Battery management device, battery pack reservation method, and computer program

Abstract

This device provides a battery management system that allows for easy reservation of battery packs. [Solution] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a battery management apparatus for managing battery packs of an electric vehicle, comprising a control device for charging equipment, a communication unit that communicates with a user terminal, and a control unit that, in response to a request from the user terminal, performs reservation processing for the battery packs housed in the charging equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery management device, a method for reserving a battery pack, and a computer program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an electric vehicle that can reserve battery replacement in advance at a charging station by transmitting battery information including the remaining battery level of the vehicle to the charging station.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, since the electric vehicle determines at which charging station to perform battery replacement, there is a problem that battery replacement cannot be reserved except during the operation of the electric vehicle. In view of such conventional problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery management device and the like that can easily reserve a battery pack.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a battery management device that manages a battery pack of an electric vehicle, and includes a communication unit that communicates with a control device of a charging facility and a user terminal, and a control unit that executes reservation processing of the battery pack accommodated in the charging facility in response to a request from the user terminal.

[0006] This disclosure can be implemented not only as a system and apparatus having the characteristic configuration described above, but also as a program for causing a computer to execute such characteristic configuration. Furthermore, this disclosure can be implemented as a semiconductor integrated circuit that implements part or all of the system and apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, battery pack reservations can be made easily. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a battery management system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the battery pack reservation process. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for determining the target battery. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Summary of the embodiments of this disclosure> The embodiments of this disclosure are outlined below. (1) An apparatus according to one aspect of this embodiment is a battery management apparatus for managing battery packs of an electric vehicle, comprising a control device for charging equipment, a communication unit that communicates with a user terminal, and a control unit that, in response to a request from the user terminal, performs reservation processing for the battery packs housed in the charging equipment.

[0010] According to the battery management device of this embodiment, the control unit performs the reservation process for battery packs housed in the charging facility in response to a request from a user terminal, making it easier to reserve battery packs compared to making a reservation from an electric vehicle in operation.

[0011] (2) In the battery management device described in (1) above, the reservation process may include a process to determine the target battery which is the battery pack to be lent out from among the battery packs housed in the charging equipment. This approach prevents the process from becoming complicated by including battery packs already on loan in the reservation list.

[0012] (3) In the battery management device described in (2) above, the reservation process may include notifying the user terminal of identification information of the storage box of the charging equipment that houses the target battery, location information of the charging equipment, release information for unlocking the storage box, and the validity period of the reservation. In this way, the user can be notified of the above information necessary to use the target battery.

[0013] (4) In the battery management device described in (1) to (3) above, the process for determining the target battery may include determining the battery pack as the target battery if there is a battery pack whose remaining charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined set value. In this way, it is possible to lend users a target battery with a sufficiently large remaining charge (for example, a fully charged target battery).

[0014] (5) In the battery management device described in (1) to (4) above, the process for determining the target battery may include determining the target battery to be a battery pack that is charged by a charging method that will allow the reservation to be completed within the validity period, if there is no battery pack whose remaining charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined set value. In this way, it is possible to lend users batteries that will have a sufficiently large remaining charge by the time the validity period expires.

[0015] (6) In the battery management device described in (5) above, the charging method that the control unit can select may include at least one of the following methods. Normal charging: A method of charging the battery pack with an amount of power that does not generate an excess charge Centralized charging: A method of charging the battery packs one by one Recovery charging: A method of recovering power from battery packs without reservation Shortest charging: A method of charging the battery pack in the shortest charging time The reason is that if the above methods are included in the selectable charging methods, the target battery can be charged so that the electricity price becomes as low as possible.

[0016] (7) The method according to one aspect of the present embodiment is a method for reserving a battery pack executed by the battery management device of (1) to (6) above. Therefore, the reservation method of the present embodiment has the same operational effects as the battery management device of (1) to (6) above.

[0017] (8) The computer program according to one aspect of the present embodiment is a computer program for causing a computer to function as the battery management device of (1) to (6) above. Therefore, the computer program of the present embodiment has the same operational effects as the battery management device of (1) to (6) above.

[0018] <Details of the Embodiment of the Present Disclosure> Hereinafter, details of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least a part of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

[0019] 〔Outline and Purpose of the System〕 The operation of "Gachaco" (registered trademark), which shares battery packs for electric bicycles, has already started. This service is a service that enables the replacement of charged battery packs at charging stations throughout the country for the purpose of improving the charging opportunities and shortening the charging time. When sharing battery packs, there are concerns about drawbacks such as not being fully charged and unable to be replaced even when arriving at the charging station.

[0020] Therefore, the challenge lies in creating a system that provides fully charged battery packs. Currently, the mainstream mobility devices equipped with replaceable battery packs are electric motorcycles and light vehicles, and the number of replacements is typically between 1 and 4. However, a service proposed by, for example, the American company Ample, allows for fully automated battery pack replacement in about 10 minutes, covering everything from passenger cars to trucks.

