Communication Systems

Abstract

A technique is provided that can improve communication efficiency in a communication system that includes a plurality of middle management devices and a plurality of terminal management devices. [Solution] A management device 2a included in a first group and a management device 2b included in a second group each include multiband communication devices 22a, 22b configured to perform communication using a first frequency band and a second frequency band. An end device 4a included in the first group and an end device 4b included in the second group each include specific communication devices 42a, 42b configured to perform communication using an allocated frequency band assigned to the group to which the end device belongs.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication system including at least one end device that acquires information about a battery, and at least one management device that communicates with the end device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 below proposes a battery system including an intermediate management device and a terminal management device provided in each battery. The terminal management device acquires information about the battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-12954 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, the middle management device and the terminal management device perform wireless communication using a specific frequency band. 。

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a method for producing a plurality of Tube Management Control Department and multiple endings End control section In a communication system comprising: At least one of the plurality of management control units determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management control units. It is to provide technology. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a communication system. In be. The communication system includes a plurality of management control units that manage the status of batteries (5), and a plurality of terminal devices (4a, 4b) that acquire battery information regarding at least one battery and communicate the acquired battery information to at least one management control unit.

[0007] At least one of the management control units includes an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit based on communication with the other management control unit via an inter-management communication device (29a, 29b) for communicating with the other management control unit.

[0008] According to this configuration, It is possible to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management control units. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a communication system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a plurality of frequency bands used in a communication system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless communication unit included in the management device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functions of a management device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of a terminal device. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a management process executed by a management control unit. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a monitoring process executed by a management control unit. [Figure 9] 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a terminal control unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an effect of the communication system. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a management device including an inter-management communication device that performs wired communication. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [1. First embodiment] [1. Configuration] <Overall composition> The configuration of a communication system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The communication system 1 is mounted on a vehicle V1. The communication system 1 includes a plurality of management devices 2 and a plurality of battery modules 3.

[0011] The battery modules 3 are each configured in the same manner. One battery module 3 includes one end device 4 and at least one battery cell 5. In other words, the communication system 1 includes a plurality of management devices 2 and a plurality of end devices 4. The management device 2 performs wireless communication with the end device 4. The end device 4 acquires battery information from the battery cell 5 and performs wireless communication with the management device 2. The battery information refers to information relating to the state of the battery cell 5. For example, the voltage of the battery cell 5 corresponds to the battery information.

[0012] In this embodiment, the multiple management devices 2 and multiple end devices 4 included in the communication system 100 form multiple groups, each including one management device 2 and at least one end device 4. The multiple groups include a first group 1a and a second group 1b. In the following, each component related to the first group 1a is represented by adding a subscript to the reference numeral, for example, management device 2a, and each component related to the second group 1b is represented by adding a subscript to the reference numeral, for example, management device 2b. When describing a common explanation of the components, the subscript is omitted and only the reference numeral is described, for example, management device 2.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the management devices 2 and the battery modules 3 included in the communication system 100 are disposed in a housing 200 installed in a vehicle V1. In this embodiment, the housing 200 is made of metal. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 2, the management devices 2 and the terminal devices 4 belonging to the first group 1a are disposed on the left side as one faces the figure, and the management devices 2 and the terminal devices 4 belonging to the second group 1b are disposed on the right side as one faces the figure.

[0014] The arrangement of the first group 1a and the second group 1b is not limited to this. The management device 2 and the end device 4 belonging to the first group 1a and the management device 2 and the end device 4 belonging to the second group 1b may be arranged arbitrarily within the housing 200.

[0015] In this embodiment, the battery module 3a includes battery modules 3_1 to 3_4, and the battery module 3b includes battery modules 3_5 to 3_8. When describing components included in the management device and the battery module, reference numerals may be added, such as battery module 3_1 and terminal device 4_1. For example, the communication system 100 includes a plurality of management devices 2 and a plurality of terminal devices 4_1 to 4_8.

[0016] 1 and 2, a communication system 100 includes management devices 2a and 2b and leaf devices 4_1 to 4_8. The management device 2a and the leaf devices 4_1 to 4_4 form a first group 1a, and the management device 2a and the leaf devices 4_5 to 4_8 form a second group 1b.

[0017] The number of management devices 2 and the number of end devices 4 included in the communication system 100 are not limited to the examples in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. For example, the communication system 100 may include one or more first groups 1a, and may include one or more second groups 1b. The number of first groups 1a and second groups 1b may be different. For example, the first group 1a and the second group 1b may each include a different number of battery modules 3, in other words, a different number of end devices 4.

[0018] 1 and 2 show an example in which the battery module 3 includes a plurality of battery cells 5, but the battery module 3 may include only one battery cell 5. The number of battery cells 5 included in each of the plurality of battery modules 3 may differ for each battery module 3. When the battery module 3 includes a plurality of battery cells 5, the plurality of battery cells 5 may be connected in series with each other as shown in FIG. 1, or may be connected in parallel (not shown), or may be connected in series and parallel.

[0019] In addition, the housing 200 is not limited to being made of metal. For example, the housing 200 may be made of resin, may be made of both metal and resin, or may be made of materials other than metal and resin. In addition, although the housing 200 is formed in a box shape in FIG. 2, the shape of the housing 200 is not limited to this. For example, the housing 200 may be any shape other than a box shape as long as the communication system 1 can be placed therein. In addition, for example, the housing 200 may have a radio wave shielding effect or may not have a radio wave shielding effect. For example, the housing 200 may be the outer shell of the vehicle V1 itself. It is to be noted that the housing 200 does not have to be sealed.

[0020] <Management device 2> Returning to Fig. 1, the explanation will be continued. The management device 2 includes an antenna 21, a wireless communication unit 22 as a multiband communication device described later, a management control unit 23, and an inter-management communication unit 29. As described later, the multiband communication device refers to a communication device configured to communicate using a first frequency band and a second frequency band, which are a plurality of different predetermined frequency bands used for communication between the management device 2 and the terminal device 4 in the communication system 100. In the following, the plurality of frequency bands used in the communication system 100 refers to the above-mentioned plurality of different predetermined frequency bands used for communication between the management device 2 and the terminal device 4 in the communication system 100.

[0021] <Wireless communication unit 22> The wireless communication unit 22 transmits and receives wireless communication signals in multiple frequency bands used in the communication system 100 between the terminal devices 4 included in each of the multiple battery modules 3 via the antenna 21. In other words, the antenna 21 can be an antenna that transmits and receives wireless communication signals in multiple frequency bands used in the communication system 100. The multiple frequency bands used in the communication system 100 may be, for example, a high UHF band (i.e., several GHz).

