Information processing device, method, computer program, and readable storage medium for controlling a storage device for an energy storage device.

Abstract

This technology aims to improve the efficiency of energy storage equipment maintenance by reducing the need for physical movement during maintenance. [Solution] An information processing device 10 for controlling a storage device 200 that stores multiple energy storage devices 2 comprises an extraction unit 114 that extracts an energy storage device to be provided to a user from among the multiple energy storage devices 2 in response to a request from a user, and a future information acquisition unit 113 that acquires future information including information on other storage devices that are different from the storage device and are expected to be used by the user in the future. Based on the future information acquired by the future information acquisition unit 113, the extraction unit 114 extracts an energy storage device to be provided to a user from among the multiple energy storage devices stored in the storage device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a method, a computer program, and a readable storage medium for controlling a storage apparatus of power storage devices.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a service for lending power storage devices provided in a battery station to users is known. The battery station in this service can extract a power storage device based on the progress of deterioration of the power storage device and provide it to the user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In services that lend out power storage devices, maintenance work is required to promptly collect deteriorated power storage devices. When a storage apparatus accommodating a power storage device that has deteriorated to a state below the usage lower limit is located far away, a maintenance worker has to travel a long distance to collect it. In addition, when an imbalance of power storage devices occurs, such as a large number of new power storage devices in a specific storage apparatus and a large number of deteriorated power storage devices in other storage apparatuses, maintenance workers perform adjustment work of power storage devices between the storage apparatuses to eliminate this imbalance. Accordingly, there has been a problem that maintenance work requires a great deal of labor for travel.

[0005] This disclosure aims to provide an information processing device, method, computer program, and readable storage medium for reducing the effort required for moving during maintenance work on energy storage devices and improving the efficiency of maintenance work on energy storage devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) An information processing device (for example, an information processing device 10 described later) for controlling a storage device (for example, a storage device 200 described later) that stores multiple energy storage devices (for example, an energy storage device 2 described later), An extraction unit (for example, the extraction unit 114 described later) extracts an energy storage device from among a plurality of energy storage devices to be provided to the user in response to a request from the user, Unlike the aforementioned storage device, it includes a future information acquisition unit (for example, the future information acquisition unit 113 described later) that acquires future information including information on other storage devices that the user is expected to use in the future, Equipped with, The extraction unit extracts, based on the future information acquired by the future information acquisition unit, the energy storage device to be provided to the user from among the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device. Information processing device.

[0007] According to (1) above, if the energy storage device 2 to be moved is located within the storage device 200, the user can transport the energy storage device 2 to another storage device. This eliminates the need for maintenance workers to move the energy storage device 2 from the storage device 200 to another storage device. This reduces the effort required for maintenance workers to move the devices during maintenance work and improves the efficiency of energy storage device maintenance.

[0008] (2) The information processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the extraction unit further extracts from the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device which energy storage devices will be provided to the user, based on the degree of deterioration of at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device.

[0009] According to (2) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0010] (3) The information processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the extraction unit extracts from among a plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device which are to be provided to the user, based on the geographical location of the other storage device included in the future information.

[0011] According to (3) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0012] (4) The extraction unit is A first score based on the difference between the geographical location of the storage device and a specific geographical location, A second score based on the degree of deterioration of the aforementioned energy storage device, The information processing device according to (3), which extracts from among the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device the energy storage device to be provided to the user.

[0013] According to (4) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0014] (5) The information processing device according to (4), wherein the geographical location includes information about the relative location to a specific geographical location.

[0015] According to (5) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0016] (6) The information processing device according to (4) or (5), wherein the specified geographical location is the geographical location of a base for retrieving excluded energy storage devices from among the plurality of energy storage devices that are excluded from being provided to the user.

[0017] According to (6) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0018] (7) The first score mentioned above has multiple classes, The above second rating has multiple classes, The extraction unit is The information processing apparatus according to any one of (4) to (6), wherein the power storage device to be provided to the user is extracted from the plurality of power storage devices stored in the storage device, based on a difference between the class of the first score and the class of the second score.

[0019] According to the above (7), the same effect as the above (1) can be obtained.

[0020] (8) The extraction unit when there are a plurality of the storage devices included in the future information, a first score corresponding to the difference of a first storage device, and a second score corresponding to the difference of a second storage device based on the above, the information processing apparatus according to (7), wherein the power storage device to be provided to the user is extracted from the plurality of power storage devices stored in the storage device.

[0021] According to the above (8), the same effect as the above (1) can be obtained.

[0022] (9) The information processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the future information is generated based on a degree of deterioration of at least one power storage device among the plurality of power storage devices stored in the storage device.

[0023] According to the above (9), when the deteriorated power storage device 2 exists in the storage device 200, the user can be made to transport the power storage device 2 to another storage device. Thereby, maintenance personnel can efficiently collect the deteriorated power storage device 2.

[0024] (10) The information processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the future information is generated based on a geographical position where the storage device is located.

[0025] According to the above (10), the same effect as the above (1) can be obtained.

[0026] (11) The information processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the future information includes information of a user who is predicted to use the storage device in the future.

[0027] According to (11) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0028] (12) The information processing device described in (1), wherein the future information includes a user identifier of a user who is expected to use the storage device and an identifier of the energy storage device to be provided.

[0029] According to (12) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0030] (13) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (12), wherein the future information is generated based on the planned travel route selected by the user.

[0031] User P2 is highly likely to travel along the route they have selected. Therefore, according to (13) above, by using future information generated based on that route, it is possible to have the user transport the energy storage device 2 to be moved to another storage device with a high probability. This reduces the effort required for maintenance workers to move during maintenance work and further improves the efficiency of energy storage device maintenance work.

[0032] (14) The information processing device according to (13), wherein the route is selected from at least one route proposed to the user.

[0033] According to (14) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0034] (15) At least one of the aforementioned paths is The information processing device according to (14), which generates information based on the degree of deterioration of at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device.

[0035] According to (15) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0036] (16) At least one of the aforementioned paths is Based on the relative position of the geographical location where the storage device exists with respect to a specific geographical location, The information processing device according to (14) or (15), wherein the specified geographical location is the geographical location of a base for retrieving excluded energy storage devices from among the plurality of energy storage devices that are excluded from being provided to the user.

[0037] According to (16) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0038] (17) At least one of the aforementioned paths is An information processing device according to (16), which is generated based on a first score based on the relationship between the geographical location where the storage device is located and the specific geographical location.

[0039] According to (17) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0040] (18) At least one of the aforementioned paths is An information processing device according to (17), which generates based on the first score and a second score based on the degree of deterioration of the energy storage device.

[0041] According to (18) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0042] (19) At least one of the aforementioned paths is An information processing device according to (18), which is generated based on the difference between the first score and the second score.

[0043] According to (19) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0044] (20) The information processing apparatus according to (19), wherein at least one of the paths is ranked according to a score calculated based on the difference between the first score and the second score.

