Information processing device, information processing method, program, and information processing system

Abstract

To provide an information processor or the like for allowing more reliable traceability of an active material of a secondary battery for recycling.SOLUTION: An information processor includes an acquisition part and a registration part. The acquisition part acquires first information by associating an active material with an isotope ratio of a constituent element of the active material in one of processes of recycling the active material of a secondary battery. The registration part registers the acquired first information in a block chain.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, attempts have been made to recycle the active materials that constitute secondary batteries. In a related example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for recovering metals used in secondary batteries. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-149889 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] To realize a sustainable society, it is not only desirable to develop technologies for the recycling process itself, but also necessary to properly manage the recycled materials. However, the process of recycling the active materials of secondary batteries usually involves various treatments, and the shape of the active materials is easily changed, so that management can be difficult.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an information processing device and the like that can more reliably ensure the traceability of active materials in secondary batteries when the active materials are recycled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device. The information processing device includes an acquisition unit and a registration unit. The acquisition unit acquires, in any step of a recycling process for an active material of a secondary battery, the active material and the isotope ratios of the constituent elements of the active material in association with each other as first information. The registration unit registers the acquired first information in a blockchain.

[0007] According to the above aspect, an information processing device or the like is provided that can ensure the traceability of an active material of a secondary battery more reliably when the active material is recycled. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an information processing system 100. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a functional block diagram showing functions of the information processing device 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using the information processing device 1 and the like. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of a display screen displayed on the information processing device 1. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing an example of first information registered by the information processing device 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a step of determining authenticity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0010] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0011] In this embodiment, the term "unit" may also include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, this embodiment handles various types of information, which may be represented by, for example, physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltages and currents, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations may be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0012] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0013] 1. Hardware Configuration In this section, a hardware configuration of the information processing system 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0014] In this embodiment, the information processing system 100 includes a plurality of information processing devices and a BC system 3 (BC = Blockchain; hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "blockchain") that can communicate with each of the plurality of information processing devices. As an example, the information processing system 100 includes a communication line 2, a BC system 3, an information processing device 1, an information processing device 4, and an information processing device 5. The communication line 2 includes the Internet and the like, and mediates data exchange between devices connected to the line. The BC system 3 manages various information in a distributed manner using a blockchain mechanism.

[0015] The BC system 3 comprises a plurality of node devices connected to each other via a P2P network (P2P = Peer to Peer). For example, the BC system 3 divides various transaction information into blocks of a certain capacity and generates a blockchain by arranging and connecting these blocks in order. The BC system 3 assigns each block a hash value of the previous block and distributes and stores the generated blockchain among a plurality of node devices. Transactions are recorded in the blockchain by a plurality of node devices (which may be referred to as "miners") connected to the P2P network. The BC system 3 may be of any of a public, private, or consortium type. Furthermore, the unit of data may not be a block, but may be an individual transaction.

[0016] The information processing device 1 is a device owned by a business that performs any step in the recycling process of the active material of a secondary battery, and is used to acquire and register the first information described below. Similarly, the information processing device 4 and the information processing device 5 are also devices owned by a business that performs any step in the recycling process of the active material of a secondary battery, but in this embodiment, the information processing device 4 is a device that is installed upstream (pre-process) of the information processing device 1 in the recycling process of the active material of a secondary battery, and the information processing device 5 is a device that is installed downstream (post-process) of the information processing device 1 in the recycling process of the active material of a secondary battery.

[0017] 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 has a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an input unit 13, a display unit 14, and a communication unit 15, and is configured by electrically connecting these units via a communication bus 10. 2 shows a state in which the communication unit 15 of the information processing device 1 is connected to an analytical instrument 50 and a printer 60. Each unit included in the information processing device 1 will be described below.

[0018] (Control unit 11) The control unit 11 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 11 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 1 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 12. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 12 is specifically realized by the control unit 11, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 11. These will be described in more detail in the next section. Note that the control unit 11 is not limited to being single, and the device may be implemented with multiple control units 11 for each function. A combination of these may also be used.

[0019] (Storage unit 12) The memory unit 12 stores various pieces of information defined above. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs and the like related to the information processing device 1 executed by the control unit 11, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the program operations. The memory unit 12 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the information processing device 1 executed by the control unit 11.