[0022] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of frequency bands are used in the communication system 100. are two frequency bands. The two frequency bands include a first frequency band and a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. The first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap. Here, "not overlapping" means that the range of the first frequency band and the range of the second frequency band do not overlap. In the following diagrams, "F1" represents the first frequency band and "F2" represents the second frequency band.

[0023] Of the first and second frequency bands, the first group 1a is assigned the first frequency band as an assigned frequency band, and the second group 1b is assigned the second frequency band as an assigned frequency band. The assigned frequency band is one of the multiple frequency bands included in the communication system 100, and refers to a frequency band that is assigned in advance to each of the multiple groups included in the communication system 100.

[0024] The first frequency band may be, for example, the 5 GHz band. The second frequency band may be a frequency band different from the first frequency band, for example, the 2.4 GHz band. The first frequency band may be a frequency band higher than the second frequency band as shown in FIG. 3, or may be a frequency band lower than the second frequency band, although not shown.

[0025] In each frequency band, the number of available frequency channels is the number obtained by dividing the frequency band by a specific bandwidth. For example, in the 2.4 GHz band, the number of available frequency channels is the number obtained by dividing the frequency band (e.g., 2.4 GHz-2.48 GHz) by a specific bandwidth of 2 MHz, i.e., 40 channels.

[0026] The wireless communication unit 22 transmits and receives wireless communication signals in accordance with a predetermined communication standard for each of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. Examples of the predetermined communication standard include WiFi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and Bluetooth Low Energy. The wireless communication unit 2 may be a device to which a standard using UWB is applied. UWB is an abbreviation for Ultra Wide Band. Also, the wireless communication unit 22 may be a device to which a standard using another frequency band is applied. It's fine.

[0027] 4, the wireless communication unit 22 of the present embodiment includes a first transceiver unit 221, a second transceiver unit 222, and a switch 225. Although not shown, the wireless communication unit 22 may include various filters as appropriate, such as a BPF that passes a first frequency band and a BPF that passes a second frequency band.

[0028] Switch 225 has three terminals. One of the three terminals is connected to antenna 21, one is connected to transmit / receive switch 401 included in first transmitting / receiving unit 221, and the other is connected to transmit / receive switch 401 included in second transmitting / receiving unit 222.

[0029] The switch 225 selects one of three states, namely, a state in which the transmit / receive switch 401 of the first transmitting / receiving unit 221 is selected, a state in which the transmit / receive switch 401 of the second transmitting / receiving unit 222 is selected, and a stopped state, in accordance with a switching signal from the management and control unit 23. The stopped state here refers to a state in which both the transmit / receive switch 401 of the first transmitting / receiving unit 221 and the transmit / receive switch 401 of the second transmitting / receiving unit 222 are not selected, or a terminated state.

[0030] The first transceiver 221 transmits and receives wireless communication signals using a first frequency band. The second transceiver 222 transmits and receives wireless communication signals using a second frequency band. The first transceiver 221 and the second transceiver 222 have the same configuration except for the frequency bands they use, so the following will only describe the configuration of the first transceiver 221.

[0031] The first transmitting / receiving unit 221 includes a transmitting / receiving switch 401, a transmitting unit 404, and a transmission frequency switch. The signal receiving device 403 includes a frequency selector 405, a receiving unit 406, and a receiving frequency switch 407. The transmit / receive switch 401 has three terminals. One of the three terminals is connected to the switch 225, one to the transmitting unit 404, and one to the receiving unit 406. The transmit / receive switch 401 selects one of three states, a state in which the transmitting unit 404 is selected, a state in which the transmission frequency switcher 405 is selected, and a stopped state, in accordance with a switching signal from the management and control unit 23. The stopped state here refers to a state in which neither the transmitting unit 404 nor the receiving unit 406 is selected, or a terminated state.

[0032] The transmitter 404 uses a first frequency band and transmits a wireless communication signal conforming to the above-mentioned predetermined communication standard. The transmission frequency switcher 405 sequentially switches the frequency used by the transmitter 404 for transmission within the first frequency band in accordance with a predetermined rule (i.e., schedule). Hereinafter, the frequency of the wireless communication signal transmitted by the transmitter 404 is referred to as a designated frequency. Although not described here, such frequency switching may be performed by a known technique using frequency hopping, for example.

[0033] The receiver 406 uses the first frequency band and receives a wireless communication signal conforming to the above-mentioned predetermined communication standard. The receiver frequency switch 407 sequentially switches the frequency received by the receiver 406 within the first frequency band in accordance with the above-mentioned predetermined rule. Note that the switching may be performed, for example, in synchronization with the transmission frequency switch 405 provided in the source of the communication signal (for example, the end device 4) so ​​that the same frequency becomes the designated frequency at the same timing.

[0034] Although not shown, the wireless communication unit 22 may include a detection device that detects the reception strength of a received signal and outputs the detection result. As described above, the second transceiver unit 222 is configured similarly to the first transceiver unit 221, but differs from the first transceiver unit 221 in that the second transceiver unit 222 uses the second frequency band.

[0035] <Inter-Administration Communication Section 29> The inter-management communication unit 29 is a device that functions as an inter-management communication device. An inter-management communication device is a communication device that enables a management device to communicate with other management devices. The management device itself refers to the management device. Other management devices refer to management devices included in other groups. Other groups refer to groups to which the management device does not belong among the multiple groups included in the communication system 100 (i.e., the first group 1a and the second group 1b).

[0036] For example, when the management device 2a is the management device itself, the other group corresponds to the second group 1b, and the management device 2b corresponds to the other management device. Also, when the management device 2b is the management device itself, the other group corresponds to the first group 1a, and the management device 2a corresponds to the other management device.

[0037] The inter-management communication unit 29 communicates with the inter-management communication unit 29 of another management device by using a wireless communication signal in a third frequency band. In this embodiment, the third frequency band is a frequency band different from the first frequency band and the second frequency band. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The third frequency band can be at least one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. Furthermore, as shown in a modified example described later, the inter-management communication unit 29 can be realized in various forms without being limited to wireless communication.

