Charging device, server, and diagnostic system

The charging device with integrated circuits and communication capabilities allows for efficient battery degradation diagnosis by temporarily releasing charge/discharge prohibitions and utilizing a server for advanced analysis, addressing the challenge of determining battery usability without additional costs and promoting battery reuse.

JP7704218B2Active Publication Date: 2025-07-08MURATA MFG CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023567538
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-12-15
Filing Date
2022-08-29
Publication Date
2025-07-08
Estimated Expiration
2042-08-29

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing charging devices for secondary batteries do not efficiently diagnose battery degradation without increasing costs, and users face difficulties in determining battery usability, especially for general-purpose batteries, as they often require specialized diagnostic devices or visits to dealerships.

Method used

A charging device equipped with a charge/discharge circuit, control device, and communication device that temporarily releases charge/discharge prohibitions to acquire internal state information, transmitting it to a server for advanced diagnosis, allowing the charging device to determine battery usability based on received deterioration state information.

Benefits of technology

Enables easy determination of battery usability without increasing charging device costs, reduces waste by reusing degraded batteries, and improves user reliability through automatic diagnosis and notification of battery state.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

This charging device (20) comprises a charge / discharge circuit (21), a control device (22), and a communication device (23). The charge / discharge circuit (21) is configured to perform charging and discharging of a secondary battery (10). The control device (22) is configured to control the charge / discharge circuit (21). The communication device (23) is configured to perform communication with the outside. The control device (22) is configured to execute: a process for acquiring usage history information from the secondary battery (10) when starting charging or discharging of the secondary battery (10); a process for temporarily canceling a charge / discharge prohibited state for the secondary battery (10) when the usage history information shows that the secondary battery (10) is in the charge / discharge prohibited state; and a process for acquiring internal state information showing the internal state of the secondary battery (10) by having the charge / discharge circuit (21) perform charging or discharging of the secondary battery (10) for which the charge / discharge prohibited state has been temporarily canceled. The communication device (23) is configured to execute: a process for sending internal state information to the outside; and a process for receiving, from the outside, deterioration state information showing the deterioration state of the secondary battery (10) generated on the basis of the internal state information. The control device (22) continuously cancels the charge / discharge prohibited state for the secondary battery (10) when the deterioration state information shows that the secondary battery (10) is in a deterioration state of a degree at which use is still possible.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging device for a secondary battery. The present disclosure also relates to a server connected to the charging device via a network. Further, the present disclosure relates to a diagnostic system including the charging device and the server.

Background Art

[0002] For example, it is known that a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery deteriorates severely when left unused in a fully charged state for a long period of time. Therefore, when the secondary battery has not been used for a predetermined period or more, the control circuit (Battery Management System, BMS) in the secondary battery performs control to prohibit charging and discharging. After this control is performed, the secondary battery cannot be charged or discharged, so the secondary battery is substantially discarded.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a control device for estimating the degree of deterioration of a secondary battery mounted on an electric vehicle. This control device calculates the battery age based on each of the usage period of the secondary battery, the cumulative value of the time when the secondary battery has been overvoltage, the cumulative value of the current charged to the secondary battery exceeding the limit value, and the cumulative value of the discharge current of the secondary battery. In Patent Document 1, the battery age is treated as corresponding to the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery, more specifically, an estimated value of the lithium precipitation amount. When one or more of the calculated battery ages reach the upper limit age, the control device displays a diagnostic request message to prompt the user to perform battery diagnosis. If no battery diagnosis is performed even after a predetermined period has elapsed after the display of the diagnostic request message, the control device restricts or prohibits the use of the secondary battery.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a diagnostic device for performing battery diagnosis is installed, for example, in a repair shop provided at a dealership. In this case, the user of a vehicle equipped with a secondary battery needs to visit the dealership to perform battery diagnosis. At the dealership, the vehicle is connected to a dedicated diagnostic device. When this diagnostic device diagnoses that the secondary battery can be continuously used, the control device in the vehicle sets the battery age to an age lower than the upper limit age.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes that the diagnostic device may be provided inside the vehicle. In this case, for example, according to a user's instruction, the diagnostic device inside the vehicle executes battery diagnosis.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In Patent Document 1, when the diagnostic device is provided at the dealership, if the user never visits the dealership, battery diagnosis is not performed, and the secondary battery remains unusable as it is. However, in the case of a secondary battery built into a vehicle as in Patent Document 1, it is easy for the user to bring the entire vehicle to the dealership for battery diagnosis. On the other hand, in the case of a general-purpose secondary battery, when an abnormality occurs in the secondary battery, the user needs to send the secondary battery, for example, to the manufacturer by mail to have the state of the secondary battery diagnosed, which is troublesome for the user.

[0008] Also, the cost requirements for a charging device for a general-purpose secondary battery are usually more stringent compared to those for a vehicle. For example, if a diagnostic device is built into the charging device, the costs required for manufacturing the charging device and the like increase. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a diagnostic device inside the charging device that can perform relatively advanced battery diagnosis.

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to enable a user to easily determine whether a secondary battery can be used without increasing the cost of a charging device.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0010] The charging device for a secondary battery according to the present disclosure includes a charge / discharge circuit, a control device, and a communication device. The charge / discharge circuit is configured to charge and discharge the secondary battery. The control device is configured to control the charge / discharge circuit. The communication device is configured to communicate with the outside. When starting to charge or discharge the secondary battery, the control device executes a process of acquiring usage history information from the secondary battery, a process of temporarily releasing the charge / discharge prohibition state of the secondary battery when the usage history information indicates that the secondary battery is in the charge / discharge prohibition state, and a process of acquiring internal state information indicating the internal state of the secondary battery by causing the charge / discharge circuit to charge or discharge the secondary battery whose charge / discharge prohibition state has been temporarily released. The communication device is configured to execute a process of transmitting the internal state information to the outside and a process of receiving, from the outside, deterioration state information indicating the deterioration state of the secondary battery generated based on the internal state information. When the deterioration state information indicates that the secondary battery is in a deterioration state that allows use, the control device continuously releases the charge / discharge prohibition state of the secondary battery.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, a user can easily determine whether a secondary battery can be used without increasing the cost of the charging device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] The charging device for a secondary battery according to the embodiment includes a charge and discharge circuit, a control device, and a communication device. The charge and discharge circuit is configured to charge and discharge the secondary battery. The control device is configured to control the charge and discharge circuit. The communication device is configured to communicate with the outside. When starting to charge or discharge the secondary battery, the control device performs a process of acquiring usage history information from the secondary battery, a process of temporarily releasing the charge and discharge prohibition state of the secondary battery when the usage history information indicates that the secondary battery is in a charge and discharge prohibited state, and a process of acquiring internal state information indicating the internal state of the secondary battery by causing the charge and discharge circuit to charge or discharge the secondary battery whose charge and discharge prohibition state has been temporarily released. The communication device is configured to perform a process of transmitting the internal state information to the outside and a process of receiving, from the outside, deterioration state information indicating the deterioration state of the secondary battery generated based on the internal state information. When the deterioration state information indicates that the secondary battery is in a deterioration state that allows use, the control device continuously releases the charge and discharge prohibition state of the secondary battery (first configuration).