[0020] (Input section 13) The input unit 13 may be included in the housing of the information processing device 1 or may be externally attached. For example, the input unit 13 may be implemented as a touch panel integrated with the display unit 14. The touch panel allows the user to input tapping, swiping, and the like. Of course, a switch button, a mouse, a QWERTY keyboard, or the like may be used instead of the touch panel. That is, the input unit 13 accepts an operation input made by the user. The input is transferred as a command signal to the control unit 11 via the communication bus 10, and the control unit 11 can execute predetermined control or calculation as necessary.

[0021] (Display section 14) The display unit 14 may be, for example, included in the housing of the information processing device 1 or may be externally attached. The display unit 14 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by selectively using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and a plasma display depending on the type of the information processing device 1.

[0022] (Communications Department 15) The communication unit 15 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the information processing device 1 to external components. The communication unit 15 is also configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from the external components to the information processing device 1. Note that the communication unit 15 may have a network communication function, which allows various pieces of information to be communicated between the information processing device 1 and external devices via the communication line 2.

[0023] An analytical instrument 50 and a printer 60 are connected to the information processing device 1 via the communication unit 15.

[0024] The analytical instrument 50 is an instrument capable of measuring the isotope ratio of an active material, and its specifications can be appropriately selected depending on the object to be measured. Typically, the analytical instrument 50 may be an isotope ratio mass spectrometer, an isotope ratio infrared spectrometer, or the like. The printer 60 is a device capable of producing desired printed matter, and may be any known device. Typically, the printer 60 is an inkjet printer or a laser printer.

[0025] In addition, although not shown, a camera, scanner, reader, or the like capable of reading codes, etc. may be attached to the information processing device 1. The camera, scanner, or reader may be included in the housing of the information processing device 1 or may be externally attached.

[0026] Although not shown, the information processing device 4 and the information processing device 5 may also have the same hardware configuration as the above-described information processing device 1. The information processing device 4 and the information processing device 5 may also have the functions described in Section 2 below, but the description thereof will not be repeated in this specification.

[0027] 2. Functional configuration In this section, the functional configuration of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the information processing device 1. As described above, information processing by software (stored in the storage unit 12) is specifically realized by hardware (control unit 11), and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 11.

[0028] Specifically, the information processing device 1 (control unit 11) has, as its functional units, an acquisition unit 111, a registration unit 112, a determination unit 113, a notification unit 114, a calculation unit 115, a display control unit 116, and a print control unit 117.

[0029] (Acquisition part 111) The acquisition unit 111 is configured to be able to execute an acquisition step. In the acquisition step, the acquisition unit 111 is configured to be able to acquire information via the communication unit 15 or the storage unit 12 and read the information into the working memory. In particular, the acquisition unit 111 associates the active material with the isotope ratio of the constituent elements of the active material in any step of the recycling process of the active material of a secondary battery and acquires this as first information. During this acquisition, the acquisition unit 111 is typically configured to acquire various information (analysis data, etc.) from the analytical instrument 50 via the communication unit 15. The acquisition unit 111 is also configured to acquire various information from the information processing device 4 and the information processing device 5 via the communication line 2 and the communication unit 15. In this embodiment, the various information transmitted and received via the communication unit 15 is described as being stored in the storage unit 12.

[0030] (Registration Unit 112) The registration unit 112 is configured to be able to execute a registration step. In the registration step, the registration unit 112 transmits various pieces of information to the BC system 3, thereby registering the transmitted information in the blockchain. In particular, the registration unit 112 registers the acquired first information in the blockchain. Note that the pieces of information to be registered in the blockchain may be written in the same token, or may be written in different tokens.

[0031] (Judgment unit 113) The determination unit 113 is configured to be able to execute a determination step. In the determination step, the determination unit 113 determines the authenticity of the first information based on the isotope ratio registered as the first information and reference information related to the isotope ratios of the constituent elements. The specific method for this determination will be described later.

[0032] (Notification Department 114) The notification unit 114 is configured to be able to execute a notification step. In the notification step, when the notification unit 114 determines that the first information is not authentic, it notifies one or more recycling businesses. This notification can be performed by various methods, for example, by displaying visual information recognizable by the one or more recycling businesses on the information processing device 1 or the like, or by outputting a sound recognizable by the one or more recycling businesses on the information processing device 1 or the like.

