Electricity storage pack, mobile terminal device, and wireless communication program

Abstract

In this power storage pack, a power storage unit supplies power to an electric moving body. A wireless communication unit performs short-range wireless communication. A notification unit temporarily notifies the user of a mobile terminal device of an authentication code to be used in a process of exchanging an encryption key to be used for short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device. The notification unit may include a remaining amount indicator of the power storage unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power storage pack that is detachable from an electric vehicle, a mobile terminal device, and a wireless communication program. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrically assisted bicycles have become increasingly popular in recent years. These bicycles use a portable, detachable battery pack. In order to eliminate the need for communication line terminals from the battery pack connector, systems have been developed that incorporate wireless communication functions into the battery pack and the electrically assisted bicycle, allowing control signals to be transmitted wirelessly. Furthermore, systems have been developed that wirelessly connect battery packs equipped with wireless communication functions to mobile terminal devices such as smartphones as monitoring devices, allowing the battery packs to be monitored and controlled from the external mobile terminal devices.

[0003] In order to strengthen the security of the pairing process when connecting a mobile terminal device and a battery pack via short-range wireless communication, it is conceivable to display an authentication code on the battery pack and input the authentication code into the mobile terminal device to authenticate the devices. However, implementing a display capable of displaying a multi-digit authentication code on the battery pack increases costs.

[0004] It is conceivable to attach an authentication code to the battery pack in the form of a barcode or QR code (registered trademark) sticker (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-164770 Summary of the Invention

[0006] When a sticker with a printed barcode or QR code is attached to the battery pack, the authentication code indicated by the barcode or QR code remains fixed unless the sticker is replaced. In this case, the security level is lower than when a new authentication code is generated each time an authentication code is issued. Furthermore, when a sticker with a printed barcode or QR code is attached to the battery pack 10, the authentication code information is always exposed to the outside.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technique for strengthening the security of the pairing process between a power storage pack and a portable terminal device.

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, a certain aspect of the energy storage pack disclosed herein includes a power storage unit for supplying power to an electric vehicle, a wireless communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication, and a notification unit for temporarily notifying a user of a mobile terminal device of an authentication code used in the process of exchanging an encryption key used in short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device.

[0009] Any combination of the above components, or conversion of the present disclosure into an apparatus, system, method, computer program, recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, etc., is also valid as an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to strengthen the security of the pairing process between the power storage pack and the portable terminal device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a battery pack management service according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of authentication processing for a battery pack mounted in a vehicle. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a battery pack and a portable terminal device according to an embodiment; [Figure 4]5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a pairing process between a battery pack and a portable terminal device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a first embodiment of an authentication code notification using a display device. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a diagram for explaining a second embodiment of the authentication code notification using a display. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a diagram for explaining a second embodiment of the authentication code notification using a display. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a battery pack 10 management service according to an embodiment. The battery pack 10 is a detachable, portable, and replaceable battery pack that can be attached to a mounting slot of a vehicle 20 or a charger (not shown). In the following embodiments, the vehicle 20 is assumed to be an electrically assisted bicycle.

[0013] The replaceable battery pack 10 is frequently attached to and detached from the attachment slot of the vehicle 20 or charger, which can easily cause deterioration of the connector of the battery pack 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the battery pack 10 is equipped with a wireless communication function so that control signals are transmitted wirelessly. This allows the battery pack 10 connector to eliminate terminals for communication lines, leaving only terminals for power lines.

[0014] Short-range wireless communication is used for wireless communication between the vehicle 20 and the battery pack 10. Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), infrared communication, etc. can be used as short-range wireless communication. In the following, in this embodiment, it is assumed that BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is used as short-range wireless communication.

[0015] BLE is an extension of Bluetooth and is a low-power short-range wireless communication standard that uses the 2.4 GHz band. BLE consumes so little power that it can run for several years on a single button battery, making it suitable for battery operation and minimizing the impact on the remaining capacity of the battery pack 10. In addition, there are many BLE communication modules on the market, making them available at low cost.