[0038] <Management control unit 23> The management control unit 23 includes a microcomputer 25 including a CPU 26, a ROM, a RAM, and a semiconductor memory (hereinafter, memory) 27 such as a flash memory. The management control unit 23 performs the following operations as shown in FIG. 5 by the CPU 26 executing a program stored in a non-transitory tangible recording medium. The memory 27 corresponds to a non-transitory tangible recording medium that stores a computer program. Execution of the computer program results in the execution of a method corresponding to the computer program.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, the management control unit 23 includes the functions of a battery management unit 61, a monitoring unit 62, an output unit 63, a switching unit 64, and an operation confirmation unit 65. The battery management unit 61 is configured to use the wireless communication unit 22 to communicate with at least one terminal device 4 of the group to which the management device belongs, among the multiple groups in the communication system 100, in the allocated frequency band of the group to which the management device belongs.

[0040] Specifically, the battery management unit 61 uses the wireless communication unit 22 to communicate with at least one terminal device 4 of the group to which the management device belongs, using the allocated frequency band, at a predetermined period (hereinafter referred to as the battery management period), and manages the state of the battery cells 5.

[0041] For example, a management device 2a belonging to a first group 1a communicates with an end device 4a included in the first group 1a to which the management device 2a belongs, using the first frequency band assigned to the first group 1a as an assigned frequency band. A management device 2b belonging to a second group 1b communicates with an end device 4b included in the second group 1b to which the management device 2b belongs, using the second frequency band assigned to the second group 1b as an assigned frequency band.

[0042] The term "management" here refers to, for example, acquiring the voltage, temperature, etc. of the battery cell 5 as battery information by having the terminal device 4 transmit it in the allocated frequency band, and storing the acquired battery information in the memory 27. In this embodiment, as described above, the voltage of the battery cell 5 is acquired as the battery information. The battery management unit 61 executes the management process described later and realizes these functions.

[0043] The monitoring unit 62 executes a monitoring process, which will be described later, and judges, based on communication with other management devices via the inter-management communication unit 29 described above, whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management devices. The output unit 63 outputs the battery information stored in the memory 27 to an external device of the communication system 1. The external device may be, for example, an electronic control device provided in the vehicle V1.

[0044] The switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the wireless communication unit 22 in accordance with an execution instruction from the battery management unit 61 and the monitoring unit 62. The switching signal is a signal for switching the communication state of the wireless communication unit 22. The execution instruction is a signal for causing the switching unit 64 to switch the communication state of the wireless communication unit 22. In this embodiment, the switching unit 64 switches the communication state of the wireless communication unit 22 to any one of four communication states.

[0045] The four communication states include a first transmission state, a first reception state, a second transmission state, and a second reception state. The first transmission state is a state in which a communication signal in a first frequency band is transmitted, and the first reception state is a state in which a communication signal in the first frequency band is received. The second transmission state is a state in which a communication signal in a second frequency band is transmitted, and the second reception state is a state in which a communication signal in the second frequency band is received.

[0046] For example, when an execution instruction to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the first transmission state is input, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the wireless communication unit 22 as follows. That is, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the switch 225 to connect the antenna 21 to the transmit / receive switch 401 provided in the first transceiver unit 221. Also, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the transmit / receive switch 401 provided in the first transceiver unit 221 to connect the switch 225 to the transmitter 404. Note that the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the transmit / receive switch 401 provided in the second transceiver unit 222 to set it to a stopped state. As a result, the wireless communication unit 22 switches to the communication signal of the first frequency band. The signal is now ready to be transmitted.

[0047] When an execution instruction to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the first reception state is input, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the wireless communication unit 22 as follows. That is, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the switch 225 to connect the antenna 21 and the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the first transmission / reception unit 221. Also, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the first transmission / reception unit 221 to connect the switch 225 and the reception unit 406. Note that the switching signal is output to the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the second transmission / reception unit 222 to set it to a stopped state. This causes the wireless communication unit 22 to be in a state in which communication signals in the first frequency band can be received.

[0048] When an execution instruction to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the second transmission state is input, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the wireless communication unit 22 as follows. That is, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the switch 225 to connect the antenna 21 and the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the second transmission / reception unit 222. Also, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to connect the switch 225 and the transmission unit 404 to the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the second transmission / reception unit 222. Note that the switching signal is output to the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the first transmission / reception unit 221 to set it to a stopped state. This causes the wireless communication unit 22 to be in a state in which a communication signal in the second frequency band is transmitted.

[0049] When an execution instruction to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the second reception state is input, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the wireless communication unit 22 as follows. That is, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to the switch 225 to connect the antenna 21 and the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the second transmission / reception unit 222. Also, the switching unit 64 outputs a switching signal to connect the switch 225 and the reception unit 406 to the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the second transmission / reception unit 222. Note that the switching signal is output to the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 provided in the first transmission / reception unit 221 to set it to a stopped state. This causes the wireless communication unit 22 to enter a state in which communication signals in the second frequency band can be received.

[0050] The operation confirmation unit 65 is configured to transmit an operation response signal, which will be described later, upon receiving an operation confirmation signal, which will be described later. Correspondence information is stored in the memory 27. The correspondence information is information that associates identification information for identifying each of the multiple terminal devices 4, a group to which each of the multiple terminal devices 4 belongs, and an assigned frequency band for each of the multiple groups.

[0051] <Terminal device 4> Returning to Fig. 1, the explanation will be continued. As described above, the communication system 1 includes a plurality of battery modules 3, and each battery module 3 includes a terminal device 4 and a plurality of battery cells 5. The terminal devices 4 are configured in the same manner. Each terminal device 4 includes an antenna 41, a wireless communication unit 42, and a terminal control unit 43.

[0052] <Wireless communication unit 42> The wireless communication unit 42 transmits and receives wireless communication signals via the antenna 41 to and from the management device 2 included in the communication system 1, using a plurality of frequency bands used in the above-mentioned communication system 100.

[0053] The wireless communication unit 42 includes a specific communication device. The specific communication device is a communication device configured to communicate using the above-mentioned allocated frequency band that is allocated to a group to which the own terminal device belongs among a plurality of groups included in the communication system 100. The own terminal device is the terminal device 4 itself.

[0054] For an end device 4a belonging to the first group 1a, the allocated frequency band of the group to which the end device 4a belongs (i.e., the first group 1a) is a first frequency band. A specific communication device provided in the wireless communication unit 42 of the end device 4a communicates using the first frequency band. For an end device 4b belonging to the second group 1b, the allocated frequency band of the group to which the end device 4b belongs (i.e., the second group 1b) is a second frequency band. A specific communication device provided in the wireless communication unit 42 of the end device 4a communicates using the second frequency band.

