Energy storage device, control method, and computer program

Abstract

This invention provides an energy storage device, a control method, and a computer program that improve the functionality of the device itself. [Solution] The energy storage device comprises an energy storage element, a control unit, and a wireless communication unit, and is attached to a power supply target to supply power from the energy storage element, and includes a storage unit that stores the start date and time of use of the energy storage element, and the control unit receives operations from the user via the wireless communication unit, and in response to the operations, transmits the start date and time of use stored in the storage unit from the wireless communication unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power storage device, a control method, and a computer program.

Background Art

[0002] Lighter and higher-output power storage elements are used in many electric devices such as communication devices carried by users and various mobilities carrying users. For example, a scooter-type electric two-wheeler using a lithium-ion battery as a power source has been developed (Patent Document 1, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Power storage elements that can obtain high output such as lithium-ion batteries are used as power storage devices incorporating a BMU (Battery Management Unit) because it is necessary to control input and output. The BMU measures the remaining capacity of the power storage element and detects the presence or absence of abnormalities in the output voltage.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to provide a power storage device, a control method, and a computer program that improve the functions of power supply targets.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An energy storage device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an energy storage element, a control unit, and a wireless communication unit, and is attached to a power supply target to supply power from the energy storage element, and includes a storage unit that stores the start date and time of use of the energy storage element, and the control unit receives an operation from a user via the wireless communication unit, and in response to the operation, transmits the start date and time of use stored in the storage unit from the wireless communication unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, data related to the maintenance of the energy storage device is transmitted based on the functions of the energy storage device itself, regardless of the functions of the electric equipment that uses the energy storage element as a power source. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a motorcycle equipped with an energy storage device. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an energy storage device. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information terminal device. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for processing the start date and time of use in an energy storage device. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing an example of a data transmission procedure in an energy storage device. [Figure 6] An example of a data acquisition screen displayed on an information terminal device is shown. [Figure 7] An example of a data acquisition screen displayed on an information terminal device is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] First, an overview of the energy storage device, control method, and computer program disclosed herein will be provided.

[0010] (1) The energy storage device comprises an energy storage element, a control unit, and a wireless communication unit, and is attached to a power supply target to supply power from the energy storage element, and includes a storage unit that stores the start date and time of use of the energy storage element, and the control unit receives operations from the user via the wireless communication unit, and in response to the operations, transmits the start date and time of use stored in the storage unit from the wireless communication unit.

[0011] The energy storage device of this disclosure stores the start date and time of use of the energy storage element in its own memory unit, independently of the control unit of the power supply recipient. The energy storage device communicates wirelessly with an information terminal device operated by the user directly via wireless communication through its own control unit, without going through the electrical equipment to which it is supplied with power, and transmits the stored start date and time of use to the information terminal device.

[0012] The power supply for the energy storage device is not limited to the mobility devices described later, but includes any equipment that operates by receiving power from a detachable or replaceable energy storage device. These equipment may include, for example, communication terminals, home appliances, etc., in addition to the mobility devices described later.

[0013] With the above configuration, the energy storage device stores the start date and time of its use separately from the electrical equipment to which it is supplied, and this information can be accessed from the user's information terminal device. This makes it easy to check whether maintenance is due within the energy storage device's warranty period. In addition to the start date and time of use, the history of input and output of the energy storage elements is also stored and accessible from the information terminal device, allowing for verification of how the device is being used.

[0014] (2) In the energy storage device described in (1) above, the control unit may detect the start of use of the energy storage element and store the detected start date and time in the storage unit.

[0015] With the above configuration, the information is not uncertain information such as the recording of the start date and time of use of the power storage element on paper media. Also, separately from the start date and time of use of the electrical equipment to be powered, the information terminal device can directly refer to the date when the power storage device is determined to have started use under the control of the control unit of its own device. If the power storage element is left unused after the start date and time of use, it may have a significant impact on deterioration. The information terminal device can directly refer to data that does not depend on the electrical equipment, such as storing the date of charging before being mounted on the electrical equipment as the start date and time of use.

