Server and external terminal for used secondary battery module management system, and used secondary battery module management system

Abstract

To provide a server and an external terminal for a used secondary battery module management system which can prevent erroneous assembly of used secondary battery modules, and a management system.SOLUTION: In a server 1 for a used secondary battery module management system for production and management of a battery pack, associations among ranks based on degradation levels of secondary battery modules, identification information of the secondary battery modules, and status information of the secondary battery modules are stored in a storage unit 2. An available rank extraction unit 31 extracts available ranks Ra in each of which secondary battery modules being equal to or more than the number of secondary battery modules required for constructing a battery pack in response to a request to rebuild the battery pack are available, and an identification information receiving unit 53 receives identification information of secondary battery modules in a same rank selected from the available ranks Ra. A determination unit 32 determines whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 53 coincides with the identification information of the secondary battery modules belonging to the rank Rs or not on the basis of the associations stored in the storage unit 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a used secondary battery module management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a battery pack formed by combining a plurality of secondary battery modules has been widely used. The secondary battery modules deteriorate as the battery pack is used, but the degree of deterioration varies from one secondary battery module to another. Therefore, even if the degree of deterioration of some secondary battery modules in the battery pack exceeds a standard, the battery pack as a whole cannot be used. In such a case, a usable secondary battery module with a low degree of deterioration is taken out from the battery pack and reused. When a battery pack is reconstructed, i.e., rebuilt, using used secondary battery modules, it is necessary to combine the secondary battery modules taking into consideration the degree of deterioration of each secondary battery module, and it is considered to combine secondary battery modules with the same degree of deterioration from the viewpoint of extending the life. For example, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the degree of deterioration of a plurality of secondary battery modules is measured and ranked according to the degree of deterioration, and a database is constructed in which information on the assigned rank is stored for each secondary battery module. Using the database, it is possible to provide information on secondary battery modules with a rank of deterioration according to the request of a user who is replacing a secondary battery module of a battery pack or rebuilding a battery pack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-172122 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the secondary battery modules constituting the battery pack are of the same standard, and it is extremely difficult to distinguish the deterioration state or the rank given based on the deterioration state from the appearance of the secondary battery module. Therefore, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a user removes a secondary battery module from a group of used secondary battery modules that are ranked in advance, there is a risk that the user will mistakenly remove a secondary battery module that is different from the secondary battery module based on the information provided from the database, and it is difficult for the user to notice this mistake. As a result, a secondary battery module with a deterioration degree that does not satisfy the user's requirements will be assembled into the battery pack, resulting in a misassembly. And the risk of misassembly increases as the number of ranks of the secondary battery modules increases. In other words, if a secondary battery module with a desired rank is selected from the ranked used secondary battery modules and assembled to rebuild the battery pack, a new problem will arise in that the above-mentioned misassembly will occur.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a server for a used secondary battery module management system, an external terminal, and a management system that can prevent incorrect assembly of used secondary battery modules. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a server (1) for a used secondary battery module management system for managing the production of assembled batteries, a storage unit (2) that stores identification information of a used secondary battery module, rank information relating to a rank assigned based on a deterioration level of the secondary battery module, and status information relating to a usage state of the secondary battery module, and that stores a correspondence relationship between the identification information, the rank information, and the status information; an available rank extraction unit (31) that extracts, from the ranks, a rank in which the number of secondary battery modules, the status information of which indicates that the secondary battery modules included in the rank are available, is equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack, as an available rank (Ra) in response to a rebuild request for the battery pack; an available rank transmitting unit (41) for transmitting the available rank to an external terminal (9); an identification information receiving unit (53) that receives, from an external terminal, identification information of secondary battery modules of the same rank (Rs) selected based on the usability rank from the group of used secondary battery modules to which the ranks have been assigned; a determination unit (32) that determines whether or not the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit matches identification information of a secondary battery module that belongs to the same rank in the usability rank based on the correspondence relationship stored in the storage unit; a determination result transmission unit (43) that transmits the determination result of the determination unit to an external terminal; The used secondary battery module management system includes a server having:

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is an external terminal (9) for a used secondary battery module management system for managing the production of a battery pack, comprising: an available rank receiving unit (951) for receiving from the server (1) an available rank (Ra) that is a rank at which a number of secondary battery modules equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the assembled battery requested to be rebuilt can be used, among ranks defined based on the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery modules; an availability rank display unit (961) that displays the availability rank received by the availability rank receiving unit; an identification information acquisition unit (973) that acquires identification information of a secondary battery module selected from the used secondary battery modules to which the rank has been assigned in advance based on the usability rank displayed on the usability rank display unit; an identification information transmission unit (943) that transmits the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit to a server; a determination result receiving unit (953) that receives a determination result as to whether the transmitted identification information matches identification information of a secondary battery module that belongs to the same rank in the available rank; a judgment result output unit (963) that outputs the judgment result received by the judgment result receiving unit; The used secondary battery module management system includes an external terminal having:

[0008] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a used secondary battery module management system (100) including the server (1) for the used secondary battery module management system and the external terminal (9) for the used secondary battery module management system. Effect of the Invention

[0009] In the server for the used secondary battery module management system, in response to a request for rebuilding a battery pack, an available rank is extracted in which the number of available secondary battery modules equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to constitute the battery pack can be used. Then, it is determined whether or not identification information of a secondary battery module of the same rank selected based on the available rank from a group of used battery modules to which rankings have been assigned matches identification information of a secondary battery module belonging to the same rank in the available rank. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous assembly of secondary battery modules by determining whether or not the secondary battery modules selected from the group of used secondary battery modules belong to the same correct rank, thereby solving the new problem described above.

[0010] In addition, the external terminal for the used secondary battery module management system receives from the server an available rank that is a rank at which more than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack requested to be rebuilt can be used, and displays the available rank. Then, based on the displayed available rank, it obtains identification information of a secondary battery module selected from a group of used secondary battery modules to which ranks have been assigned in advance and transmits it to the server, receives a determination result as to whether the transmitted identification information matches identification information of a secondary battery module belonging to the same rank in the available rank, and outputs the determination result. In this way, a user can check on the external terminal whether the secondary battery module selected from the group of used secondary battery modules belongs to the same correct rank, thereby preventing erroneous assembly of secondary battery modules and solving the new problem described above.

[0011] In addition, since the used secondary battery module management system includes a server for the used secondary battery module management system and an external terminal for the used secondary battery module management system, the server determines whether or not secondary battery modules selected from a group of used secondary battery modules belong to the same correct rank, and the user can check this on the external terminal, thereby preventing incorrect assembly of secondary battery modules and solving the new problem described above.

[0012] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a server for a used secondary battery module management system, an external terminal, and a management system that can prevent erroneous assembly of used secondary battery modules.

[0013] In addition, the symbols in parentheses described in the claims and the means for solving the problems indicate a correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a used secondary battery module management system in the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a storage location in the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing information stored in a storage unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is another conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the used secondary battery module management system in the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for receiving a used secondary battery module in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for rebuilding a battery pack in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a used secondary battery module management system in a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a used secondary battery module management system in a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a used secondary battery module management system in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a used secondary battery module management system in a fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a used secondary battery module management system in a sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] (Embodiment 1) An embodiment of the used secondary battery module management system, the server for the management system, and the external terminal for the management system will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment 1, a used secondary battery module management system 100 for managing the manufacturing of assembled batteries includes a server 1 for a used secondary battery module management system (hereinafter also referred to as “server 1” in this specification) and an external terminal 9 for a used secondary battery module management system (hereinafter also referred to as “external terminal 9” in this specification).

[0016] First, as shown in FIG. 1, the server 1 of the first embodiment includes a storage unit 2, an availability rank extracting unit 31, an availability rank transmitting unit 41, an identification information receiving unit 53, a determining unit 32, and a determination result transmitting unit 43.