[0045] According to (20) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0046] (21) The information processing device according to (2), (4), (9), (15), or (18), wherein the degree of deterioration is calculated based on at least one of SOH (State of Health), number of loans, number of discharges, and cumulative discharge amount.

[0047] According to (21) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0048] (22) The information processing device according to any one of paragraphs (1) to (20), wherein the future information further includes a reservation period which is a period for reserving an energy storage device to be provided for the user.

[0049] According to (22) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0050] (23) A method for controlling a storage device that stores multiple energy storage devices, A selection step of selecting a power storage device to be provided to a user from among a plurality of such power storage devices, in response to a request from the user. Unlike the aforementioned storage device, the process includes an acquisition step of acquiring future information, which includes information on other storage devices that the user is expected to use in the future. The extraction step is a method of extracting, based on the future information, a power storage device to be provided to the user from among a plurality of power storage devices stored in the storage device.

[0051] According to (23) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0052] (24) A processor for an information processing device that controls a storage device that stores multiple energy storage devices, An extraction unit that, in response to a request from a user, extracts a power storage device to be provided to the user from among a plurality of power storage devices, Unlike the aforementioned storage device, it functions as a future information acquisition unit that acquires future information, including information on other storage devices that the user is expected to use in the future. The extraction unit is a computer program that, based on the future information acquired by the future information acquisition unit, extracts from among the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device which energy storage devices will be provided to the user.

[0053] According to (24) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained.

[0054] (25) A readable storage medium storing the computer program described in (24).

[0055] According to (25) above, the same effect as in (1) above can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0056] According to the present invention, the effort required for maintenance work on energy storage devices can be reduced, and the efficiency of maintenance work on energy storage devices can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0057] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a battery sharing service system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the classification of the storage device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the classification of energy storage devices according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the server configuration according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7A] This is a diagram showing the processing flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7B] This is a diagram showing the processing flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7C] This is a diagram showing the processing flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8]This figure shows an example of information stored in the storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of information stored in the storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a candidate route according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of information stored in the storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of information stored in the storage unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13A] This figure shows an example of future information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13B] This figure shows an example of future information according to the first embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0058] Each embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, for illustrative purposes, some components may be omitted from the drawings used to describe each embodiment. Furthermore, in the drawings and this specification, the same reference numerals indicate the same elements.

[0059] <First Embodiment> (Battery sharing service system) Figure 1 shows an example of a battery sharing service system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0060] The battery share service system 100 includes an information processing device 10 (not shown in Figure 1) and a server 300. The information processing device 10 is installed in, for example, one or more storage devices 200 (four storage devices 200A to 200D are shown in Figure 1). In this case, the information processing device 10 controls the operation of the corresponding storage device 200. The information processing device 10 is connected to the storage devices 200 by wire or wireless. The information processing device 10 may be configured as a single device rather than as a separate device from the storage devices 200.

[0061] The storage device 200 comprises one or more enclosures 1. In Figure 1, one storage device 200 comprises three enclosures 1a, 1b, and 1c. When the storage device 200 comprises multiple enclosures, these enclosures are physically and / or electrically connected to each other. Even if the multiple enclosures are not physically and / or electrically connected, they may constitute a single storage device 200 if they are understood to belong to the same station.

[0062] The housing 1 is a device for storing the energy storage device 2. The housing 1 has one or more slots 27 in which the energy storage device 2 can be accommodated and stored. In the example shown in Figure 1, one housing 1 has 12 slots 27. The slots 27 detachably hold the energy storage device 2.

[0063] The enclosure 1 is a device for charging and / or discharging the energy storage devices 2. The enclosure 1 can simultaneously charge multiple energy storage devices 2 (up to 12 energy storage devices 2 in the example shown in Figure 1) housed in multiple slots 27. "Simultaneous charging" is not limited to cases where charging of multiple energy storage devices 2 is started at the same time, but also includes cases where part of the charging time of a particular energy storage device 2 overlaps with part of the charging time of other energy storage devices 2.

[0064] The enclosure 1 is connected to an external power supply 500. The external power supply 500 is, for example, a 100V AC commercial power supply. The power supplied from the external power supply 500 is used to charge the energy storage device 2 housed in slot 27.

[0065] If a fully charged energy storage device 2 exists within the enclosure 1, the enclosure 1 sends a notification to the information processing device 10 indicating the presence of a fully charged energy storage device 2 within the enclosure 1. This allows the information processing device 10 to recognize the energy storage device 2 available to the user.

[0066] When user P2, who is to exchange (i.e., receive and provide) the energy storage device 2, visits the storage device 200, the information processing device 10 controls the provision of the fully charged energy storage device 2 in the housing 1 to user P2. For example, the information processing device 10 authenticates the user using the authentication unit 220 described later. The extraction unit 114 of the information processing device 10 extracts the energy storage device 2 that it has determined to be available to the user. The information processing device 10 indicates to the user the location of the slot 27 in which the extracted energy storage device 2 is housed by displaying it on a display unit (for example, included in the authentication unit 220) (see, for example, Figure 20 of Patent Document 2). The user confirms the location of the slot 27 shown on the display unit and obtains the fully charged energy storage device 2 housed in that slot. The user houses the energy storage device 2 in the storage compartment of the electric motor 400, which is driven by the power supplied from the energy storage device 2 as shown in Figure 1, and uses it.

[0067] The provision of the energy storage device 2 by the storage device 200 can also be described as the acquisition of the energy storage device 2 by the user. The receipt of the energy storage device 2 by the storage device 200 can also be described as the storage of the energy storage device 2 by the user.

[0068] If the storage device 200 is used for sharing the energy storage device 2 among multiple users, the provision of the energy storage device 2 to users in the storage device 200 may be described as the borrowing of the energy storage device 2 by the users. Furthermore, the receipt of the energy storage device 2 from users in the storage device 200 may be described as the return of the energy storage device 2 by the users.

[0069] The electric motor 400 is any device that can be driven by power supplied from the energy storage device 2. The electric motor 400 is, for example, a vehicle capable of housing two or more energy storage devices 2. For example, if the electric motor 400 is a vehicle capable of housing four energy storage devices 2, the user may obtain four energy storage devices 2 from the housing 1. The electric motor 400 may also be a portable power supply such as a mobile terminal.

[0070] At least one enclosure (enclosure 1c in Figure 1) included in each storage device 200 is a station control device 210. The station control device 210 includes an authentication unit 220 (see, for example, Patent Document 3) that has the function of receiving operations from users. Through the authentication unit 220, the information processing device 10 performs user authentication using an IC card, IC tag, credit card, etc. The authentication unit 220 may be, for example, a user interface shown by reference numeral 136 in Patent Document 2. The station control device 210 may also have the functions of the information processing device 10.

