Battery rental system, battery station management server and operation method thereof

Abstract

A battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification may include a communication unit that receives a battery rental request for a battery managed by a user's battery station, an authentication unit that determines whether the battery rental request is approved, and an information management unit that stores battery information about the battery and user information about the user using a smart contract, and if the battery rental request is approved, manages battery rental information including the battery information and the user information using the smart contract.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0058639, filed on May 12, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a battery rental system, a battery station management server, and a method of operation thereof. [Background technology]

[0003] A battery station has one or more batteries. Battery users can rent a battery from the battery station and return it to the battery station after use. The rental records for batteries managed by the battery station are managed by a management server connected via a wired or wireless network. As the range of battery usage expands to include auxiliary batteries for mobile phones, electric scooter batteries, electric bicycle batteries, etc., the range of battery rental businesses run by battery stations is also expanding.

[0004] Batteries used at battery stations are becoming more standardized in terms of capacity and size. As batteries become more standardized, users may rent and return batteries at battery stations of different companies. For example, a user may rent a battery from a battery station of company A and then return the rented battery to a battery station of company B. As users repeatedly rent and return batteries in this way, each company's battery station will have a mixture of its own batteries and batteries from other companies. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although the battery station records battery rental data via a wired or wireless network, there is a high possibility that the battery may be lost due to the loss of specific details of the data. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly determine whether the battery is lost.

[0006] When battery stations from several companies share batteries, the batteries become mixed up, which increases the chance of losing batteries.

[0007] The matters described in the Background Art of the Invention and the Problems to be Solved are merely for the purpose of enhancing understanding of the present invention and should not be construed as acknowledging that they constitute prior art already known to those having ordinary skill in the art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification may include a communication unit that receives a battery rental request for a battery managed by a user's battery station, an authentication unit that determines whether to approve the battery rental request, and an information management unit that stores battery information about the battery and user information about the user using a smart contract, and, if the battery rental request is approved, manages battery rental information including the battery information and the user information using the smart contract.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the battery information may include battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information may include user identification information.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the authentication unit may be further configured to generate authentication information in response to the battery rental request, and determine whether to approve the rental based on the user information and the authentication information.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the authentication unit may be further configured to determine whether the battery rental request is approved based on a validity check.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the communication unit may further receive a battery return request from the user, and the information management unit may be further configured to update the battery rental information using the smart contract when the return request is received.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the information management unit may be further configured to query the battery rental information and determine whether a battery is lost.

[0014] According to an embodiment, when the information management unit determines that the battery is lost, the communication unit may be further configured to transmit battery loss information to an external electronic device.

[0015] A battery rental system according to an embodiment disclosed in this specification may include a battery station that manages at least one battery, a user terminal that generates a battery rental request to rent the battery from the battery station, and a battery station management server that determines whether to approve the battery rental request, stores battery information about the batteries managed by the battery station and user information about the user terminal using a smart contract, and, if the battery rental request is approved, manages battery rental information including the battery information and the user information using the smart contract.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the battery information may include battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information may include identification information of the user terminal.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the user terminal transmits a battery return request to the battery station management server, and the battery station management server can update the battery rental information using the smart contract when the return request is received.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the battery station management server may refer to the battery rental information to determine whether a battery is lost.

[0019] According to an embodiment, when the battery station management server determines that a battery is lost, the battery station management server may transmit battery loss information to an external electronic device.

[0020] An operating method of a battery station management server according to an embodiment disclosed in the present specification may include an operation of storing battery information about a battery and user information about a user using a smart contract, an operation of receiving a battery rental request from a user, an operation of determining whether to approve the battery rental request, and an operation of managing battery rental information including the battery information using the smart contract if the battery rental request is approved.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the battery information may include battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information may include user identification information.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the operation of determining whether the battery rental request is approved may be performed based on a validity check.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the method may further include generating authentication information according to the battery rental request, and determining whether to approve the battery rental may be performed based on the user information and the authentication information.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the method may further include receiving a battery return request from the user, and updating the battery rental information using the smart contract if the battery return request is received.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the method may further include an operation of checking the battery rental information to determine whether a battery is lost.

[0026] According to an embodiment, if it is determined that the battery is lost, the method may further include transmitting information about the lost battery to an external electronic device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the battery rental system, battery station management server, and operation method disclosed in this specification, battery stations that share standardized batteries can share information about battery rentals using the same smart contract.