[0016] Furthermore, BLE has a high affinity with smartphones, and can provide a variety of services in cooperation with smartphones. In this embodiment, the battery pack 10 and a mobile terminal device 30 carried by a user are connected via short-range wireless communication. The mobile terminal device 30 can be a smartphone, a smartwatch, a tablet, a small notebook PC, a portable game console, or the like. In the following, this embodiment assumes that the mobile terminal device 30 is a smartphone, and that the battery pack 10 and the smartphone are connected via BLE.

[0017] The battery pack management system 3 is a system that collectively manages the status of multiple battery packs 10. The battery pack management system 3 is built, for example, on a server installed in the battery manufacturer's own facility or data center, or on a cloud server used based on a cloud service contract. Note that the battery pack management system 3 may also be built not by the battery manufacturer, but by an operator that provides a rental service or sharing service for electrically assisted bicycles.

[0018] The battery pack management system 3 and the mobile terminal device 30 are connected to a network 2. The network 2 is a general term for communication paths such as the Internet, a dedicated line, and a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and the communication medium and protocol are not important. For example, a mobile phone network (cellular network), a wireless LAN, a wired LAN, an optical fiber network, an ADSL network, or a CATV network can be used as the communication medium. For example, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol) / IP, or Ethernet (registered trademark) can be used as the communication protocol.

[0019] In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 30 connects to the network 2 via a base station of a 4G / 5G mobile phone network or a Wi-Fi access point. The battery pack management system 3 connects to the network 2 via a router. The battery pack 10 can be indirectly connected to devices on the Internet by connecting to the mobile terminal device 30 via short-range wireless communication.

[0020] The battery pack management system 3 manages basic information such as the identification information (pack ID), manufacturing date, owner information (name, address, telephone number, email address, etc.) and warranty details of each battery pack 10. In the case of battery packs 10 used in electric assist bicycle rental or sharing services, the owner and manager may be different. In such cases, the battery pack management system 3 also manages manager information. Furthermore, the battery pack management system 3 can also manage user information of users who are currently renting and using electric assist bicycles.

[0021] The battery pack management system 3 can acquire status information indicating the current state of each battery pack 10 paired with each mobile terminal device 30 via each user's mobile terminal device 30. For example, the battery pack management system 3 can acquire the SOH (State Of Health) of the battery pack 10. When the SOH of the battery pack 10 falls below a predetermined value, the battery pack management system 3 can send an email to the owner or manager urging them to replace the battery pack 10.

[0022] The battery pack management system 3 can also obtain current location information of the battery pack 10 via the mobile terminal device 30. GPS (Global Positioning System) information of the paired mobile terminal device 30 can be used as the current location information of the battery pack 10. In the case of a rental service or sharing service, the battery pack management system 3 can notify the mobile terminal device 30 of the user currently using the power-assisted bicycle of the location where the power-assisted bicycle can be returned.

[0023] The radio wave coverage area of ​​BLE is approximately 10 meters when using a typical Class 2 device. Therefore, it is possible that multiple vehicles 20a, 20b and multiple battery packs 10a, 10b exist within a single BLE communication range. In this case, radio wave interference occurs between the vehicle systems, which can cause unstable operation. The vehicle 20 may mistakenly connect to an adjacent battery pack 10 that is not installed in the vehicle 20, which could result in erroneous control of the battery pack 10 that is not installed.

[0024] Therefore, a mechanism is required to ensure that the battery pack 10 installed in the vehicle 20 is the same as the battery pack 10 with which the vehicle 20 communicates. In this embodiment, identification information (ID) is used to confirm the identity of the battery pack 10 physically connected to the vehicle 20 by wire and the battery pack 10 connected by wireless communication. This identification information (ID) may be identification information unique to each battery pack 10, or may be temporary identification information. For example, a Bluetooth Device (BD) address or a Medium Access Control (MAC) address may be used as the unique identification information.

[0025] 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the authentication process for the battery pack 10 installed in the vehicle 20. When the connector of the battery pack 10 is connected to the connector of the installation slot of the vehicle 20, the battery pack 10 transmits ID1 via a wired connection. At the same time, the battery pack 10 transmits an advertising packet (beacon packet) including ID1 via short-range wireless communication. The advertising packet is a signal for notifying the surrounding area of ​​its own presence via short-range wireless communication.