[0017] The memory unit 2 shown in FIG. 1 stores identification information of a used secondary battery module, a rank assigned based on the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery module, and status information regarding the usage state of the secondary battery module, as well as a correspondence relationship between the identification information, rank information, and status information. In response to a request to rebuild the battery pack, the usable rank extraction unit 31 extracts from the above ranks a rank in which the number of secondary battery modules, the status information of which indicates that the secondary battery modules included in the rank are usable, is equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to constitute the battery pack, as an usable rank Ra. The available rank transmission unit 41 transmits the available rank Ra to the external terminal 9 . The identification information receiving unit 53 receives, from the external terminal 9, identification information of the secondary battery modules M of the same rank Rs selected based on the available rank Ra from the group of used battery modules to which rankings have been assigned. The determination unit 32 determines, based on the correspondence relationship stored in the storage unit 2, whether or not the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 53 matches the identification information of a secondary battery module that belongs to the same rank Rs in the available rank Ra. The determination result transmission unit 43 transmits the determination result of the determination unit 32 to the external terminal 9 .

[0018] The server 1 of the first embodiment will be described in detail below. The server 1 in the first embodiment includes a storage unit 2, a processing unit 3, a transmitting unit 4, and a receiving unit 5, as shown in FIG.

[0019] The storage unit 2 shown in FIG. 1 is made of a rewritable non-volatile memory, and includes an identification information storage unit 21, a diagnosis date and time storage unit 22, a rank information storage unit 23, a status information storage unit 24, a correspondence relationship storage unit 25, and a usable number storage unit 26. The identification information storage unit 21 stores the identification information of the collected used secondary battery modules. The form of the identification information is not limited, and a manufacturing number or a two-dimensional code individually assigned to the secondary battery module when the secondary battery module is manufactured can be adopted. In the present embodiment 1, a two-dimensional code that can easily ensure high reading accuracy and display stability is adopted as the identification information. The identification information storage unit 21 can store the identification information of the used secondary battery module when it is collected. In the present embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the collected secondary battery modules M can be stored in a storage location R by classifying them according to ranks R1 to Rx described later.

[0020] 1 stores the date and time when the deterioration level of the secondary battery module is diagnosed for each secondary battery module. In the present embodiment 1, a battery diagnosis unit 33 provided in a processing unit 3 described later diagnoses the deterioration level of the collected used secondary battery modules, a rank is assigned to each secondary battery module by a rank assignment unit 34, and the date and time of diagnosis is stored in the diagnosis date and time storage unit 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the secondary battery modules M are arranged in the storage location R so that the secondary battery modules Mo with the oldest diagnosis date and time are taken out first, so that the secondary battery modules with the oldest diagnosis date and time are taken out first.

[0021] The rank information storage unit 23 shown in Fig. 1 stores information related to ranks assigned to each secondary battery module by a rank assigning unit 34 described below according to the deterioration level of the used secondary battery module. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, ranks R1 to Rx are set according to the deterioration level, and the ranks R1 to Rx are stored as rank information. In addition, as the rank information, the diagnosis date and time of the secondary battery module Mo having the oldest diagnosis date and time of the secondary battery module is stored as the specific diagnosis date and time.

[0022] 1 stores status information related to the usage state of the secondary battery module. The status information indicates the state of the secondary battery module, and may indicate, for example, a usable state in which the secondary battery module is stored in a storage location, a provisionally reserved state in which the secondary battery module is selected from a group of secondary battery modules included in a selection rank described below, an assembled state in which the secondary battery module is assembled into a battery pack, etc.

[0023] The correspondence relationship storage unit 25 shown in Fig. 1 stores the correspondence relationship between the identification information of the secondary battery modules stored in the identification information storage unit 21, the rank information stored in the rank information storage unit 23, and the status information stored in the status information storage unit 24. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the correspondence relationship storage unit 25 stores the correspondence relationship between the rank information Rn, the identification information Mn, and the status information St. In addition, in this embodiment 1, the correspondence relationship storage unit 25 stores the diagnosis dates and times of all the secondary battery modules.

[0024] The available number storage unit 26 shown in FIG. 1 stores the number of secondary battery modules belonging to each of the ranks R1 to Rx as the available number (An) for each rank, as shown in FIG.

[0025] The processing unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a predetermined arithmetic device, and includes an available rank extraction unit 31, a determination unit 32, a battery diagnosis unit 33, a rank assignment unit 34, and an update unit 35. The available rank extraction unit 31 extracts an available rank Ra in which the number of secondary battery modules required to configure a battery pack is equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack, in response to a rebuild request described later. That is, the available rank extraction unit 31 refers to the available number An shown in FIG. 3 stored in the available number storage unit 26, and extracts a rank in which the available number An is equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack as the available rank Ra. It is preferable that the available rank extraction unit 31 preferentially extracts a rank with an older specific diagnosis date and time, which will be described later. Note that "preferentially extracting a rank with an older specific diagnosis date and time" means that when extracting ranks sequentially, the rank with the older specific diagnosis date and time is extracted first. Note that an assembled battery is formed by combining a plurality of secondary battery modules, and is also called a battery pack. In addition, the number of secondary battery modules required to configure a battery pack is set in advance for each assembled battery.

[0026] The determination unit 32 shown in FIG. 1 determines, based on the correspondence stored in the correspondence memory unit 25, whether or not the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 53 described below matches the identification information Mn of a secondary battery module belonging to the same rank Rs in the available rank Ra shown in FIG. 3.

[0027] 1 further determines whether the date and time of diagnosis of the deterioration level of the secondary battery module selected based on the usability rank is within a predetermined period. The predetermined period can be set appropriately, and can be set based on, for example, a period during which the used secondary battery module may be over-discharged due to self-discharge during storage, a period during which the rank may be changed due to deterioration of battery performance during storage, etc.

[0028] 1 further determines whether the secondary battery modules selected based on the available rank Ra include the secondary battery module Mo with the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level in the rank Rs to which the secondary battery module belongs. Alternatively, the determination unit 32 may further determine whether the secondary battery modules selected based on the available rank Ra are selected in order of the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level in the rank Rs to which the secondary battery module belongs.

[0029] The battery diagnostic unit 33 shown in FIG. 1 diagnoses the deterioration degree of the collected secondary battery module. The diagnosis method is not limited, and a known method can be used. In the first embodiment, the battery diagnostic unit 33 diagnoses the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module based on the battery characteristics related to the transition of the battery state in a predetermined voltage section of the secondary battery module. The battery characteristics of the secondary battery module can be, for example, characteristics based on the voltage transition or temperature transition of the secondary battery module in a predetermined voltage section. The voltage transition can be calculated based on at least one of battery information such as the section capacity of the secondary battery module in a predetermined voltage section, the ratio of the voltage change of the secondary battery module to the capacity change of the secondary battery module in a predetermined voltage section, and the ratio of the voltage change of the secondary battery module to the elapsed time in a predetermined voltage section. The predetermined voltage section can be a voltage section in which the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module and the transition of the battery state show a correlation. Such a voltage section can be set based on the type and configuration of the secondary battery module, or can be created by machine learning based on training data acquired in advance. The predetermined voltage section for acquiring the battery characteristics of the secondary battery module can be set for each secondary battery module or can be changed as appropriate, and may be a section with full capacity. Moreover, either the discharge voltage characteristic or the charge voltage characteristic may be used as the battery characteristic.

[0030] In the first embodiment, the battery diagnostic unit 33 estimates the total capacity based on the battery characteristics. The total capacity can be estimated using a correspondence relationship between the battery characteristics and the total capacity. The correspondence relationship can be in the form of a regression equation, a map, a graph, a table, or the like created by machine learning based on previously acquired training data. When a regression equation is used as a prediction model, for example, linear regression, LASSO regression, Ridge regression, decision tree, support vector regression, or the like can be used. In the first embodiment, the battery diagnostic unit 33 compares the estimation result of the total capacity of the used secondary battery module based on the battery characteristics with an estimated value derived from a pre-stored estimation equation for estimating the total capacity of the secondary battery module to determine the deterioration degree of the used secondary battery module.