[0028] According to the battery rental system, battery station management server, and operation method disclosed in this specification, battery rental information is shared using a smart contract, making it easy to know whether a battery has been rented or lost.

[0029] According to the battery rental system, battery station management server, and operation method disclosed in this specification, as the scope of the battery rental business expands, more companies will share information about battery rentals, thereby reducing the possibility of losing batteries due to data loss.

[0030] The effects of the battery rental system, battery station management server, and operation method thereof disclosed in this specification are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the disclosure of this specification. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a battery rental system according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a network between multiple battery station management servers according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates an operational flow of a battery rental system according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0032] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used to refer to the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the present invention to the particular embodiments, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] The various embodiments and terms used in this specification are not intended to limit the technical features described in this specification to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for like or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the said item, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0035] As used herein, each of the phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed in the phrase or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," "primary," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," or "(b)" may be used simply to distinguish one element from another, and do not limit the element in other respects (e.g., importance or order) unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0036] In this specification, when a (e.g., first) component is referred to as being "connected with," "coupled with," or "coupled with" another (e.g., second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," or when a reference is made to "coupled" or "connected to," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0037] According to one embodiment, a method according to various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or an intermediary server.

[0038] According to various embodiments, each of the aforementioned components (e.g., modules or programs) may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be located separately in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the aforementioned components or operations may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively, or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In such cases, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the respective components of the multiple components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by modules, programs, or other components may be performed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 1, the battery station management server 10 may include a communication unit 12, an authentication unit 14, and an information management unit 16.

[0041] The communication unit 12 can communicate with an external electronic device. The communication unit 12 can receive a signal from the external electronic device or transmit a signal to the external electronic device. For example, the external electronic device may include a user terminal or a battery station.

[0042] The communication unit 12 may receive a battery rental request. According to an embodiment, the battery rental request may refer to a user's request to rent a battery managed by the battery station. Here, the battery station may have at least one battery, and the communication unit 12 may receive a battery rental request for a battery owned by the battery station.

[0043] The communication unit 12 may receive a battery return request. According to an embodiment, the battery return request may refer to a battery return request for a battery rented by a user from the battery station or another battery station. The battery station may manage the returned battery.

[0044] The authentication unit 14 may determine whether a battery rental request is approved. The authentication unit 14 may perform user authentication to determine whether a battery rental request is approved. According to an embodiment, user authentication may refer to authenticating whether a user who has requested battery rental is a registered user. According to an embodiment, the authentication unit 14 may determine whether a rental is approved based on form validation.

[0045] The authentication unit 14 may generate authentication information for a battery rental request. The authentication unit 14 may generate a public key infrastructure (PKI) key pair and generate a renter ID. The authentication information may include a public key and / or a renter ID. According to an embodiment, the authentication unit 14 may verify a signature value using the public key.

[0046] The authentication unit 14 may approve or deny rental based on user information and authentication information. According to an embodiment, the authentication unit 14 may perform user authentication and battery rental approval to approve or deny rental. According to an embodiment, user authentication may be performed based on user information. Here, the user information may be stored in the information management unit 16. According to an embodiment, the authentication unit 14 may check whether information about the user who requested battery rental is included in the user information to perform user authentication. According to an embodiment, if the user information is stored in a universally unique identifier (UUID) format, the authentication unit 14 may perform user authentication by verifying the value of the universally unique identifier. According to an embodiment, battery rental approval may be performed based on authentication information. In this case, the authentication information may include a public key, and the authentication unit 14 may verify a signature value using the public key.

[0047] The information management unit 16 can store smart contracts. In this case, the smart contracts may include a smart contract for managing battery rental information.

[0048] The information management unit 16 may store battery information and user information using a smart contract. The battery information may refer to information about a battery managed by a battery station, and the user information may refer to information about a user who rents a battery from a battery station or returns a battery to a battery station. According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 may sign and store the battery information. According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 may sign and store both the battery information and the renter ID.

[0049] According to an embodiment, the battery information may include battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information may include user identification information. The battery information and user information may be encrypted information. According to an embodiment, the battery information and user information may be unidirectionally encrypted. The information management unit 16 may convert the battery information and user information into a universally unique identifier (UUID) format and store the converted information. According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 may store the battery information and user information in the universally unique identifier format using a smart contract.

[0050] The information management unit 16 can store the authentication information generated by the authentication unit 14 using a smart contract. The information management unit 16 can store the public key and / or the renter ID generated by the authentication unit 14.