[0016] (3) The power storage device according to (1) or (2) above may further include an outer casing, and the power storage element, the control unit, the storage unit, and the wireless communication unit may be housed inside the outer casing.

[0017] The power storage device can be mounted on the power supply target and can be distributed with the wireless communication unit also housed in the outer casing in addition to the power storage element, the control unit, and the storage unit. The power storage device can transmit data related to its own maintenance to the information terminal device even when the electric equipment to be powered is not operating or is not mounted on the electric equipment at all.

[0018] (4) In any one of the power storage devices according to (1) to (3) above, the power supply target may be mobility.

[0019] Here, the term "mobility" refers to all vehicles used by users as means of transportation. Mobility includes vehicles regardless of the number of wheels such as two-wheel, three-wheel, and four-wheel vehicles, flying bodies such as airplanes or drones, and water mobilities such as ships, water skis, and water drones. Mobility may be a vehicle driven electrically or hybrid that has a power storage device mounted thereon and uses the power storage device as at least part of the power source.

[0020] With the above configuration, the power storage device mounted on mobility and supplying power to mobility can directly transmit the data of the start date and time of use stored in the storage unit to the information terminal device without passing through the control unit of the electric equipment to be powered.

[0021] (5) In the power storage device according to (4) above, the mobility may be a small mobility including a motorcycle.

[0022] "Small mobility" refers to relatively small mobility. Small mobility includes motorcycles, three-wheeled vehicles, buggies (including both three-wheeled and four-wheeled), water skis, snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles. Large mobility relative to small mobility is relatively large mobility, for example, automobiles, buses or trucks.

[0023] (6) In the power storage device according to (4) or (5) above, the power storage element may supply power for starting or activating the mobility.

[0024] With the above configuration, a power storage device for starting or activation can be provided with a function of transmitting the usage start date and time stored in the storage unit to the user's information terminal device.

[0025] (7) In any one of the power storage devices according to (1) to (6) above, the power storage element may be a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

[0026] With the above configuration, a power storage device using a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery can be provided with a function of transmitting the usage start date and time stored in the storage unit to the user's information terminal device.

[0027] (8) In any one of the power storage devices according to (1) to (7) above, the wireless communication unit may be short-range wireless communication.

[0028] With the above configuration, by bringing the user's information terminal device close to the power storage device, it is possible to directly acquire data including the usage start date and time of the power storage element transmitted from the power storage device.

[0029] (9) A method for controlling an energy storage device, comprising an energy storage element, a control unit, and a wireless communication unit, wherein the device is attached to a power supply target and supplies power to the power supply target from the energy storage element, the control unit stores the start date and time of use of the energy storage element in a storage unit, receives operations from a user via the wireless communication unit, and transmits the start date and time of use stored in the storage unit from the wireless communication unit in response to the operation.

[0030] (10) The computer program is connected to the energy storage element and the wireless communication unit and is installed on a power supply target so that the computer can perform the process of supplying power from the energy storage element to the power supply target. The computer program stores the date and time of the start of use of the energy storage element in a storage unit, receives operations from the user via the wireless communication unit, and in response to the operations, performs the process of transmitting the date and time of use stored in the storage unit from the wireless communication unit.

[0031] A power storage device, control method, and computer program according to one aspect of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings illustrating the embodiments thereof. Hereinafter, a motorcycle will be used as an example of a small mobility device, and a power storage device and its control method installed on the motorcycle will be described.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a motorcycle M equipped with a power storage device 1. The motorcycle M is a small mobility device whose wheels are driven by a motor or an internal combustion engine. The power storage device 1 is installed in the part of the motorcycle M that houses the motor, etc. If the motorcycle M is of the type that drives the wheels with an internal combustion engine, the power storage device 1 is a replaceable starting battery for the motorcycle M and supplies power for starting the internal combustion engine. If the motorcycle M is a small mobility device whose wheels are driven by a motor, the power storage device 1 may be a battery used as a power source for the motor, or it may be a starting battery for starting the drive system including the motor.