[0071] The server 300 is connected to a network NW. The network NW includes one or more of the following: the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), etc. The server 300 communicates with multiple storage devices 200 via the network NW and manages the multiple storage devices 200. For example, the server 300 receives information about each storage device 200 and / or information about the energy storage device 2 from each storage device 200, and determines the status of each storage device 200 and / or the energy storage device 2 based on this information.

[0072] Server 300 acquires and analyzes information about users of the storage device 200 from the information processing device 10. Server 300 transmits some or all of the analysis results to the information processing device 10. The analysis results can be used as appropriate in the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0073] Server 300 communicates directly or via the network NW with administrator terminal T used by administrator P1 who manages the battery share service system 100, and outputs predetermined notifications regarding the status of storage device 200 and / or energy storage device 2 to administrator terminal T. Administrator terminal T is any electronic device, such as a stationary PC, notebook PC, or portable terminal device.

[0074] Server 300 communicates with terminal device 600 used by user P2 via the network NW, and sends and receives information regarding the use of storage device 200 and / or information regarding the energy storage device used by user P2. Terminal device 600 is any electronic device, such as a stationary PC, notebook PC, or portable terminal device.

[0075] (Maintenance service center) Figure 2 shows the positional relationship between the storage device 200 and the maintenance service base S. Note that in Figure 2, the storage device 200 is shown as a single housing for convenience, but it may consist of multiple housings 1 as shown in Figure 1.

[0076] Maintenance service base S is a base where maintenance workers perform maintenance work on energy storage devices 2 stored in storage device 200. For example, new energy storage devices are stored at maintenance service base S. Assume that a degraded energy storage device 2 exists in a particular storage device 200. When maintenance workers are notified of the presence of the degraded energy storage device 2, they transport a new energy storage device 2 stored at maintenance service base S to storage device 200. The maintenance workers place the new energy storage device in slot 27 of storage device 200, retrieve the degraded energy storage device, and bring it to maintenance service base S. The functions of maintenance service base S are not limited to this.

[0077] (Classification of geographical areas) The geographical area where the storage device 200 is installed is classified according to its distance from the maintenance service base S. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the geographical area is classified into ranks A to I according to its distance from the maintenance service base S. The geographical area closest to the maintenance service base S (i.e., near or surrounding the maintenance service base S) is classified as rank I. The geographical area furthest from the maintenance service base S is classified as rank A.

[0078] Furthermore, the storage devices 200 are associated with a rank in their classified geographical area. As shown in Figure 2, for example, the first storage device 200_1, whose storage device identifier is SD1, is associated with a rank of "C". The second storage device 200_2, whose storage device identifier is SD2, is associated with a rank of "G". The third storage device 200_3, whose storage device identifier is SD3, is associated with a rank of "D". Ranks A to I are associated with a first score, each representing a value from 1 to 9. Storage devices 200 located far from the maintenance service base S are associated with a lower first score. Storage devices 200 located close to the maintenance service base S are associated with a higher first score.

[0079] In Figure 2, geographical regions are classified in a concentric circle pattern. However, geographical regions may be classified into regions of any shape or size. For example, geographical regions may be classified in an elliptical shape. Furthermore, the intervals between geographical regions may be constant or vary depending on the rank.

[0080] (Classification of energy storage devices) Energy storage devices 2 are classified based on their degree of degradation. For example, as shown in Figure 3, energy storage devices 2 are classified based on information regarding their degree of degradation and information regarding their initial internal resistance.

[0081] The degree of degradation may be indicated, for example, by a degradation level that shows the level of degradation of the energy storage device 2. The degree of degradation may also be indicated by an index opposite to the degradation level, namely a non-degradation level that shows the level of no degradation. The degree of degradation may be indicated, for example, by SOH (State of Health). SOH is indicated by a value from 0 to 100 [%]. The degree of degradation may also be obtained by an information processing device 10 corresponding to the storage device 200 in which the energy storage device to be measured is stored, using any measurement method.

[0082] The initial internal resistance indicates the internal electrical resistance of the energy storage device 2 in its initial stage (e.g., at the time of manufacturing and shipment). The initial internal resistance is measured, for example, at the time of manufacturing and shipment and stored in the memory unit of the energy storage device 2. The initial internal resistance is obtained by an information processing device 10 corresponding to the storage device 200 in which the energy storage device to be measured is stored, by querying the memory unit.

[0083] As shown in Figure 3, energy storage devices 2 with an SOH of 90-100% are classified into categories A to C. Furthermore, energy storage devices 2 with an SOH of 90-100% that have a low initial internal resistance are classified as A. Furthermore, energy storage devices 2 with an SOH of 90-100% that have an intermediate initial internal resistance are classified as B. Furthermore, energy storage devices 2 with an SOH of 90-100% that have a high initial internal resistance are classified as C. Similarly, energy storage devices 2 are classified into categories A to I. Classifications A to I are each associated with a second score ranging from 1 to 9. A low second score indicates that the corresponding energy storage device 2 is not degraded. A high second score indicates that the corresponding energy storage device 2 is degraded.

[0084] The classification of the energy storage devices 2 may be performed, for example, by the information processing device 10. Alternatively, the server 300 may acquire the necessary information for classifying the energy storage devices 2, and then the server 300 may perform the classification of the energy storage devices 2.

[0085] (Significance of classification) It is preferable that the degraded energy storage devices 2 be consolidated in a storage device 200 close to the maintenance service base S so that maintenance workers can easily retrieve them. This can also be indirectly achieved by moving the non-degraded energy storage devices 2 to a storage device 200 far from the maintenance service base S.

[0086] In other words, it is preferable that energy storage devices 2 with a high second score (i.e., degraded energy storage devices 2) are consolidated into storage devices 200 with a high first score (i.e., storage devices 200 close to the maintenance service base S). Conversely, it is preferable that energy storage devices 2 with a low second score (i.e., non-degraded energy storage devices 2) are consolidated into storage devices 200 with a low first score (i.e., storage devices 200 far from the maintenance service base S).

[0087] On the other hand, it is preferable to move energy storage devices 2 with a high second score (i.e., degraded energy storage devices 2) away from storage devices 200 with a low first score (i.e., storage devices 200 far from the maintenance service base S). Also, it is preferable to move energy storage devices 2 with a low second score (i.e., non-degraded energy storage devices 2) away from storage devices 200 with a high first score (i.e., storage devices 200 close to the maintenance service base S).

[0088] From the above, it can be understood that the magnitude of the difference between the first score and the second score (for example, the difference between the first score and the difference between the second score, which will be discussed later) can serve as an indicator of whether or not the energy storage device 2 housed in the storage device 200 should be moved from the storage device 200.

[0089] This disclosure describes an operation to adjust the overall condition of multiple storage devices 200 to a state that makes it easier for maintenance workers to retrieve deteriorated energy storage devices 2, using the magnitude of the difference between a first score for geographical area classification and a second score for energy storage device 2 classification.