[0031] The diagnosis of the deterioration level of the secondary battery module by the battery diagnosis unit 33 is not limited to this, and may be performed while the secondary battery module is mounted on the vehicle or the like in the form of an assembled battery, by charging and discharging the battery using a device provided in the vehicle or a charger / discharger provided outside the vehicle, or the secondary battery module may be removed from the vehicle or the like in the form of an assembled battery and charged and discharged using a charger / discharger provided outside the vehicle.

[0032] The rank assigning unit 34 shown in Fig. 1 assigns ranks to the secondary battery modules based on the diagnosis results of the battery diagnosis unit 33. In the present embodiment 1, as shown in Fig. 3, ranks R1 to Rx are assigned to each secondary battery module. The number of ranks and the criteria for ranking are not particularly limited and can be set appropriately.

[0033] When the update unit 35 shown in Fig. 1 receives a selection rank Rs from an external terminal 9 described later, the update unit 35 updates the available number of secondary battery modules in the selection rank Rs stored in the available number storage unit 26 to a number obtained by subtracting the number of secondary battery modules required to configure a battery pack, as shown in Fig. 3. When the update unit 35 receives identification information of a secondary battery module selected from the selection rank Rs from the external terminal 9 described later, the update unit 35 updates the corresponding status information stored in the status information storage unit 24 to a provisionally reserved state, as shown in Fig. 3, based on the correspondence between the identification information and the status information stored in the correspondence storage unit 25. Furthermore, when all the determination results in the determination unit 32 are positive, the update unit 35 updates the status information of the selected secondary battery module stored in the status information storage unit 24 to an assembled state. In addition, when the cancel instruction receiving unit 54 described below receives an cancel instruction to cancel the rebuild from the external terminal 9, the update unit 35 updates the available number of secondary battery modules stored in the available number memory unit 26 by restoring it to the state before the update, and updates the status information of the selected secondary battery modules stored in the status information memory unit 24 by restoring it to a available state.

[0034] The transmitting unit 4 and the receiving unit 5 shown in FIG. 1 are each composed of a computing device capable of transmitting and receiving data by being connected to the communication network 200 by wire or wirelessly. The transmitting unit 4 includes an available rank transmitting unit 41, an assembly information transmitting unit 42, and a judgment result transmitting unit 43. The available rank transmitting unit 41 transmits the available rank Ra extracted by the available rank extracting unit 31 shown in FIG. 2 and the specific diagnosis date and time stored in the rank information storing unit 23 to the external terminal 9. The assembly information transmitting unit 42 transmits assembly information of the secondary battery module belonging to the selected rank Rs to the external terminal 9. The assembly information includes information such as the rank of the secondary battery module to be assembled, parts other than the secondary battery module that constitute the assembled battery, and an assembly procedure. The judgment result transmitting unit 43 transmits the judgment result by the judging unit 32 to the external terminal 9.

[0035] 1 includes a rebuild request receiver 51, a selected rank receiver 52, an identification information receiver 53, and a stop instruction receiver 54. The rebuild request receiver 51 receives from the external terminal 9 a request to rebuild the battery pack input to the external terminal 9. The selected rank receiver 52 receives from the external terminal 9 a selected rank Rs which is a rank selected from the available ranks Ra in the external terminal 9. The identification information receiver 53 receives identification information of the secondary battery module from the external terminal 9. The stop instruction receiver 54 receives an instruction to stop assembling the battery pack from the external terminal 9.

[0036] Next, a description will be given of the external terminal 9 in the present embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the external terminal 9 is connected to the server 1 by wire or wirelessly via a communication network 200. A plurality of external terminals 9 can be connected to the server 1 at the same time.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the external terminal 9 includes an availability rank receiving unit 951 , an availability rank display unit 961 , an identification information acquiring unit 973 , an identification information transmitting unit 943 , a determination result receiving unit 953 , and a determination result output unit 963 . Then, the usable rank receiving unit 951 receives from the server an usable rank Ra, which is a rank that allows the use of secondary battery modules equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to constitute the battery pack requested to be rebuilt, among the ranks defined based on the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery modules. The availability rank display unit 961 displays the availability rank Ra received by the availability rank receiving unit 951 . The identification information acquisition unit 973 acquires identification information of a secondary battery module selected from the used secondary battery modules to which the above rank has been assigned in advance, based on the available rank Ra displayed in the available rank display unit 961 . The identification information transmitting unit 943 transmits the identification information acquired by the identification information acquiring unit 973 to the server 1 . The determination result receiving unit 953 receives the determination result as to whether or not the identification information transmitted by the identification information transmitting unit 943 matches the identification information of the secondary battery module belonging to the same rank Rs in the above-mentioned available rank Ra. The determination result output unit 963 outputs the determination result received by the determination result receiving unit 953 .

[0038] The configuration of the external terminal 9 will be described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 1, the external terminal 9 includes a transmitting unit 94, a receiving unit 95, a display output unit 96, and an acquisition input unit 97. The transmission unit 94 and the reception unit 95 are made up of arithmetic devices capable of transmitting and receiving data by being connected to the communications network 200 in a wired or wireless manner. In this embodiment 1, the transmission unit 94 includes a rebuild request transmission unit 941, a selected rank transmission unit 942, and a stop instruction transmission unit 944, in addition to the above-mentioned identification information transmission unit 943. The rebuild request transmission unit 941 transmits a rebuild request input to a rebuild request input unit 971, which will be described later, to the server 1. The selected rank transmission unit 942 transmits a selected rank Rs selected from the available ranks Ra displayed in the available rank display unit 961 to the server. The user can input the rebuild request and select the selected rank Rs via the external terminal 9. The stop instruction transmission unit 944 transmits a stop instruction to the server 1 based on the user's decision to stop rebuilding the battery pack.

[0039] 1 includes an assembly information receiving unit 952 in addition to the above-mentioned usability rank receiving unit 951 and determination result receiving unit 953. The assembly information receiving unit 952 receives assembly information of the secondary battery module belonging to the selection rank Rs from the server 1. Note that the transmitting unit 94 and the receiving unit 95 may be capable of transmitting and receiving all information between the server 1 and the external terminal 9.

[0040] The display output unit 96 shown in Fig. 1 provides information in a form that the user can obtain and understand, and is composed of a display that displays and outputs information, a printer that prints and outputs information on paper or the like, and the like. The display output unit 96 has an assembly information output unit 962 in addition to the above-mentioned usability rank display unit 961 and judgment result output unit 963. The usability rank display unit 961, the assembly information output unit 962, and the judgment result output unit 963 may be displayed on a display or may be printed by a printer. In the first embodiment, the usability rank display unit 961 displays on a display, and the assembly information output unit 962 and the judgment result output unit 963 print by a printer.

[0041] In the first embodiment, the available rank display unit 961 is configured to specify, for each rank R1 to Rx, the diagnosis date and time of the secondary battery module Mo having the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module included in each rank R1 to Rx, and to display the rank with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time with priority. The specified diagnosis date and time can be received and used by the available rank extraction unit 31 together with the available rank Ra. In the available rank display unit 961, "displaying the rank with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time with priority" means displaying the rank with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time so that the user can easily understand the rank with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time. For example, the rank with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time can be displayed at the top, and the ranks with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time can be displayed thereafter. Also, only the rank with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time may be displayed first, and when the user performs an operation to display ranks other than the rank with the oldest identified diagnosis date and time, the other ranks may be displayed in order of the oldest identified diagnosis date and time. The display output unit 96 may be provided with a display unit that displays other information.

[0042] The acquisition input unit 97 shown in Fig. 1 is made up of a device into which a user can input information. In addition to the identification information acquisition unit 973 described above, the acquisition input unit 97 has a rebuild request input unit 971 and a selection rank input unit 972. The rebuild request input unit 971 is configured so that a user can input a rebuild request, and the rebuild request includes information about the battery pack to be rebuilt. The form of the rebuild request input unit 971 is not limited, and it can be, for example, an input device into which the model number and identification information of the battery pack can be input.