[0033] The energy storage device 1 is packaged and distributed by housing its components in an outer casing 10. The outer casing 10 is made of, for example, acrylic resin. The outer casing 10 may also be made of metal. The outer surface of the outer casing 10 may have a sticker or the like affixed with the part number, model number, and lot number of the energy storage device 1, or the serial number, part number, model number, and lot number of the energy storage element 11, printed on it, or it may be represented as a barcode or two-dimensional code. By housing the components in the outer casing 10 and distributing them in this packaged manner, installation on mobility devices becomes easier compared to cases where the components are not packaged and need to be installed individually. In particular, if the energy storage device 1 is for starting, it is preferable in that users can replace the existing starting battery with the energy storage device 1 of the present invention, even without being a specialist. In particular, it is relatively easy to replace the starting battery in small mobility devices such as motorcycles compared to large mobility devices such as automobiles. Therefore, it is particularly preferable that the energy storage device 1 of the present invention be packaged by housing its components in an outer casing 10, and that it be implemented as a starting battery mounted on a small mobility vehicle.

[0034] The energy storage device 1 houses a wireless communication unit in its casing 10, enabling wireless communication with a user-carried information terminal device 3. Based on a battery maintenance application installed on the information terminal device 3, the information terminal device 3 can acquire data such as the warranty period of the energy storage device 1.

[0035] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the energy storage device 1. The energy storage device 1 includes an energy storage element 11 and a BMS 12. The energy storage element 11 is, for example, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. In the following description, the energy storage element 11 is a lithium-ion battery, but it may be other non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries such as sodium-ion batteries or lithium batteries. The energy storage element 11 is not limited to a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery; it may be a lead-acid battery or a rechargeable device such as a capacitor. Part of the energy storage element 11 may be a non-rechargeable primary battery. The energy storage element 11 is preferable to a lead-acid battery because it can be used for a longer period of time. Taking advantage of this long-term usability, it is possible for users to install the energy storage device 1 on their new mobility device and continue using it when they switch to a different mobility device. Such use was not anticipated with conventional lead-acid batteries used as starters because their usable period is significantly shorter. However, this is particularly feasible when the energy storage device 1 of the present invention is packaged by housing its components in an outer casing 10, configured as a starter battery for small mobility vehicles, and the energy storage element 11 is implemented as a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery.

[0036] The BMS12 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, a wireless communication unit 22, a protection circuit 23, a measurement unit 24, and a power supply unit 25.

[0037] The control unit 20 is a microcomputer. The control unit 20 includes one or more processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units) and MPUs (Micro-Processing Units). The control unit 20 includes memory, which is a temporary storage medium such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The control unit 20 includes a timer and can obtain date and time data for each point in time from data from the timer. The control unit 20 may be configured as a single hardware (SoC: System On a Chip) integrating the processor, memory, storage unit 21, and wireless communication unit 22.

[0038] The storage unit 21 is a small, non-volatile storage medium using semiconductor memory, flash memory, etc. Part of the storage unit 21 functions as ROM (Read Only Memory) built into the control unit 20 and is non-rewritable. Part of the storage unit 21 is a removable non-volatile memory that may be writable from the user's information terminal device 3 or other specific devices. The storage unit 21 stores the program (program product) necessary for the control unit 20 to execute processing, and the data generated by the control unit 20. The program product includes a control program (computer program) P1.

[0039] The control program P1 may be one that the control unit 20 downloads from a download server via the wireless communication unit 22 and stores in the storage unit 21, or it may be one that the control unit 20 reads and stores from a control program P9 stored on a non-temporary storage medium 9 that can be read from a computer.

[0040] The memory unit 21 stores the start date and time of use. The start date and time of use is the date and time that the control unit 20 detects from the voltage and current measurement data obtained from the measurement unit 24 that the first charge / discharge has been performed since shipment, and which is obtained from the timer (see Figure 4). The start date and time of use is stored in the memory unit 21 only once and cannot be rewritten. The memory unit 21 may store not only the start date and time of use, but also data used for maintenance, such as the warranty period and the number of charge / discharge cycles.

[0041] The memory unit 21 stores identification data for identifying the energy storage element 11 in a ROM area. The identification data may be a serial number that uniquely identifies the energy storage element 11, a part number or model number, or data in which a lot number or manufacturing date is associated with the part number or model number.