[0090] (Configuration of each device) Figure 4 shows the configuration of server 300. Server 300 comprises a processor 310, a storage unit 320, and a communication unit 330.

[0091] The processor 310 is any arithmetic unit such as a CPU or MPU. The processor 310 performs various functions by operating according to a pre-prepared program. Specifically, the processor 310 has the functions of a candidate path generation unit 311, a storage device acquisition unit 312, a reward information generation unit 313, and a future information generation unit 314. These functions will be described later.

[0092] The storage unit 320 is a storage device composed of semiconductor storage media such as SSDs, RAMs, and ROMs, or recording media such as HDDs, magnetic disks, and CD-ROMs. The storage unit 320 may be any temporary-readable storage medium or any non-temporary-readable storage medium. The storage unit 320 stores various data, such as computer programs used for the operation instructions of the processor 310 described above, and threshold data used in the processing of the processor 310. The computer programs or data may be delivered from other devices via the communication unit 330 during the operation of the processor 310, stored in the storage unit 320, and used as appropriate for the processing of the processor 310.

[0093] The communication unit 330 is an interface for connecting to a wide-area communication network such as the Internet. The server 300 communicates with other devices such as the information processing device 10 or terminal device 600 via the wide-area communication network and the communication unit 330.

[0094] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 comprises a processor 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0095] The processor 11 is any arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The processor 11 performs various functions by operating according to a pre-prepared program. Specifically, the processor 11 has the functions of a power storage device information acquisition unit 111, a storage device information acquisition unit 112, a future information acquisition unit 113, and an extraction unit 114. These functions will be described later.

[0096] The storage unit 12 is a storage device composed of semiconductor storage media such as SSDs, RAMs, and ROMs, or recording media such as HDDs, magnetic disks, and CD-ROMs. The storage unit 12 may be any temporary-readable storage medium or any non-temporary-readable storage medium. The storage unit 12 stores various data, such as computer programs used for the operation instructions of the processor 11 described above, and threshold data used in the processing of the processor 11. The computer programs or data may be delivered from other devices via the communication unit 13 during the operation of the processor 11, stored in the storage unit 12, and used as appropriate for the processing of the processor 11.

[0097] The communication unit 13 is an interface for connecting to a wide-area communication network such as the Internet. The information processing device 10 communicates with other devices such as the server 300 or terminal device 600 via the wide-area communication network and the communication unit 13.

[0098] Figure 6 shows the configuration of the terminal device 600. The terminal device 600 comprises a processor 610, a storage unit 620, a communication unit 630, and a display unit 640.

[0099] The processor 610 is any arithmetic unit, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The processor 610 performs various functions by operating according to a pre-prepared program.

[0100] The storage unit 620 is a storage device composed of semiconductor storage media such as SSDs, RAMs, and ROMs, or recording media such as HDDs, magnetic disks, and CD-ROMs. The storage unit 620 may be any temporary-readable storage medium or any non-temporary-readable storage medium. The storage unit 620 stores various data, such as computer programs used for the operation instructions of the processor 610 described above, and threshold data used in the processing of the processor 610. The computer programs or data may be delivered from other devices via the communication unit 630 during the operation of the processor 610, stored in the storage unit 620, and used as appropriate for the processing of the processor 610.

[0101] The communication unit 630 is an interface for connecting to a wide-area communication network such as the Internet. The terminal device 600 communicates with other devices such as the server 300 or the information processing device 10 via the wide-area communication network and the communication unit 630.

[0102] The display unit 640 is for visually presenting information. The display unit 640 is configured using appropriate display technologies such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and provides visual feedback to the user of the terminal device 600. Furthermore, if the display unit 640 has a touch sensor, it is configured to detect contact input by the user.

[0103] (Example of operation) Figures 7A to 7C show the processing flow executed by the server 300, the information processing device 10, and the terminal device 600. Note that the content and order of processing shown below are just one example, and the following explanation is not intended to limit the content and order of processing.

[0104] As shown in Figure 2, it is assumed that the first storage devices 200_1 to the third storage devices 200_3, whose storage device identifiers are SD1 to SD3, are associated with ranks "C", "G", and "D", respectively. It is also assumed that the first storage devices 200_1 to the third storage devices 200_3 are each equipped with the first information processing devices 10_1 to the third information processing devices 10_3.

[0105] User P2 drives and moves an electric vehicle 400, which is a vehicle capable of housing two energy storage devices 2. The identifiers of the two energy storage devices 2 stored in the storage compartment of the electric vehicle 400, i.e., the identifiers of the energy storage devices 2 currently in use by user P2, are BA90 and BA91. These identifiers of the two energy storage devices 2 are acquired by the information processing device 10 corresponding to the last used storage device 200 before the following processing flow is executed by user P2, transmitted to the server 300, and stored in the storage unit 320. Similarly, classification information of these two energy storage devices 2 is acquired by the information processing device 10, transmitted to the server 300, and stored in the storage unit 320. As shown in Figure 8, the user identifier of the user, the identifiers of the energy storage devices 2 currently in use, and the classification information of the energy storage devices 2 are stored in association with each other in the server 300.

[0106] [Step S101] The energy storage device information acquisition unit 111 of the first information processing device 10_1 acquires information about the available energy storage devices 2 housed in the first storage device 200_1. Specifically, the first information processing device 10_1 acquires information regarding the degree of deterioration of the available energy storage devices 2 and information regarding the initial internal resistance of the available energy storage devices 2. The available energy storage devices 2 are, for example, energy storage devices 2 that have been fully charged and are available to the user.

[0107] Similarly, the second information processing device 10_2 and the third information processing device 10_3 acquire information on the available energy storage devices 2 housed in the second storage device 200_2 and the third storage device 200_3, respectively.

[0108] [Step S102] The first information processing device 10_1 transmits information about the storage device and the acquired information about the energy storage device 2 to the server 300. The information about the storage device is, for example, the identifier (i.e., SD1) of the first storage device 200_1 corresponding to the first information processing device 10_1, and is acquired by the storage device acquisition unit 312 of the first information processing device 10_1.

[0109] Similarly, the second information processing device 10_2 and the third information processing device 10_3 transmit information about the storage device and the acquired information about the energy storage device 2 to the server 300.

[0110] Information regarding the storage device and information regarding the energy storage device 2 transmitted by the first information processing device 10_1 to the third information processing device 10_3 is stored in the storage unit 320. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the storage device identifier, storage device classification, energy storage device identifier, and energy storage device classification are associated and stored in the storage unit 320.

[0111] [Step S103] The terminal device 600 owned by user P2 sends a request to generate a candidate route and the user identifier of user P2 (i.e., U01) to the server 300.

[0112] For example, user P2 sets a departure point SP and a destination GP on any route search application implemented on terminal device 600. Terminal device 600 sends the set departure point SP and destination GP to server 300, requesting server 300 to generate multiple candidate routes based on the set departure point SP and destination GP.

