method according to claim 9.

12. The degradation information includes information regarding the resistance detected when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency, and information regarding the capacitance of the cell or module. The computer outputs information that displays warnings corresponding to the information regarding the resistance and warnings corresponding to the information regarding the capacitance in different display modes. The information processing method according to claim 9.

13. The computer outputs information such that the warning corresponding to the information about the resistance is greater than the warning corresponding to the information about the capacitance. The information processing method according to claim 9.

14. The degradation information includes information regarding the resistance detected when the cell or module is energized at a predetermined frequency, and information regarding the capacitance of the cell or module. The aforementioned computer, Information is output to display at least one of the following: a warning corresponding to the information regarding the resistance, and a warning corresponding to the information regarding the capacitance. In a warning corresponding to the information about the resistance, output information to display a stepwise warning in accordance with the decrease in the resistance, or in a warning corresponding to the information about the capacitance, output information to display a stepwise warning in accordance with the decrease in the capacitance, at least one of the above is performed. The information processing method according to claim 9.

15. The aforementioned degradation information includes degradation information corresponding to the cell unit of the pack, The computer further outputs information to display the diagnostic information of each of the multiple cells included in the selected module, for the display corresponding to the pack and the module. The information processing method according to claim 9.

Images