[0014] In the case where, for example, a secondary battery has been left unused for a long time and is in a charge / discharge prohibited state, the charging device according to the first configuration temporarily releases the charge / discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery. The charging device acquires internal state information of the secondary battery using a charge / discharge circuit and transmits it to an external device such as a server, for example. The charging device receives deterioration state information of the secondary battery generated based on the internal state information outside the charging device. The charging device can continuously release the charge / discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery in a usable deterioration state according to the deterioration state information.

[0015] As described above, the charging device according to the first configuration only uses the charge / discharge circuit also provided in a conventional charging device to acquire the internal state information of the secondary battery, and the generation of the deterioration state information of the secondary battery is carried out outside the charging device, such as a server, for example. Therefore, the cost of the charging device does not substantially increase. Also, the acquisition and transmission of the internal state information of the secondary battery and the reception of the deterioration state information of the secondary battery are automatically carried out by the charging device at the user's hand when starting the charging or discharging of the secondary battery. The charge / discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery is automatically released according to the deterioration state information of the secondary battery. Therefore, the user can easily determine whether the secondary battery can be reused without bringing the secondary battery to the manufacturer or the sales store, etc.

[0016] When the deterioration state information indicates that the secondary battery has deteriorated to the extent that it cannot be used, the control device may cause the secondary battery to store permanent charge / discharge prohibition information indicating that it is permanently in a charge / discharge prohibited state (second configuration).

[0017] The charging device according to the second configuration can set a secondary battery that has deteriorated to the point of being unusable to a permanent charge / discharge prohibited state. Thereby, for example, when a user attempts to charge or discharge the secondary battery with the charging device, the charging device can recognize that the secondary battery is in a permanent charge / discharge prohibited state without even acquiring and transmitting the internal state information and receiving the deterioration state information.

[0018] When the control device obtains permanent charge / discharge prohibition information from the secondary battery when starting charging or discharging of the secondary battery, it may be configured not to execute the process of obtaining internal state information (third configuration).

[0019] When the charging device according to the third configuration recognizes that the secondary battery is in a permanent charge / discharge prohibition state, it does not acquire the internal state information of the secondary battery. Therefore, the charging device does not transmit the internal state information, nor generate the deterioration state information of the secondary battery outside the charging device. Thus, it is possible to avoid unnecessary diagnosis for a secondary battery that has already entered the permanent charge / discharge prohibition state.

[0020] The charging device may be an electronic device in which the secondary battery is mounted and the secondary battery is used as a power source (fourth configuration).

[0021] The charging device according to the fourth configuration is the electronic device itself that uses the secondary battery as a power source. Such an electronic device often includes a wireless LAN module. When the electronic device includes a wireless LAN module, this wireless LAN module can be used as a communication device for transmitting and receiving the internal state information of the secondary battery. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a charging device equipped with a communication device separately from the electronic device using the secondary battery. Thereby, the user can be easily made to determine whether the secondary battery can be reused again without increasing the cost.

[0022] The internal state information may include terminal voltage information indicating the terminal voltage of the secondary battery. In this case, the control device can cause the charge / discharge circuit to perform intermittent discharge or intermittent charge of the secondary battery in order to acquire the terminal voltage information. The terminal voltage information can be used to generate open circuit voltage curve information indicating the relationship between the current integrated capacity of the secondary battery and the open circuit voltage of the secondary battery (fifth configuration).

[0023] The charging device according to the fifth configuration performs intermittent discharging or intermittent charging in order to acquire terminal voltage information of the secondary battery. If intermittent discharging or intermittent charging is adopted, there is no need to provide a circuit for variably controlling the charging current, a circuit for variably controlling the discharge load, etc. in the charging device in order to acquire the terminal voltage information. Therefore, the cost of the charging device can be further reduced. Further, in the case of intermittent discharging or intermittent charging, the voltage behavior of the secondary battery during the discharge or charge stop period can be observed. For example, in the charging device or an external server, detailed analysis of the degradation state regarding the resistance of the secondary battery can also be performed using this voltage behavior.

[0024] The charging device may further include a display device. The display device is configured to display, for example, degradation state information (sixth configuration).

[0025] The charging device according to the sixth configuration causes the display device to display the degradation state information of the secondary battery. For example, when the degradation state information includes degradation degree information indicating the degree of degradation of the secondary battery, the display device can notify the user of the degradation degree of the secondary battery. Further, by notifying the user of the degradation degree of the secondary battery, for example, when the degradation degree of the secondary battery is high and the secondary battery becomes unusable, it is possible to prevent the user from misunderstanding that it is a failure of the secondary battery. Therefore, the reliability of the user with respect to the secondary battery and the charging device is improved.

[0026] When the degradation state information includes degradation degree information indicating the degree of degradation of the secondary battery and the degree of degradation indicated by the degradation degree information is equal to or more than a predetermined degree of degradation, the control device may cause the secondary battery to store rapid charge / discharge prohibition information indicating that it is in a rapid charge / discharge prohibited state (seventh configuration).

[0027] The charging device according to the seventh configuration sets the secondary battery in a rapid charge / discharge prohibited state when the degradation degree of the secondary battery is equal to or more than a predetermined degradation degree. In this case, for example, when the user attempts to charge or discharge the secondary battery with the charging device, the charging device can be controlled not to perform rapid charge / discharge of the secondary battery, and the progress of degradation of the secondary battery can be delayed.

[0028] The server according to the embodiment is connected to a charging device via a network. The charging device is configured to obtain usage history information from the secondary battery when starting charging or discharging of the secondary battery. When the usage history information indicates that the secondary battery is in a charge / discharge prohibited state, the server receives internal state information indicating the internal state of the secondary battery, which is obtained by temporarily releasing the charge / discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery by the charging device, and diagnoses the deterioration state of the secondary battery based on the internal state information, generates deterioration state information indicating the deterioration state of the secondary battery, and is configured to execute a process of transmitting the deterioration state information to the outside (eighth configuration).

