Electric mobile devices, mobile terminal devices and wireless communication programs

Abstract

Provided is an electric mobile vehicle having an energy storage pack attached thereto, and comprising a control unit and a notification unit. The control unit acquires, from the energy storage pack in a wired or wireless manner, an authentication code for use in a process for exchanging encryption keys that are used for short-range wireless communication between the energy storage pack and a portable terminal device. The notification unit temporarily notifies a user of the portable terminal device of the authentication code acquired from the energy storage pack.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric mobile object to which a power storage pack is attached, a mobile terminal device, and a wireless communication program. [Background Art]

[0002] In recent years, electrically assisted bicycles have become widespread. Removable and portable battery packs are used in electrically assisted bicycles. In order to eliminate terminals for communication lines from the connector of a battery pack, systems have been developed that equip the battery pack and the electrically assisted bicycle with a wireless communication function and transmit control signals wirelessly. Furthermore, systems have been developed in which a battery pack equipped with a wireless communication function is wirelessly connected to a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone used as a monitoring device, and the battery pack is monitored and controlled from an external mobile terminal device.

[0003] In order to enhance the security of pairing processing 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, input the authentication code into the mobile terminal device, and perform authentication between devices. However, mounting 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 a battery pack with a sticker of a barcode or a QR code (registered trademark) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

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

[0006] If a sticker with a barcode or QR code is attached to the battery pack, it becomes difficult to pair the battery pack with a mobile device in vehicles where the battery pack is not exposed to the outside. Also, the authentication code shown by the barcode or QR code will remain a fixed value unless the sticker is replaced. In this case, the security level is lower compared to an operation where a new authentication code is generated each time an authentication code is issued. Furthermore, the state in which a sticker with a barcode or QR code is attached to the battery pack 10 means that the authentication code information is always exposed to the outside.

[0007] This disclosure is made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technology that enhances the security of the pairing process between a battery storage pack and a mobile terminal device.

[0008] To solve the above problems, an electric mobile body in one aspect of the present disclosure is an electric mobile body equipped with a power storage pack, comprising: a control unit that acquires an authentication code used for exchanging encryption keys used for short-range wireless communication between the power storage pack and a mobile terminal device via a wired or wireless connection from the power storage pack; and a notification unit that temporarily notifies the user of the mobile terminal device of the authentication code acquired from the power storage pack.

[0009] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, as well as conversions of the expressions of this disclosure between devices, systems, methods, computer programs, recording media on which computer programs are recorded, etc., are also valid as aspects of this disclosure.

[0010] According to this disclosure, the security of the pairing process between the energy storage pack and the mobile terminal device can be enhanced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the overall configuration of the battery pack management service according to the embodiment. [Figure 2]This diagram illustrates the general process for certifying battery packs installed in vehicles. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example configuration of a battery pack, vehicle, and mobile terminal device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a sequence diagram showing a first embodiment of the pairing process between a battery pack and a mobile terminal device. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram showing a second embodiment of the pairing process between a battery pack and a mobile terminal device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the management service for the battery pack 10 according to the embodiment. The battery pack 10 is a detachable, portable, and replaceable battery pack that can be mounted in a mounting slot of a vehicle 20 or a charger (not shown). In the following embodiment, an electric assist bicycle is assumed to be the vehicle 20.

[0013] Because the replaceable battery pack 10 is frequently attached to and detached from the mounting slot of the vehicle 20 or charger, the connector portion of the battery pack 10 is prone to deterioration. Therefore, in this embodiment, the battery pack 10 is equipped with a wireless communication function and the control signals are transmitted wirelessly. This eliminates the need for terminals for communication lines on the connector of the battery pack 10, 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®, Wi-Fi®, infrared communication, etc., can be used as the short-range wireless communication method. In this embodiment, it is assumed that BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is used as the short-range wireless communication method.

[0015] BLE is an extension of Bluetooth, a low-power short-range wireless communication standard that uses the 2.4GHz band. Because BLE consumes so little power—enough to run on a single button battery for several years—it is well-suited for battery operation, minimizing its impact on the remaining capacity of the battery pack. Furthermore, BLE communication modules are readily available on the market at low cost.