[0055] The specific communication device enables communication between the end device 4 and the management device 2 belonging to the same group using the allocated frequency band assigned to the group. Incidentally, the wireless communication unit of the end device 4 may be further configured to include a non-specific communication device. The non-specific communication device refers to a communication device configured to communicate using an assigned frequency band assigned to another group to which the end device does not belong. The wireless communication unit 42 of this embodiment further includes a non-specific communication device in addition to the specific communication device as described later, and is configured so that only the specific communication device operates and the non-specific communication device always stops operating.

[0056] Since the assigned frequency band differs for each group to which the terminal device belongs, the configuration of the wireless communication unit 42, which would otherwise differ for each group to which the terminal device belongs, is standardized by providing a specific communication device and a non-specific communication device. For the terminal device 4a, the assigned frequency band of the other group (i.e., the first group 1a) is the first frequency band, and for the terminal device 4b, the assigned frequency band of the other group (i.e., the first group 1a) is the first frequency band.

[0057] Specifically, in this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 42 includes the same components as the wireless communication unit 22 . However, in the wireless communication unit 42, unlike the wireless communication unit 22, a terminal of the switch 225 is connected to the antenna 41, not to the antenna 21. In the wireless communication unit 42, the switch 225, the transmit / receive changeover switch 401 provided in the first transmit / receive unit 221, and the transmit / receive changeover switch 401 provided in the second transmit / receive unit 222 select a terminal to be connected in accordance with a changeover signal from the terminal control unit 43.

[0058] The first transceiver 221 and antenna 41a included in the wireless communication unit 42a correspond to a specific communication device, and the second transceiver 222 and antenna 41a included in the wireless communication unit 42a correspond to a non-specific communication device. The second transceiver 222 and antenna 41b included in the wireless communication unit 42b correspond to a specific communication device, and the first transceiver 221 and antenna 41b correspond to a non-specific communication device.

[0059] Here, in the wireless communication unit 42a included in the end device 4a belonging to the first group 1a, the switch 225 is connected so as to perform communication only in the first frequency band assigned to the first group 1a. For example, a switching signal for connecting the antenna 41 and the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 included in the first transmission / reception unit 221 may be constantly input to the switch 225 from the end control unit 43a.

[0060] On the other hand, in the wireless communication unit 42b included in the end device 4b belonging to the second group 1b, the switch 225 is connected so as to perform communication only in the second frequency band assigned to the second group 1b. For example, a switching signal for connecting the antenna 41 and the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 included in the second transmission / reception unit 222 may be constantly input to the switch 225 from the end control unit 43b.

[0061] As a result, the end device 4 uses the specific communication in the wireless communication unit 42 for communication with the management device 2. Only the receiving device will be used. However, the configuration of the wireless communication unit 42 is not limited to this. The wireless communication unit 42 can be configured in various forms, such as modified examples described below.

[0062] <Terminal control unit 43> The terminal control unit 43 includes a microcomputer 45 including a CPU 46 and a memory 47. The terminal control unit 43 realizes each function as shown in Fig. 5 by the CPU 46 executing a program stored in a non-transitory tangible recording medium. The memory 47 corresponds to the non-transitory tangible recording medium that stores the computer program. Furthermore, the execution of this computer program executes a method corresponding to the computer program.

[0063] 6, the terminal control unit 43 has the functions of a battery information acquisition unit 71, an information transmission unit 72, and a switching unit 74. The terminal control unit 43 may have the function of a reception intensity detection unit 73. The battery information acquisition unit 71 acquires battery information from the battery cell 5 at a predetermined period (hereinafter, information acquisition period) and stores the information in the memory 47. Here, the voltage values ​​at both ends of the battery cell 5 are acquired as described above. Note that the information acquisition period may be a period shorter than the terminal side management period described later.

[0064] The information transmission unit 72 uses the wireless communication unit 42 as a specific communication device to communicate with a management device of the group to which the terminal device 4 belongs, among the multiple groups in the communication system 100, using the allocated frequency band of the group to which the terminal device 4 belongs.

[0065] Specifically, the information transmission unit 72 transmits battery information to the management device 2 using a communication signal in the allocated frequency band using the wireless communication unit 42 in accordance with a transmission instruction signal received from the management device 2 at a predetermined period (hereinafter referred to as the end-side management period).

[0066] Each time the wireless communication unit 42 receives a wireless communication signal, the reception strength detection unit 73 detects the reception strength of the wireless communication signal using the detection device described above (not shown), and stores information indicating the detected reception strength in the memory 47.

[0067] The switching unit 74 has a configuration similar to that of the switching unit 64 included in the management control unit 23. However, the switching unit 74 outputs a switching signal to the wireless communication unit 42 in accordance with an execution instruction from the information transmission unit 72. The switching unit 74 switches the communication state of the wireless communication unit 42.

[0068] The processing executed by the terminal control unit 43, which will be described later, corresponds to the processing performed by the information transmission unit 72. [2. Processing] <Processing Executed by Management and Control Unit 23> <Management process> The management process executed by the battery management unit 61 of the management control unit 23 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. The management process is repeatedly executed at the above-mentioned battery management cycle.

[0069] In S100, the management control unit 23 specifies the allocated frequency band of the group to which the management device belongs, and sets the wireless communication unit 22 to transmit a communication signal in the specified allocated frequency band. The allocated frequency band of the group is stored in the memory 27 in advance.

[0070] Here, when the first frequency band is identified as the allocated frequency band in this step, the management and control unit 23 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the first transmission state. On the other hand, when the second frequency band is identified as the allocated frequency band in this step, the management and control unit 23 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the first transmission state. When the setting is confirmed, the control unit 63 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to switch the wireless communication unit 22 to the second transmission state. As a result, in accordance with the switching signal from the switching unit 64, the wireless communication unit 22 switches to the first transmission state or the second transmission state.

[0071] In S110, the management control unit 23 selects, from among the multiple terminal devices 4 in its own group, a terminal device 4 from which battery information is to be transmitted and the battery information is to be acquired. Information indicating which terminal device 4 of the terminal devices 4_1 to 4_8 in the communication system 100 is a terminal device 4 in its own group and which terminal device 4 is a terminal device 4 in another group is stored in advance in the memory 27. Hereinafter, the selected terminal device 4 is referred to as terminal device X4. The management control unit 23 selects, from among the multiple terminal devices 4 in its own group, a terminal device 4 from which battery information has not been transmitted as terminal device X4.