[0029] The server according to the eighth configuration generates deterioration state information of the secondary battery based on the internal state information of the secondary battery acquired by the charging device. That is, the charging device only acquires the internal state information, and the high-level or complex process of generating the deterioration state information is executed by a server outside the charging device. Therefore, the cost of the charging device does not substantially increase. In addition, the process of acquiring the internal state information that is the basis of the deterioration state information is automatically performed by the charging device in the user's hand when starting charging or discharging the secondary battery. Therefore, even if the user does not bring the secondary battery to the manufacturer, the seller, etc., the deterioration state information of the secondary battery is generated by the server that has received the internal state information directly or indirectly from the charging device. Based on the deterioration state information, the charging device can easily determine whether the secondary battery can be used again.

[0030] The diagnostic system according to the embodiment diagnoses the deterioration state of the secondary battery. The diagnostic system includes the above charging device and the above server (ninth configuration).

[0031] The diagnostic system may further include a user terminal. The user terminal is associated with a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged by the charging device. The user terminal can receive the deterioration state information from the server. The user terminal may display the deterioration state information (tenth configuration).

[0032] In the diagnostic system according to the tenth configuration, the degradation state information of the secondary battery is displayed on the user terminal. In this case, it is not necessary to provide a display device for displaying the degradation state information and notifying the user in the charging device. Therefore, the cost of the charging device can be reduced.

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding components in each figure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the same description will not be repeated.

[0034] <First Embodiment> [Configuration of Diagnostic System] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a diagnostic system 100 according to the first embodiment. The diagnostic system 100 is a system for diagnosing the degradation state of the secondary battery 10. The diagnostic system 100 includes a charging device 20, a server 30, and a user terminal 40.

[0035] (Secondary Battery) The secondary battery 10 is, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery. The lithium-ion secondary battery may be a lithium iron phosphate-based lithium-ion battery or a ternary lithium-ion battery. The type of the lithium-ion secondary battery is not particularly limited. The secondary battery 10 may be a secondary battery other than a lithium-ion secondary battery, such as a nickel-metal hydride battery. This embodiment will be described on the assumption that the secondary battery 10 is a lithium-ion secondary battery.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the secondary battery 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the secondary battery 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 11, a control board 12, a case 13, and a top cover 14.

[0037] A plurality of battery cells 11 are housed in a case 13. The battery cells 11 are connected in series or in parallel, for example, according to the required terminal voltage, capacity value, etc. The case 13 also houses a control board 12. The control board 12 is provided with a control circuit generally referred to as a battery management system (BMS). A top cover 14 seals the opening of the case 13 that houses the battery cells 11 and the control board 12. A plurality of terminals 15 are provided on the surface of the top cover 14.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an equivalent circuit of the secondary battery 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the secondary battery 10 is provided with a control IC 121 for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery cell 11. The control IC 121 is included in the BMS of the control board 12 (FIG. 2). The control IC 121 monitors the temperature of the battery cell 11 during charging or discharging by means of a thermistor 122. When the control IC 121 detects abnormal heat generation in the battery cell 11, it protects the battery cell 11, for example, by turning off a relay 123 to cut off the power supply.

[0039] The plurality of terminals 15 include a positive terminal 151, a negative terminal 152, and communication terminals 153, 154. The positive terminal 151 and the negative terminal 152 are terminals for energizing the secondary battery 10. The communication terminals 153, 154 are terminals for exchanging various information with the charging device 20 (FIG. 1). In the example of the present embodiment, the communication terminal 153 is used to transmit information to the charging device 20, and the communication terminal 154 is used to receive information from the charging device 20. That is, in the example of the present embodiment, the transmission communication terminal 153 and the reception communication terminal 154 are provided separately. However, in the secondary battery 10, information reception and transmission can also be performed using a common terminal.

[0040] (Charging device) Returning to FIG. 1, the charging device 20 is a device mainly for charging the secondary battery 10. The secondary battery 10 is attached to the charging device 20 during charging. The charging device 20 includes a charge and discharge circuit 21, a control device 22, and a communication device 23.

[0041] The charge and discharge circuit 21 is configured to charge and discharge the secondary battery 10. The charge and discharge circuit 21 may be a charge and discharge circuit provided in a general charging device. When the secondary battery 10 is attached to the charging device 20, the charge and discharge circuit 21 is electrically connected to the terminal 15 (FIG. 2) of the secondary battery 10.

[0042] The control device 22 is configured to control the charge and discharge circuit 21. Further, the control device 22 exchanges information with the secondary battery 10. The control device 22 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes processing (instructions) and a memory that stores instructions, information, etc. The control device 22 is, for example, a microcontroller (MCU).

[0043] The communication device 23 is configured to communicate with the outside of the charging device 20. The communication device 23 is typically a wireless communication device, for example, a wireless LAN module. The communication device 23 may be, for example, an RFID tag or the like.

[0044] The charging device 20 may further include lamps 24 and 25. The lamps 24 and 25 are, for example, LED lamps of different colors. The lamp 24 lights up when the secondary battery 10 attached to the charging device 20 is being charged. The lamp 25 lights up when the secondary battery 10 attached to the charging device 20 is not being charged.

[0045] (Server) The server 30 can be connected to the charging device 20 via the network N. The server 30 can receive information from the charging device 20 and can transmit information to the charging device 20. The server 30 may receive information directly from the charging device 20, or may receive the information after the information transmitted by the charging device 20 passes through the user terminal 40 or other devices. Also, the server 30 may transmit information directly to the charging device 20, or may cause the information to reach the charging device 20 via the user terminal 40 or other devices.

[0046] The server 30 can be connected to the user terminal 40 via the network N. The server 30 can transmit information to the user terminal 40. The server 30 may directly transmit information to the user terminal 40, or may cause the information to reach the user terminal 40 via the charging device 20 or other devices.

[0047] The server 30 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a main storage device (main memory), and an auxiliary storage device. The CPU executes processing according to a program loaded from the auxiliary storage device to the main memory. The main storage device is used as a work area for temporarily holding programs, information used by the CPU, calculation results by the CPU, and the like. The auxiliary storage device is, for example, an HDD, a flash memory, or a ROM, and stores programs and various information.