[0016] Furthermore, BLE has high compatibility with smartphones and can provide various services in conjunction with smartphones. In this embodiment, the battery pack 10 and the user's mobile terminal device 30 are connected via short-range wireless communication. The mobile terminal device 30 can be a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, small notebook PC, portable game console, etc. 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 centrally manages the status of multiple battery packs 10. The battery pack management system 3 is built, for example, on a proprietary server installed in the battery manufacturer's own facilities or data center, or on a cloud server used under a cloud service contract. The battery pack management system 3 may also be built by an operator providing electric assist bicycle rental or sharing services, rather than by a battery manufacturer.

[0018] The battery pack management system 3 and the mobile terminal device 30 are connected to network 2. Network 2 is a general term for communication channels such as the internet, dedicated lines, and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), and does not specify the communication medium or protocol. Examples of communication mediums that can be used include mobile phone networks (cellular networks), wireless LANs, wired LANs, fiber optic networks, ADSL networks, and CATV networks. Examples of communication protocols that can be used include TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol) / IP, and Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0019] In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 30 connects to network 2 via a 4G / 5G mobile phone network base station or Wi-Fi access point. The battery pack management system 3 connects to network 2 via a router. The battery pack 10 can indirectly connect 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, phone number, email address, etc.) and warranty details for each battery pack 10. In the case of battery packs 10 used in electric assist bicycle rental or sharing services, the owner and administrator may be different. In such cases, the battery pack management system 3 also manages the administrator's information. Furthermore, the battery pack management system 3 can also manage the 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 SOH (State Of Health) of the battery pack 10 can be acquired. 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 administrator prompting them to replace the battery pack 10.

[0022] In addition, the battery pack management system 3 can also acquire current position information of the battery pack 10 via the mobile terminal device 30. As the current position information of the battery pack 10, GPS (Global Positioning System) information of the paired mobile terminal device 30 can be used. In the case of a rental service or a sharing service, the battery pack management system 3 can notify the return location of the electrically power-assisted bicycle to the mobile terminal device 30 of the user who is currently using the electrically power-assisted bicycle.

[0023] The radio wave reach range of BLE is approximately 10m when a general Class 2 device is used. Therefore, a situation where a plurality of vehicles 20a, 20b and a plurality of battery packs 10a, 10b exist within one BLE communication range may occur. In such a case, radio wave interference may occur between vehicle systems, which may lead to unstable operation. The vehicle 20 may erroneously connect to an adjacent battery pack 10 that is not mounted on the vehicle 20, and in this case, there is a possibility that the unmounted battery pack 10 may be erroneously controlled.

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

[0025] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the authentication process for the battery pack 10 installed in the vehicle 20. When the connector of the battery pack 10 and the connector of the installation slot in the vehicle 20 are connected, the battery pack 10 transmits ID1 via wired connection. At the same time, the battery pack 10 sends out an advertisement packet (beacon packet) containing ID1 via short-range wireless communication. The advertisement packet is a signal used to notify the surroundings of its presence via short-range wireless communication.

[0026] When vehicle 20 receives an advertisement packet, it compares the ID1 contained in the advertisement packet with the ID1 received via wired connection. If the two match, vehicle 20 authenticates that the installed battery pack 10 and the short-range wireless communication partner are the same. If the two do not match, vehicle 20 determines that the installed battery pack 10 and the short-range wireless communication partner are not the same and does not authenticate the battery pack 10 of the communication partner. For example, if an advertisement packet containing ID2 is received, it does not match the ID1 received via wired connection, so vehicle 20 does not authenticate the battery pack 10 to which the advertisement packet containing ID2 was sent.

[0027] In BLE, encryption keys for encrypting data are exchanged between the central and peripheral devices. In BLE, this exchange of encryption keys is called pairing. The main pairing methods in BLE are Passkey Entry and Just Works. Passkey Entry is a method of authenticating whether the pairing partner is correct by displaying a 6-digit authentication code (also called a passkey, passcode, PIN code, PIN number, password, or authentication number) on one of the devices (central or peripheral), and having the other device enter the displayed authentication code. With Passkey Entry, the exchanged encryption keys are confidential and protected from man-in-the-middle attacks (MITM attacks).

[0028] Just Works is a method that allows pairing connections without authentication or with a fixed authentication code of "000000". In Just Works, the exchanged cryptographic keys are not confidential and are not protected from man-in-the-middle attacks. Therefore, Just Works carries the risk of unauthorized intrusion into the system, resulting in unauthorized control or hijacking.

[0029] In this embodiment, a pairing method that ensures the confidentiality of the exchanged encryption keys, such as Passkey Entry, is employed. Generally used battery packs 10 do not have a display capable of showing the authentication code. Therefore, a mechanism is needed to notify the user of the mobile terminal device 30 of the authentication code from the battery pack 10 by another method.