[0042] The wireless communication unit 22 is a short-range wireless communication device, such as Bluetooth®. The control unit 20 can send and receive data to and from the information terminal device 3 via the wireless communication unit 22.

[0043] The protection circuit 23 is a circuit that controls charging and discharging while switching between charging and discharging to prevent overcharging or over-discharging. The control unit 20 controls charging or discharging via the protection circuit 23.

[0044] The measurement unit 24 includes a group of sensors that measure various physical quantities related to the energy storage element 11. The measurement unit 24 includes a voltage sensor that measures the voltage of each cell contained in the energy storage element 11, a current sensor that measures the current of the energy storage element 11, and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the energy storage element 11. The measurement unit 24 outputs each measured physical quantity (voltage, current, and temperature, etc.) to the control unit 20.

[0045] The power supply unit 25 adjusts the power supplied from the energy storage element 11 to the BMS 12 and outputs it to the control unit 20.

[0046] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information terminal device 3. The information terminal device 3 is a smartphone or tablet device used by the user. The information terminal device 3 may also be a personal computer. The information terminal device 3 includes a processing unit 30, a storage unit 31, a communication unit 32, a display unit 33, and an operation unit 34.

[0047] The processing unit 30 includes one or more processors such as CPUs, MPUs, and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). The processing unit 30 also includes memory, which is a temporary storage medium such as SRAM or DRAM. The processing unit 30 reads various programs stored in the storage unit 31 into memory and executes them.

[0048] The storage unit 31 is a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 31 stores the program (program product) necessary for the processing unit 30 to execute processing. The program product includes the maintenance service application program (hereinafter referred to as the maintenance app) P3 for the energy storage device 1. The maintenance app P3 may be downloaded by the processing unit 30 from a download server via the communication unit 32 and stored in the storage unit 31, or it may be a maintenance app P8 stored on a non-temporary storage medium 8 that can be read from a computer, and then read and stored by the processing unit 30.

[0049] The communication unit 32 is a communication device for short-range wireless communication. The communication unit 32 is, for example, a Bluetooth® communication device. The communication unit 32 may be a device that communicates based on other protocols, as long as it can establish a communication connection with the wireless communication unit 22 of the energy storage device 1. The communication unit 32 may further include a wireless communication device that connects to a carrier network.

[0050] The display unit 33 is a display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 33 may also be a touch panel display. The processing unit 30 displays the battery maintenance service screen on the display unit 33 based on the maintenance application P3 stored in the storage unit 31, and displays the data acquired from the energy storage device 1 on the display unit 33.

[0051] The operation unit 34 is a user interface that can input and output to the processing unit 30. The processing unit 30 receives operations from the user via the operation unit 34. The operation unit 34 is, for example, a touch panel built into the display unit 33. The operation unit 34 may also include physical buttons, switches, and physical dials. The operation unit 34 may be connected to a user interface such as a keyboard or mouse. The operation unit 34 may include a speaker and a microphone and may accept operations by voice.

[0052] With the energy storage device 1 configured in this way, the information terminal device 3 can directly acquire data from the energy storage element 11 from the energy storage device 1. In this embodiment, in particular, the start date and time of use of the energy storage device 1 is stored as data for the energy storage element 11. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the start date and time of use in the energy storage device 1. The control unit 20 of the BMS 12 of the energy storage device 1 performs the following processing periodically or in response to requests from the information terminal device 3 after being started up after shipment.

[0053] The control unit 20 refers to the output voltage of the energy storage element 11 and the current of the energy storage element 11, which are measured by the measurement unit 24 (step S201). The control unit 20 determines whether or not use has started based on the referenced output voltage and current (step S202). In step S202, the control unit 20 may determine that use has started, for example, when the accumulated charging current or discharge current since shipment exceeds a predetermined current amount, or when the output voltage reaches a predetermined value or higher.

[0054] If the control unit determines that the energy storage element 11 has been put into use (S202: YES), it obtains data on the start date and time from the built-in timer (step S203). In step S203, the control unit 20 may obtain date and time data by identifying the start date and time from the clock output value, or it may obtain the clock output value as is.