[0048] (User Terminal) The user terminal 40 is associated with the secondary battery 10. The user terminal 40 is a communication terminal owned by the user of the secondary battery 10. The user terminal 40 may be a portable communication terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The user may be, for example, a user who actually uses the secondary battery 10, or a sales store that sells the secondary battery 10.

[0049] [Diagnosis by Diagnostic System] Hereinafter, the diagnosis of the deterioration state performed by the diagnostic system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B. FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B are flowcharts of the deterioration state diagnosis by the diagnostic system 100. The flowcharts of FIGS. 4 and 5A mainly show the processing executed by the charging device 20. The flowchart of FIG. 5B includes the processing executed by the charging device 20, as well as the processing executed by the server 30 or the user terminal 40.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 4, when the secondary battery 10 is attached to the charging device 20 and the charging device 20 starts charging the secondary battery 10, the control device 22 first acquires usage history information from the secondary battery 10 (step S1). More specifically, the control device 22 receives the usage history information stored in the BMS from the secondary battery 10 and reads the usage history information.

[0051] When the charge and discharge of the secondary battery 10 have not been performed for a long time, the usage history information includes information indicating that the secondary battery 10 is in a charge and discharge prohibited state (primary locked state). The control device 22 of the charging device 20 determines whether the secondary battery 10 is in a charge and discharge prohibited state based on the usage history information (step S2). If the usage history information indicates that the secondary battery 10 is in a charge and discharge prohibited state (YES in step S2), the control device 22 starts the degradation state diagnosis mode. On the other hand, if it is determined from the usage history information that the secondary battery 10 is not in a charge and discharge prohibited state (NO in step S2), the control device 22 controls the charge and discharge circuit 21 to start a normal charging operation.

[0052] When a normal charging operation is started, the control device 22 turns on the lamp 24. When the degradation state diagnosis mode is started, the control device 22 turns on the lamp 25. The control device 22 may blink the lamp 25. Thereby, it is possible to notify the surroundings that the secondary battery 10 is in a charge and discharge prohibited state (primary locked state) and the degradation state diagnosis is being performed.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 5A, in the degradation state diagnosis mode, the control device 22 first temporarily releases the charge and discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery 10 (step S3). The control device 22 transmits, for example, information indicating the start of the degradation state diagnosis mode to the secondary battery 10. Thereby, the charge and discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery 10 is temporarily released, and the charge and discharge of the secondary battery 10 become possible.

[0054] The control device 22 causes the charge and discharge circuit 21 to charge or discharge the secondary battery 10 whose charge and discharge prohibition state has been temporarily released, thereby acquiring internal state information indicating the internal state of the secondary battery 10 (step S4). For example, the control device 22 determines whether to charge or discharge the secondary battery 10 according to the state of charge (SOC (%)) of the secondary battery 10. The control device 22 acquires the SOC of the secondary battery 10 and determines whether the SOC is equal to or greater than a predetermined value A (%) (step S41). The SOC indicates the ratio of the current integrated capacity remaining in the secondary battery 10 with the current integrated capacity of the secondary battery 10 at full charge being 100.

[0055] When the SOC is equal to or greater than the predetermined value A (YES in step S41), the control device 22 controls the charge and discharge circuit 21 to discharge the secondary battery 10. For example, the control device 22 causes the charge and discharge circuit 21 to perform intermittent discharge of the secondary battery 10 in order to acquire terminal voltage information indicating the terminal voltage of the secondary battery 10. First, the control device 22 measures and stores the voltage (terminal voltage) between the positive terminal 151 and the negative terminal 152 of the secondary battery 10 (step S42).

[0056] Subsequently, the control device 22 causes the secondary battery 10 to discharge at a predetermined current for a predetermined time (step S43). For example, the control device 22 causes the secondary battery 10 to discharge at 1C for one minute. Next, the control device 22 stops the discharge of the secondary battery 10 and waits for a predetermined time (step S44). For example, the control device 22 waits for 30 minutes with the discharge of the secondary battery 10 stopped.

[0057] After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 22 acquires the SOC of the secondary battery 10 and determines whether or not the SOC has reached a predetermined lower limit value B (%) (step S45). If the SOC is greater than the lower limit value B (NO in step S45), the control device 22 repeats the processes of steps S42 to S45. If the SOC has reached the lower limit value B (YES in step S45), the control device 22 passes the terminal voltage information including the values of the plurality of stored terminal voltages to the communication device 23, and the communication device 23 transmits the terminal voltage information to the server 30 (step S5). The terminal voltage information is included in the internal state information of the secondary battery 10. The terminal voltage information is used to generate the open circuit voltage (OCV) curve information of the secondary battery 10. The OCV curve information is information indicating the relationship between the current integrated capacity of the secondary battery 10 and the open circuit voltage of the secondary battery 10. The communication device 23 may directly transmit the internal state information to the server 30, or may indirectly transmit it via another device.

[0058] Here, the open circuit voltage curve (OCV curve) generated based on the terminal voltage information obtained by intermittent discharge will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the terminal voltage information obtained by steps S42 to S45, and FIG. 7 is an example of an OCV curve. The OCV curve is a curve with the current integrated capacity on the horizontal axis and the open circuit voltage (OCV) on the vertical axis. The horizontal axis may be the current integrated capacity value (mAh) itself of the secondary battery 10, or may be the ratio of the remaining capacity value to the current integrated capacity value at full charge, that is, the SOC (%). The OCV corresponds to the terminal voltage of the secondary battery 10 in a substantially no-load state. For example, if the secondary battery 10 is discharged at 1C for 1 minute in step S43, the terminal voltage drops as shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter, in step S44, the discharge of the secondary battery 10 is stopped, and the secondary battery 10 is left for, for example, 30 minutes, so that the fluctuation of the electrode potential due to the lithium ions that have moved inside each battery cell 11 during the discharge period in step S43 converges and the terminal voltage stabilizes. In step S42, the terminal voltage after stabilization is measured and stored.

[0059] For example, assuming that steps S42 to S45 are repeated N times, the SOC at the time of the k-th (k ≦ N) step S42 is slightly reduced compared to the SOC at the time of the (k - 1)-th step S42 because, for example, a discharge of 1 minute · 1C is performed in the (k - 1)-th step S43. The terminal voltage measured in the k-th step S42 also drops compared to the terminal voltage measured in the (k - 1)-th step S42 as the SOC decreases. Based on the terminal voltages obtained while repeating steps S42 to S45 and the current integrated capacity during the discharge period, an OCV curve as shown in FIG. 7 can be generated.