[0026] When the vehicle 20 receives an advertising packet, it compares the ID1 included in the advertising packet with the ID1 received via wired communication. If the two match, the vehicle 20 authenticates that the installed battery pack 10 and the communication partner of the short-range wireless communication are the same. If the two do not match, the vehicle 20 determines that the installed battery pack 10 and the communication partner of the short-range wireless communication are not the same, and does not authenticate the communication partner battery pack 10. For example, when the vehicle 20 receives an advertising packet including ID2, the ID2 does not match the ID1 received via wired communication, and therefore does not authenticate the battery pack 10 that is the destination of the advertising packet including ID2.

[0027] In BLE, encryption keys for encrypting data are exchanged between the central and peripheral. In BLE, the process of exchanging this encryption key is called the pairing process. The main pairing methods in BLE are Passkey Entry and Just Works. Passkey Entry is a method in which a 6-digit authentication code (also called a passkey, passcode, PIN code, PIN number, password, authentication number, etc.) is displayed on one of the central and peripheral, and the other device enters the displayed authentication code to authenticate that they are the correct pairing partner. With Passkey Entry, the encryption key exchanged is kept confidential, and is protected from man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.

[0028] Just Works is a method that allows pairing connections without authentication or with a fixed authentication code of "000000." With Just Works, the encryption keys exchanged are not confidential and there is no protection from man-in-the-middle attacks. Therefore, with Just Works, there is a risk of unauthorized intrusion into the system, leading to unauthorized control or takeover.

[0029] In this embodiment, a pairing method such as Passkey Entry is adopted, which ensures the confidentiality of the exchanged encryption key. Generally used battery packs 10 are not equipped with a display capable of displaying the authentication code. Therefore, a mechanism is required for the battery pack 10 to notify the user of the mobile terminal device 30 of the authentication code by another method.

[0030] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery pack 10 and a mobile terminal device 30 according to an embodiment. The battery pack 10 includes a storage battery 11, a display 12, an operation button 13, a first control unit 15, a first wireless communication unit 16, and a first antenna 17.

[0031] The storage battery 11 includes a plurality of cells connected in series or series-parallel. The cells may be lithium-ion battery cells, nickel-metal hydride battery cells, lead battery cells, or the like. In the following description, an example will be assumed in which lithium-ion battery cells (nominal voltage: 3.6-3.7V) are used. The number of cells connected in series is determined according to the drive voltage of the motor of the vehicle 20.

[0032] The display 12 and the operation button 13 constitute the user interface section of the battery pack 10. The display 12 is an indicator for displaying the remaining charge of the storage battery 11. The display 12 has a plurality of LED lamps, the number of which changes depending on the remaining charge of the storage battery 11. By pressing the operation button 13, the user can make the display 12 display the remaining charge of the storage battery 11 with an indicator.

[0033] In the example shown in Fig. 3, the indicator 12 has five LED lamps. The remaining charge of the storage battery 11 is indicated by the number of lit LED lamps, with five lit lamps indicating 100-80%, four lit lamps indicating 80-60%, three lit lamps indicating 60-40%, two lit lamps indicating 40-20%, one lit lamp indicating 20-10%, and one blinking lamp indicating 10-0%. The number of lamps and the light source of the indicator 12 can be selected arbitrarily by the designer.

[0034] The first control unit 15 is a microcontroller that controls the entire battery pack 10. The first control unit 15 monitors the state of the storage battery 11 (specifically, the voltage, current, and temperature of each cell included in the storage battery 11). Based on this monitoring data, the first control unit 15 estimates the SOC (State Of Charge), FCC (Full Charge Capacity), and SOH of each cell included in the storage battery 11. Furthermore, if an overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, high temperature abnormality, or low temperature abnormality occurs in a cell included in the storage battery 11, the first control unit 15 turns off a switch (not shown) on the power line to protect the cell.