[0021] Thus, there are signs that this technology will be expanded to even larger vehicles in the future, making it essential to manage the battery pack's charge status. In this embodiment, we propose a battery management system (Figure 1) that allows users to reserve fully charged battery packs in advance by monitoring and managing their charging status. By adopting individual battery pack reservations, users can ensure reliable battery replacement and also implement energy management such as peak shifting, which involves charging at times when electricity prices are low.

[0022] [Overall System Configuration] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the battery management system 100. As shown in Figure 1, the battery management system 100 of this embodiment includes a battery management server 1, a control device 3 for the charging equipment 2, and a user terminal 4. The user terminal 4 is, for example, a mobile terminal used by a user of an electric vehicle 5.

[0023] The electric vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle in which the battery pack 6 of the electric motor, which is the drive source, can be replaced. The electric vehicle 5 may be either a four-wheeled vehicle or a two-wheeled vehicle. The battery management server 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "management server 1") is a type of management device that is communicatively connected to the control device 3 installed at the charging station and comprehensively controls multiple charging facilities 2 under its control via the control device 3.

[0024] The entity operating Management Server 1 could be, for example, a company that operates a car-sharing business, a company that provides electricity, or an IT company that acts as an agent for an electricity provider. Management Server 1 may operate as either an on-premise server or a cloud server. The charging station is equipped with at least one charging device 2 and a control device 3. The charging device 2 has a battery pack 6 housing box 2A. The battery pack 6 housed in the housing box 2A is charged by power supplied from the charging device 2.

[0025] The control device 3 has a control function related to energy management for the charging equipment 2, and can control the charging method applied to the charging equipment 2 according to instructions from the management server 1. For example, charging equipment 2 can implement the following charging methods, each with different charging times and electricity costs. The management server 1 determines which charging method to adopt and notifies the control device 3.

[0026] 1) Normal charging: A method of charging the battery pack 6 with an amount of power that does not incur excess charges. 2) Centralized charging: A method of charging each battery pack 6 one at a time. 3) Recovery charging: A method of recovering power from battery packs 6 that are not reserved. 4) Fastest charging: A method of charging the battery pack 6 in the shortest possible time.

[0027] Furthermore, the charging equipment 2 may also be capable of implementing the following charging methods, which may differ in power source and power supply time: 5) PV (Photo Voltaics) charging: A charging method that uses solar power generation. 6) Distributed charging: A method of charging the battery pack 6 while avoiding peak power demand. 7) Market charging: A method of charging the battery pack 6 using electricity purchased from the power market.

[0028] The charging equipment 2 has a locking and unlocking function for the battery pack 6. Specifically, the charging equipment 2 locks the storage box 2A, which is numbered by the management server 1, to prevent the removal of the battery pack 6. Furthermore, when the charging equipment 2 receives predetermined unlocking information from the user terminal 4, it unlocks the battery pack 6. The predetermined release information is determined by the management server 1 for each battery pack 6, and the determined release information is notified to both the user terminal 4 and the charging equipment 2.

[0029] [Example configuration of a battery management server] As shown in Figure 1, the battery management server 1 comprises a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a plurality of databases (DBs) 14, 15, 16. These databases 14, 15, and 16 are electronic data constructed in the storage unit 12 with a predetermined data arrangement. However, some or all of the databases 14, 15, and 16 may be constructed in an external storage device (not shown) connected to the management server 1.

[0030] The control unit 11 is an arithmetic processing unit that includes a processor 11A and a volatile memory 11B. The processor 11A is an integrated circuit that includes, for example, one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units). The processor 11A reads the computer program 16A stored in the memory unit 12 into the memory 11B and performs various information processing according to the program 16A. This information processing includes the reservation process for the battery pack 6 (see Figure 2), among other things.

[0031] Therefore, the management server 1 of this embodiment has the function of a "reservation device" that processes the reservation of the battery pack 6 in response to a request from the user terminal 4. The storage unit 12 is an auxiliary storage device, for example, including an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 12 may also include flash ROM and USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or it may consist of at least one of the recording media exemplified above.

[0032] The communication unit 13 is a communication interface that enables communication using public communication networks 7, including the Internet and mobile communication networks. Therefore, the communication unit 13 can communicate wirelessly with the user terminal 4 via a wireless base station 8 connected to the public communication network 7. The communication unit 13 receives the status of the battery pack 6 housed in the charging equipment 2 or the electric vehicle 5 (hereinafter referred to as "battery status").

[0033] The communication unit 13 transfers the received battery status to the control unit 11, and the control unit 11 records the transferred battery status in the battery database 15. When the communication unit 13 receives a battery reservation request message from the user terminal 4, it forwards the received message to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 then executes the battery pack 6 reservation process (see Figure 2) according to the forwarded request message. Details of the reservation process will be described later.