[0060] Returning to FIG. 5A, when the SOC is less than the predetermined value A (NO in step S41), the control device 22 controls the charge and discharge circuit 21 to charge the secondary battery 10. The control device 22 causes the charge and discharge circuit 21 to perform intermittent charging of the secondary battery 10, for example, in order to acquire the terminal voltage information of the secondary battery 10. First, the control device 22 measures and stores the terminal voltage of the secondary battery 10 (step S46).

[0061] Subsequently, the control device 22 charges the secondary battery 10 with a predetermined current for a predetermined time (step S47). For example, the control device 22 charges the secondary battery 10 at 1C for 1 minute. Next, the control device 22 stops charging the secondary battery 10 and waits for a predetermined time (step S48). For example, the control device 22 waits for 30 minutes with the charging of the secondary battery 10 stopped.

[0062] After the predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 22 acquires the SOC of the secondary battery 10 and determines whether the SOC has reached a predetermined upper limit value C (%) (step S49). If the SOC is less than the upper limit value C (NO in step S49), the control device 22 repeats the processes of steps S46 to S49. If the SOC has reached the upper limit value C (YES in step S49), the control device 22 passes the terminal voltage information including the values of the stored plurality of terminal voltages to the communication device 23, and the communication device 23 transmits the terminal voltage information to the server 30 (step S5).

[0063] Here, the OCV curve information generated based on the terminal voltage information obtained by intermittent charging will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the terminal voltage information obtained by steps S46 to S49, and FIG. 9 is an example of an OCV curve. In step S47, when the secondary battery 10 is charged at 1C for, for example, one minute, the terminal voltage rises as shown in FIG. 8. Thereafter, in step S48, the charging of the secondary battery 10 is stopped, and the secondary battery 10 is left for, for example, 30 minutes, so that the variation in the electrode potential due to the lithium ions that have moved inside each battery cell 11 during the charging period in step S47 converges, and the terminal voltage becomes stable. In step S46, the terminal voltage after stabilization is measured and stored.

[0064] For example, assuming that steps S46 to S49 are repeated N times, the SOC at the time of the k-th (k ≦ N) step S46 slightly increases compared to the SOC at the time of the (k - 1)-th step S46 because, for example, charging at 1C for one minute was performed in the (k - 1)-th step S47. The terminal voltage measured in the k-th step S46 also rises compared to the terminal voltage measured in the (k - 1)-th step S46 as the SOC slightly increases. Based on the terminal voltages obtained while repeating steps S46 to S49 and the current integrated capacity during the charging period, an OCV curve as shown in FIG. 9 can be generated.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 5B, the server 30 receives the internal state information of the secondary battery 10 transmitted by the charging device 20 (step S6). The server 30 diagnoses the degradation state of the secondary battery 10 based on the internal state information and generates degradation state information indicating the degradation state of the secondary battery 10 (step S7).

[0066] The internal state information includes the terminal voltage information of the secondary battery 10 collected by the charging device 20, the current information of the secondary battery 10 during intermittent discharge or intermittent charging, and the like. In step S7, the server 30 generates OCV curve information indicating the relationship between the current integrated capacity and the OCV of the secondary battery 10 based on the internal state information. However, the charging device 20 may also generate the OCV curve information. In this case, the server 30 receives the OCV curve information from the charging device 20.

[0067] The server 30 determines the degradation state of the secondary battery 10 based on the OCV curve information. For example, the server 30 stores in advance charge-discharge curve information indicating a plurality of charge-discharge curves (charge curve or discharge curve) corresponding to the degradation degree of the secondary battery 10. The server 30 can use this charge-discharge curve information to determine the degradation state of the secondary battery 10. FIG. 10 is an example of a model waveform of a discharge curve corresponding to the degradation degree. FIG. 11 is an example of a model waveform of a charge curve corresponding to the degradation degree. When the OCV curve information is generated based on the terminal voltage information obtained by intermittent discharge, the server 30, for example, compares the OCV curve with each model waveform illustrated in FIG. 10 and selects the model waveform closest to the OCV curve. When the OCV curve information is generated based on the terminal voltage information obtained by intermittent charging, the server 30, for example, compares the OCV curve with each model waveform illustrated in FIG. 11 and selects the model waveform closest to the OCV curve. The server 30 can, for example, set the degradation degree of the selected model waveform as the degradation degree of the secondary battery 10.

[0068] The server 30 can also determine the degradation state of the secondary battery 10 by analyzing the OCV curve information.

[0069] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the discharge curve of the secondary battery 10. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the charge curve of the secondary battery 10. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the shape of the charge-discharge curve of the secondary battery 10 is determined by the redox potentials of the charge-discharge reactions of the positive and negative electrode materials of the battery cell 11, and shows a voltage change characteristic of the materials. In the case of the secondary battery 10 in which deterioration is progressing, as the materials of the positive and / or negative electrodes change, the charge-discharge curve changes to a curve shape having the characteristics of the changed materials. For example, when the negative electrode composed of a graphite material deteriorates and the battery capacity decreases, in the charge-discharge curve, peaks of characteristic shape changes due to the stage structure change of graphite appear in the low SOC region or the high SOC region. Even if it is not a reaction such as the stage structure change of graphite, the charge-discharge curve shows a voltage change according to the characteristics of the redox reaction of the negative electrode. Similarly, the charge-discharge curve shows a voltage change according to the characteristics of the redox reaction of the positive electrode.

[0070] FIG. 14 is a model diagram showing the time evolution of the internal state of the secondary battery 10. In the model illustrated in FIG. 14, the capacity of the battery cell 11 of the secondary battery 10 initially decreases gently due to positive electrode factors, but decreases significantly from the point where negative electrode factors become dominant. After the potential shift between the positive and negative electrodes becomes the main cause of the capacity decrease, for example, cell swelling due to gas generation occurs, and deterioration of the secondary battery 10 is observed.

[0071] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing factors that cause the capacity of the battery cell 11 of the secondary battery 10 to decrease, that is, factors that cause the secondary battery 10 to deteriorate. As shown in FIG. 15, when the secondary battery 10 is used in a normal charge-discharge cycle (normal use), the main factor for capacity reduction is the deterioration of the positive electrode material. On the other hand, when the secondary battery 10 is left without being charged and discharged for a long time (left for a long time), in terms of the factors for capacity reduction, the proportion of deterioration of the negative electrode material increases compared to the case of normal use, or the deterioration of the negative electrode material or the potential shift between the positive electrode and the negative electrode becomes dominant. When the secondary battery 10 is a lithium-ion secondary battery, the deterioration of the negative electrode material is likely to be caused by lithium precipitation or the like, and tends to increase the risk of ignition or the like. Therefore, for example, the deterioration of the negative electrode material can be a material for determining or estimating the deterioration state of the secondary battery 10.