[0043] 1 is configured to allow the user to select one rank as the selected rank Rs from the available ranks Ra displayed in the available rank display section 961. As described above, the available rank display section 961 preferentially displays the rank with the oldest specified diagnosis date and time, so that the user is usually prompted to select the rank with the oldest specified diagnosis date and time from the displayed available ranks Ra as the selected rank Rs.

[0044] 1 acquires, based on a selected rank Rs among the available ranks Ra, identification information of a required number of secondary battery modules taken out from a group of secondary battery modules classified into a rank matching the selected rank Rs in the storage location R. As described above, the identification information can be, for example, a two-dimensional code, and in this case, the identification information can be acquired by a two-dimensional code reader.

[0045] In addition, when removing and storing a usable secondary battery module from a used battery pack, an acceptance terminal 8 connected to the server 1 can be used as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the acceptance terminal 8 includes an acceptance information transmitting unit 81, an acceptance inspection unit 82, a work procedure manual receiving unit 83, a module information transmitting unit 84, a rank information receiving unit 85, a module inspection unit 86, and an inspection result display unit 87.

[0046] The acceptance information transmission unit 81 shown in FIG. 4 transmits acceptance information of the used battery pack to the server 1. As the acceptance process, information related to the battery pack is transmitted to the server 1. The information related to the battery pack may be identification information of the battery pack, information on the device in which the battery pack was mounted, or, if the battery pack was mounted in a vehicle, vehicle information. The vehicle information may include the vehicle model, driving information, failure history, and area in which the battery pack was used. The server 1 stores the received information related to the battery pack in a predetermined storage unit (not shown).

[0047] The incoming inspection unit 82 shown in FIG. 4 inspects the received battery pack and transmits the inspection result to the server 1. In this inspection, the battery pack is inspected for damage such as external scratches or missing parts. For the battery pack determined to be free of damage, the operating procedure manual receiving unit 83 disassembles the battery pack according to the operating procedure manual received from the server 1. Then, the module information transmitting unit 84 transmits information on the secondary battery module to the server 1. In the server 1, the battery diagnosis unit 33 diagnoses the degree of deterioration and the ranking unit 34 ranks the secondary battery module. The rank information receiving unit 85 receives rank information including the rank from the server 1. The module inspection unit 86 inspects the secondary battery module to which the rank has been assigned for defects. The inspection result display unit 87 displays the inspection result of the module inspection unit 86. The user refers to the inspection result and stores the secondary battery module in the storage location R by classifying it into the corresponding ranks R1 to Rx.

[0048] Next, a flow of receiving and storing used secondary battery modules in the used secondary battery module management system of the first embodiment will be described below. First, as shown in Fig. 5, in step S1, a used battery pack is accepted. The used battery pack may be, for example, one installed in a vehicle. Next, in step S2, the acceptance information transmitting unit 81 of the acceptance terminal 8 transmits the acceptance information to the server 1, and the server 1 stores the acceptance information.

[0049] 5, the acceptance inspection unit 82 of the acceptance terminal 8 performs an acceptance inspection of the battery pack. If it is determined in step S3 that the battery pack is not acceptable, the process proceeds to No in step S3, and the accepted battery pack is discarded in step S4. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the battery pack is acceptable, the process proceeds to Yes in step S3, and the operation procedure manual receiving unit 83 receives an operation procedure manual from the server 1 in step S5. Then, in step S6, the accepted battery pack is disassembled in accordance with the operation procedure manual to remove the secondary battery module, and in step S7, the module information transmitting unit 84 transmits information about the secondary battery module to the server 1. The server 1 stores the identification information among the received information about the secondary battery module in the identification information storage unit 21, and stores information about the other parts in a storage unit not shown.

[0050] Next, in step S8 shown in FIG. 5, the battery diagnosis unit 33 of the server 1 diagnoses the deterioration level of the secondary battery module, and the rank assignment unit 34 ranks the secondary battery module. After that, the secondary battery module is charged. Then, in step S9, the rank information receiving unit 85 of the acceptance terminal 8 receives rank information including the rank from the server 1. After that, in step S10, the module inspection unit 86 inspects the secondary battery module and transmits the inspection result to the server 1. If the secondary battery module is damaged, it is determined that it is unacceptable, and the process proceeds to No in step S10, and in step S11, the secondary battery module is discarded. On the other hand, if the secondary battery module is not damaged, it is determined that it is acceptable, and the process proceeds to Yes in step S10, and in step S12, as shown in FIG. 2, the secondary battery modules are stored in the storage location R by classifying them into the corresponding ranks R1 to Rx. In the storage location R, the secondary battery modules are arranged by rank so that the secondary battery module Mo with the oldest diagnosis date and time is preferentially removed. The discarded assembled batteries and secondary battery modules may be disassembled to extract and reuse usable parts.

[0051] 5, the server 1 stores the correspondence between the identification information and rank of the secondary battery module determined to be acceptable in the correspondence storage unit 25, and stores the diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level of the secondary battery module in the diagnosis date and time storage unit 22. In addition, the server 1 adds the accepted number to the available number of secondary battery modules for each rank stored in the available number storage unit 26 to update it.

[0052] Next, a flow of rebuilding a battery pack in the used secondary battery module management system 100 of the first embodiment will be described below. First, as shown in Fig. 6, when a request for rebuilding the battery pack is made, in step S20, the user inputs the rebuild request to the rebuild request input unit 971 of the external terminal 9. Then, the rebuild request is transmitted from the rebuild request transmission unit 941 of the external terminal 9 and received by the rebuild request reception unit 51 of the server 1. Proceeding to step S21, in response to the rebuild request received by the server 1, the available rank extraction unit 31 extracts an available rank Ra that allows for the use of secondary battery modules equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack. For example, when the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack is five, ranks R1 to R4 shown in Fig. 3 are extracted as the available rank Ra. The available rank Ra is extracted in order of the oldest specific diagnosis date and time stored in the rank information storage unit 23. The extracted available rank Ra and specific diagnosis date and time are transmitted to the external terminal 9 by the available rank transmission unit 41 of the server 1.

[0053] 6, the available rank receiving unit 951 of the external terminal 9 receives the available rank Ra and the specific diagnosis date and time, and displays the available rank Ra by the available rank display unit 961. In the available rank display unit 961, the ranks R1 to R4 included in the available rank Ra are displayed in order from the oldest specific diagnosis date and time. In step S23, based on this display, the user can select the rank R1 with the oldest specific diagnosis date and time from the available ranks Ra as the selected rank Rs.

[0054] 6, the selected rank Rs, which is a rank selected by the user from the available ranks Ra, is transmitted to the server 1 by the selected rank transmitting unit 942 of the external terminal 9, and the selected rank is received by the selected rank receiving unit 52 of the server 1. Then, in step S25, the update unit 35 of the server 1 updates the available number of secondary battery modules of the selected rank Rs stored in the available number storage unit 26 to a number obtained by subtracting the number of secondary battery modules required to configure a battery pack. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the number obtained by subtracting 5, which is the number of secondary battery modules required to configure a battery pack, from 10, which is the available number of rank R1, which is the selected rank Rs.

[0055] Then, in step S26, the assembly information transmitting unit 42 of the server 1 transmits the assembly information of the secondary battery module to the external terminal 9, and the assembly information receiving unit 952 of the external terminal 9 receives the assembly information. After that, in step S27, the assembly information output unit 962 of the external terminal 9 prints and outputs the assembly information. Then, in step S28, a required number of secondary battery modules belonging to the selected rank Rs (i.e., rank R1) are selected and taken out from the storage location R in order from the highest rank.