[0033] (Computation unit 115) The calculation unit 115 is configured to be able to execute a calculation step. In the calculation step, the calculation unit 115 calculates an isotope ratio related to the reference information. Note that the isotope ratio related to this reference information is calculated based on the isotope half-life of the constituent elements, and specific aspects will be described later.

[0034] (Display control unit 116) The display control unit 116 is configured to be able to execute a display control step. In the display control step, the display control unit 116 displays various pieces of information stored in the storage unit 12 or screens containing such information in a visible manner. Specifically, the display control unit 116 controls the display unit 14 of the information processing device 1 to display visual information such as screens, images, icons, and messages. The display control unit 116 may generate only rendering information for displaying the visual information on the information processing device 1.

[0035] (Print control unit 117) The print control unit 117 is configured to be able to execute a print control step. In the print control step, the print control unit 117 controls the printer 60 connected to the information processing device 1 to print a predetermined printed matter. Specifically, the print control unit 117 controls the printer 60 to issue a code or the like including the first information.

[0036] 3. Details of data processing In Section 3, an information processing method executed by the information processing device 1 and the like will be described with reference to an activity diagram and the like.

[0037] (Applicable to) First, we will explain the application of the information processing device 1 of this embodiment. The information processing device 1 of this embodiment is used in any step in the process of recycling the active material of a secondary battery, and this active material can be appropriately selected from known materials. That is, the active material to be applied may be either a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material, but in this embodiment, the case where the active material to be applied is a positive electrode active material will be described. Examples of negative electrode active materials include carbon-based negative electrode active materials such as graphite, mesocarbon microbeads, and carbon black; negative electrode active materials containing silicon (Si) or tin (Sn) as a constituent element; negative electrode active materials composed of lithium metal; and negative electrode active materials composed of lithium-containing transition metal oxides such as lithium titanate.

[0038] The positive electrode active material to which the information processing device 1 of this embodiment is applied includes, for example, a lithium-containing compound. More specifically, examples of the positive electrode active material include composite oxides with a layered structure such as LiCoO2 and LiNiO2, composite oxides with a spinel structure such as Li2NiMn3O8 and LiMn2O4, and composite compounds with an olivine structure such as LiFePO4.

[0039] Among these, it is preferable that the positive electrode active material to be applied to the information processing device 1 of this embodiment contains LiFePO4. This LiFePO4 not only has excellent properties as a positive electrode material for secondary batteries, but also has social significance in that it does not contain conflict minerals such as cobalt. Therefore, there is a great social demand for recycling this LiFePO4. Furthermore, as will be described later, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment associates the active material with the isotope ratio of the constituent elements of the active material, acquires this acquired first information in a blockchain, and registers this acquired first information in a blockchain. However, since the phosphorus element that constitutes LiFePO4 can have many isotopes, this has the advantage of making it easier to ensure traceability when recycling. Hereinafter, the explanation will be continued based on an example in which the information processing device 1 and the like of this embodiment handle LiFePO4.

[0040] (Recycling process) Although there are no particular limitations on the recycling process to which the information processing device 1 of this embodiment can be applied, when recycling the above-mentioned LiFePO4, for example, the following steps (S1) to (S8) are performed. Note that after using the secondary battery cell remanufactured in step (S8), the used secondary battery cell can be subjected to step (S1) again. In addition, other steps (transportation, inspection, etc.) not shown below may be performed between each step.

[0041] (S1) Collect used secondary battery cells. (S2) Discharge processing of the secondary battery cell is performed. (S3) Dismantle and separate the secondary battery cells. (S4) Roasting the secondary battery cells. (S5) The roasted secondary battery cells are crushed. (S6) The crushed material is physically and chemically separated to recover the active material (LiFePO4). (S7) The recovered active material (LiFePO4) is fired. (S8) Remanufacture a secondary battery cell from the sintered active material (LiFePO4).

[0042] These steps may be performed by a single business entity, but are preferably performed by two or more business entities. The information processing device 1 of this embodiment is preferable in that it facilitates traceability when the recycling process is performed by two or more business entities. The overall recycling process is not limited to this, and can be set appropriately depending on the type and characteristics of the active material.