[0113] [Step S104] The candidate route generation unit 311 generates candidate routes based on the departure point SP and destination GP transmitted from the terminal device 600. For example, a first candidate route R1 and a second candidate route R2 are generated as shown in Figure 10.

[0114] [Step S105] The storage device acquisition unit 312 acquires the storage devices 200 located on the candidate routes. As shown in Figure 10, for example, the server 300 acquires the first storage device 200_1, the second storage device 200_2, and the third storage device 200_3 located on the first candidate route R1 and the second candidate route R2. If there are more than a predetermined number of storage devices 200 on the candidate routes, the server 300 may acquire only a predetermined number of storage devices 200 on the candidate routes.

[0115] Furthermore, the server 300 associates the acquired storage devices 200 with each candidate route. As shown in Figure 11, the first candidate route R1 is stored in association with the first storage device 200_1, whose storage identifier is SD1, and the second storage device 200_2, whose storage identifier is SD2. The second candidate route R2 is stored in association with the third storage device 200_3, whose storage identifier is SD3.

[0116] [Step S106] The server 300 determines the candidate energy storage device to be provided for each storage device 200.

[0117] For example, the server 300 determines candidate energy storage devices to be provided from among the available energy storage devices 2 housed in each storage device 200, based on the storage device identifier, storage device classification, energy storage device identifier, and energy storage device classification stored in the memory unit 320. Here, the number of candidate energy storage devices to be provided is determined based on the number of energy storage devices 2 that need to be replaced simultaneously in the electric motor 400 used by the user. The number of candidate energy storage devices to be provided is one or more. Since user P2 is using an electric motor 400 that stores two energy storage devices 2, it needs to replace two energy storage devices 2 simultaneously. Therefore, the server 300 determines two candidate energy storage devices to be provided.

[0118] For each energy storage device 2, the server 300 calculates a first score difference based on the following (Equation 1) for each of the available energy storage devices 2 housed in the storage device 200. Difference in first score = (second score) - (first score) ... (Equation 1)

[0119] The absolute value of the first score difference is an indicator to show whether or not the energy storage device 2 should be moved from the storage device 200. The larger the absolute value of the first score difference, the more preferable it is to move the corresponding energy storage device 2 from the storage device 200. The smaller the absolute value of the first score difference, the more preferable it is not to move the corresponding energy storage device 2 from the storage device 200. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the absolute value of the first evaluation difference corresponding to the energy storage device identifier BA01 is 4, which is larger than the first evaluation difference corresponding to BA03 (i.e., 2), so it is preferable to move the energy storage device 2 of BA01 from the storage device 200 than the energy storage device 2 of BA03.

[0120] Next, the server 300 determines the combination in each storage device 200 that maximizes the absolute value of the sum of the first score differences obtained for each energy storage device 2. The number of combinations is equal to the number of candidate energy storage devices to be provided. Since the number of candidate energy storage devices to be provided to user P2 is 2, the number of combinations is 2.

[0121] As shown in Figure 11, in the first storage device 200_1, whose storage device identifier is SD1, the first score difference corresponding to the energy storage device 2 whose energy storage device identifier is BA01 is 4, and the first score difference corresponding to the energy storage device 2 whose energy storage device identifier is BA04 is 6. Since the sum of these two values ​​is 10, the combination of energy storage device 2 whose energy storage device identifier is BA01 and energy storage device 2 whose energy storage device identifier is BA04 is the combination that maximizes the absolute value of the sum of the first score differences. Therefore, energy storage device 2 whose energy storage device identifier is BA01 and energy storage device 2 whose energy storage device identifier is BA04 are determined to be candidate energy storage devices to be provided to user P2 in the first storage device 200_1.

[0122] Similarly, for the second storage device 200_2 and the third storage device 200_3, candidate energy storage devices to be provided to user P2 are determined. As shown in Figure 11, energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifier BA05 and energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifier BA06 are determined as candidate energy storage devices to be provided to user P2 in the second storage device 200_2. Energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifier BA09 and energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifier BA10 are determined as candidate energy storage devices to be provided to user P2 in the third storage device 200_3.

[0123] If there is only one candidate energy storage device, the energy storage device 2 with the largest absolute value of the first score difference obtained for each energy storage device 2 may be selected as the candidate energy storage device.

[0124] [Step S107] The server 300 calculates a first deviation score D1 for each storage device 200. Specifically, for each storage device 200, the server 300 calculates the first deviation score D1 as the absolute value of the sum of the first score differences of the candidate energy storage devices 2. The first deviation score D1 is an indicator of the priority for moving the candidate energy storage devices of the determined combination from the storage device 200. The larger the first deviation score D1, the higher the priority for moving the candidate energy storage device of the determined combination from the storage device 200. The smaller the first deviation score D1, the lower the priority for moving the candidate energy storage device of the determined combination from the storage device 200.

[0125] As shown in Figure 11, the first deviation score D1_1 for the first storage device 200_1 is 10. The first deviation score D1_2 for the second storage device 200_2 is 6. The first deviation score D1_3 for the third storage device 200_3 is 3. That is, the priority for moving the candidate energy storage devices of the combination determined for the first storage device 200_1 (i.e., BA01 and BA04) out of the first storage device 200_1 is the highest. The priority for moving the candidate energy storage devices of the combination determined for the third storage device 200_3 (i.e., BA09 and BA10) out of the third storage device 200_3 is the lowest.

[0126] [Step S108] The server 300 calculates a second deviation score D2 for each storage device 200.

[0127] First, the server 300 calculates a second score difference for each of the energy storage devices 2 that are to be housed in the storage device 200, based on the following (Equation 2). The difference in the second score = (second score) - (first score) ... (Equation 2)

[0128] The absolute value of the second score difference is an indicator to show whether or not the energy storage device 2 should be housed in the storage device 200. The larger the absolute value of the second score difference, the more preferable it is that the corresponding energy storage device 2 should not be housed in the storage device 200. The smaller the absolute value of the second score difference, the more preferable it is that the corresponding energy storage device 2 should be housed in the storage device 200. For example, referring to Figure 12, the absolute value of the second evaluation difference corresponding to the energy storage device identifier BA90 is 1, which is smaller than the second evaluation difference corresponding to BA91 (i.e., 2). Therefore, it is preferable to house the energy storage device 2 of BA90 in the storage device 200 than the energy storage device 2 of BA91.

[0129] The first storage device 200_1 is the storage device that user P2 is expected to visit first on the first candidate route R1. Therefore, the energy storage device 2 that is to be housed in the first storage device 200_1 is the energy storage device 2 that user P2 is currently using for the electric device 400 (i.e., the energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifiers BA90 and BA91). Accordingly, the energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifiers BA90 and BA91 is used to calculate the value of the second deviation score D2 of the first storage device 200_1.