[0056] 6, the secondary battery modules are temporarily assembled in accordance with the assembly information. Temporary assembly refers to assembling the secondary battery modules together to a state before they are housed in the battery pack case. In the temporarily assembled state, it is easier to replace the secondary battery modules than in the state after the secondary battery modules are housed in the battery pack case.

[0057] Then, in step S30, the identification information acquisition unit 973 of the external terminal 9 reads the two-dimensional code, which is the identification information of the selected (i.e., temporarily assembled) secondary battery module, and the identification information transmission unit 943 transmits the read identification information to the server 1. Then, in step S31, the identification information reception unit 53 of the server 1 receives the identification information. Based on this, the update unit 35 updates the status information stored in the status information storage unit 24 corresponding to the identification information from an available state to a provisionally reserved state. After that, in step S32, the determination unit 32 of the server 1 determines whether or not the identification information received by the identification information reception unit 53 matches the identification information of a secondary battery module belonging to the same rank (i.e., selected rank Rs) in the available rank Ra by referring to the correspondence storage unit 25. Furthermore, the determination unit 32 determines whether or not the date and time of diagnosis of the deterioration degree of the temporarily assembled secondary battery module is within a predetermined period. Furthermore, the determination unit 32 determines whether the temporarily assembled secondary battery modules include the secondary battery module with the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level in the rank Rs to which the secondary battery module belongs. Alternatively, it may further determine whether the secondary battery modules are used in order of oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level in the rank Rs to which the secondary battery modules belong.

[0058] If all the judgment results in step S32 shown in FIG. 6 are positive, that is, if the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 53 matches the identification information of the secondary battery module belonging to the selected rank Rs, and the diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level of the temporarily assembled secondary battery module is within a predetermined period, and it is determined that the temporarily assembled secondary battery module includes the secondary battery module with the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level in the rank Rs to which the secondary battery module belongs, or is used in order of oldest diagnosis date and time, proceed to Yes in step S32.

[0059] Then, in step S33, the update unit 35 of the server 1 updates the status information stored in the status information storage unit 24 corresponding to the identification information from a provisionally reserved state to an assembled state. After that, in step S34, the determination result transmission unit 43 of the server 1 transmits the determination result to the external terminal 9, and the determination result is received by the determination result receiving unit 953 of the external terminal 9. Then, the determination result output unit 963 of the external terminal 9 prints and outputs the determination result.

[0060] Next, in step S35 shown in Fig. 6, the provisionally assembled secondary battery module is housed in a battery pack case in accordance with the assembly information, and other components are attached to create a battery pack. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S36, where a final inspection of the completed battery pack is performed. This final inspection can be performed by an inspection device (not shown). If the final inspection is passed, the process proceeds to Yes in step S36, and the inspection results are transmitted to the server 1 in step S37, and this flow ends. If the final inspection in step S36 is not passed, the process proceeds to No in step S36, and step S35 is performed again.

[0061] On the other hand, if the above-mentioned determination result includes a negative result in step S32 shown in FIG. 6, the process proceeds to No in step S32, and in step S38, the determination result is transmitted to the external terminal 9 by the determination result transmitting unit 43 of the server 1, and the determination result is received by the determination result receiving unit 953 of the external terminal 9. Then, the determination result is printed and output by the determination result output unit 963 of the external terminal 9 to indicate to the user that the selected secondary battery modules include an inappropriate one. In response to this, in step S39, the user determines whether or not to stop assembling the battery pack. If it is determined in step S39 that the assembly of the battery pack is not to be stopped, the process proceeds to Yes in step S39, and the user selects a secondary battery module from the selection rank Rs again in step S28, and the subsequent steps are performed.

[0062] 6, if the user decides to cancel the rebuilding of the battery pack, the cancel instruction transmitting unit 944 of the external terminal 9 transmits an instruction to cancel the rebuilding to the server 1, and the cancel instruction receiving unit 54 of the server 1 receives the cancel instruction. Then, in step S40, the update unit 35 re-updates the available number of the secondary battery modules stored in the available number storage unit 26 by restoring it to the state before the update, and re-updates the status information stored in the status information storage unit 24 corresponding to that secondary battery module by restoring it from the provisionally reserved state to an available state, returns the secondary battery module to the storage location R, and ends the flow.

[0063] Next, the effects of the server 1 for the used secondary battery module management system according to the first embodiment will be described in detail. According to the server 1 of the first embodiment, in response to a request for rebuilding a battery pack, an available rank Ra is extracted that allows the use of secondary battery modules equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack. Then, it is determined whether or not the identification information of a secondary battery module of the same rank Rs selected based on the available rank Ra from a group of used battery modules to which a rank has been assigned matches the identification information of a secondary battery module belonging to the same rank Rs in the available ranks. This makes it possible to determine whether or not the secondary battery modules selected from the group of used battery modules belong to the same correct rank Rs, and prevents erroneous assembly of secondary battery modules.

[0064] In addition, in the server 1 of the present embodiment 1, the determination unit 32 further determines whether or not the date and time of diagnosis of the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module selected based on the usability rank Ra is within a predetermined period. This makes it possible to prevent the use of a secondary battery module that has become over-discharged during storage due to self-discharge of the secondary battery module, and to prevent the inclusion of an over-discharged secondary battery module in the assembled battery, thereby maintaining the performance of the assembled battery. Also, it is possible to prevent the assembly of a secondary battery module whose rank has changed due to deterioration during storage.

[0065] In addition, in the server 1 of the present embodiment 1, the determination unit 32 further determines whether the secondary battery modules selected based on the available rank Ra include the secondary battery module with the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level in the rank Rs to which the secondary battery module belongs, or whether the secondary battery modules selected based on the available rank are selected in order of the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level in the rank to which the secondary battery module belongs. This allows the secondary battery modules with the oldest diagnosis date and time to be reused preferentially, and the secondary battery modules can be prevented from becoming overdischarged during the storage period. In particular, if a large number of secondary battery modules are required to configure a battery pack, it may take a long time to collect the required number of secondary battery modules. In such a case, the secondary battery modules are likely to become overdischarged or deteriorated during the storage period. However, by adopting the above configuration, even if a large number of secondary battery modules are required to configure a battery pack, it is possible to prevent the secondary battery modules from becoming overdischarged or deteriorated during the storage period, thereby reducing costs.

[0066] Furthermore, in the server 1 of the present embodiment 1, the rank information storage unit 23 stores a specific diagnosis date and time, which is the date and time of diagnosis of the oldest deterioration level of the secondary battery modules included in the rank Ra for each rank, and the usable rank extraction unit 31 preferentially extracts the ranks with the oldest specific diagnosis date and time. This allows the secondary battery modules to be reused in order from the oldest diagnosis date and time, and similarly to the above, it is possible to prevent the secondary battery modules from becoming over-discharged or degraded during storage.

[0067] Moreover, the server 1 of the present embodiment 1 includes a selected rank receiving unit 52 that receives a selected rank Rs selected from the available ranks Ra, and an assembly information transmitting unit 42 that transmits assembly information of a secondary battery module belonging to the selected rank Rs to the external terminal 9. This makes it possible to present information required for assembling a secondary battery module to a user at an appropriate timing, thereby improving the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0068] The server 1 of the first embodiment also includes an update unit 35 that updates the information stored in the storage unit 2. The storage unit 2 also includes an available number storage unit 26 that stores the number of secondary battery modules, which indicates that the status information of the secondary battery modules included in each rank is available, as the available number of secondary battery modules for each rank. The available rank extraction unit 31 also extracts the available rank Ra based on the available number stored in the available number storage unit 26, and when the selection rank Rs is received from the external terminal 9, the update unit 35 updates the available number of secondary battery modules in the selection rank Rs to a number obtained by subtracting the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the battery pack. This causes the available number of secondary battery modules to be updated at the timing when the selection rank Rs is determined before the battery pack is completed. As a result, when a plurality of external terminals 9 are connected to the server 1, for example, if the available number of the selection rank Rs is updated in the first external terminal 9, the available number of the rank is also updated in the second external terminal 9, so that the available number can be accurately displayed in the second external terminal 9.