[0051] If the authentication unit 14 approves the battery rental, the information management unit 16 may store battery rental information using a smart contract. According to an embodiment, the battery rental information may include information encrypted using a smart contract. According to an embodiment, the battery rental information may include battery rental status information. According to an embodiment, the battery rental status information may be displayed as a flag. According to an embodiment, if the authentication unit 14 approves the battery rental, the information management unit 16 may display and store a flag indicating the battery rental status information as "true," "True," or "1." The battery rental information may include battery information and user information. The battery information included in the battery rental information may indicate the battery to be rented. The user information included in the battery rental information may indicate information about the entity that rented the battery.

[0052] The information management unit 16 can update the battery rental information using a smart contract. According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 can update the battery rental information when a battery return request is received. When a battery return request is received, the information management unit 16 can manage information regarding whether the battery has been returned normally by updating the battery rental information. According to an embodiment, when a battery return request is received, the information management unit 16 can update the battery rental information and delete a flag indicating the battery rental status information or change the display to "false," "False," or "0."

[0053] The information management unit 16 can determine whether a battery is lost. The information management unit 16 can refer to battery rental information to determine whether a battery is lost. The information management unit 16 can determine whether a battery is lost by referring to the battery rental information when a preset period has elapsed. The information management unit 16 can determine whether a battery is lost based on battery rental status information included in the battery rental information. According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 can refer to the battery rental information when a preset battery rental period has elapsed or according to a preset interval. In this case, the information management unit 16 can set the interval taking the battery rental period into consideration.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 can determine that the battery is lost by referencing the battery rental information if the battery rental current status information is not deleted or changed. According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 can determine that the battery is lost by referencing the battery rental information if the battery rental period has expired but the flag indicating the battery current status information is "True" or "1".

[0055] According to an embodiment, when the information management unit 16 determines that a battery has been lost, it can update the battery rental information. In this case, the battery rental information may include information about the battery loss. According to an embodiment, when the information management unit 16 determines that a battery has been lost, it can confirm information about the user who lost the battery using a smart contract. According to an embodiment, the information management unit 16 can reproduce the encryption of the battery information of the lost battery and the user information stored in the information management unit 16 using a smart contract. Here, the information management unit 16 can confirm the user information used when the encrypted information matches the battery rental information using the information about the user who lost the battery.

[0056] If the information management unit 16 determines that a battery has been lost, the communication unit 12 may transmit battery loss information to an external electronic device. According to an embodiment, the battery loss information may include information about the user who lost the battery. The external electronic device may include a user terminal, a battery station, or an administrator terminal. The battery loss information may include a battery loss notification, a battery return expiration date notification, or battery loss confirmation date information. According to an embodiment, the communication unit 12 may transmit a battery loss notification to an administrator terminal, transmit battery loss confirmation date information to a battery station, or transmit a battery return expiration date notification to a user terminal.

[0057] The battery station management server 10 can manage battery rental information related to battery rental and / or return. According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 10 manages battery rental information using a smart contract, so that when there are multiple battery station management servers that store smart contracts with the same content, the multiple battery station management servers can all manage information related to battery rental, return, or loss.

[0058] When determining whether a battery has been lost, the battery station management server 10 can easily determine whether a battery has been lost by querying battery rental information. According to an embodiment, when a battery is lost, the battery station management server 10 can reproduce the encryption to confirm information about the user who lost the battery. In this case, it is possible to easily identify the user who is responsible for the battery loss. According to an embodiment, when the battery station management server 10 confirms the battery loss, it transmits the battery loss information to an external electronic device, thereby enabling relevant parties to take prompt action. For example, when the battery station management server 10 transmits the battery loss information to an administrator terminal, the administrator terminal can confirm the user who lost the battery and take prompt contact action. As another example, when the battery station management server 10 transmits a battery return expiration notice to a user terminal as battery loss information, the user terminal can take action to normally extend the battery's expiration date or take action to return the battery. As another example, when the battery station management server 10 transmits battery loss information to a battery station, the battery station can accumulate the battery loss information and report it so that the administrator can check it at a glance later.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a battery rental system according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0060] 2, the battery rental system may include a battery station management server 100, a battery station 110, and a user terminal 130. The battery station 110 can manage at least one battery 120.

[0061] A battery rental system including the battery station management server 100 will be specifically described below with reference to Fig. 1. Descriptions of overlapping content will be omitted or will be briefly described.