[0130] Furthermore, the second storage device 200_2 is a storage device that user P2 is expected to visit after performing the replacement operation of the energy storage device 2 at the first storage device 200_1 on the first candidate route R1. Therefore, the energy storage devices 2 that are to be housed in the second storage device 200_1 are the energy storage devices 2 that user P2 is expected to acquire at the first storage device 200_1 (i.e., energy storage devices 2 with energy storage device identifiers BA01 and BA04). Accordingly, the energy storage devices 2 with energy storage device identifiers BA01 and BA04 are used to calculate the value of the second deviation score D2 for the second storage device 200_2.

[0131] Furthermore, the third storage device 200_3 is the storage device that user P2 is expected to visit first on the second candidate route R2. Therefore, the energy storage device 2 that is to be housed in the third storage device 200_3 is the energy storage device 2 that user P2 is currently using for the electric device 400 (i.e., the energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifiers BA90 and BA91). Accordingly, the energy storage device 2 with energy storage device identifiers BA90 and BA91 is used to calculate the value of the second deviation score D2 of the third storage device 200_3.

[0132] Next, the server 300 obtains the sum of the absolute values ​​of the second score differences obtained for each storage device 200 as the second deviation score D2. The second deviation score D2 is an indicator of whether a combination of energy storage devices 2 intended for storage should not be stored in the storage device 200. The larger the second deviation score D2, the less likely the combination of energy storage devices 2 intended for storage should be stored in the storage device 200. The smaller the second deviation score D2, the more likely the combination of energy storage devices 2 intended for storage may be stored in the storage device 200.

[0133] As shown in Figure 12A, the second deviation score D2_1 for the first storage device 200_1 is 3. The second deviation score D2_2 for the second storage device 200_2 is 2. The second deviation score D2_3 for the third storage device 200_3 is 3. In other words, the energy storage devices 2 intended to be housed in the first storage device 200_1 (and similarly for the third storage device 200_3) (i.e., BA90 and BA91) are highly likely to be unsuitable for housing in the first storage device 200_1. On the other hand, the energy storage devices 2 intended to be housed in the second storage device 200_2 (i.e., BA01 and BA04) are less likely to be unsuitable for housing in the second storage device 200_2 than BA90 and BA91.

[0134] [Step S109] The server 300 calculates the deviation reduction score for each storage device 200.

[0135] Specifically, the server 300 calculates the deviation reduction score DR for each storage device 200 based on the following (Equation 3). The deviation reduction score DR = |(First deviation score D1) - (Second deviation score D2)| ... (Equation 3)

[0136] The deviation reduction score DR is an index that indicates whether the corresponding replacement operation should be carried out. As shown in (Equation 3), DR is calculated based on the absolute value of the difference between D1, an index indicating the priority for moving the candidate energy storage device from the storage device 200, and D2, an index indicating that the energy storage device 2 to be accommodated should not be accommodated in the storage device 200. Even if the first deviation score D1 is high, if the second deviation score D2 is similarly high, the priority for replacing the energy storage device 2 in the corresponding storage device 200 will be low. On the other hand, if the first deviation score D1 is high, the second deviation score D2 is low, and the absolute value of the difference between the first deviation score D1 and the second deviation score D2 is large, the priority for the corresponding replacement operation will be high.

[0137] As shown in Figure 12B, the deviation reduction score for the first storage device 200_1 is 7. The deviation reduction score for the second storage device 200_2 is 4. The deviation reduction score for the third storage device 200_3 is 0. In other words, the priority for the replacement operation of the energy storage device 2 in the first storage device 200_1 is the highest. The priority for the replacement operation of the energy storage device 2 in the third storage device 200_3 is the lowest.

[0138] [Step S110] Server 300 calculates the total deviation reduction score DRT for each candidate route R.

[0139] The total deviation reduction score (DR) is an index that indicates the degree to which it is recommended for users to travel along candidate routes R while performing exchange operations. Specifically, the total deviation reduction score (DRT) is calculated by summing the deviation reduction scores (DR) calculated for all storage devices 200 associated with each candidate route R.

[0140] As shown in Figure 12B, the total deviation reduction score DRT_1 for the first candidate route R1 is 11. The total deviation reduction score DRT_2 for the second candidate route R2 is 0. In other words, it is recommended that user P2 travel along the first candidate route R1 rather than the second candidate route R2.

[0141] [Step S111] The reward information generation unit 313 determines the reward for each candidate path R.

[0142] For example, server 300 sets a higher reward for routes with a higher total deviation reduction score (DRT). The total deviation reduction score (DRT_1, i.e., 11) of the first candidate route R1 is higher than the total deviation reduction score (DRT_2, i.e., 0) of the second candidate route R2. Therefore, exemplary, server 300 sets a reward RE2 for the second candidate route R2 and a reward RE1, which is higher than reward RE2, for the first candidate route R1. Alternatively, if the total deviation reduction score (DRT) is below a predetermined threshold, server 300 does not need to set a reward for the corresponding candidate route R. The content of the reward set is, for example, any points that can be used when exchanging the battery storage device 2 in a battery sharing service. The content of the reward is not limited to this.

[0143] [Step S112] The server 300 transmits information about the candidate route R, information about the storage device 200 associated with the candidate route R, and information about the set reward to the terminal device 600.

[0144] The terminal device 600 displays the received candidate route R information, the storage device 200 associated with the candidate route R, and the set reward information on its display unit 640. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the display unit 640 displays the candidate route R information and the storage device 200 information along with the departure point SP and destination GP on any route search application implemented on the terminal device 600. The display unit 640 also displays the details of the reward given to the user when traveling each candidate route. The maintenance service base S shown in Figure 10 does not necessarily have to be displayed on the display unit 640.

[0145] [Step S113] User P2 operates the terminal device 600 and selects a candidate route. Here, suppose user P2 selects the first candidate route R1 in order to obtain a higher reward RE1.

[0146] [Step S114] The terminal device 600 transmits information to the server 300 indicating the first candidate route R1 selected by user P2.

[0147] [Step S115] The future information generation unit 314 generates future information for each storage device 200 on the selected candidate route. The future information includes information about users who are expected to use the storage device in the future. Specifically, the future information includes the user identifier of the user who is expected to use the storage device 200 and the identifier of the energy storage device to be provided. The identifier of the energy storage device to be provided is the identifier of the energy storage device that is expected to be provided to the user at each storage device 200. The identifier of the energy storage device to be provided corresponds to the identifier of the candidate energy storage device determined by the server 300 in step S106.

[0148] The user information included in the future information was generated using the degree of deterioration of the energy storage device 2 and the geographical location where the storage device 200 is located. In other words, the future information is generated based on the degree of deterioration of the energy storage device 2 and / or the geographical location where the storage device 200 is located.