[0069] Furthermore, in the server 1 of the first embodiment, when all the determination results in the determination unit 32 are positive, the update unit 35 updates the status information of the selected secondary battery module to an assembled state. On the other hand, when it is determined that the rebuilding is to be canceled, the usable number of the secondary battery modules stored in the usable number storage unit 26 is returned to the state before the update and updated, and the status information of the selected secondary battery module is updated to a usable state. In this way, the status information of the secondary battery module is updated when it is determined that the secondary battery module will be reused in the battery pack, and when the rebuilding of the battery pack is canceled, the usable number is returned to the state before the update and the status information is updated, thereby making it possible to keep the secondary battery modules that are actually usable in the latest state.

[0070] Moreover, the server 1 of the present embodiment 1 includes a battery diagnostic unit 33 that diagnoses the degree of deterioration of a used secondary battery module, and a rank assigning unit 34 that assigns ranks R1 to Rx to the secondary battery module based on the diagnosis result of the battery diagnostic unit 33. This makes it possible to rank the secondary battery modules without providing a separate diagnostic device.

[0071] In addition, in the server 1 of the present embodiment 1, the battery diagnostic unit 33 diagnoses the deterioration level of the secondary battery module based on the battery characteristics related to the transition of the battery state in a predetermined voltage range of the secondary battery module. This makes it possible to diagnose the deterioration level of the secondary battery module with high accuracy in a short time.

[0072] Furthermore, in the server 1 of the present embodiment 1, the above-mentioned identification information is given when the used secondary battery module is manufactured. This eliminates the need to create new identification information, improving workability.

[0073] The effects of the external terminal 9 for the used secondary battery module management system in the first embodiment will be described in detail below. The external terminal 9 of the present embodiment 1 receives from the server 1 an available rank Ra that is a rank at which more than or equal to the number of secondary battery modules required to configure the assembled battery requested to be rebuilt can be used, and displays the available rank Ra. Then, based on the displayed available rank Ra, it acquires identification information of a secondary battery module selected from a group of used secondary battery modules to which ranks have been assigned in advance, transmits the identification information to the server 1, receives a determination result as to whether or not the transmitted identification information matches identification information of a secondary battery module belonging to the same rank Rs in the available rank Ra, and outputs the determination result. This allows the user to check on the external terminal 9 whether or not the secondary battery module selected from the group of used secondary battery modules belongs to the same correct rank Rs, and makes it possible to prevent erroneous assembly of the secondary battery module.

[0074] Furthermore, in the external terminal 9 of the present embodiment 1, the usable rank display unit 961 identifies, for each rank, the diagnosis date and time of the oldest deterioration level diagnosis date and time of the secondary battery module included in each of the ranks R1 to Rx, and displays the identified rank with the oldest diagnosis date and time with priority. This allows the secondary battery module with the oldest diagnosis date and time to be reused with priority, and prevents the secondary battery module from becoming over-discharged during storage or from having its rank changed due to battery performance deterioration during storage.

[0075] Moreover, the external terminal 9 of the present embodiment 1 includes a selected rank transmitting unit 942 that transmits to the server 1 a selected rank Rs selected from the available ranks Ra displayed on the available rank display unit 961, an assembly information receiving unit 952 that receives assembly information of a secondary battery module belonging to the selected rank Rs from the server 1, and an assembly information output unit 962 that outputs the assembly information received by the assembly information receiving unit 952. This makes it possible to present information required when assembling a secondary battery module to a user at an appropriate timing, thereby improving the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0076] In the external terminal 9 of the present embodiment 1, the identification information acquisition unit 973 acquires, as the identification information of the secondary battery module, the identification information that was assigned to the secondary battery module when the secondary battery module was manufactured. This eliminates the need to use new identification information, improving workability.

[0077] Moreover, the used secondary battery module management system 100 of the present embodiment 1 includes the above-mentioned server 1 for used secondary battery module management system and the above-mentioned external terminal 9 for used secondary battery module management system. This makes it possible to achieve both the effects of the above-mentioned server 1 and the effects of the external terminal 9, and to prevent erroneous assembly of secondary battery modules.

[0078] In this embodiment 1, if the completion inspection is not passed in step S36 shown in FIG. 6, the process proceeds to No in step S36 and step S35 is performed again. Alternatively, if the completion inspection is not passed in step S36, the user may decide whether or not to abort the rebuild, and if the user decides to abort, the process may proceed from No in step S36 to step S35 without proceeding to step S35, proceeding to step S40 to return the number of available units and return the status information to a usable state, and returning the secondary battery module to the storage location R.

[0079] In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, after the temporary assembly in step S29, the identification information is read and transmitted in step S30, and steps S32 and after are performed. This makes it possible to prevent the secondary battery module from being erroneously replaced with another secondary battery module after the transmission of the identification information, and it is possible to further prevent erroneous assembly. Alternatively, steps S30 to S34 may be performed without performing the temporary assembly in step S29, and a battery pack may be created in step S35. In this case, since the temporary assembly is not performed, it is not necessary to release the temporary assembly when reselecting the secondary battery module in step S28 when the determination result in step S32 includes a negative result, and therefore improvement in workability can be expected.

[0080] The server 1 and the external terminal 9 may be configured by combining individual devices having each configuration, and the individual devices may be located in different locations. For example, in the server 1, the battery diagnosis unit 33, the rank assignment unit 34, and the storage unit 2 may be configured by separate devices and located in different locations. For example, in a state where a battery consisting of a battery pack is mounted on a vehicle at a vehicle dealership or the like, the battery deterioration level of the battery is diagnosed by the battery diagnosis unit 33, and the diagnosis result and the battery body are sent to another base, where the battery is disassembled and a rank is assigned to each secondary battery module by the rank assignment unit 34, and the correspondence between the identification information of the secondary battery module and the rank is stored in the storage unit 2.

[0081] As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide the server 1 for managing used secondary battery modules, the external terminal 9, and the management system 100 that can prevent erroneous assembly of used secondary battery modules.

[0082] (Embodiment 2) In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the server 1 is provided with a battery diagnostic unit 33 that diagnoses the deterioration level of a used secondary battery module, and a rank assigning unit 34 that assigns ranks R1 to Rx to the secondary battery module based on the diagnosis result of the battery diagnostic unit 33. However, instead, in the present embodiment 2, as shown in Fig. 7, the server 1 does not have the battery diagnostic unit 33, but has a diagnosis result receiving unit 55. Then, the external terminal 9 is provided with a battery diagnostic unit 933, a diagnosis result transmitting unit 945, and a battery information acquiring unit 974.

[0083] In the second embodiment, the battery information acquisition unit 974 shown in Fig. 7 acquires battery information when the secondary battery module is charged and discharged. The battery information acquisition unit 974 may acquire battery information by charging and discharging the secondary battery module while it is mounted on the vehicle in the form of a battery pack by a device provided on the vehicle or by a charger / discharger that is an external device provided outside the vehicle. The battery information may also be acquired by charging and discharging the secondary battery module in the form of a battery pack removed from the vehicle or in the form of individual secondary battery modules removed from the battery pack by a charger / discharger provided outside the vehicle. The external terminal 9 may have the configuration of the charger / discharger.

[0084] The external terminal 9 shown in Fig. 7 includes a processing unit 93. The processing unit 93 is composed of a predetermined arithmetic device, and includes a battery diagnosis unit 933. The battery diagnosis unit 933 can be configured similarly to the battery diagnosis unit 33 in the first embodiment. The battery diagnosis unit 933 diagnoses the degree of deterioration of the used secondary battery module, and transmits the diagnosis result to the server 1 by the diagnosis result transmission unit 945. The diagnosis result receiving unit 55 of the server 1 receives the diagnosis result, and the rank assigning unit 34 assigns a rank in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Note that other configurations that are the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0085] According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, since the server 1 does not need to include the battery diagnostic unit 33, the configuration of the server 1 can be simplified.