[0055] The control unit 20 stores the data of the start date and time of use acquired in step S203 in the non-rewritable storage area of ​​the storage unit 21 (step S204), and terminates the process.

[0056] If it is determined in step S202 that the use of the energy storage element 11 has not started (S202: NO), the control unit 20 terminates the process.

[0057] As described above, the BMS 12 of the energy storage device 1 stores identification data for the energy storage element 11 and data on the start date and time of use of the energy storage element 11 in the ROM area of ​​the storage unit 21. The data stored here, including the start date and time of use, can be transmitted to the information terminal device 3 as data useful for the maintenance of the energy storage device 1.

[0058] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the data transmission procedure in the energy storage device 1. The following process begins when the user operates the information terminal device 3 to launch the maintenance application P3 and selects the function to acquire data from the energy storage device 1.

[0059] The processing unit 30 of the information terminal device 3 accepts the selection of a data acquisition menu via the maintenance application P3 (step S301). The processing unit 30 attempts to establish a communication connection with the wireless communication unit 22 in the BMS 12 of the energy storage device 1 via the communication unit 32 (step S302).

[0060] The control unit 20 of the BMS 12 of the energy storage device 1 periodically activates the wireless communication unit 22 and attempts to establish a communication connection with the communication unit 32 of the information terminal device 3, even if the motorcycle to which the energy storage element 11 is powered is OFF and the energy storage element 11 is powered OFF (step S101). In step S101, the control unit 20 does not supply power to anything other than itself and the wireless communication unit 22, and performs processing with the minimum amount of power.

[0061] In step S101, the BMS12 of the energy storage device 1 may accept operation of an operable communication button, and if the communication button is selected, it may activate the wireless communication unit 22 to attempt to establish a communication connection.

[0062] An attempt to establish a communication connection may be made by the wireless communication unit 22 of the energy storage device 1 periodically transmitting a beacon, for example once every hour, as described above, and detecting it with the communication unit 32. Alternatively, an attempt to establish a communication connection may be made by the communication unit 32 transmitting a beacon, which the wireless communication unit 22 detects.

[0063] The control unit 20 determines whether or not a communication connection has been established with the information terminal device 3 (step S102). If the control unit 20 determines that a communication connection has not been established (S102: NO), it returns to the state before the processing in step S101. If the energy storage device 1 was in the power-off state (sleep) before the processing in step S101, the control unit 20 also sets the wireless communication unit 22 to the power-off state. If the energy storage element 11 of the motorcycle M was operating before the processing in step S101, it remains in the ON state.

[0064] If the control unit 20 determines that a communication connection with the information terminal device 3 has been established (S102: YES), it transmits the identification data of the energy storage element 11 stored in the storage unit 21 and the data of the start date and time of use to the information terminal device 3 (step S103). In step S103, the control unit 20 may further include not only the data of the start date and time of use, but also one of the voltage, current, and temperature measured by the measurement unit 24.

[0065] The processing unit 30 of the information terminal device 3 receives identification data for the energy storage element 11 and data for the start date and time of use via a communication connection with the energy storage device 1 (step 303). The processing unit 30 displays a screen showing the received identification data and the start date and time of use on the display unit 33 (step S304), and then terminates the process.

[0066] Figures 6 and 7 show an example of a data acquisition screen displayed on the information terminal device 3. The data acquisition screen 330 shown in Figure 6 shows the state after the maintenance application P3 has been launched on the information terminal device 3 and the communication unit 32 has detected the network ID corresponding to the wireless communication unit 22 of the BMS 12 of the energy storage device 1. The data acquisition screen 330 includes a list screen 331 of the network IDs referenced by the communication unit 32. The list screen 331 displays the SSIDs for "EAR_PHONE_L" and "EAR_PHONE_R" for electrical devices that use short-range wireless communication such as earphones, as well as the SSID for "BATTERY NET" which corresponds to the wireless communication unit 22 of the BMS 12.