[0035] The first wireless communication unit 16 executes short-range wireless communication processing. In this embodiment, the first wireless communication unit 16 is configured with a BLE module, and the first antenna 17 is configured with a chip antenna or a pattern antenna built into the BLE module. The first wireless communication unit 16 outputs data received via short-range wireless communication to the first control unit 15, and also transmits data input from the first control unit 15 via short-range wireless communication.

[0036] The mobile terminal device 30 includes an imaging unit 31, a GPS receiving unit 32, an operation and display unit 33, a second control unit 35, a second wireless communication unit 36, and a second antenna 37. The imaging unit 31 is a camera unit capable of capturing still images and moving images. The imaging unit 31 includes a lens, a solid-state imaging element, and a signal processing circuit. The solid-state imaging element may be, for example, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor. The solid-state imaging element converts light incident through the lens into an electrical video signal and outputs it to the signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit performs signal processing such as A / D conversion and noise removal on the video signal input from the solid-state imaging element and outputs the signal to the second control unit 35.

[0037] The GPS receiver 32 detects the location information of the mobile terminal device 30. The GPS receiver 32 receives radio waves, each including its transmission time, from multiple GPS satellites, and calculates the latitude and longitude of the reception point based on the multiple transmission times included in the multiple received radio waves. The GPS receiver 32 outputs the calculated latitude and longitude of the reception point to the second control unit 35 as the location information of the mobile terminal device 30.

[0038] The operation display unit 33 includes a touch panel display. As the touch panel display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, a mini LED display, or the like can be used. The operation display unit 33 may further include physical keys. Alternatively, the operation display unit 33 may be configured by combining a display without a touch panel function and physical keys.

[0039] The second control unit 35 is a controller that controls the entire mobile terminal device 30. The second control unit 35 can be realized by a combination of hardware resources and software resources, or by hardware resources alone. Hardware resources that can be used include a CPU, ROM, RAM, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ISP (Image Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), SoC (System on a Chip), and other LSIs. Software resources that can be used include programs such as an operating system, middleware, and applications.

[0040] The second wireless communication unit 36 ​​includes one or more communication modules that support multiple communication methods (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G). For example, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi may be integrated into one communication module. The second antennas 37 that support the respective communication methods may be built into the respective communication modules or may be external.

[0041] In this embodiment, before using the vehicle 20, the user needs to download an application program for managing the battery pack 10 (hereinafter referred to as a pack management app) from the distribution server to the mobile terminal device 30 and install it in the mobile terminal device 30. The pack management app is uploaded to the distribution server in advance, and the distribution server provides the managed pack management app to the mobile terminal device 30 that accesses it via the network 2. Note that a system may also be adopted in which the mobile terminal device 30 directly accesses a website managed by the battery pack management system 3 and downloads the pack management app.

[0042] 4 is a diagram illustrating the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 according to the embodiment. When the user presses and holds the operation button 13 of the battery pack 10, the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 switches the display 12 to an authentication code display mode. The user starts the pack management app of the mobile terminal device 30 and starts capturing video using the imaging unit 31, with the display 12 of the battery pack 10 as the subject.

[0043] The first control unit 15 generates an authentication code to be used in the pairing process, and transitions the lighting state of the multiple LED lamps that make up the display 12 based on the generated authentication code. At that time, the first control unit 15 sets a specific LED lamp 12p among the multiple LED lamps as the position guide. In the example shown in Fig. 4, of the five LED lamps lined up vertically, the bottom LED lamp 12p (the leftmost one in the orientation of the battery pack 10 shown in Fig. 3) is set as the position guide.

[0044] The four LED lamps excluding the position guide LED lamp 12p are notification LED lamps, and the four LED lamps can display four bits of information. In the example shown in Figure 4, the LED lamp next to the position guide LED lamp is the LED lamp indicating the most significant bit, and the top (rightmost) LED lamp is the LED lamp indicating the least significant bit. While the authentication code display mode is being executed, the first control unit 15 causes one of the LED lamps 12p set for the position guide to flash rapidly.