[0034] The multiple databases 14, 15, and 16 include a map database 14, a battery database 15, and a member database 16. Map database 14 includes road map data 17 that covers the entire country. Road map data 17 includes "intersection data" and "link data".

[0035] "Intersection data" is data that associates intersection IDs assigned to intersections within Japan with location information of those intersections. "Link data" is data that associates the following information A1 to A4 with the link ID of a specific link assigned to a domestic road.

[0036] Information A1: Location information of the start, end, and interpolation points of a specific link. Information A2: Link ID connected to the starting point of a specific link Information A3: Link ID connected to the endpoint of a specific link Information A4: Link cost of a specific link

[0037] The road map data 17 constitutes a network corresponding to the actual road alignment and the direction of travel on the roads. Therefore, the road map data 17 is a network in which road sections between nodes representing intersections are connected by directed links l (lowercase L). Specifically, the road map data 17 consists of a directed graph in which a node n is set for each intersection, and each node n is connected by a pair of directed links l in opposite directions. Therefore, in the case of a one-way road, only one-way directed links l connect to node n.

[0038] The road map data 17 also includes road type information indicating whether a specific directed link l corresponding to each road on the map is a public road or a toll road, as well as facility information indicating the type of facilities included in the directed link l, such as toll booths, parking areas, and charging stations. The battery database 15 stores battery information representing the status of all battery packs 6, which are centrally managed by the management server 1. The stored battery information may include, for example, the following:

[0039] Information B1: Identification information for battery pack 6 Information B2: Battery pack 6 status type (charging, in use, etc.) Information B3: Identification and location information of the housing box 2A that houses the battery pack 6. Information B4: Identification information and location information of electric vehicle 5 equipped with battery pack 6. Information B5: Battery pack 6 charge level

[0040] The member database 16 records personal information such as the address and name of registered members who are eligible to receive the battery pack 6 reservation service. The member database 16 also records the vehicle identification number (VIN) and identification information of the user terminal 4 (at least one of the following: MAC address, email address, and telephone number).

[0041] [Battery pack reservation processing] Figure 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the reservation process for battery pack 6. As shown in Figure 2, the reservation process for battery pack 6 includes the following steps. Step S10: Sending and receiving request messages Step S20: Determination process for the target battery Step S30: Sending and receiving response messages Step S40: Sending and receiving scheduled messages

[0042] Sending and receiving request messages (step S10) is the process in which the user terminal 4 sends a battery reservation request message to the management server 1, and the management server 1 receives the request message. The request message may include, for example, the following information. Regarding information C5, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 may calculate it itself through route searching based on the origin and destination.

[0043] Information C1: Identification information for user terminal 4 and electric vehicle 5 Information C2: Current location of electric vehicle 5 (origin) Information C3: Destinations for Electric Vehicles Information C4: Quantity of 6 battery packs you wish to reserve Information C5: Route information from departure point to destination.

[0044] The process of determining the target battery (step S20) is a process in which the management server 1, upon receiving the request message, determines, based on a predetermined decision logic, which battery pack 6 (hereinafter referred to as the "target battery") to lend to the requesting user terminal 4 from among all the battery packs 6 housed in the charging equipment 2. Details of the target battery determination process (Figure 3) will be described later.

[0045] Sending and receiving response messages (step S30) is a process in which the management server 1 sends a response message to the user terminal 4, and the user terminal 4 receives the response message, thereby notifying the user terminal 4 of the contents of the decision process (step S20). The response message may include, for example, the following information. Information D1: Identification information for the housing box 2A of the charging equipment 2 that houses the target battery 6. Information D2: Location information of charging facility 2 Information D3: Unlock information for unlocking containment box 2A Information D4: Reservation validity period (start time and end time)

[0046] Sending and receiving reservation messages (step S40) is a process in which the management server 1 sends a reservation message to the control device 3, and the control device 3 receives the reservation message, thereby notifying the control device 3 of the contents of the decision process (step S20). The reservation message may include, for example, the following information. Information E1: Identification information for the housing box 2A of the charging equipment 2 that houses the target battery 6. Information E2: Location information of charging facility 2 Information E3: Unlock information for unlocking containment box 2A Information E4: Reservation validity period (start time and end time)

[0047] [Process for determining the target battery] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for determining the target battery, which is performed by the control unit 11 of the battery management server 1. In Figure 3, the battery pack 6 is abbreviated as "battery".

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 11 of the management server 1, when each battery is being charged by normal charging (step ST11), starts the process of determining the target battery (step ST13) on the condition that new battery reservation information has been acquired (step ST12). The battery reservation information refers to the request message from the user terminal 4 mentioned above.