[0086] (Embodiment 3) The server 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 includes a battery diagnostic unit 33 that diagnoses the deterioration level of a used secondary battery module, and a rank assigning unit 34 that assigns ranks R1 to Rx to the secondary battery module based on the diagnosis result of the battery diagnostic unit 33. Instead, the server 1 of the present embodiment 3 does not include the battery diagnostic unit 33, but includes a diagnosis result receiving unit 55, as shown in FIG. 8. The vehicle 500 includes a battery diagnostic unit 501 and a communication unit 502. The battery diagnostic unit 501 can be configured similarly to the battery diagnostic unit 33 of the embodiment 1. The communication unit 502 of the vehicle 500 is connected to the server 1 via the communication network 200 in a wired or wireless manner.

[0087] Then, the battery diagnosis unit 501 mounted on the vehicle 500 shown in FIG. 8 uses a device mounted on the vehicle 500 to charge and discharge the assembled battery mounted on the vehicle 500, and diagnoses the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module (not shown) constituting the assembled battery. Then, the battery diagnosis unit 501 transmits the deterioration degree diagnosis result to the server 1 via the communication unit 502 mounted on the vehicle 500. The server 1 receives the diagnosis result by the diagnosis result receiving unit 55. Alternatively, the diagnosis result may be received by the diagnosis result receiving unit 55 of the server 1 from the communication unit 502 via the external terminal 9. Then, the rank assigning unit 34 assigns the rank to the secondary battery module based on the deterioration degree diagnosis result received by the diagnosis result receiving unit 55. In this embodiment, the battery diagnosis unit 501 mounted on the vehicle 500 may diagnose the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module by charging and discharging the assembled battery while it is mounted on the vehicle 500 using a charger / discharger provided outside the vehicle. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] As described above, the server 1 of the third embodiment has the diagnosis result receiving unit 55 capable of receiving the diagnosis result of the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module, and the rank assigning unit 34 that assigns the rank to the secondary battery module based on the diagnosis result of the deterioration degree received by the diagnosis result receiving unit 55. As a result, the rank can be assigned using the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module acquired outside the server 1, so that the server 1 does not need to include the battery diagnosis unit 33, and the configuration of the server 1 can be simplified.

[0089] Moreover, in the server 1 of the third embodiment, the diagnosis result receiving unit 55 is configured to receive a diagnosis result of the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module diagnosed by the battery diagnosis unit 501 mounted on the vehicle 500, in a state where the assembled battery including the secondary battery module is mounted on the vehicle 500. This makes it possible to provide a configuration suitable for reusing the secondary battery module constituting the assembled battery mounted on the vehicle 500.

[0090] (Embodiment 4) In addition, in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a scan tool 98, which is an external device different from the external terminal 9 in the first embodiment, is used. In the fourth embodiment, the server 1 does not have the battery diagnostic unit 33 as shown in FIG. 9, but has a diagnostic result receiving unit 55, as in the server 1 in the third embodiment. The scan tool 98 has a battery information receiving unit 981, a battery diagnostic unit 982, a diagnostic result transmitting unit 983, and a diagnostic result display unit 984. The scan tool 98 may have an operation unit for a user to operate the scan tool 98. The vehicle 500 has a communication unit 503 capable of communicating with the scan tool 98. The battery information receiving unit 981 of the scan tool 98 is connected to the communication unit 503 of the vehicle by wire or wirelessly, and the diagnostic result transmitting unit 983 of the scan tool 98 is connected to the server 1 by wire or wirelessly via the communication network 200.

[0091] In the fourth embodiment, battery information obtained by charging and discharging the assembled battery mounted on the vehicle 500 using a device mounted on the vehicle 500 is transmitted to the scan tool 98 by the communication unit 503. The battery information is received by a battery information receiving unit 981 of the scan tool 98, and a battery diagnosis unit 982 provided in the scan tool 98 diagnoses the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module constituting the assembled battery. Then, the diagnosis result is transmitted to the server 1 by a diagnosis result transmitting unit 983. The diagnosis result may be displayed on a diagnosis result display unit 984 provided in the scan tool 98 so that the user can confirm it. In addition, the battery diagnosis unit 982 provided in the scan tool 98 may diagnose the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module by charging and discharging the assembled battery while it is mounted on the vehicle 500 using a charger / discharger provided outside the vehicle.

[0092] Furthermore, in the server 1 of the fourth embodiment, with the assembled battery mounted on the vehicle 500, the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module can be diagnosed and the diagnosis result can be transmitted to the server 1. This makes it possible to provide a configuration suitable for reusing the secondary battery modules constituting the assembled battery mounted on the vehicle 500.

[0093] (Embodiment 5) In the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the server 1 includes a diagnostic result correction unit 331 that corrects the diagnostic result based on temperature information when the diagnostic result of the secondary battery module is created. The rank assignment unit 34 is configured to assign a rank to the secondary battery module based on the corrected diagnostic result. In the fifth embodiment, the server 1 includes a server 1a having a configuration similar to that of the server 1 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 9, and a server 1b having the diagnostic result correction unit 331. The servers 1a and 1b are installed in different locations and are connected to each other via a communication network 200.

[0094] In the fifth embodiment, similarly to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a battery diagnostic unit 982 provided in a scan tool 98 shown in FIG. 10 diagnoses the deterioration degree of a secondary battery module constituting a battery pack provided in a vehicle 500 and creates a diagnostic result. The diagnostic result includes temperature information at the time when the diagnostic result was created. Then, the diagnostic result transmission unit 983 provided in the scan tool 98 transmits the diagnostic result to the server 1b. The server 1b, which has received the diagnostic result, corrects the diagnostic result based on the temperature information included in the diagnostic result by the diagnostic result correction unit 331. The diagnostic result can be corrected by, for example, comparing the temperature information with a preset reference temperature, and if the temperature information is different from the reference temperature, correcting the diagnostic result by a predetermined method so that the diagnostic result is one diagnosed at the reference temperature. Thereafter, the corrected diagnostic result is transmitted to the server 1a via a transmission unit (not shown) provided in the server 1b. In the server 1a, the rank assignment unit 34 assigns a rank to the secondary battery module based on the corrected diagnostic result. The other configurations and processes are the same as those in the fourth embodiment.

[0095] In the fifth embodiment, the above rank is given based on the diagnosis result corrected based on the temperature information when the diagnosis result was created. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the influence on the diagnosis result due to the difference in the temperature environment in which the diagnosis was performed, and the accuracy of the ranking can be improved. Furthermore, the place where the battery diagnosis is performed and the place where the battery disassembly, storage, repair, and assembly are performed can be different from each other. This makes it possible to provide efficient and quick repair services to customers. For example, the customer can have the diagnosis performed at a nearby vehicle dealership, etc., which leads to a reduction in travel time, and the battery diagnosis result is known at the vehicle dealership, etc., so the repair cost can be grasped on the spot. In addition, by concentrating the repair implementation locations, personnel allocation and equipment ownership can be performed efficiently.

[0096] In this embodiment 5, the battery diagnosis unit 982 is provided in a scan tool 98 installed in a vehicle dealership or the like different from the location where the server 1a is installed, and the server 1b is also installed at a location different from the server 1a. However, this is not limited to the above, and the server 1a may be provided with one or both of a battery diagnosis unit and a diagnosis result correction unit.

[0097] (Embodiment 6) 11, the server 1 has a configuration similar to that of the above-described fourth embodiment, and further includes a date and time information adding unit 332 that adds diagnosis date information included in the diagnosis result to the secondary battery module. In the sixth embodiment, the scan tool 98 is provided in a vehicle dealership or the like, and the date and time when the diagnosis result was created by the battery diagnosis unit 982 provided in the scan tool 98 is included in the diagnosis result as date and time information.