[0045] In the mobile terminal device 30, the second control unit 35 executing the pack management app identifies the position of the rapidly flashing position guide in each frame image input from the imaging unit 31. The pack management app has a classifier for the display 12 of the battery pack 10 that was generated by learning from a large number of images showing the display 12 of the battery pack 10. The second control unit 35 searches for the display 12 in each frame image using the classifier for the display 12. In doing so, the second control unit 35 inputs the feature amounts of a predetermined area including the position guide into the classifier while rotating or enlarging / reducing the predetermined area to identify the display 12 in the frame image. The second control unit 35 identifies the lighting state of the multiple LED lamps that make up the display 12 based on the image of the display 12 recognized in each frame image.

[0046] 5 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of authentication code notification using the display device 12. When the authentication code display mode is executed, the first control unit 15 first blinks the LED lamp 12p of the position guide at high speed for a predetermined time as a period for aligning the imaging unit 31 of the mobile terminal device 30, and lights up one of the four notification LED lamps (the topmost LED lamp in FIG. 5).

[0047] When a predetermined time for alignment has elapsed, the first control unit 15 turns on all four notification LED lamps to notify the mobile terminal device 30 that it is in a standby state. The first control unit 15 then turns off all four notification LED lamps as a signal to start notifying the authentication code. The start of notification of the authentication code may be triggered by the elapse of a predetermined time since transition to the standby state, or by the user pressing the operation button 13 in the standby state.

[0048] The first control unit 15 transitions the lighting state of the four notification LED lamps depending on the authentication code to be notified. One lighting state can display 4 bits of data. The 4 bits of data can represent 0 to 15 in decimal and 0 to F in hexadecimal. Therefore, if a 6-digit authentication code in decimal or hexadecimal is used, the authentication code can be notified by switching the lighting state of the four notification LED lamps 6 times.

[0049] Note that the device can also be operated as four 7-segment displays by switching two of the four notification LEDs on. In this case, a four-digit decimal number can be displayed using the two lighting states. Therefore, if a six-digit decimal authentication code is used, the authentication code can be displayed by switching the lighting state of the four notification LEDs four times.

[0050] The first control unit 15 turns on all four notification LED lamps as a signal that the notification of the authentication code has ended. When the notification of the authentication code has ended, the first control unit 15 ends the authentication code display mode of the display unit 12. The manufacturer of the battery pack 10 registers in advance in the pack management app the signals for the standby state, the start of notification of the authentication code, and the end of notification of the authentication code.

[0051] The second control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 performs image recognition on a plurality of frame images included in the moving image captured by the imaging unit 31, and detects the authentication code notified by the display 12 of the battery pack 10. The second control unit 35 causes the detected authentication code to be displayed on the operation display unit 33. The user operates the operation display unit 33 to approve the displayed authentication code.

[0052] The first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 causes the display 12 to display the authentication code and causes the first wireless communication unit 16 to send an advertising packet including its own pack ID. When the second control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 receives the advertising packet at the second wireless communication unit 36, it uses the second wireless communication unit 36 ​​to send a pairing request to the destination of the advertising packet.

[0053] When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives a pairing request via the first wireless communication unit 16, if the pairing request is not from an unsupported device, the first control unit 15 accepts the pairing request. The first control unit 15 uses the first wireless communication unit 16 to return a pairing response indicating that the pairing request has been accepted to the source of the pairing request.

[0054] When the second control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 receives a pairing response accepting the pairing request at the second wireless communication unit 36, it transmits a pairing confirmation including the detected authentication code to the pairing request destination. When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives the pairing confirmation including the authentication code at the first wireless communication unit 16, it compares the authentication code displayed on the display 12 with the authentication code included in the received pairing confirmation. If the two match, the first control unit 15 returns a pairing confirmation indicating successful authentication to the pairing request source.

[0055] When the second control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 receives a pairing confirmation of successful authentication via the second wireless communication unit 36, it generates a temporary key (STK: Short Term Key) using the detected authentication code. The second control unit 35 transmits security information including the generated temporary key to the pairing request destination. When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives the security information including the temporary key via the first wireless communication unit 16, it replies with a receipt confirmation of the security information to the pairing request source.