[0062] The battery station management server 100 may include multiple battery station management servers. The battery station management server 100 may include a first battery station management server 101, a second battery station management server 102, and an Mth battery station management server 103, where M may be a natural number greater than or equal to 3.

[0063] Each of the multiple battery station management servers 101, 102, and 103 may have substantially the same configuration as the battery station management server 10 of FIG. 1. The multiple battery station management servers 101, 102, and 103 may store smart contracts with the same content. The multiple battery station management servers 101, 102, and 103 may share the same smart contract and be connected to a blockchain network. The connection relationship between the multiple battery station management servers 100 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0064] The battery station management server 100 can manage the battery station 110. The battery station management server 100 may be connected to the battery station 110 via a wired or wireless connection.

[0065] The battery station management server 100 may manage battery rental information. The battery rental information may include battery information for the batteries 120 managed by the battery stations 110 connected to the battery station management server 100. The battery rental information may include user information for the user terminal 130 that uses the battery station 110 connected to the battery station management server 100. The battery information may include battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information may include identification information of the user terminal.

[0066] The battery station management server 100 can determine whether a battery has been lost. The battery station management server 100 can determine whether a battery has been lost during the process of the battery station 110 and the user terminal 130 mutually renting or returning a battery. The battery station management server 100 can query battery rental information to determine whether a battery has been lost. If the battery station management server 100 determines that a battery has been lost, it can transmit battery loss information to an external electronic device. For example, the external electronic device may include a user terminal, a battery station, or an administrator terminal.

[0067] The battery station 110 may include multiple battery stations. The battery station 110 may include a first battery station 111, a second battery station 112, and an Mth battery station 113. The battery station 110 can manage at least one battery 120. The multiple battery stations 111, 112, and 113 can manage the batteries 120 together.

[0068] The battery 120 may include multiple batteries. The battery 120 may include a first battery 121, a second battery 122, and an Nth battery 123. According to an embodiment, the battery 120 may include an electric scooter battery, an electric bicycle battery, or a mobile phone auxiliary battery, where N may include a natural number greater than or equal to 3.

[0069] The user terminal 130 may be substantially the same as the user in FIG. 1. The user terminal 130 may include a plurality of user terminals. The user terminal 130 may include a first user terminal 131, a second user terminal 132, and a K-th user terminal 133. The user terminal 130 may include electronic devices such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a car, an electric scooter, an electric bicycle, etc. Here, K may be a natural number equal to or greater than 3.

[0070] The user terminal 130 can interact with the battery station 110. The user terminal 130 can rent or return a battery 120 at the battery station 110. For example, a user can rent or return a battery 120 at the battery station 110 using an application installed on the user terminal 130.

[0071] The user terminal 130 may generate a battery rental request. When the user terminal 130 rents a battery 120 at the battery station 110, the user terminal 130 may transmit the battery rental request to the battery station management server 100. When the battery station management server 100 receives the battery rental request, it may determine whether to approve the battery rental request. When the battery station management server 100 approves the battery rental request, it may manage the battery rental information by generating, storing, or updating it.

[0072] The user terminal 130 may generate a battery return request. According to an embodiment, the battery return request may refer to a battery return request for a battery that the user terminal 130 rented from the battery station or another battery station. The battery station 110 may manage the returned battery. When the user terminal 130 returns the battery 120 to the battery station 110, the user terminal 130 may transmit the battery return request to the battery station management server 100. When the battery station management server 100 receives the battery return request, it may update the battery rental information.

[0073] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationship of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0074] 3, a first battery station management server 201, a second battery station management server 202, a third battery station management server 203, a fourth battery station management server 204, and a fifth battery station management server 205 may be connected to a blockchain network. Each of the battery station management servers 201, 202, 203, 204, and 205 may be substantially the same as the battery station management server 10 of FIG. 1 or the battery station management server 100 of FIG. 2.

[0075] Battery station management servers 201, 202, 203, 204, and 205 connected to the blockchain network can store smart contracts with the same content. According to embodiments, the smart contracts may be built using EOS, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Iota, NEO, Waves, Qtum, NEM, Multiversum, R3 Corda, R3 Corda Enterprise, Hyperledger, Ripple, or Stellar platforms. However, smart contracts are not limited to being built using platforms according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0076] Referring to Figure 3, the number of battery station management servers connected to the blockchain network is shown to be five, but this is not limited to this, and a fewer or greater number of battery station management servers may be connected to the blockchain network.