[0072] For example, information for determining or estimating the deterioration state of the secondary battery 10, such as deterioration of the electrode material, appears in the charge-discharge curve of the secondary battery 10 as described above. The server 30 can analyze the charge-discharge curve illustrated in FIG. 12 or FIG. 13, quantify the obtained information as information indicating the deterioration state of the secondary battery 10, and store it in advance. By analyzing in detail the OCV curve information generated using the internal state information, the server 30 can know how the changes in the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material due to the deterioration of the secondary battery 10 appear in the shape of the OCV curve. The server 30 can determine the deterioration state of the secondary battery 10, for example, by comparing the information on the analysis result of the OCV curve with the pre-stored information. The server 30 can also determine the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 10 based on the information on the analysis result of the OCV curve and the pre-stored information.

[0073] The server 30 can also determine the degradation state of the secondary battery 10, for example, by differentiating the OCV curve and detecting the slope. For example, as shown by the dashed lines in Figures 16 and 17, when the secondary battery 10 deteriorates, a sudden drop or rise in the terminal voltage occurs in a region where the remaining capacity of the secondary battery 10 is low. Also, for example, as shown by the dashed line in Figures 16 and 17, when the secondary battery 10 deteriorates, a sudden change in the slope of the OCV curve may occur. The server 30 can determine the degradation state of the secondary battery 10 based on such a slope of the OCV curve.

[0074] 5B again, the server 30 transmits the degradation state information of the secondary battery 10 generated in step S7 to the outside (step S8). The server 30 transmits the degradation state information of the secondary battery 10 to, for example, the charging device 20 and the user terminal 40. The degradation state information includes degradation level information indicating the degree of degradation of the secondary battery 10.

[0075] In the charging device 20, the communication device 23 receives the degradation state information. The control device 22 determines whether or not to release the charge / discharge inhibition state of the secondary battery 10 based on the degradation state information received by the communication device 23. The control device 22 determines whether or not the degradation state information indicates that the secondary battery 10 is in a degraded state that allows it to be used (step S9).

[0076] If the secondary battery 10 is in a deteriorated state that allows it to be used (YES in step S9), the control device 22 causes the secondary battery 10 to continuously release the charge / discharge inhibition state (primary lock state) (step S10). For example, if the deterioration level of the secondary battery 10 is equal to or lower than a predetermined deterioration level D1, the control device 22 causes the secondary battery 10 to release the charge / discharge inhibition state. Alternatively, if the deterioration state information generated by the server 30 includes information indicating that the secondary battery 10 is usable, the control device 22 causes the secondary battery 10 to release the charge / discharge inhibition state in accordance with this information.

[0077] The control device 22 transmits a command to the secondary battery 10 to release the charge / discharge inhibition state. In the secondary battery 10, the BMS rewrites the usage history information to release the charge / discharge inhibition state. This allows the secondary battery 10 to be used. The control device 22 controls the charge / discharge circuit 21 to start charging the secondary battery 10 (normal charging operation). In this case, the control device 22 turns off the lamp 25 indicating that the deterioration state diagnosis is in progress, and turns on the lamp 24 indicating that charging is in progress. This notifies the surroundings that the charge / discharge inhibition state of the secondary battery 10 has been continuously released.

[0078] If the secondary battery 10 is not in a deteriorated state to the extent that it can be used (NO in step S9), the control device 22 does not cause the secondary battery 10 to release the charge / discharge inhibition state. If the deterioration state information indicates that the secondary battery 10 is deteriorated to the extent that it cannot be used (NO in step S9), the control device 22 causes the secondary battery 10 to store, for example, permanent charge / discharge inhibition information indicating that the secondary battery 10 is in a permanent charge / discharge inhibition state (step S11). For example, the control device 22 may transmit a command to the secondary battery 10 to put it in a permanent charge / discharge inhibition state and cause the BMS to rewrite the usage history information to put the secondary battery 10 in a permanent charge / discharge inhibition state (permanently locked state). For example, the control device 22 notifies the surroundings that the secondary battery 10 cannot be used by switching the lamp 25, which has been flashing, to a constant light.

[0079] When the user terminal 40 receives the degradation state information of the secondary battery 10, it displays the degradation state information on its own display (step S12). The degradation state information displayed by the user terminal 40 includes degradation level information of the secondary battery 10. In addition to the degradation level information, the user terminal 40 may also display information on whether the secondary battery 10 is usable or not. The information displayed by the user terminal 40 is not particularly limited. For example, if the secondary battery 10 is in a permanently charge / discharge prohibited state, the user terminal 40 may display information to that effect.

[0080] [effect] In this embodiment, the charging device 20 only uses the charge and discharge circuit 21, which is also provided in conventional charging devices, to acquire the internal state information of the secondary battery 10, and the generation of the degradation state information of the secondary battery 10 is performed by the server 30. That is, the server 30 is burdened with a relatively advanced process of diagnosing the degradation state of the secondary battery 10, and the charging device 20 only performs relatively simple processes. Therefore, the cost of the charging device 20 does not substantially increase.

[0081] In this embodiment, the diagnosis of the degradation state of the secondary battery 10 (degradation state diagnosis mode) is automatically started simply by the user attaching the secondary battery 10, which has not been used for a long time, to the charging device 20. When the secondary battery 10 is in a degraded state where it can be used, the charging device 20 automatically releases the charge and discharge prohibition state of the secondary battery 10. Therefore, the user can easily determine whether the secondary battery can be used again without bringing the secondary battery 10 to the manufacturer, retailer, etc.

[0082] In this embodiment, when the secondary battery 10 is in a degraded state where it can be used, the charge and discharge prohibition state of the secondary battery 10 is released by the charging device 20, and the secondary battery 10 becomes usable. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the secondary battery 10, which has become in a charge and discharge prohibited state due to long-term neglect etc., from being discarded even though it is actually usable. Thus, the amount of waste of the secondary battery 10 can be reduced, and the environmental load can be alleviated.