[0072] In S120, the management control unit 23 transmits a transmission instruction signal in the allocated frequency band identified in S100 using the wireless communication unit 22. The transmission instruction signal is a wireless communication signal in the allocated frequency band identified in S100, and includes transmission instruction information. The transmission instruction information includes at least information representing an instruction to transmit battery information and identification information of the end device X4 that is to execute the instruction.

[0073] Then, after transmitting the transmission instruction signal, the management control unit 23 sets the wireless communication unit 22 to receive a wireless communication signal in the allocated frequency band selected in S100. That is, the management control unit 23 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to set the communication state of the wireless communication unit 22. As a result, in accordance with the switching signal from the switching unit 64, the wireless communication unit 22 switches to the first reception state or the second reception state.

[0074] In S130, the management control unit 23 judges whether or not a transmission response signal has been received from the end device X4. The transmission response signal is a wireless communication signal in the allocated frequency band specified in S100, and includes at least the battery information acquired by the end device X4. The transmission response signal may include, in addition to the battery information, identification information of the end device X4 that acquired the battery information (i.e., the end device X4 that is the source of the transmission response signal).

[0075] Here, when the management control unit 23 does not receive a transmission response signal from the end device X4, it shifts the process to S120, sets the wireless communication unit 22 to transmit a wireless communication signal in the allocated frequency band selected in S100, and retransmits the transmission instruction signal. On the other hand, when the management control unit 23 receives a transmission response signal from the end device X4, it shifts the process to S140.

[0076] In S140, the management control unit 23 stores the battery information received from the leaf device X4 in the memory 27 in association with the identification information of the leaf device X4. In S150, the management control unit 23 determines whether or not the processes of S110-S140 (that is, the processes of causing all the leaf devices 4 to transmit battery information and storing the transmitted battery information in the memory 27) have been executed.

[0077] Here, the management control unit 23 shifts the process to S110 if it is determined that the above-mentioned process has not been executed for all the leaf devices 4. Then, the management control unit 23 repeats the processes of S110 to S150.

[0078] On the other hand, the management control unit 23 ends this management process when it is determined that the above-mentioned process has been executed for all the terminal devices 4. At this point, the memory 27 stores battery information for all the terminal devices 4 belonging to the same group. In this embodiment, the identification information of each of the terminal devices 4 is associated with the battery information and stored in the memory 27.

[0079] <Monitoring process> The monitoring process executed by the monitoring unit 62 of the management control unit 23 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. The monitoring process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle in parallel with the above-mentioned management process.

[0080] In S210, the management control unit 23 transmits an operation confirmation signal to the other management devices using the inter-management communication unit 29. The operation confirmation signal is a signal that is predetermined so that the other management devices that receive the operation confirmation signal transmit an operation response signal. In other words, the operation confirmation signal is a signal that confirms that the operation of the other management devices to which the operation confirmation signal is sent is normal by successfully receiving the operation response signal. In this embodiment, the operation confirmation signal is a wireless communication signal in the third frequency band.

[0081] The operation confirmation signal may be a signal including operation confirmation information represented by a predetermined identification pattern using two values ​​such as "0" and "1." The operation confirmation signal may also be a signal including identification information of the leaf device X4.

[0082] In S220, the management control unit 23 judges whether or not an operation response signal has been received from another management device at the inter-management communication unit 29 of the management device itself via the inter-management communication unit 29 of the other management device. The operation response signal is a signal that is predetermined to be transmitted in response to reception of an operation confirmation signal. In this embodiment, the operation confirmation signal is a wireless communication signal in the third frequency band.

[0083] The operation response signal includes operation confirmation information. The operation response signal may include identification information of the other management device (i.e., the management device 2 that is the sender of the operation response signal) together with the operation confirmation information. In other words, by receiving the operation response signal from the other management device, the management control unit 23 determines that at least the inter-management communication unit 29 in the other management device is normal.

[0084] If the management control unit 23 receives an operation response signal from another management device, it shifts the process to S240, and if it has not received an operation response signal, it shifts the process to S230. In S230, the management control unit 23 judges whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since transmitting the operation confirmation signal. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the management control unit 23 shifts the process to S220, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, the management control unit 23 shifts the process to S250.

[0085] That is, here, if the management control unit 23 receives an operation confirmation signal within the predetermined time, it determines that at least the inter-management communication unit 29 in the other management device is normal, and shifts the process to S240. On the other hand, if the management control unit 23 does not receive an operation confirmation signal within the processing time, it determines that an abnormality has occurred in the other management device, and shifts the process to S250.

[0086] In S240, the management control unit 23 judges whether the operation confirmation information included in the operation response signal is normal. The management control unit 23 judges that the operation confirmation information included in the operation response signal is normal when it matches the operation confirmation information included in the operation confirmation signal transmitted in S210. In other words, when the operation confirmation information included in the operation response signal is normal, the management control unit 23 judges that in addition to the inter-management communication unit 29 in the other management device, the management control unit 23 in the other management device is normal. In other words, the management control unit 23 judges that the other management device is normal.

[0087] Here, if the management control unit 23 determines that the operation confirmation information included in the operation response signal is normal, it ends this process. On the other hand, if the management control unit 23 determines that the operation confirmation information included in the operation response signal is not normal, it determines that the other management device is abnormal and shifts the process to S250.

[0088] In S250-S290, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in another management device, the management control unit 23 communicates with at least one terminal device 4 included in the other group using the wireless communication unit 22. Then, the management control unit 23 causes the terminal device 4 of the other group to transmit the battery information acquired by the terminal device 4.

[0089] That is, in S250, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management device, the management control unit 23 outputs a switching instruction to the wireless communication unit 22. The switching instruction is an instruction to switch the frequency band used by the wireless communication unit 22. Here, the management control unit 23 outputs a switching instruction to perform communication using the allocated frequency band of the other group out of the first frequency band and the second frequency band. Specifically, the management control unit 23 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the second transmission state, or an execution instruction to set the wireless communication unit 22 to the first transmission state. As a result, the wireless communication unit 22 switches to the second transmission state or the first transmission state according to the switching signal from the switching unit 64.

[0090] Then, the management control unit 23 selects one end device 4 to transmit battery information from among the multiple end devices 4 of the other group. Hereinafter, the selected end device 4 will be referred to as end device X4. The management control unit 23 selects, from among the multiple end devices 4 of the other group, a end device 4 that has not transmitted battery information to the management device 2 as the end device X4.

[0091] In S260, the management control unit 23 transmits a transmission instruction signal of the allocated frequency band of the other group using the wireless communication unit 22. The transmission instruction information included in the transmission instruction signal includes at least information representing an instruction to transmit battery information and identification information of the end device X4 of the other group that is to execute the instruction.