[0077] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 4, the operation method of the battery station management server may include a step of storing battery information and user information (S110), a step of receiving a user request (S120), and a step of performing an operation for battery rental management (S130).

[0079] Hereinafter, the operation method of the battery station management server 10 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, and descriptions of overlapping contents will be omitted or will be described briefly.

[0080] In step S110, the battery station management server 10 may store battery information and user information. The battery station management server 10 may perform step S110 using a smart contract. Step S110 may be performed by the information management unit 16 of the battery station management server 10.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 10 may perform step S110 before performing an operation related to battery rental. According to another embodiment, the battery station management server 10 may perform step S110 every time a new battery or a new user is registered.

[0082] The battery information may refer to information about the battery 120 managed by the battery station 110, and the user information may refer to information about a user or user terminal 130 who rents a battery 120 at the battery station 110 or returns a battery 120 to the battery station 110. According to an embodiment, the battery information may include battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information may include user identification information. The battery information and the user information may correspond to encrypted information or may correspond to information converted into a universally unique identifier (UUID) format.

[0083] In step S120, the battery station management server 10 may receive a user request. Step S120 may be performed by the communication unit 12 of the battery station management server 10. The user request may include a battery rental request or a battery return request. The battery rental request may correspond to a battery rental request generated by the user terminal 130. The battery return request may correspond to a battery return request generated by the user terminal 130.

[0084] In step S130, the battery station management server 10 may perform an operation for battery rental management. Step S130 may be performed by the communication unit 12, the authentication unit 14, or the information management unit 16 of the battery station management server 10.

[0085] According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 10 may perform step S130 after step S120. According to another embodiment, the battery station management server 10 may perform step S130 independently of step S110 or step S120. Specific operations performed by the battery station management server 10 in step S130 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

[0086] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0087] 5, the operating method of the battery station management server may include a step of receiving a battery rental request (S210), a step of determining whether the battery rental request is approved (S230), and / or a step of storing battery rental information (S240). According to an embodiment, the operating method of the battery station management server may further include a step of generating authentication information according to the battery rental request (S220).

[0088] Hereinafter, the operation method of the battery station management server 10 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, and descriptions of overlapping contents will be omitted or will be described briefly.

[0089] Step S210 may correspond to one embodiment of step S120 of Fig. 4. In step S210, the battery station management server 10 may receive a battery rental request. Step S210 may be performed by the communication unit 12 of the battery station management server 10.

[0090] Steps S220 to S240 may correspond to an embodiment of step S130 in Fig. 4. Steps S220 and S230 may be performed by the authentication unit 14 of the battery station management server 10, and step S240 may be performed by the information management unit 16 of the battery station management server 10.

[0091] In step S230, the battery station management server 10 may determine whether the battery rental request is approved. The battery station management server 10 may perform step S230 based on form validation.

[0092] The battery station management server 10 may perform step S220 prior to performing step S230. In step S220, the battery station management server 10 may generate authentication information for the battery rental request. According to an embodiment, in step S220, the battery station management server 10 may generate a public key infrastructure (PKI) key pair and generate a renter ID.

[0093] The battery station management server 10 may store the authentication information generated in step S220 using a smart contract. According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 10 may store a public key and / or a renter ID.

[0094] If the battery station management server 10 generates authentication information in step S220, the battery station management server 10 may approve rental based on the stored user information and the generated authentication information in step S230. In this case, the authentication information may include a public key and / or a renter ID.

[0095] If the battery station management server 10 approves the battery rental request in step S230, the battery station management server 10 may perform step S240. In step S240, the battery station management server 10 may store battery rental information. The battery rental information may include battery information and user information. In this case, the battery information may refer to information about the battery to be rented, and the user information may refer to the entity that rented the battery.

[0096] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 6, the operating method of the battery station management server may further include receiving a battery return request (S310) and updating battery rental information (S320).

[0098] Hereinafter, the operation method of the battery station management server 10 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, and descriptions of overlapping contents will be omitted or will be briefly described.

[0099] Step S310 may correspond to one embodiment of step S120 of FIG. 4. In step S310, the battery station management server 10 may receive a battery return request. According to an embodiment, the battery return request received by the battery station management server 10 in step S310 may be generated by the user terminal 130. In this case, the battery return request may correspond to a normal processing request for battery return. Step S310 may be performed by the communication unit 12 of the battery station management server 10.

[0100] Step S320 may correspond to one embodiment of step S130 of Fig. 4. Step S320 may be performed by the information management unit 16 of the battery station management server 10.