[0149] The future information may further include a reservation period. The reservation period is the period for reserving the energy storage device that is scheduled to be provided to a user for that user. During the reservation period, the energy storage device scheduled to be provided to a user is set not to be provided to another user. The reservation period may be set considering the time when a user traveling along candidate route R is expected to visit the storage device 200. For example, the start of the reservation period is the time when user P2 starts moving from departure point SP. The end of the reservation period is the time when user P2 is expected to arrive at destination GP.

[0150] If the future information does not include a reservation period, the information processing device 10 that receives the future information may configure the device that is scheduled to be provided to a user for a predetermined period of time so that it is not provided to another user.

[0151] [Step S116] The server 300 transmits future information to the information processing device 10 associated with each storage device 200 on the candidate route selected by the user. The future information acquisition unit 113 of the information processing device 10 acquires the transmitted future information.

[0152] Specifically, the storage devices 200 on the first route R1 selected by user P2 are the first storage device 200_1 and the second storage device 200_2. Therefore, the server 300 transmits future information to the first information processing device 10_1 associated with the first storage device 200_1 and the second information processing device 10_2 associated with the second storage device 200_2. Figure 13A shows an example of the first future information transmitted to the first information processing device 10_1. Figure 13B shows an example of the second future information transmitted to the second information processing device 10_2.

[0153] [Step S117] The information processing device 10 reserves the energy storage device 2 based on the received future information.

[0154] Specifically, the first information processing device 10_1 configures the corresponding first storage device 200_1 so that the energy storage device 2, whose designated energy storage device identifier is shown in the first future information, is not provided to any user other than user P2, whose user identifier is U01, during the reserved time. The second information processing device 10_2 configures the corresponding second storage device 200_2 so that the energy storage device 2, whose designated energy storage device identifier is shown in the second future information, is not provided to any user other than user P2, whose user identifier is U01, during the reserved time.

[0155] [Step S118] User P2 operates the electric motor 400 and moves along the first route R1. User P2 arrives at the location where the first storage device 200_1 is installed.

[0156] [Step S119] User P2 requests the first information processing device 10_1 associated with the first storage device 200_1 to replace the two energy storage devices 2 used in the electric motor 400 with charged energy storage devices 2 housed in the first storage device 200_1. Specifically, user P2 requests to acquire charged energy storage devices 2 by housing the two energy storage devices 2 with energy storage device identifiers BA90 and BA91 in the first storage device 200_1.

[0157] [Step S120] The extraction unit 114 of the first information processing device 10_1 provides the user with an energy storage device based on future information.

[0158] Specifically, the extraction unit 114 provides user P2 with two energy storage devices 2, whose designated energy storage device identifiers (i.e., BA01 and BA04) are shown in the first future information.

[0159] [Step S121] The first information processing device 10_1 transmits the exchange history to the server 300. Specifically, the first information processing device 10_1 transmits to the server 300 information indicating that two energy storage devices 2 with the planned energy storage device identifiers (i.e., BA01 and BA04) have been provided to user P2. For example, the first information processing device 10_1 may transmit to the server 300 information indicating that the provision of the energy storage devices 2 based on the first future information has been successfully completed.

[0160] [Step S122] User P2 operates the electric motor 400 and moves along the first route R1. User P2 arrives at the location where the second storage device 200_2 is installed.

[0161] [Step S123] User P2 requests the second information processing device 10_2, which is associated with the second storage device 200_2, to replace the two energy storage devices 2 used in the electric motor 400 with the charged energy storage devices 2 housed in the second storage device 200_2. Specifically, user P2 requests to acquire the charged energy storage devices 2 by housing the two energy storage devices 2, whose energy storage device identifiers are BA01 and BA04, in the first storage device 200_1.

[0162] [Step S124] The extraction unit 114 of the second information processing device 10_2 provides the user with an energy storage device based on future information.

[0163] Specifically, the extraction unit 114 provides user P2 with two energy storage devices 2, whose designated energy storage device identifiers (i.e., BA05 and BA06) are shown in the second future information.

[0164] [Step S125] The second information processing device 10_1 sends the exchange history to the server 300.

[0165] [Step S126] The server 300 checks the exchange history received from the information processing device 10.

[0166] Specifically, the server 300 checks all received exchange history and determines whether the user performed an exchange operation based on future information. For example, if the exchange history from the first information processing device 10_1 and the exchange history from the second information processing device 10_2 indicate that the provision of the energy storage device 2 based on future information was successfully completed, the server 300 determines that the user P2 performed an exchange operation based on future information.

[0167] [Step S127] If it is determined that user P2 has performed an exchange operation based on future information, the server 300 notifies the terminal device 600 that user P2 will be rewarded. If it is not determined that user P2 has performed an exchange operation based on future information, the server 300 may notify the terminal device 600 that no reward will be given.

[0168] In the above explanation, degraded energy storage devices with identifiers BA01 and BA04 were moved by user P2 from the first storage device 200_1, which is located geographically far from the maintenance service base S, to the second storage device 200_2, which is located geographically closer. In other words, by generating future information and providing rewards to users, the state of all the storage devices 200 around the maintenance service base S was made to a state that makes it easier for maintenance workers to retrieve the degraded energy storage devices 2. As a result, the non-degraded energy storage devices 2 can be dispersed far from the maintenance service base S, while the degraded energy storage devices 2 can be concentrated near the maintenance service base S. Consequently, maintenance workers performing maintenance work from the maintenance service base S can minimize the effort required for travel during maintenance work.

[0169] (Effects and Benefits) The above describes an information processing device 10 for controlling a storage device 200 that stores multiple energy storage devices 2, comprising: an extraction unit 114 that extracts an energy storage device to be provided to user P2 from among the multiple energy storage devices 2 in response to a request from user P2; and a future information acquisition unit 113 that acquires future information, including information on other storage devices that user P2 is expected to use in the future, unlike the storage device 200. Based on the future information acquired by the future information acquisition unit 113, the extraction unit 114 extracts an energy storage device 2 to be provided to the user from among the multiple energy storage devices 2 stored in the storage device. As a result, if an energy storage device 2 that needs to be moved is located in the storage device 200, the user can transport the energy storage device 2 to another storage device. This eliminates the need for maintenance workers to move the energy storage devices 2 in the storage device 200 to other storage devices. This reduces the effort required for maintenance workers to move devices during maintenance work and improves the efficiency of energy storage device maintenance work.

[0170] Furthermore, future information is generated based on the degree of deterioration of at least one of the multiple energy storage devices 2 stored in the storage device 200. This allows users to transport a deteriorated energy storage device 2 to another storage device if one is present in the storage device 200. This enables maintenance workers to efficiently retrieve deteriorated energy storage devices 2.

[0171] Furthermore, future information is generated based on the planned travel route selected by user P2. User P2 is highly likely to travel along the route they have selected. Therefore, by using the future information generated based on that route, it is possible to have the user transport the energy storage device 2 to another storage device with a high probability. This reduces the effort required for maintenance workers to move during maintenance work and further improves the efficiency of energy storage device maintenance work.