[0049] In the process of determining the target battery, the control unit 11 first determines whether there are enough "full batteries" to meet the reserved quantity (step ST14). A full battery is, for example, a fully charged battery pack 6, that is, a battery pack 6 with a remaining charge of 100%. The determination in step ST14 is performed, for example, by searching for a battery pack 6 in the battery database 15 whose remaining charge (information B5) is 100%.

[0050] If the result of step ST14 is positive, the control unit 11 secures the hit full battery and determines the secured full battery to be the target battery (step ST15). When the control unit 11 determines the target battery, it generates a response message containing the aforementioned information D1 to D4 and a reservation message containing the aforementioned information E1 to E4, and transmits each of the generated messages to the user terminal 4 and the control device 3, respectively.

[0051] If the result of step ST14 is negative, the control unit 11 secures the reserved quantity of batteries that currently have a high charge level (for example, a remaining charge of 50% or more) (step ST16), and then determines whether normal charging will be sufficient to meet the reservation's validity period (step ST17). If the result of the determination in step ST17 is positive, the control unit 11 performs normal charging on the secured battery pack 6 (step ST18) and then proceeds to the step before step ST15.

[0052] If the result of step ST17 is negative, the control unit 11 determines whether the concentrated charging will be sufficient to meet the reservation's validity period (step ST19). If the result of step ST19 is positive, the control unit 11 performs centralized charging on the secured battery pack 6 (step ST20), and then proceeds to the step before step ST15.

[0053] If the result of step ST19 is negative, the control unit 11 determines whether or not there is a recoverable battery (step ST21). A recyclable battery is a battery pack 6 that is not reserved and is capable of discharging to other battery packs 6.

[0054] If the result of step ST21 is positive, it is determined whether the recovery charge will be completed in time for the reservation's validity period (step ST22). If the result of step ST22 is positive, the control unit 11 recovers and charges the secured battery pack 6 (step ST23), and then proceeds to the step before step ST15.

[0055] If the result of the determination in step ST21 is negative, and if the result of the determination in step ST22 is negative, the control unit 11 performs the shortest possible charge on the secured battery pack 6 (step ST24), and then proceeds to the step before step ST15.

[0056] [Other variations] The embodiments described above (including modifications) are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims and is intended to include all modifications in the sense and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0057] In the process for determining the target battery as described above (Figure 3), the battery packs 6 that should be reserved for the reserved quantity are not necessarily limited to "fully charged batteries," but may also be battery packs 6 with a charge level of 90% or higher, which is determined to be sufficiently large. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1. Battery management server (battery management device) 2 Charging equipment 2A Storage Box 3. Control device 4. User terminals 5 Electric vehicles 6. Battery pack (applicable battery) 7 Public telecommunications network 8 Wireless base stations 11 Control Unit 11A Processor 11B memory 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 14 Map Database 15 Battery Database 16 Member Database 16A Computer Program 17 Road map data 100 Battery Management Systems

Claims

1. A battery management device for managing the battery pack of an electric vehicle, A control unit for the charging equipment, and a communication unit that communicates with the user terminal, A battery management device comprising: a control unit that performs reservation processing for the battery pack housed in the charging equipment in response to a request from the user terminal.

2. The aforementioned reservation process is, The battery management device according to claim 1, further comprising the process of determining a target battery, which is the battery pack to be lent out, from among the battery packs housed in the charging equipment.

3. The aforementioned reservation process is, The battery management device according to claim 2, comprising notifying the user terminal of identification information of the housing box of the charging equipment that houses the target battery, location information of the charging equipment, release information for unlocking the housing box, and the validity period of the reservation.

4. The process for determining the target battery is as follows: A battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which includes determining a battery pack as the target battery if there is a battery pack whose remaining charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined set value.

5. The process for determining the target battery is as follows: The battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising determining the target battery to be a battery pack that is charged by a charging method that will allow it to be charged within the validity period of the reservation, if there is no battery pack whose remaining charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined set value.

6. The charging methods that the control unit can select include: The battery management device according to claim 5, comprising at least one of the following methods. Normal charging: A method of charging the battery pack with an amount of power that does not incur excess charges. Centralized charging: A method of charging battery packs one at a time. Battery recovery charging: A method of recovering power from battery packs that are not reserved. Fastest charging: A method of charging the battery pack in the shortest possible time.

7. A method for reserving a battery pack, performed by a battery management device that manages the battery packs of an electric vehicle, A step of communicating with the charging equipment control device and the user terminal, A method for reserving a battery pack, comprising the step of performing a reservation process for the battery pack housed in the charging equipment in response to a request from the user terminal.

8. A computer program for making a computer function as a battery management device for managing the battery pack of an electric vehicle, A step of communicating with the charging equipment control device and the user terminal, A computer program that includes the step of performing a reservation process for the battery pack housed in the charging equipment in response to a request from the user terminal.

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