[0101] In step S320, the battery station management server 10 may update the battery rental information. If the battery station management server 10 receives a battery return request in step S310, it may perform step S320 to update the battery rental information. In this case, the battery station management server 10 may manage information that the battery has been returned normally by updating the battery rental information.

[0102] The battery station management server 10 may perform step S320 after performing step S310, but is not limited to this. According to an embodiment, even if the battery station management server 10 does not receive a battery return request (i.e., even if step S310 is not performed), the battery station management server 10 may update the battery rental information when a preset deadline arrives. In this case, the preset deadline may refer to, but is not limited to, the battery rental deadline.

[0103] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a method of operation of a battery station management server according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0104] 7, the method for operating the battery station management server may include a step of querying battery rental information (S410) and a step of determining whether a battery is lost (S420). According to an embodiment, the method for operating the battery station management server may further include a step of transmitting battery loss information to an external electronic device (S430).

[0105] Hereinafter, the operation method of the battery station management server 10 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, and descriptions of overlapping contents will be omitted or will be briefly described.

[0106] Steps S410 to S430 may correspond to one embodiment of step S130 in Fig. 4. Steps S410 and S420 may be performed by the information management unit 16 of the battery station management server 10, and step S430 may be performed by the communication unit 12 of the battery station management server 10.

[0107] In step S410, the battery station management server 10 can inquire about battery rental information. By inquiring about the battery rental information, the battery station management server 10 can check information about the battery rental, including battery information about the rented battery, whether the battery is currently being rented or whether the battery has been returned normally, and the entity that rented the battery.

[0108] In step S420, the battery station management server 10 may determine whether a battery is lost. To determine whether a battery is lost, the battery station management server 10 may perform step S410 prior to step S420. The battery station management server 10 may determine whether a battery is lost by querying battery rental information when a preset period has elapsed. In this case, the preset period may refer to a battery rental period or a preset cycle, but is not limited thereto.

[0109] In step S420, if the battery station management server 10 determines that the battery is lost, the battery rental information may be updated. In this case, the battery rental information may include information regarding the loss of the battery.

[0110] If the battery station management server 10 determines in step S420 that a battery is lost, the battery station management server may further perform step S430. In step S430, the battery station management server 10 may transmit battery loss information to an external electronic device. The external electronic device may include the battery station 110, the user terminal 130, and / or the administrator terminal. The battery loss information may include a battery loss notification, a battery return expiration date notification, or battery loss confirmation date information. Depending on the embodiment, the battery station management server 10 may transmit a battery loss notification to the administrator terminal, transmit battery loss confirmation date information to the battery station 110, or transmit a battery return expiration date notification to the user terminal 130.

[0111] Steps S410 to S430 correspond to an embodiment of step S130 of FIG. 4, and may be performed after step S120 or independently of step S110 or S120.

[0112] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation flow of a battery rental system according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 8, the battery rental system may include a battery station 20, a battery station management server 30, and a user terminal 40.

[0114] The operation flow of the battery station management server 30 in the battery rental system will be specifically explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, and explanations of overlapping content will be omitted or explained briefly.

[0115] The battery station 20 may be substantially identical to the battery station 110 of FIG. 2, the battery station management server 30 may be substantially identical to the battery station management server 10 of FIG. 1 or the battery station management server 100 of FIG. 2, and the user terminal 40 may be substantially identical to the user terminal 130 of FIG. 2.

[0116] The battery station 20 may transmit battery information to the battery station management server 30 (S501). The battery station 20 may be connected to the battery station management server 30. The battery information may refer to information about batteries managed by the battery station 20. According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the battery information may include battery identification information and battery manufacturer information. According to the embodiments, the battery information may be stored in the form of a universal unique identifier (UUID).

[0117] The user terminal 40 may transmit user information to the battery station management server 30 (S502). The user information refers to information about a user who rents or returns a battery at the battery station 20, and may include user identification information according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to embodiments, the user information may be stored in the form of a universal unique identifier (UUID).

[0118] The battery station management server 30 may store the battery information and user information received in steps S501 and S502 (S510). The battery station management server 30 may perform step S510 using a smart contract. Step S510 may be substantially the same as step S110 of FIG. 4.

[0119] According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 30 may include multiple battery station management servers. When multiple battery station management servers exist according to the embodiments disclosed herein, the multiple battery station management servers may store smart contracts with the same content and be connected to a blockchain network. In this case, the multiple battery station management servers 30 may use the smart contract to manage battery information transmitted from the connected battery stations 20 and / or user information transmitted from the user terminal 40.