[0083] In this embodiment, when it is determined as a result of the diagnosis that the secondary battery 10 is unusable, it is preferable for the charging device 20 to change the secondary battery 10 to a permanent charge and discharge prohibited state (permanent lock state). Thereby, for example, when the user attempts to charge or discharge the secondary battery 10 with the charging device 20, the charging device 20 can recognize that the secondary battery 10 is in a permanent charge and discharge prohibited state without having to measure the internal state of the secondary battery 10 and diagnose the degradation state. Therefore, it is possible to avoid unnecessary diagnosis regarding the degradation state of the secondary battery 10.

[0084] When the charging device 20 reads the usage history information of the BMS in step S2, for example, it can determine whether the usage history information contains information indicating that the secondary battery 10 is in a permanent charge / discharge prohibition state. When the secondary battery 10 is in a permanent charge / discharge prohibition state, the charging device 20 can end the process without shifting to the degradation state diagnosis mode or the normal charging operation. The charging device 20 may notify the user that the secondary battery 10 is in a permanent charge / discharge prohibition state by, for example, constantly lighting the lamp 25. The charging device 20 can also transmit information indicating the permanent charge / discharge prohibition state to the user terminal 40 through the communication device 23. In this case, the user terminal 40 can display, for example, a message indicating that the secondary battery 10 is in a permanent charge / discharge prohibition state on the display.

[0085] In this embodiment, the charging device 20 performs intermittent discharge or intermittent charging to obtain the terminal voltage information of the secondary battery 10. In this case, there is no need to provide the charging device 20 with a circuit for variably controlling the charging current, a circuit for variably controlling the discharge load, etc. to obtain the terminal voltage information. Therefore, the cost of the charging device 20 can be further reduced. Also, in the case of intermittent discharge or intermittent charging, the voltage behavior of the secondary battery 10 during the discharge or charge stop period can be observed. If the voltage behavior information of the secondary battery 10 is included in the internal state information, for example, at the server 30, a detailed analysis of the degradation state regarding the resistance of the secondary battery 10 can be performed using the voltage behavior information.

[0086] In this embodiment, the charging device 20 measures and stores the terminal voltage information until the SOC reaches the predetermined lower limit value B or until the SOC reaches the predetermined upper limit value C, and transmits all the terminal voltage information required for generating the OCV curve to the server 30 at once. However, the charging device 20 can also transmit the terminal voltage information required for generating the OCV curve in multiple portions. The charging device 20 may transmit the measured terminal voltage information in real time.

[0087] In this embodiment, when the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 10 is equal to or higher than a predetermined degree of deterioration D2 (D2 < D1), the control device 22 can cause the secondary battery 10 to store rapid charge / discharge prohibition information indicating that it is in a rapid charge / discharge prohibited state. For example, in step S10, the control device 22 can transmit a command to the secondary battery 10 to rewrite the usage history information so as to cancel the charge / discharge prohibited state, and can write in the usage history information that it is in the rapid charge / discharge prohibited state. In this case, for example, when the user attempts to charge or discharge the secondary battery 10 with the charging device 20, the control device 22 can control the charge / discharge circuit 21 so as not to perform rapid charge / discharge of the secondary battery 10. Therefore, the progress of deterioration of the secondary battery 10 can be delayed.

[0088] When the charging device 20 reads the usage history information and recognizes that the secondary battery 10 is in the rapid charge / discharge prohibited state, it may transmit information indicating that fact to the user terminal 40. In this case, the user terminal 40 can display, for example, a message indicating that the secondary battery 10 is in the rapid charge / discharge prohibited state on the display.

[0089] In this embodiment, the degree of deterioration information of the secondary battery 10 is displayed on the display of the user terminal 40. In this case, the user can recognize the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 10. Further, by notifying the user of the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 10, for example, when the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 10 is high and the secondary battery 10 becomes unusable, it is possible to prevent the user from misunderstanding that it is a failure of the secondary battery 10. Therefore, the reliability of the user with respect to the secondary battery 10 and the charging device 20 can be improved.

[0090] When causing the user terminal 40 to display deterioration state information including the degree of deterioration information of the secondary battery 10, it is not necessary to provide the charging device 20 with a display device for displaying the information. Therefore, the cost of the charging device 20 can be reduced.

[0091] <Second Embodiment> FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a diagnostic system 100A according to the second embodiment. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the charging device 20A includes a display device 26.

[0092] The diagnostic system 100A executes the same processing as the diagnostic system 100 according to the first embodiment. However, in the diagnostic system 100A, when the charging device 20A receives the deterioration state information of the secondary battery 10 from the server 30, the charging device 20A displays the deterioration state information on its own display device 26. The deterioration state information displayed on the display device 26 includes, for example, the degree of deterioration information of the secondary battery 10. In addition to the degree of deterioration information, the display device 26 may display the usability information of the secondary battery 10 and the like. The information displayed on the display device 26 is not particularly limited. For example, when the secondary battery 10 enters a permanent charge / discharge prohibition state or a rapid charge prohibition state, the display device 26 can also display information indicating that.

[0093] The deterioration state information of the secondary battery 10 may be displayed on the user terminal 40 (FIG. 1) in addition to the charging device 20A.

[0094] Even with the configuration of the diagnostic system 100A according to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the diagnostic system 100 according to the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0095] <Third Embodiment> FIGS. 19 and 20 are schematic diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a diagnostic system 100B according to the third embodiment. This embodiment is different from the above embodiments in that the charging device 20B is an electronic device.

[0096] The charging device 20B is an electronic device in which the secondary battery 10 is mounted and which uses the secondary battery 10 as a power source. In this embodiment, an example in which the charging device 20B is a digital camera will be described. However, the charging device 20B does not necessarily have to be a digital camera.

[0097] Although omitted in FIGS. 19 and 20, the charging device 20B, which is a digital camera, has a built-in circuit capable of charging the secondary battery 10 in the same manner as the charge and discharge circuit 21 described in the first embodiment. For example, an AC adapter cable 27 is connected to the charging device 20B, and the secondary battery 10 is charged inside the charging device 20B.

[0098] Although omitted in FIGS. 19 and 20, the charging device 20B has, for example, a charge and discharge control IC and a wireless LAN module built therein. This charge and discharge control IC and wireless LAN module can be respectively diverted as the control device 22 and the communication device 23 described in the first embodiment.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 20, since the charging device 20B is a digital camera, it is equipped with a liquid crystal monitor. This display can be diverted as the display device 26 described in the second embodiment. Similar to the second embodiment, when the charging device 20B receives the degradation state information of the secondary battery 10 from the server 30, the degradation state information is displayed on the display device 26. The degradation state information of the secondary battery 10 may be displayed not only on the charging device 20B but also on the user terminal 40 (FIG. 1).