[0092] Then, after transmitting the transmission instruction signal, the management control unit 23 sets the wireless communication unit 22 to receive wireless communication signals in the allocated frequency band of the other group. That is, the management control unit 23 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to set the communication state of the wireless communication unit 22. As a result, the wireless communication unit 22 switches to the second reception state or the first reception state according to the switching signal from the switching unit 64.

[0093] In S270, the management control unit 23 judges whether or not a transmission response signal has been received from the end device X4. The transmission response signal may include, together with the battery information, identification information of the end device X4 from which the battery information has been obtained (i.e., the end device X4 of another group that is the source of the transmission response signal).

[0094] Here, when the management and control unit 23 does not receive a transmission response signal from the end device X4, it shifts the process to S260, sets the wireless communication unit 22 to transmit a wireless communication signal in the allocated frequency band of another group, and retransmits the transmission instruction signal. On the other hand, when the management and control unit 23 receives a transmission response signal from the end device X4, it shifts the process to S280.

[0095] In S280, the management control unit 23 stores in the memory 27 the battery information received from the leaf device X4 in association with the identification information of the leaf device X4. In S290, the management control unit 23 judges whether or not the processes of S250-S280 (i.e., the processes of transmitting battery information and storing the transmitted battery information in memory 27) have been executed for all the leaf devices 4 of the other groups. If the management control unit 23 judges that the above processes have not been executed for all the leaf devices 4 of the other groups, it shifts the process to S250. Then, the management control unit 23 repeats the processes of S250-S290.

[0096] On the other hand, when it is determined that the above-mentioned process has been executed for all the terminal devices 4 of the other groups, the management control unit 23 ends this process. At this point, the memory 27 stores battery information for all the terminal devices 4 belonging to the own group as well as battery information for all the terminal devices 4 belonging to the other groups. In this embodiment, the battery information and the identification information of the terminal device 4 that has acquired the battery information are stored in association with each other in the memory 27.

[0097] <Processing Executed by the Terminal Control Unit 43> The process executed by the terminal control unit 43 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In S300, the terminal control unit 43 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to set the wireless communication unit 42 so as to receive wireless communication signals in the allocated frequency band of its own group.

[0098] In S310, the terminal control unit 43 judges whether or not a transmission instruction signal has been received. The terminal control unit 43 waits until a transmission instruction signal is received, and when a transmission instruction signal is received, the terminal control unit 43 shifts the process to S320.

[0099] In addition, in the end device 4 including the end control unit 43, the wireless communication unit 42 is set to transmit and receive wireless communication signals in the allocated frequency band of the own group including the own end device 4. Also, the source of the transmission instruction signal here may be either a management device belonging to the own group or a management device belonging to another group.

[0100] In S320, the terminal control unit 43 acquires the battery information stored in the memory 47. The battery information here refers to the battery information most recently acquired by the battery information acquisition unit 71 and stored in the memory 47.

[0101] In S330, the terminal control unit 43 outputs an execution instruction to the switching unit 64 to transmit a wireless communication signal in the allocated frequency band of its own group, and sets the wireless communication unit 42. Then, the terminal control unit 43 transmits a transmission response signal using the wireless communication unit 42. The transmission response signal may include, in addition to the battery information, identification information of its own terminal device 4 that has acquired the battery information. Then, the terminal control unit 43 ends this process.

[0102] <Activation> The operation of the communication system 100 configured as described above will be described. In the following description, a specific example will be described in which the management device itself is the management device 2a, the end device itself is the end device 4a, the other management device is the management device 2b, and the other end device belonging to the other group is the end device 4b. In the following example, the group itself is the first group 1a, and the other group is the second group 1b.

[0103] The management control unit 23a repeatedly transmits a transmission instruction signal via wireless communication at a predetermined period (i.e., the battery management period described above), obtains battery information from a terminal device 4a belonging to its own group, the first group 1a, and stores the battery information in memory 27a.

[0104] Next, the management control unit 23a transmits an operation confirmation signal by wireless communication to another management device 2b belonging to the second group 1b, which is another group, and judges whether the other management device 2b is abnormal. If the management control unit 23a judges that the other management device 2b is abnormal, it transmits a transmission instruction signal by wireless communication on behalf of the other management device 2b, acquires battery information from the end device 4b belonging to the other group, and stores the battery information in the memory 27.

[0105] In this embodiment, the management device 2b operates in the same manner as the management device 2a. The management device 2a and the control device 2b manage the battery information of their own group and check with each other whether an abnormality has occurred. If an abnormality occurs in another management device, the management device 2a and the control device 2b manage the battery information of the end devices belonging to the other group together with the battery information of the end devices in their own group.

[0106] [3. Effects] According to the first embodiment described above in detail, the following effects are achieved. (3a) The management device 2a in the first group 1a and the management device 2b in the second group 1b each include wireless communication units 22a and 22b as a multi-band communication device configured to communicate using a first frequency band and a second frequency band. The end device 4a in the first group 1a and the end device 4b in the second group 1b each include wireless communication units 42a and 42b as a specific communication device configured to communicate using an assigned frequency band assigned to the group to which the end device belongs. Of the first frequency band and a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, the first group 1a is assigned the first frequency band as an assigned frequency band, and the second group 1b is assigned the second frequency band as an assigned frequency band.

[0107] According to this, the management device 2a and the end device 4a belonging to the first group 1a can communicate with each other using a first frequency band, and the management device 2b and the end device 4b belonging to the second group 1b can communicate with each other using a second frequency band. That is, in the communication system 100 arranged in the housing 200, the communication by the first group 1a and the communication by the second group 1b are performed using different frequency bands, so that they can be performed in parallel in time. In other words, in the communication system 100, the communication by the first group 1a and the communication by the second group 1b do not require time synchronization, and the communication processing capacity in time can be improved.

[0108] For comparison, consider a case where the communication by the first group 1a and the communication by the second group 1b are performed using the same frequency and a case where they are performed using adjacent frequencies. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, in such a comparative example, radio waves of one of the first group 1a and the second group 1b may become interference waves of the other, which may cause deterioration of the receiving sensitivity of the other.

[0109] On the other hand, in the communication system 100, the communication by the first group 1a and the communication by the second group 1b are performed using different frequency bands. That is, as shown in Fig. 10, radio waves of one of the first group 1a and the second group 1b are prevented from interfering with the other, and factors that deteriorate the reception sensitivity of the other are suppressed. As a result, as described above, in the communication system 100, the communication by the first group 1a and the communication by the second group 1b can be performed in parallel in time, and the communication processing capacity in time can be improved.