[0056] The first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 generates and bonds an encryption key (LTK: Long Term Key) for encrypting data communicated via BLE. The first control unit 15 encrypts the generated encryption key using a temporary key received from the pairing request source. The first control unit 15 transmits security information including the encryption key encrypted with the temporary key to the pairing request source.

[0057] When the second control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 receives security information including an encryption key via the second wireless communication unit 36, it uses the temporary key it holds to decrypt the received encrypted encryption key and bonds the decrypted encryption key.

[0058] Through the above procedure, encryption keys used for BLE communication are exchanged between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30. If a microcontroller is installed in the first wireless communication unit 16 and the second wireless communication unit 36, temporary key generation and exchange, and encryption key generation, exchange, and bonding may be performed by the first wireless communication unit 16 and the second wireless communication unit 36.

[0059] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a second embodiment of authentication code notification using the display 12. In the second embodiment, the video capture function of the mobile terminal device 30 is not used, and the user visually checks whether the display 12 is lit. As in the first embodiment, when the user presses and holds the operation button 13 of the battery pack 10, the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 switches the display 12 to the authentication code display mode.

[0060] The user starts the pack management application on the mobile terminal device 30. When the pack management application starts, an authentication code input key 33a and a completion key 33b are displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the mobile terminal device 30 as shown in Fig. 6B.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6A, in the authentication code display mode, each time the user presses the operation button 13 of the battery pack 10, the lighting state of the multiple LED lamps constituting the display 12 changes. The user visually checks the lighting state of the multiple LED lamps and inputs the authentication code into the authentication code input keys 33a of the operation display unit 33. Each time the user taps a key on the authentication code input keys 33a, the key changes from lighting to off or from off to lighting. When the user presses the completion key 33b, information represented by one lighting state is read into the second control unit 35. By repeating the above procedure, a multiple-digit authentication code is transmitted from the battery pack 10 to the mobile terminal device 30. The procedure of the pairing process using the authentication code is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0062] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to strengthen the security of the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 at low cost. There is no need to install a new display in the battery pack 10, and the existing display 12 for displaying the remaining capacity of the storage battery 11 can be used, which helps prevent an increase in the cost of the battery pack 10. In addition, it is only necessary to install a pack management app in the mobile terminal device 30, and no additional hardware is required.

[0063] When the authentication code is attached to the battery pack 10 as a barcode or QR code sticker, the value of the authentication code cannot be changed unless the sticker is replaced. Furthermore, the authentication code information is basically exposed to the outside. In contrast, in this embodiment, a new authentication code can be generated every time an authentication code is issued. Furthermore, the authentication code is displayed on the display 12 only when the authentication code is to be notified. Therefore, the security level can be significantly improved compared to when a barcode or QR code sticker is attached to the battery pack 10.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the user can import the authentication code into the mobile terminal device 30 simply by capturing a video of the blinking LED lamp with the imaging unit 31 of the mobile terminal device 30, reducing the hassle of the operation. Also, manual input errors can be eliminated, improving the reliability of pairing. Also, the authentication code can be obtained in a short time. Furthermore, even if the authentication code has a large number of digits, the operational burden on the user does not increase.

[0065] In the second embodiment, the authentication code can be obtained even with a mobile terminal device 30 that does not have a built-in camera. Furthermore, there is no need to adjust the shooting position, and even a user who is unfamiliar with the camera of the mobile terminal device 30 can easily capture the authentication code into the mobile terminal device 30.

[0066] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. The embodiments are merely examples, and it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the respective components and processing steps, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, a specific LED lamp 12p among the plurality of LED lamps constituting the display 12 is set as a position guide. In this regard, a position guide may be marked with paint or a sticker near the plurality of LED lamps constituting the display 12. In this case, all of the LED lamps constituting the display 12 can be used as LED lamps for data notification. In the case of Example 2, the position guide itself may be omitted.

[0068] In the above-described second embodiment, the user inputs the lighting state of each of the plurality of LED lamps into the authentication code input key 33a of the operation display unit 33 each time. In this regard, the user may capture the lighting state of each of the plurality of LED lamps as a still image using the imaging unit 31. Generally, a still image has a higher image quality than a moving image, so capturing a still image improves the detection accuracy of the plurality of LED lamps in the image.