[0172] The first embodiment described above is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the first embodiment also includes the following modifications.

[0173] (modified version) In the first embodiment described above, State of Health (SOH) was used as the degree of degradation of the energy storage device 2. Alternatively, the degree of degradation may be calculated based on at least one of the number of times the energy storage device 2 has been used, the number of times the energy storage device 2 has been discharged, and the cumulative discharge amount of the energy storage device 2.

[0174] <Second Embodiment> The first embodiment has been described above. Each operation in the first embodiment was performed by a functional unit provided in the first information processing device 10_1, the second information processing device 10_2, the third information processing device 10_3, the server 300, or the terminal device 600. However, the main entity performing each operation in each embodiment is not limited to the functional unit described in the first and second embodiments.

[0175] For example, in the above embodiment, the server 300 may perform some or all of the processing performed by the information processing device 10 (the first information processing device 10_1, the second information processing device 10_2, or the third information processing device 10_3). That is, the processor 310 of the server 300 may perform processing as the energy storage device information acquisition unit 111, the storage device information acquisition unit 112, the future information acquisition unit 113, and / or the extraction unit 114. Alternatively, the processor 310 of the server 300 may perform the reservation processing for the energy storage device 2 shown in step S117, instead of the processor 11 of the information processing device 10.

[0176] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 (first information processing device 10_1, second information processing device 10_2, or third information processing device 10_3) may perform some or all of the processing that the server 300 performs in the above embodiment. That is, the processor 11 of the information processing device 10 may perform processing as a candidate path generation unit 311, a storage device acquisition unit 312, a reward information generation unit 313, and / or a future information generation unit 314.

[0177] Each device in each embodiment (each operation in the first embodiment involves the first information processing device 10_1, the second information processing device 10_2, the third information processing device 10_3, the server 300, or the terminal device 600) may consist of multiple devices. Each device in each embodiment may be implemented using cloud computing.

[0178] <Other Embodiments> Although the embodiments have been described above, they are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Each embodiment can be implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0179] 1 cabinet 10 Information Processing Devices 11 processors 111 Energy Storage Device Information Acquisition Unit 112 Storage device information acquisition unit 113 Future Information Acquisition Department 114 Extraction part 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 100 Battery Sharing Service System 200 Storage device 220 Authentication Department 300 servers 310 Processor 311 Candidate Path Generation Unit 312 Storage device acquisition department 313 Remuneration Information Generation Department 314 Future Information Generation Department 320 Storage section 330 Communications Department 600 terminal devices 610 Processor 620 Storage section 630 Communications Department 640 Display section 2. Energy storage device 27 slots 400 Electric equipment 500 external power supply S Maintenance Service Center T Administrator terminal

Claims

1. An information processing device for controlling a storage device that stores multiple energy storage devices, An extraction unit that, in response to a request from a user, extracts a power storage device to be provided to the user from among a plurality of power storage devices, Unlike the aforementioned storage device, the future information acquisition unit acquires future information including information on other storage devices that the user is expected to use in the future, Equipped with, The extraction unit extracts, based on the future information acquired by the future information acquisition unit, the energy storage device to be provided to the user from among the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device. Information processing device.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit further extracts from the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device which energy storage device is to be provided to the user, based on the degree of deterioration of at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit extracts from among a plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device the energy storage device to be provided to the user, based on the geographical location of the other storage device included in the future information.

4. The extraction unit is A first score based on the difference between the geographical location of the storage device and a specific geographical location, A second score based on the degree of deterioration of the aforementioned energy storage device, The information processing device according to claim 3, which extracts from among a plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device the energy storage device to be provided to the user, based on the above.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the geographical location includes information about the relative location to a specific geographical location.

6. The information processing device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the specified geographical location is the geographical location of a base for retrieving excluded energy storage devices from among the plurality of energy storage devices that are excluded from being provided to the user.

7. The first rating mentioned above has multiple classes, The above second rating has multiple classes, The extraction unit is An information processing device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, which extracts from among a plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device the energy storage device to be provided to the user, based on the difference between the class of the first score and the class of the second score.

8. The extraction unit is If there are multiple storage devices included in the aforementioned future information, A first score corresponding to the aforementioned difference in the first storage device, A second score corresponding to the aforementioned difference in the second storage device and The information processing device according to claim 7, which extracts from among a plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device the energy storage device to be provided to the user, based on the above.

9. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the future information is generated based on the degree of deterioration of at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the future information is generated based on the geographical location where the storage device is located.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned future information includes information of users who are expected to use the storage device in the future.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned future information includes a user identifier of a user who is expected to use the storage device and an identifier of the energy storage device to be provided.

13. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the future information is generated based on the planned travel route selected by the user.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the route is selected from at least one route proposed to the user.

15. At least one of the aforementioned paths is The information processing device according to claim 14, which is generated based on the degree of deterioration of at least one of the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device.

16. At least one of the aforementioned paths is The storage device is generated based on the relative position of the geographical location where it is located to a specific geographical location, The information processing device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the specified geographical location is the geographical location of a base for retrieving excluded energy storage devices from among the plurality of energy storage devices that are excluded from being provided to the user.

17. At least one of the aforementioned paths is The information processing device according to claim 16, which generates a first score based on the relationship between the geographical location where the storage device is located and the specific geographical location.

18. At least one of the aforementioned paths is An information processing device according to claim 17, which generates based on the first score and a second score based on the degree of deterioration of the energy storage device.

19. At least one of the aforementioned paths is An information processing device according to claim 18, which is generated based on the difference between the first score and the second score.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the paths is ranked according to a score calculated based on the difference between the first score and the second score.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, 4, 9, 15, or 18, wherein the degree of degradation is calculated based on at least one of SOH (State of Health), number of loans, number of discharges, and cumulative discharge amount.

22. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the future information further includes a reservation period which is a period for reserving an energy storage device to be provided for the user.

23. A method for controlling a storage device that stores multiple energy storage devices, A selection step of selecting a power storage device to be provided to a user from among a plurality of such power storage devices, in response to a request from the user. Unlike the aforementioned storage device, the process includes an acquisition step of acquiring future information, which includes information on other storage devices that the user is expected to use in the future. The extraction step is a method of extracting, based on the future information, a power storage device to be provided to the user from among a plurality of power storage devices stored in the storage device.

24. A processor for an information processing device that controls a storage device that stores multiple energy storage devices, An extraction unit that, in response to a request from a user, extracts a power storage device to be provided to the user from among a plurality of power storage devices, Unlike the aforementioned storage device, it functions as a future information acquisition unit that acquires future information, including information on other storage devices that the user is expected to use in the future. The extraction unit is a computer program that, based on the future information acquired by the future information acquisition unit, extracts from among the plurality of energy storage devices stored in the storage device which energy storage devices will be provided to the user.

25. A readable storage medium storing the computer program described in claim 24.

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