[0110] (3b) Each of the management device 2a in the first group 1a and the management device 2b in the second group 1b includes a battery management unit 61 as a regular management communication unit. The battery management unit 61 uses the wireless communication unit 22 to communicate with at least one end device in the group to which the management device belongs among the multiple groups, in the allocated frequency band of the group to which the management device belongs.

[0111] That is, the management device 2a and the terminal device 4a communicate in a first frequency band that is an assigned frequency band of the first group 1a, and the management device 2b and the terminal device 4b communicate in a second frequency band that is an assigned frequency band of the second group 1b. As a result, in the communication system 100, the communication by the first group 1a and the communication by the second group 1b do not require time synchronization, and therefore the communication processing capacity in terms of time can be improved.

[0112] (3c) The first frequency band and the second frequency band do not overlap. This prevents the communication signals used in the first group 1a and the second group 1b from interfering with each other, and the communication system 100 allows the communication in the first group 1a and the communication in the second group 1b to be performed asynchronously. Asynchronous means that no synchronization in time is required. As a result, the communication system 100 can improve communication efficiency in time.

[0113] (3d) In the communication system 100, at least one of the management device 2a in the first group 1a and the management device 2b in the second group 1b includes an abnormality determination unit. In this embodiment, both the management device 2a in the first group 1a and the management device 2b in the second group 1b include an abnormality determination unit. In S220-S240, which is processing performed by the abnormality determination unit, the management control unit 23 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management devices based on communication with the other management devices via the inter-management communication unit 29 as an inter-management communication device.

[0114] As a result, the management apparatus 2a and the management apparatus 2b can mutually confirm whether or not an abnormality has occurred. (3e) In the communication system 100, the management device 2a in the first group 1a and the management device 2b in the second group 1b that has the above-mentioned abnormality determination unit include an abnormality communication unit. In S250-S290, which is the process as the abnormality communication unit, when the management control unit 23 determines that an abnormality has occurred in another management device, it uses the wireless communication unit 22 to communicate with at least one end device in the other group.

[0115] As a result, in the communication system 100, the function of performing wireless communication between the management device 2 and the plurality of leaf devices 4_1 to 4_8 can be configured redundantly. For example, when the communication system 100 is a battery system mounted on a vehicle V1 as in this embodiment, from the viewpoint of functional safety of the system mounted on the vehicle V1, it is desirable to design redundantly (e.g., duplicated) the function for performing wireless communication within the communication system 100. The battery system is a system for periodically acquiring battery information indicating the state of the battery cells 5 and monitoring the state of the battery cells 5.

[0116] As a comparative example for realizing a redundant configuration, for example, a configuration that simply includes a plurality of groups, each group including one management device 2 and leaf devices 4_1 to 4_8, can be considered. However, in this configuration, the number of components simply increases.

[0117] In contrast, in the present embodiment, instead of simply providing a plurality of groups each including one management device 2 and leaf devices 4_1 to 4_8 as in the comparative example, a redundant configuration is realized only in the event of an abnormality by providing a plurality of management devices 2 and leaf devices 4_1 to 4_8. An abnormality refers to a time when an abnormality occurs in any one of the plurality of management devices 2. As a result, in the communication system 100, a redundant configuration can be realized while suppressing an increase in the number of components.

[0118] (3f) The wireless communication unit 22 is configured to perform communication using one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band in accordance with the switching instruction. Of the management device 2a included in the first group 1a and the management device 2b included in the second group 1b, the management device 2 that has the abnormality determination unit described above has a switching instruction unit. In S250 and S260, which are processes performed by the switching instruction unit, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management device, the management control unit 23 outputs a switching instruction to the wireless communication unit 22 to perform communication using the allocated frequency band of the other group.

[0119] As a result, when an abnormality occurs in the other management devices, the management devices 2a and 2b can The management device can use the wireless communication unit 22 to communicate with the end devices of the group to which the other management device belongs, instead of the management device.

[0120] (3g) At least one of the end devices 4a in the first group 1a and the end devices 4b in the second group 1b may be non-specific communication devices. In this embodiment, both of the end devices 4a and 4b are non-specific communication devices.

[0121] As a result, the terminal device 4 belonging to the first group 1a can be used as the terminal device 4 belonging to the second group 1b. [4. Modifications] Variations of the present disclosure are given below.

[0122] <Variation 1> In the above embodiment, the management device 2 includes the inter-management communication unit 29 as an inter-management communication device, and the management control unit 23 (i.e., the monitoring unit 62) determines whether or not another management device is abnormal through wireless communication. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the inter-management communication unit 29 included in the management device 2 may be a communication device that performs wired communication. The management control unit 23 (i.e., the monitoring unit 62) may be configured to determine whether or not another management device is abnormal through wired communication using the inter-management communication unit 29 at a predetermined period.

[0123] 11, the inter-management communication unit 29a included in the management device 2a and the inter-management communication unit 29b included in the management device 2b may be directly connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication line 28. Alternatively, although not shown, the inter-management communication unit 29a included in the management device 2a and the inter-management communication unit 29b included in the management device 2b may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a common communication line in the vehicle V1.

[0124] In this case, in S210 shown in FIG. 8, an operation confirmation signal is transmitted by wired communication using the inter-management communication unit 29, and in S220, an operation response signal is received by wired communication using the inter-management communication unit 29.

[0125] <Variation 2> In the above-described embodiment, the wireless communication unit 42 has the same configuration as the wireless communication unit 22. In the second modification, for example, the wireless communication unit 42 may include a board (not shown) in place of the switch 225, which connects the terminals of the switch 225 by wiring so as to use either the first frequency band or the second frequency band. In this case, in the above-described embodiment, the switching instruction from the switching unit 74 to the switch 225 is omitted.

[0126] <Modification 3> In the third modification, although not shown, for example, the wireless communication unit 42a may include only the first transceiver unit 221 and the antenna 21. Also, although not shown, the wireless communication unit 42b may include only the second transceiver unit 222 and the antenna 21. In this case, too, the switching instruction from the switching unit 74 to the switch 225 is omitted in the above-described embodiment.