[0069] In the above-described embodiment, the authentication code is notified to the user of the mobile terminal device 30 by changing the lighting state of the multiple LED lamps on the display 12 in accordance with the authentication code. In this regard, the method of notifying the user of the mobile terminal device 30 of the authentication code is not limited to the method using visible information. It is also possible to notify the user of the mobile terminal device 30 of the authentication code using sound information.

[0070] For example, the battery pack 10 may be equipped with a speaker, and when the operation button 13 is pressed and held down, the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 may cause the speaker to output an authentication code as sound. The user inputs the authentication code that they have heard into the operation display unit 33 of the mobile terminal device 30. Furthermore, when the operation button 13 is pressed and held down, the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 may cause the speaker to output a voice or sound in which the authentication code is embedded as a digital watermark. The user records the voice or sound with a microphone (not shown) of the mobile terminal device 30. The digital watermark of the embedded authentication code is detected using an acoustic analysis function implemented in the pack management app. In this way, the mobile terminal device 30 may also acquire the authentication code from the battery pack 10 via sound information.

[0071] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a battery pack 10 incorporating a storage battery 11 is used. In this regard, a capacitor pack incorporating a capacitor including an electric double layer capacitor cell, a lithium ion capacitor cell, or the like may also be used. In this specification, the battery pack and the capacitor pack are collectively referred to as a storage pack.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, an electrically assisted bicycle is assumed as the vehicle 20 to which the power storage pack is attached. In this regard, the vehicle 20 is not limited to an electrically assisted bicycle, and the vehicle 20 also includes an electric motorcycle (electric scooter), an electric kick scooter, an electric vehicle (including low-speed electric vehicles such as golf carts and land cars), a railroad car, etc. Furthermore, the object to which the power storage pack is attached is not limited to the vehicle 20, and includes, for example, an electric vessel, a multicopters (drones), and other electric moving objects.

[0073] The embodiment may be specified by the following items.

[0074] [Item 1] a power storage unit (11) for supplying power to an electric vehicle (20); a wireless communication unit (16) for performing short-distance wireless communication; a notification unit (12) that temporarily notifies a user of the mobile terminal device (30) of an authentication code used in a process for exchanging an encryption key used in short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device (30); An electricity storage pack (10) comprising:

[0075] According to this, by using an authentication code that is notified only temporarily, it is possible to strengthen the security of the pairing process between the electricity storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30).

[0076] [Item 2] The notification unit (12) includes a remaining amount indicator (12) of the power storage unit (11). 2. The electricity storage pack (10) according to item 1.

[0077] This makes it possible to strengthen the security of the pairing process between the electricity storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30) at low cost.

[0078] [Item 3] an operation unit (13) for displaying the remaining amount of the power storage unit (11) on the remaining amount indicator (12); a control unit (15) that manages the remaining amount of the electricity storage unit (11), The remaining charge indicator (12) has a plurality of lamps (12) whose number of lights changes depending on the remaining charge of the storage unit (11), The control unit (15) When a first operation on the operation unit (13) is recognized, the lamps (12) are turned on in a number corresponding to the remaining charge of the power storage unit (11), When a second operation on the operation unit (13) is recognized, the lighting state of the plurality of lamps (12) is changed in accordance with the authentication code. 3. The electricity storage pack (10) according to item 2.

[0079] This allows the authentication code to be notified when the remaining amount indicator (12) is lit.

[0080] [Item 4] When notifying the authentication code by the lighting state of the plurality of lamps (12), the control unit (15) sets one specific lamp (12p) as a position guide. 4. The electricity storage pack (10) according to item 3.

[0081] This makes it easy to recognize the images of the lamps (12) captured by the mobile terminal device (30).

[0082] [Item 5] a wireless communication unit (36) for performing short-range wireless communication; an acquisition unit (31) that acquires an authentication code notified from the electricity storage pack (10) described in any one of items 1 to 4 due to a user operation; a control unit (35) that executes a process of exchanging an encryption key used in short-range wireless communication with the electricity storage pack (10) using the authentication code, with the electricity storage pack (10); A mobile terminal device (30) comprising:

[0083] This makes it possible to strengthen the security of the pairing process between the electricity storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30).