[0043] (Information processing flow) The flow of information processing performed by the information processing device 1 etc. of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 etc. Fig. 4 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using the information processing device 1 etc. As described above, the information processing system 100 of this embodiment may include information processing device 4 and information processing device 5 in addition to information processing device 1. Information processing device 4 is a device that is installed upstream (pre-process) of information processing device 1 in the process of recycling active materials of secondary batteries, and information processing device 5 is a device that is installed downstream (post-process) of information processing device 1 in the process of recycling active materials of secondary batteries. Below, the flow of information processing will be described assuming that information processing device 1, information processing device 4, and information processing device 5 are owned by different business entities.

[0044] First, an upstream business entity that owns information processing device 4 acquires first information about the active material that it has handled and registers this information in BC system 3 (activities A101-A102). At this time, the business entity also acquires a code for identifying the registered information and affixes a sticker or the like with this code printed on it to the exterior packaging of the active material to be shipped. This flow is the same as that of activities A105 to A106, which will be described later, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0045] The business entity that owns the information processing device 1 that has acquired the active material from the upstream business entity that owns the information processing device 4 first acquires first information at the time of warehousing and registers it in the BC system 3 (activities A103 to A104). This first information is acquired, for example, via a display screen displayed on the information processing device 1. FIG. 5 is an example of a display screen displayed on the information processing device 1.

[0046] 5 is a screen displayed on the information processing device 1 by the display control unit 116, and a business entity that owns the information processing device 1 that comes into contact with this screen can attempt to register the inventory of an active material by pressing button BT1 by a click operation or the like. Typically, pressing this button BT1 activates a camera or scanner provided in the information processing device 1, making it possible to read a code displayed on a sticker attached to the exterior packaging or the like of the active material.

[0047] That is, by reading the code, the information processing device 1 can manage the lot, etc., of the stored active material. In addition, by pressing button BT2 as an inspection at the time of storage, isotope ratio measurement can be performed. That is, by pressing button BT2 on the display screen D, the analytical instrument 50 connected to the information processing device 1 is started, and the isotope ratio of the stored active material can be measured.

[0048] In other words, the business entity that owns the information processing device 1 can use this analytical instrument 50 to measure the isotope ratio of the constituent elements of the active material at the time of storage and register this in the BC system 3, thereby managing the traceability, authenticity, etc. of the stored items.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the first information registered by the information processing device 1. That is, the measured isotope ratios of the constituent elements of the active material are linked to the registering company (business entity), the registration step (whether it was at the time of entry or exit), the lot, and the registration date, and are treated as part of the first information. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the isotope ratios of the constituent elements acquired by the acquisition unit 111 are the isotope ratios of multiple constituent elements, and the acquisition unit 111 acquires the isotope ratios for each of the lithium element and the phosphorus element. That is, although the first information shown in FIG. 6 relates to LiFePO4, the phosphorus element constituting this compound can have multiple isotopes, which makes it easier to ensure traceability during recycling. The constituent element to be measured may be a single element (for example, either lithium or phosphorus). The isotope of the constituent element to be measured may be either an artificial radioisotope or a natural radioisotope. In addition, when the active material to be managed does not correspond to LiFePO4, the element to be measured may be set according to the purpose, and the number of elements to be measured may be one or more. Furthermore, even when the active material to be managed is LiFePO4, it is also possible to adopt a mode in which elements other than lithium and phosphorus (typically iron and oxygen) are managed. The first information registered in this manner may be viewed by pressing button BT5 on the display screen D in Fig. 5. That is, the display control unit 116 of the information processing device 1 may display a screen displaying the first information in response to a user request to display the first information.

[0050] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 verifies the authenticity of the registration information when registering the activity A104. 判定 That is, the determination unit 113 can determine the authenticity of the first information from the registered isotope ratios and reference information related to the isotope ratios of the constituent elements.

[0051] This process of determining authenticity will be explained using Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the steps of determining authenticity.