[0100] The diagnostic system 100B according to this embodiment executes the same processes as the diagnostic systems 100 and 100A according to the above embodiment when a user tries to use a charging device 20B (digital camera) that has been left unused for a long time and charging or discharging of the secondary battery 10 is performed. When starting to charge or discharge the secondary battery 10, the charging device 20B acquires usage history information from the secondary battery 10 and performs a degradation state diagnosis mode or a normal charging or discharging operation. Even with the configuration of the diagnostic system 100B, the same effects as those of the diagnostic systems 100 and 100A according to the above embodiment can be achieved. Further, when the charging device 20B is an electronic device as in this embodiment, the charge / discharge control IC and the wireless LAN module originally built in the electronic device can be used as a control device 22 for acquiring internal state information of the secondary battery 10 and a communication device 23 for transmitting the internal state information. When the electronic device includes a monitor, this monitor can be used as a display device 26 for displaying the degradation state of the secondary battery 10. In this case, there is no need to prepare a charging device provided with a communication device and a display device separately from the charging device 20B as an electronic device using the secondary battery 10. Therefore, an increase in cost can be suppressed.

[0101] As described above, the embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit thereof.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the degradation state of the secondary battery 10 is diagnosed based on the OCV curve generated using the terminal voltage information. However, it is not always necessary to use the OCV curve for diagnosing the degradation state. For example, in the charging devices 20, 20A, and 20B, it is possible to obtain the terminal voltage information by performing charging or discharging while applying a load to the secondary battery 10. However, it is preferable that the charging or discharging of the secondary battery 10 be performed at as low a rate as possible. The server 30 can use the charge-discharge curve generated based on the terminal voltage information by the charging devices 20, 20A, 20B or the server 30 for diagnosing the degradation state. The diagnosis of the degradation state using such a charge-discharge curve can be performed in the same manner as the diagnosis of the degradation state using the OCV curve.

[0103] The internal state information of the secondary battery 10 acquired by the charging devices 20, 20A, 20B may not include the terminal voltage information. For example, the charging devices 20, 20A, 20B can also acquire internal resistance information indicating the internal resistance of the secondary battery 10 as the internal state information. The charging devices 20, 20A, 20B apply, for example, alternating currents with different frequencies (for example, 0.1 Hz to 5.0 kHz) to the secondary battery 10, measure the alternating voltage and alternating current of the secondary battery 10 for each frequency, and calculate the impedance for each frequency based on this alternating voltage and alternating current. The charging devices 20, 20A, 20B can transmit the impedance information of the secondary battery 10 to the server 30 as the internal resistance information. However, the calculation of the impedance may also be executed by the server 30.

[0104] The server 30 can calculate the life of the secondary battery 10 based on the impedance information of the secondary battery 10. The server 30 can include the calculated life information in the degradation state information of the secondary battery 10.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0105] 100, 100A, 100B: Diagnostic system 10: Secondary battery 20, 20A, 20B: Charging device 21: Charge-discharge circuit 22: Control device 23: Communication device 26: Display device 30: Server 40: User terminal N: Network

Claims

1. A charging device for a secondary battery, comprising: A charge and discharge circuit configured to charge and discharge the secondary battery; A control device configured to control the charge and discharge circuit; A communication device configured to communicate with the outside; The control device, when starting to charge or discharge the secondary battery, Performs a process of acquiring usage history information from the secondary battery, When the usage history information indicates that the secondary battery is in a charge and discharge prohibited state, Performs a process of temporarily releasing the charge and discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery, By causing the charge and discharge circuit to charge or discharge the secondary battery whose charge and discharge prohibited state has been temporarily released, Performs a process of acquiring internal state information indicating the internal state of the secondary battery; The communication device, Performs a process of transmitting the internal state information to the outside, Performs a process of receiving, from the outside, deterioration state information indicating the deterioration state of the secondary battery generated based on the internal state information; When the deterioration state information indicates that the secondary battery is in a deteriorated state where it can be used, The control device continuously releases the charge and discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery.

2. The charging device according to claim 1, Wherein, when the deterioration state information indicates that the secondary battery is deteriorated to an extent that it cannot be used, The control device causes the secondary battery to store permanent charge and discharge prohibition information indicating a permanently charge and discharge prohibited state.

3. The charging device according to claim 2, Wherein, when the control device acquires the permanent charge and discharge prohibition information from the secondary battery when starting to charge or discharge the secondary battery, The control device is configured not to execute the process of acquiring the internal state information.

4. The charging device according to claim 1, Wherein the charging device is an electronic device in which the secondary battery is mounted and the secondary battery is used as a power source.

5. The charging device according to claim 1, Wherein the internal state information indicates the terminal voltage of the secondary battery and includes terminal voltage information used to generate open circuit voltage curve information indicating the relationship between the current integrated capacity of the secondary battery and the open circuit voltage of the secondary battery, The control device causes the charge and discharge circuit to perform intermittent discharge or intermittent charge of the secondary battery in order to acquire the terminal voltage information.

6. The charging device according to claim 1, further comprising: A display device configured to display the deterioration state information, A charging device comprising the same.

7. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the control device includes deterioration degree information indicating the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery in the deterioration state information, and when the degree of deterioration indicated by the deterioration degree information is equal to or greater than a predetermined degree of deterioration, the control device causes the secondary battery to store rapid charge / discharge prohibition information indicating that the secondary battery is in a rapid charge / discharge prohibited state.

8. A diagnostic system for diagnosing the deterioration state of a secondary battery, comprising the charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and a server connected via a network to the charging device configured to acquire the usage history information from the secondary battery when starting charging or discharging of the secondary battery, wherein the server performs a process of receiving the internal state information indicating the internal state of the secondary battery, which is obtained by temporarily releasing the charge / discharge prohibited state of the secondary battery by the charging device when the usage history information indicates that the secondary battery is in a charge / discharge prohibited state, a process of diagnosing the deterioration state of the secondary battery based on the internal state information and generating deterioration state information indicating the deterioration state of the secondary battery, and a process of transmitting the deterioration state information to the outside. A diagnostic system configured to execute the above processes.

9. The diagnostic system according to claim 8, further comprising a user terminal associated with a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged by the charging device, receiving the deterioration state information from the server, and displaying the deterioration state information. A diagnostic system comprising the same. ​

Citation Information

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