[0084] [Item 6] The acquisition unit (31) includes an imaging unit (31), the imaging unit (31) captures a video of the lighting state of the plurality of lamps (12) of the electricity storage pack (10) according to item 3 or 4, in response to a user operation; The control unit (15) performs image recognition on a plurality of frame images included in the moving image captured by the imaging unit (31), detects the authentication code, and executes a process of exchanging the encryption key using the detected authentication code. Item 6. A mobile terminal device (30) according to item 5.

[0085] This reduces the hassle of the user having to enter the authentication code.

[0086] [Item 7] the imaging unit (31) captures a video of the lighting state of the plurality of lamps (12) of the electricity storage pack (10) described in item 4 in response to a user operation, The control unit (15) recognizes one specific flashing lamp (12p) as a lamp (12p) for position guide. 7. The mobile terminal device (30) according to item 6.

[0087] This makes it easier to recognize the images of the lamps (12).

[0088] [Item 8] A process of acquiring an authentication code notified from the power storage pack (10) described in any one of items 1 to 4 due to a user operation; a process of exchanging an encryption key used in short-range wireless communication with the power storage pack, using the authentication code, with the power storage pack; A wireless communication program that causes a computer to execute the above.

[0089] This makes it possible to strengthen the security of the pairing process between the electricity storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30). [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 2 Network, 3 Battery pack management system, 10 Battery pack, 20 Vehicle, 30 Portable terminal device, 11 Storage battery, 12 Display, 13 Operation button, 15 First control unit, 16 First wireless communication unit, 17 First antenna, 31 Imaging unit, 32 GPS receiving unit, 33 Operation display unit, 33a Authentication code input key, 33b Completion key, 35 Second control unit, 36 Second wireless communication unit, 37 Second antenna.

Claims

1. a power storage unit for supplying power to the electrically powered vehicle; a wireless communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication; a notification unit including a remaining power indicator of the power storage unit, which temporarily notifies a user of the mobile terminal device of an authentication code used in a process of exchanging an encryption key used in short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device; an operation unit for causing the remaining charge indicator to display the remaining charge of the power storage unit; a control unit that manages the remaining capacity of the power storage unit, the remaining charge indicator has a plurality of lamps, the number of which changes depending on the remaining charge of the power storage unit; The control unit When a first operation on the operation unit is recognized, the lamps are turned on in a number corresponding to the remaining amount of power in the power storage unit; when a second operation on the operation unit is recognized, the lighting states of the plurality of lamps are changed in accordance with the authentication code, and when the authentication code is notified by the lighting states of the plurality of lamps, one specific lamp is set as a position guide. The power storage pack is characterized by:

2. a wireless communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication; an acquisition unit including an imaging unit and configured to acquire an authentication code notified from the electricity storage pack according to claim 1 in response to a user's operation; a control unit that executes a process of exchanging an encryption key used in short-range wireless communication with the power storage pack, using the authentication code, with the power storage pack; Equipped with the imaging unit captures a video of the lighting state of the plurality of lamps of the electricity storage pack according to claim 1 in response to a user operation, the control unit performs image recognition on a plurality of frame images included in the moving image captured by the imaging unit, detects the authentication code, executes a process of exchanging the encryption key using the detected authentication code, and recognizes one specific flashing lamp as a position guide lamp. A mobile terminal device characterized by:

3. a process of acquiring the authentication code notified from the electricity storage pack according to claim 1 by having an imaging unit capture an image of the authentication code in response to a user operation; a process of exchanging an encryption key used in short-range wireless communication with the power storage pack, using the authentication code, with the power storage pack; on the computer, the process of acquiring the authentication code includes acquiring the authentication code by capturing a video of a lighting state of the plurality of lamps of the electricity storage pack according to claim 1 in response to a user operation; The process of exchanging the encryption key includes performing image recognition on a plurality of frame images included in the captured video, detecting the authentication code, and recognizing one specific flashing lamp as a position guide lamp. A wireless communication program characterized by:

Images