[0098] In the sixth embodiment, the date and time when the diagnosis result of the deterioration level of the secondary battery module was created is assigned to the secondary battery module as date and time information, so that by referring to the date and time information when assembling the secondary battery module in accordance with the assembly information, it is possible to further prevent incorrect assembly. Furthermore, as in the fifth embodiment, the place where the battery diagnosis is performed and the place where the battery disassembly, storage, repair, and assembly are performed can be different from each other, which makes it possible to provide efficient and quick repair services to customers, and by concentrating the repair locations, it is possible to efficiently allocate personnel and maintain equipment.

[0099] In this embodiment 6, the date and time information assignment unit 332 is provided in the server 1, but instead, it may be provided in a scan tool 98 provided in a vehicle dealership or the like located in a place different from the server 1.

[0100] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Server for secondary battery module management system, 9 External terminal for secondary battery module management system, 100 Secondary battery module management system, 21 Identification information storage unit, 22 Diagnosis date and time storage unit, 23 Rank information storage unit, 24 Status information storage unit, 25 Correspondence relationship storage unit, 26 Usable number storage unit, 31 Usable rank extraction unit, 32 Determination unit, 33 Battery diagnosis unit, 331 Diagnosis result correction unit, 332 Date and time information assignment unit, 34 Rank assignment unit, 35 Update unit, 41 Usable rank transmission unit, 42 Assembly information transmission unit, 43 Determination result transmission unit, 52 Selected rank reception unit, 53 Identification information reception unit, 55 Diagnosis result reception unit, 942 Selected rank transmission unit, 943 Identification information transmission unit, 951 Usable rank reception unit, 952 Assembly information reception unit, 953 Determination result reception unit, 961 Usable rank display unit, 962 Assembly information output unit, 963 A judgment result output unit, a selection rank input unit, and an identification information acquisition unit.

Claims

1. A server (1) for a used secondary battery module management system for managing the manufacturing of assembled batteries, a storage unit (2) that stores identification information of a used secondary battery module, rank information relating to a rank assigned based on a deterioration degree of the secondary battery module, and status information relating to a usage state of the secondary battery module, and stores a correspondence relationship between the identification information, the rank information, and the status information; an available rank extraction unit (31) for extracting, from the ranks in response to a rebuild request for the battery pack, a rank in which the number of secondary battery modules included in the rank, the status information of which indicates that the secondary battery modules are available, is equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to constitute the battery pack, as an available rank (Ra); an available rank transmitting unit (41) for transmitting the available rank to an external terminal (9); an identification information receiving unit (53) that receives, from an external terminal, identification information of a secondary battery module of the same rank (Rs) selected based on the usability rank from the group of used secondary battery modules to which the ranks have been assigned; a determination unit (32) that determines whether or not the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit matches identification information of a secondary battery module that belongs to the same rank in the usability rank based on the correspondence relationship stored in the storage unit; A determination result transmission unit (43) that transmits the determination result of the determination unit to an external terminal; A server for a used secondary battery module management system comprising:

2. 2. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit further determines whether or not a diagnosis date and time of a deterioration level of the secondary battery module selected based on the usability rank is within a predetermined period.

3. 3. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination unit further determines whether or not the secondary battery modules selected based on the available rank include a secondary battery module (Mo) having the oldest diagnosis date and time of a deterioration level in the rank to which the secondary battery module belongs, or whether the secondary battery modules selected based on the available rank are selected in order of the oldest diagnosis date and time of a deterioration level in the rank to which the secondary battery module belongs.

4. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the available rank extraction unit preferentially extracts ranks having older specific diagnosis dates and times, which are the oldest diagnosis dates and times of the deterioration level of the secondary battery modules included in each rank.

5. a selected rank receiving unit (52) for receiving a selected rank selected from the available ranks; an assembly information transmission unit (42) that transmits assembly information of the secondary battery module belonging to the selected rank to an external terminal; The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

6. An update unit (35) for updating the information stored in the storage unit, the storage unit stores a number of secondary battery modules whose status information indicates that the secondary battery modules included in the rank are available as a number of available secondary battery modules for each rank, The availability rank extraction unit extracts the availability rank based on the availability number stored in the storage unit, 6. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 5, wherein the update unit, when receiving the selection rank from an external terminal, updates the usable number of secondary battery modules in the selection rank to a number obtained by subtracting the number of secondary battery modules required to configure a battery pack.

7. the update unit updates the status information of the selected secondary battery module to a "assembled" state when all of the determination results in the determination unit are positive; 7. The server for a used secondary battery module management system as described in claim 6, wherein, when it is determined that the rebuild is to be canceled, the number of usable secondary battery modules stored in the memory unit is updated by restoring it to the state before the update, and the status information of the selected secondary battery module is updated to a usable state.

8. a battery diagnostic unit (33) for diagnosing a degree of deterioration of the used secondary battery module; 8. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 1, further comprising: a rank assigning unit (34) that assigns the rank to the secondary battery module based on a diagnosis result of the battery diagnostic unit.

9. 9. The server for managing used secondary battery modules according to claim 8, wherein the battery diagnostic unit diagnoses a degree of deterioration of the secondary battery module based on battery characteristics related to a transition of a battery state in a predetermined voltage section of the secondary battery module.

10. A diagnosis result receiving unit (55) capable of receiving a diagnosis result of the deterioration degree of the secondary battery module; and a rank assigning unit (34) that assigns the rank to the secondary battery module based on the deterioration degree diagnosis result received from the diagnosis result receiving unit.

11. 11. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 10, wherein the diagnostic result receiving unit is configured to receive a diagnostic result of a deterioration degree of the secondary battery module diagnosed by a diagnostic device mounted on a vehicle with a battery pack including the secondary battery module mounted on the vehicle.

12. a diagnostic result correction unit (331) for correcting the diagnostic result based on temperature information at the time when the diagnostic result was created; 12. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 8, wherein the rank assigning unit assigns the rank to the secondary battery module based on the corrected diagnosis result.

13. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising a date and time information assigning unit (332) that assigns the diagnosis date information to the secondary battery module based on the diagnosis result, the diagnosis result including diagnosis date information relating to a date and time when the diagnosis result was created.

14. 14. The server for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is given at the time of manufacturing the used secondary battery module.

15. An external terminal (9) for a used secondary battery module management system for managing the manufacturing of a battery pack, an available rank receiving unit (951) for receiving from the server (1) an available rank (Ra) which is a rank at which a number of secondary battery modules equal to or greater than the number of secondary battery modules required to configure a battery pack requested to be rebuilt can be used, among ranks defined based on the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery modules; an availability rank display unit (961) for displaying the availability rank received by the availability rank receiving unit; an identification information acquisition unit (973) that acquires identification information of a secondary battery module selected from used secondary battery modules to which the rank has been assigned in advance based on the available rank displayed on the available rank display unit; an identification information transmission unit (943) that transmits the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit to a server; a determination result receiving unit (953) that receives a determination result as to whether or not the transmitted identification information coincides with identification information of a secondary battery module that belongs to the same rank in the available rank; a judgment result output unit (963) that outputs the judgment result received by the judgment result receiving unit; An external terminal for a used secondary battery module management system.

16. 16. The external terminal for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 15, wherein the available rank display unit preferentially displays ranks with older specific diagnosis dates and times specified for each rank as the oldest diagnosis date and time of the deterioration level of a secondary battery module included in each rank.

17. a selected rank transmitting unit (942) for transmitting to a server a selected rank selected from the available ranks displayed in the available rank display unit; an assembly information receiving unit (952) that receives assembly information of the secondary battery module belonging to the selected rank from the server; an assembly information output unit (962) that outputs the assembly information received by the assembly information receiving unit; The external terminal for a used secondary battery module management system according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising:

18. The external terminal for a used secondary battery module management system according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the identification information acquisition unit acquires, as the identification information of the secondary battery module, identification information assigned to the secondary battery module at the time of manufacture of the secondary battery module.

19. A used secondary battery module management system (100) comprising: a server (1) for a used secondary battery module management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and an external terminal (9) for a used secondary battery module management system according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

Images