[0120] The user terminal 40 may generate a battery rental request and transmit it to the battery station management server 30 (S520). The battery station management server 30 may receive the battery rental request in step S520. Step S520 may be substantially the same as step S210 of FIG. 5.

[0121] When the battery station management server 30 receives the battery rental request, it may determine whether to approve the rental (S540). The battery station management server 30 may determine whether to approve the rental based on form validation. The battery station management server 30 may perform user authentication to determine whether to approve the battery rental request. According to an embodiment, user authentication may refer to verifying whether the user who has requested battery rental is a registered user. According to an embodiment, if the user authentication fails in step S540, the battery station management server 30 may perform step S502. In this case, in step S502, the user terminal 40 may generate new user information and transmit it to the battery station management server 30. Step S540 may be substantially the same as step S230 of FIG. 5.

[0122] The battery station management server 30 may perform step S530 prior to performing step S540. In step S530, the battery station management server 30 may generate authentication information for the battery rental request. The battery station management server 30 may generate a key pair of a public key infrastructure (PKI). According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 30 may also generate a renter ID. The authentication information may include a public key and / or a renter ID. According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 30 may store the authentication information generated in step S530 using a smart contract. If multiple battery station management servers exist, the multiple battery station management servers may manage the generated authentication information together. According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 30 may verify a signature value using the public key. Step S530 may be substantially the same as step S220 of FIG. 5.

[0123] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, when the battery station management server 30 performs step S530, the battery station management server 30 may perform step S540 based on user information and authentication information. According to the embodiments, the battery station management server 30 may perform user authentication and battery rental approval to approve rental availability. According to the embodiments, the user authentication may be performed based on the user information, and the battery rental approval may be performed based on the authentication information.

[0124] In step S550, the battery station management server 30 may store battery rental information. According to an embodiment, the battery rental information may include information encrypted using a smart contract. According to an embodiment, the battery rental information may include battery rental status information. According to an embodiment, the battery rental status information may be displayed as a flag. According to an embodiment, if the authentication unit 14 approves the battery rental, the information management unit 16 may display and store a flag indicating the battery rental status information as “true,” “true,” or “1.” The battery rental information may include battery information and user information. The battery rental information may include the battery information and user information stored in step S510. In this case, the battery information may refer to information about the battery to be rented, and the user information may refer to information about the entity that rented the battery. Step S550 may be substantially the same as step S240 of FIG. 5.

[0125] The user terminal 40 may generate a battery return request and transmit it to the battery station management server 30 (S560). The battery return request may correspond to a normal processing request for the battery return. The battery station management server 30 may receive the battery return request in step S560. Step S560 may be substantially the same as step S310 of FIG. 6.

[0126] When the battery station management server 30 receives a battery return request, it may update the battery rental information (S570). By updating the battery rental information in step S570, the battery station management server 30 may manage information regarding whether the battery has been returned normally. According to an embodiment, when a battery return request is received, the information management unit 16 may update the battery rental information and delete a flag indicating the battery rental status information or change the display to "false," "False," or "0." Step S570 may be substantially the same as step S320 of FIG. 6.

[0127] The battery station management server 30 can query the battery rental information to check whether a battery has been lost (S580). The battery station management server 30 can query the battery rental information. By querying the battery rental information, the battery station management server 30 can check information about the battery rental, including battery information about the rented battery, whether the battery is currently being rented or whether the battery has been returned successfully, and the entity that rented the battery. The battery station management server 30 can determine whether a battery has been lost based on the results of querying the battery rental information. According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 30 can query the battery rental information and determine that a battery has been lost if the battery rental status information has not been deleted or changed. According to an embodiment, if the battery station management server 30 determines that a battery has been lost, it can check information about the user who lost the battery using a smart contract. According to an embodiment, the battery station management server 30 can reproduce the encryption of the battery information of the lost battery and the user information stored in the battery station management server 30 using a smart contract. Here, the battery station management server 30 can confirm the user information used when the encrypted information matches the battery rental information with the information about the user who lost the battery. Step S580 may correspond to one embodiment of step S420 of FIG. 7.