[0052] 7, the horizontal axis of the graph represents time T, and the vertical axis represents the isotope ratio M of an isotope of a certain element. In other words, when a constituent element can contain isotopes with isotope half-lives, the calculation unit 115 calculates the theoretical isotope ratio M at a certain point in time. the Furthermore, when registering the first information, the determination unit 113 determines whether the isotope ratio of the constituent elements of the measured active material is equal to or smaller than this theoretical isotope ratio M the That is, in this information processing step, the determination unit 113 determines the threshold value (upper limit isotope ratio M max and lower limit isotope ratio M min ) is set, and the isotope ratio of the constituent elements of the measured active material is within the upper limit of the isotope ratio M max If the lower limit of the isotope ratio M min If it does not meet this requirement, it will be deemed to be inauthentic. More specifically, when the timing of registering the first information is defined as time T1, the upper limit isotope ratio M 1max and lower limit isotope ratio M 1min The authenticity of the first information is determined based on the above-mentioned reference information. max and lower limit isotope ratio M min Based on this reference information, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment can determine the authenticity.

[0053] Furthermore, when it is determined that the registered first information is not authentic, the notification unit 114 of the information processing device 1 notifies one or more businesses that carry out recycling. This notification may be sent to the information processing device 1, the information processing device 4, or both. It is also possible to send notifications to all businesses that own hardware that may constitute the information processing system 100. This notification may be based on visual information or auditory information.

[0054] The business entity that owns the information processing device 1 that registered the first information at the time of warehousing in this way performs the processing that it should perform in the active material recycling process. After performing the processing, it again acquires the first information about the processed active material and registers it in the BC system 3 (activities A105 to A106).

[0055] This information processing is performed via the display screen D in Fig. 5. That is, by pressing the button BT3 displayed on the screen of the information processing device 1, the analytical instrument 50 can be started, thereby measuring the isotope ratio of the active material after the processing, and this can be registered in the BC system 3 as first information.

[0056] In addition to the first information described above, in this activity A106, the content of the processing performed by the business entity that owns the information processing device 1 may also be registered in the BC system 3. The content of this processing may be referred to as second information. This second information may include the conditions of the processing, the person who performed the processing, time information related to the processing, etc.

[0057] After registration in the BC system 3, the processed active material is shipped to the downstream business entity that owns the information processing device 5. At this time, button BT4 is pressed to issue a printout displaying a predetermined code. That is, by pressing button BT4 displayed on the screen of the information processing device 1, the print control unit 117 starts the printer 60, and a code linked to at least a portion of the first information related to the processed active material can be issued. This code can be set from among known codes and may be either a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code, but a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) is preferable because of the large amount of information that can be managed.

[0058] The business entity that owns the information processing device 1 that registered the first information in the BC system 3 ships the processed active material to the business entity that owns the information processing device 5. The business entity that owns the received information processing device 5 simply executes activities A107 to A110, which are similar to activities A103 to A106. The active material processed by the business entity that owns the information processing device 5 is shipped to the business entity that performs the subsequent process (the business entity that owns the information processing device 4 is shown as an example in the activity diagram of FIG. 4), and in this case too, by performing a similar activity as the process of activity A111, a recycling process with more reliable traceability is achieved.

[0059] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the active material of a secondary battery is recycled, the traceability of the active material can be more reliably ensured.

[0060] 4. Variations In Section 4, a modified example of the information processing method of the information processing device 1 and the like will be described.

[0061] The above embodiment has been described as a configuration of the information processing device 1, but a program that causes a computer to function as each part of the information processing device may be provided.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the acquisition unit 111, registration unit 112, judgment unit 113, notification unit 114, calculation unit 115, display control unit 116, and printing control unit 117 are described as functional units realized by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1, but at least some of these may also be implemented as functional units realized by the control unit of each node device that constitutes the BC system 3.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the calculation unit 115 calculates a threshold value for determining authenticity and uses this as reference information. However, the reference information is not limited to a database or a lookup table, but may be a mathematical model that mathematically relates multiple pieces of information, or a trained model that has previously been machine-learned to determine the correlation between multiple pieces of information.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) is attached to the packaging of the active material to be shipped, but instead of this two-dimensional code, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag can be used. That is, an NFC tag can be attached to the packaging of the active material to be shipped, and the receiving entity can read this tag using an NFC reader.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 1 is applied to a recycling process for LiFePO4 as a positive electrode active material. However, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment can also be applied to a recycling process for a negative electrode active material. For example, if the negative electrode active material is a carbon material such as carbon black, the isotope ratio included in the first information is 12 C and 13 It may also be related to C. 14 C 13 C as a managed object, and 14 You can also add C to the list of managed devices.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, when the determination unit 113 determines that the first information is not authentic, a notification is made by the notification unit 114. However, the determination of whether the first information is authentic may be made by a unit other than the determination unit 113 of the information processing device 1. For example, a separate determination device connected to the information processing device 1 via the communication line 2 may be provided as part of the information processing system 100, and the notification unit 114 may function based on the determination result of this determination device.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, the first information is acquired and registered at each of the multiple business entities, but the acquisition and registration of the first information may be performed within a single business entity. In other words, the information processing system 100 of this embodiment can be constructed by distributing information processing devices between factories or processes within a single business entity.