[0067] Figure 7 shows another aspect of the data acquisition screen 330. The data acquisition screen 330 in Figure 7 shows the state after the SSID of the energy storage device 1, "BATTERY NET," has been selected from the list screen 331 in the data acquisition screen 330 shown in Figure 6. The data acquisition screen 330 in Figure 7 includes a display area 332 showing the identification data and the start date and time of use received and displayed by the processing unit 30 from the energy storage device 1. In the example of the data acquisition screen 330 in Figure 7, the identification data (serial number) of the energy storage element 11 is "001234567890," and the start date and time of use of the energy storage element 11 is displayed as "September 1, 2024."

[0068] The data acquisition screen 330 in Figure 7 includes a details button 333 near the display area 332. If the details button 333 is selected by the user, the processing unit 30 may specify identification data and send a data acquisition request to a server device (not shown) for maintenance services related to the energy storage element 11, provided by the manufacturer of the energy storage device 1 or the energy storage element 11. In this case, it is desirable to be able to refer to information stored in the server device associated with the identification data (such as the date of manufacture, date of sale, manufacturing record, or warranty period). This makes it easy for the user to confirm whether or not the energy storage element 11 or the energy storage device 1 is within its warranty period.

[0069] Without going through the control device of the motorcycle M, which uses the energy storage element 11 of the energy storage device 1 as a power source, the user can directly refer to the start date and time of use of the energy storage element 11 from the energy storage device 1 by simply activating the maintenance application P3 while approaching the energy storage device 1. Compared to a configuration where the usage history of the motorcycle M is associated with the data and recorded by the control device of the motorcycle M, and the presence or absence of abnormalities in the energy storage element 11 is diagnosed via the diagnostic unit of the motorcycle M, this improves the functionality of the device itself and increases its value.

[0070] The embodiments disclosed above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In this embodiment, the energy storage device 1 is mounted on a motorcycle, which is a small mobility vehicle, but it is not limited to motorcycles and may be mounted on other small mobility vehicles such as motorcycle tricycles or buggies. The energy storage device 1 may be equipped with a relatively large-capacity battery, in which case the energy storage device 1 may be mounted on a large mobility vehicle such as a bus or truck, rather than a small mobility vehicle. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims and includes all modifications in the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Energy storage device 12 BMS 20 Control Unit 21 Memory section 22 Wireless Communication Section P1, P9 control program 3. Information terminal device 30 Processing Unit 31 Storage section 32 Communications Department 33 Display section P3 Maintenance Application Program

Claims

1. A power storage device comprising a power storage element, a control unit, and a wireless communication unit, which is attached to a power supply target to supply power from the power storage element to the power supply target, The system includes a storage unit that stores the start date and time of use of the energy storage element, The control unit, The wireless communication unit receives user commands, A power storage device that transmits the start date and time of use stored in the storage unit from the wireless communication unit in response to the aforementioned operation.

2. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects the start of use of the energy storage element and stores the detected start date and time of use in the storage unit.

3. The energy storage device according to claim 1, further comprising an outer casing, wherein the energy storage element, control unit, memory unit and wireless communication unit are housed inside the outer casing.

4. The power supply target is a mobility device, as described in claim 1.

5. The energy storage device according to claim 4, wherein the mobility is a small mobility including a motorcycle.

6. The energy storage device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the energy storage element supplies power for starting or activating the mobility.

7. The energy storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the energy storage element is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

8. The energy storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wireless communication unit is short-range wireless communication.

9. A control method for an energy storage device comprising an energy storage element, a control unit, and a wireless communication unit, which is attached to a power supply target to supply power from the energy storage element to the power supply target, The control unit, The start date and time of use of the aforementioned energy storage element are stored in the memory unit. The wireless communication unit receives user commands, A control method comprising transmitting the start date and time of use stored in the memory unit from the wireless communication unit in response to the aforementioned operation.

10. A computer connected to an energy storage element and a wireless communication unit, which is attached to a power supply target, performs the process of supplying power from the energy storage element to the power supply target, The start date and time of use of the aforementioned energy storage element are stored in the memory unit. The wireless communication unit receives user commands, A computer program that, in response to the aforementioned operation, causes the wireless communication unit to transmit the date and time of use stored in the storage unit.

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