[0127] 5. Other embodiments Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0128] (5a) In the above embodiment, the wireless communication unit 22 includes the switch 225, the transmission / reception changeover switch 401 included in the first transmission / reception unit 221, and the second transmission / reception changeover switch 402 included in the first transmission / reception unit 221 in order to switch between the above four communication states. The transmitter / receiver unit 222 has a transmit / receive switch 401. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The wireless communication unit 22 is not limited to a switch, and may have various numbers and configurations in order to be able to switch between the above-mentioned four communication states.

[0129] (5b) In the above embodiment, both the management device 2a and the management device 2b are provided with an abnormality determination unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Either one of the management device 2a and the management device 2b may be provided with an abnormality determination unit. As a result, even if an abnormality occurs in a management device that does not have an abnormality determination unit, wireless communication can be continued between the management device that has the abnormality determination unit and the end devices 4_1 to 4_8. As a result, it is possible to continue obtaining battery information.

[0130] (5c) In the above embodiment, all the end devices 4_1 to 4_8 are provided with the wireless communication unit 42 that includes a non-specific communication device and a specific communication device, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, at least one of the multiple end devices 4 included in the communication system 100 may include a non-specific communication device and a specific communication device. In addition, the communication system 100 may be configured so that the end device 4 uses both the non-specific communication device and the specific communication device.

[0131] (5d) In the above embodiment, the communication system 100 is mounted on the vehicle V1, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the communication system 100 may be mounted on various devices other than the vehicle V1, or may be connected to various devices for use.

[0132] (5e) The management control unit 23, the terminal control unit 43, and the method thereof described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the management control unit 23, the terminal control unit 43, and the method thereof described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the management control unit 23, the terminal control unit 43, and the method thereof described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transient tangible recording medium as instructions executed by a computer. The method for realizing the functions of each unit included in the management control unit 23 and the terminal control unit 43 does not necessarily need to include software, and all of the functions may be realized using one or more hardware.

[0133] (5f) Multiple functions possessed by one component in the above-mentioned embodiments may be realized by multiple components, or one function possessed by one component may be realized by multiple components. Also, multiple functions possessed by multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Also, part of the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiments may be omitted. Also, at least part of the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0134] (5g) In addition to the above-mentioned management control unit 23, terminal control unit 43, CPU 26, CPU 46, management device 2, terminal device 4, battery module 3, and communication system 100, the present disclosure can also be realized in various forms, such as a program for causing the management control unit 23 and the terminal control unit 43 to function, a non-transient physical recording medium such as a semiconductor memory on which this program is recorded, and a communication method.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the wireless communication unit 22 corresponds to a multi-band communication device, the inter-management communication unit 29 corresponds to an inter-management communication device, and the wireless communication unit 42 corresponds to a specific communication device and a non-specific communication device. The battery management unit 61 corresponds to a steady-state management communication unit, and the monitoring unit 62 corresponds to an abnormality determination unit, an abnormality-time communication unit, and a switching instruction unit. The information transmission unit 72 corresponds to a steady-state terminal communication unit. S220-S240 correspond to the processing of the abnormality determination unit, S250-S290 correspond to the processing of the abnormality-time communication unit, and S250 and S260 correspond to the processing of the switching instruction unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1 communication system, 2 management device, 4 end device, 22 wireless communication unit, 27 memory, 42 wireless communication unit, 47 memory.

Claims

1. A communication system (100), The communication system includes a plurality of management control units that manage the states of batteries (5), and a plurality of end devices (4 a, 4 b) that acquire battery information related to at least one of the batteries and communicate the acquired battery information to at least one of the management control units; At least one of the management control units includes an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit based on communication with the other management control unit via an inter-management communication device (29 a, 29 b) for communicating with the other management control unit, A communication system in which, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit, the at least one management control unit switches to a transmission state capable of communicating with the terminal device that was communicating with the other management control unit determined to be experiencing an abnormality.

2. A communication system (100), The communication system includes a plurality of management control units that manage the states of batteries (5), and a plurality of end devices (4 a, 4 b) that acquire battery information related to at least one of the batteries and communicate the acquired battery information to at least one of the management control units; At least one of the management control units includes an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit based on communication with the other management control unit via an inter-management communication device (29 a, 29 b) for communicating with the other management control unit, A communication system in which, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit, at least one of the management control units switches to a receiving state in which it can communicate with the terminal device that was communicating with the other management control unit that is determined to have the abnormality.

3. A communication system (100), The communication system includes a plurality of management control units that manage the states of the batteries (5), and a plurality of end devices (4a, 4b) that acquire battery information related to at least one of the batteries and communicate the acquired battery information to at least one of the management control units, At least one of the management control units includes an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit based on communication with the other management control unit via an inter-management communication device (29 a, 29 b) for communicating with the other management control unit, A communication system in which, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit, the at least one management control unit switches to a frequency band capable of communicating with the terminal device that was communicating with the other management control unit that is determined to have an abnormality.

4. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The at least one management control unit transmits an operation confirmation signal to the other management control units; The other management control unit transmits an operation response signal to the at least one management control unit based on receipt of the operation confirmation signal, The at least one management control unit determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit based on the operation response signal.

5. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A communication system in which the at least one management control unit communicates with the terminal device via wireless communication at a predetermined battery management period using a predetermined allocated frequency band, and manages the status of the battery.

6. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit, the at least one management control unit transmits a transmission instruction signal which is an instruction to transmit the battery information to the end device from which the other management control unit determined to have the abnormality has acquired the battery information; The end device transmits the battery information to the at least one management control unit based on the transmission instruction signal.

7. 7. A communication system according to claim 6, A communication system, wherein the transmission instruction signal includes identification information of the end device.

8. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A communication system in which, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit, the at least one management control unit manages the battery information of the end device from which the other management control unit determined to have an abnormality has acquired the battery information, and, when it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit, does not manage the battery information of the end device from which the other management control unit determined to have no abnormality has acquired the battery information.

9. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A communication system, wherein the at least one management control unit communicates with the terminal device using a predetermined first frequency band, and the other management control unit communicates with the terminal device using a predetermined second frequency band that does not overlap with the first frequency band.

10. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The at least one management control unit including the abnormality determination unit, The communication system further includes an abnormality communication unit (62, S250-S290) configured to, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the other management control unit, communicate with the end device from which the other management control unit determined to have the abnormality obtained the battery information, using a multiband communication device that is a communication device different from the inter-management communication device and is configured to communicate using multiple frequency bands.

11. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The end device acquires the voltage of the battery as the battery information at a predetermined information acquisition period, and transmits the battery information to the management control unit at a predetermined end-side management period; A communication system, wherein the information acquisition period is shorter than the terminal side management period.

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