[0068] <Other> Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects. In the information processing device, the isotope ratios of the constituent elements acquired by the acquisition unit are isotope ratios of a plurality of types of constituent elements. In the data processing device, the active material includes a lithium element-containing compound. In the data processing device, the active material includes LiFePO4. In the information processing device, the acquisition unit acquires isotope ratios for at least each of lithium element and phosphorus element of the active material. The information processing device further comprises a judgment unit, wherein the judgment unit judges authenticity of the first information based on the isotope ratio registered as the first information and reference information regarding the isotope ratios of the constituent elements. The information processing device further includes a notification unit, which notifies one or more recycling businesses when it determines that the first information is not authentic. The information processing device further includes a calculation unit that calculates an isotope ratio related to the reference information, wherein the isotope ratio related to the reference information is calculated based on isotope half-lives of the constituent elements. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, which, in any step in a process of recycling active material of a secondary battery, associates the active material with the isotope ratio of the constituent elements of the active material, obtains the associated information as first information, and registers the obtained first information in a blockchain. A program for causing a computer to function as each part of the information processing device. An information processing system comprising a plurality of information processing devices and a blockchain capable of communicating with each of the plurality of information processing devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of information processing devices is the information processing device. Of course, this is not the case.

[0069] Finally, while various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such embodiments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the accompanying claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1: Information processing equipment 2: Communication line 3:BC system 4: Information processing equipment 5: Information processing equipment 10: Communication bus 11: Control section 12: Storage section 13: Input section 14:Display section 15: Communications Department 50:Analytical equipment 60: Printer 100: Information Processing Systems 111: Acquisition Department 112: Registration Department 113: Judgment section 114: Notification Department 115: Arithmetic section 116: Display control unit 117: Printing control unit BT1~BT5: Buttons D:Display screen

Claims

1. An information processing device, An acquisition unit and a registration unit, the acquisition unit acquires, in any step of a recycling process of an active material of a secondary battery, the active material and an isotope ratio of a constituent element of the active material in association with each other as first information; The registration unit registers the acquired first information in a blockchain.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The isotope ratios of the constituent elements acquired by the acquisition unit are isotope ratios of a plurality of types of constituent elements.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, The active material includes a lithium-containing compound.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, The active material is LiFePO ４ An information processing device comprising:

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4, The acquisition unit acquires isotope ratios of at least lithium and phosphorus of the active material.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 1, Further, a determination unit is provided, The determination unit determines authenticity of the first information based on the isotope ratio registered as the first information and reference information related to the isotope ratios of the constituent elements.

7. 7. The information processing device according to claim 6, It also has a notification section, The information processing device, wherein the notification unit notifies one or more recycling businesses when it determines that the first information is not authentic.

8. 8. The information processing device according to claim 6, Further, a calculation unit is provided, The information processing device, wherein the calculation unit calculates an isotope ratio related to the reference information, wherein the isotope ratio related to the reference information is calculated based on isotope half-lives of the constituent elements.

9. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, In any step of a process for recycling an active material of a secondary battery, the active material is associated with an isotope ratio of a constituent element of the active material and acquired as first information; An information processing method, comprising: registering the acquired first information in a blockchain.

10. A program, A program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. An information processing system, A system including a plurality of information processing devices and a blockchain capable of communicating with each of the plurality of information processing devices, 9. An information processing system, wherein at least one of the plurality of information processing devices is the information processing device according to claim 1.

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