[0128] If the battery station management server 30 determines that a battery is lost in step S580, the battery station management server 30 may transmit battery loss information to an external electronic device. According to one embodiment, the battery station management server 30 may transmit battery loss information to the battery station 20 (S591). According to another embodiment, the battery station management server 30 may transmit battery loss information to the user terminal 40 (S592). 5 92) Steps S591 and S592 may correspond to an embodiment of step S430 of FIG.

[0129] As used above, terms such as "comprise," "constitute," or "have" mean that the relevant element may be present, unless otherwise specified, and should be interpreted as meaning that other elements may be included, rather than excluding other elements. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, unless otherwise defined, should be interpreted as having the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong. Commonly used terms, such as dictionary-defined terms, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as idealized or overly formal unless expressly defined herein.

[0130] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical concepts disclosed herein, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed herein, and those skilled in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein pertain. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are intended to illustrate, rather than limit, the technical concepts of the embodiments disclosed herein, and such embodiments do not limit the scope of the technical concepts disclosed herein. The scope of protection of the technical concepts disclosed herein should be interpreted according to the following claims, and all technical concepts within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being within the scope of the present specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 10 Battery Station Management Server 12 Communications Department 14 Authentication Section 16 Information Management Department 20 Battery Station 30 Battery Station Management Server 40 User terminal 100 Battery Station Management Server 101 First Battery Station Management Server 102 Second Battery Station Management Server 103 Mth Battery Station Management Server 110 Battery Station 111 Battery Station No. 1 112 Second Battery Station 113 M Battery Station 120 Battery 121 Battery No. 1 122 Second Battery 123 Nth Battery 130 User terminal 131 First User Terminal 132 Second User Terminal 133 Kth User Terminal 201 First Battery Station Management Server 202 Second Battery Station Management Server 203 Third Battery Station Management Server 204 4th Battery Station Management Server 204 Battery Station Management Server 205 5th Battery Station Management Server

Claims

1. A communication unit that receives a user's battery rental request for a battery managed by a battery station; an authentication unit that determines whether the battery rental request is approved; an information management unit that stores battery information about the battery and user information about a user using a smart contract, and manages battery rental information including the battery information and the user information using the smart contract when the battery rental request is approved; The information management unit manages the battery rental information together with other battery station management servers using the smart contract.

2. The battery station management server of claim 1 , wherein the battery information includes battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information includes user identification information.

3. The battery station management server of claim 1 , wherein the authentication unit is further configured to generate authentication information in response to the battery rental request, and determine whether to approve the rental based on the user information and the authentication information.

4. The battery station management server of claim 1 , wherein the authentication unit is further configured to determine whether the battery rental request is approved based on a validity check.

5. The communication unit is further configured to receive a battery return request from the user; The battery station management server of claim 1 , wherein the information management unit is further configured to update the battery rental information using the smart contract when the return request is made.

6. The battery station management server of claim 1 , wherein the information management unit is further configured to query the battery rental information to determine whether a battery is lost.

7. The battery station management server according to claim 6 , wherein the communication unit is further configured to transmit battery loss information to an external electronic device when the information management unit determines that the battery is lost.

8. a battery station for managing at least one battery; a user terminal that generates a battery rental request to rent the battery from the battery station; a battery station management server that determines whether to approve the battery rental request, stores battery information about the battery managed by the battery station and user information about the user terminal using a smart contract, and manages battery rental information including the battery information and the user information using the smart contract if the battery rental request is approved, A battery rental system in which the battery station management server manages the battery rental information together with other battery station management servers using the smart contract.

9. The battery rental system of claim 8 , wherein the battery information includes battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information includes identification information of the user terminal.

10. the user terminal is further configured to transmit a battery return request to the battery station management server; The battery rental system of claim 8 or 9, wherein the battery station management server is further configured to update the battery rental information using the smart contract when the return request is made.

11. The battery rental system of claim 8 , wherein the battery station management server is further configured to query the battery rental information to determine whether a battery is lost.

12. The battery rental system according to claim 11 , wherein the battery station management server transmits battery loss information to an external electronic device when it determines that the battery is lost.

13. storing battery information about the battery and user information about the user using the smart contract; receiving a battery rental request from a user; determining whether the battery rental request is approved; If the battery rental request is approved, managing battery rental information including the battery information using the smart contract; A method for operating a battery station management server, wherein the operation of managing battery rental information includes an operation of managing the battery rental information together with other battery station management servers using the smart contract.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the battery information includes battery identification information and battery manufacturer information, and the user information includes user identification information.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the operation of determining whether the battery rental request is approved is performed based on a validity check.

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