[0030] Figure 3 shows an example configuration of a battery pack 10, a vehicle 20, and a portable terminal device 30 according to an embodiment. The battery pack 10 includes a storage battery 11, a first control unit 15, a first wireless communication unit 16, and a first antenna 17.

[0031] The battery 11 includes multiple cells connected in series or in series-parallel. These cells can be lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride, lead-acid, or the like. Hereinafter, this specification assumes the use of lithium-ion cells (nominal voltage: 3.6-3.7V). The number of cells in series is determined according to the drive voltage of the motor 21 of the vehicle 20.

[0032] 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 battery 11 (specifically, the voltage, current, and temperature of each cell contained in the battery 11). Based on this monitoring data, the first control unit 15 estimates the State of Charge (SOC), Full Charge Capacity (FCC), and State of Health (SOH) of each cell contained in the battery 11. In addition, if an overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, high temperature abnormality, or low temperature abnormality occurs in a cell contained in the battery 11, the first control unit 15 protects the cell by turning off the power line switch (not shown).

[0033] The first wireless communication unit 16 performs short-range wireless communication processing. In this embodiment, the first wireless communication unit 16 is composed of a BLE module, and the first antenna 17 is composed of a chip antenna or 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 transmits data input from the first control unit 15 via short-range wireless communication.

[0034] The vehicle 20 includes a motor 21, an inverter 22, a second control unit 25, a second wireless communication unit 26, a second antenna 27, a display unit 28, and an operation unit 29. When the battery pack 10 is attached to the vehicle 20, the power supply terminals of the battery pack 10 and the power receiving terminals of the vehicle 20 are in physical contact, and the power lines in the battery pack 10 and the power lines in the vehicle 20 are electrically connected.

[0035] The vehicle 20 is equipped with a three-phase AC motor 21 for driving. During acceleration, the inverter 22 converts the DC power supplied from the battery pack 10 into AC power and supplies it to the motor 21. During regeneration, it converts the AC power supplied from the motor 21 into DC power and supplies it to the battery pack 10. During acceleration, the motor 21 rotates in accordance with the AC power supplied from the inverter 22. During regeneration, it converts the rotational energy due to deceleration into AC power and supplies it to the inverter 22.

[0036] The second control unit 25 is a microcontroller that controls the entire vehicle 20. The second wireless communication unit 26 performs short-range wireless communication processing. In this embodiment, the second wireless communication unit 26 is composed of a BLE module, and the second antenna 27 is composed of a chip antenna or pattern antenna built into the BLE module. The second wireless communication unit 26 outputs data received via short-range wireless communication to the second control unit 25 and transmits data input from the second control unit 25 via short-range wireless communication.

[0037] The display unit 28 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or a mini-LED display. The operation unit 29 has at least one physical button. The display may also be a touch panel display. In that case, the touch panel display serves both the functions of the display unit 28 and the operation unit 29.

[0038] The mobile terminal device 30 includes an imaging unit 31, a GPS receiver 32, an operation display unit 33, a third control unit 35, a third wireless communication unit 36, and a third antenna 37. The imaging unit 31 is a camera unit capable of capturing at least still images. The imaging unit 31 includes a lens, a solid-state image sensor, and a signal processing circuit. For example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor can be used as the solid-state image sensor. The solid-state image sensor 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 reduction on the video signal input from the solid-state image sensor and outputs it to the third control unit 35.

[0039] The GPS receiver 32 detects the location information of the mobile terminal device 30. The GPS receiver 32 receives radio waves from multiple GPS satellites, each containing its respective transmission time, and calculates the latitude and longitude of the reception point based on the multiple transmission times contained in the multiple received radio waves. The GPS receiver 32 outputs the calculated latitude and longitude of the reception point to the third control unit 35 as the location information of the mobile terminal device 30.

[0040] The operation display unit 33 is equipped with a touch panel display. A liquid crystal display, organic EL display, mini-LED display, etc., can be used as the touch panel display. The operation display unit 33 may also be equipped with physical keys. Alternatively, the operation display unit 33 may consist of a combination of a display without touch panel functionality and physical keys.

[0041] The third control unit 35 is a controller that controls the entire mobile terminal device 30. The third control unit 35 can be realized through the cooperation of hardware and software resources, or solely through hardware resources. 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 operating systems, middleware, and application programs.

[0042] The third wireless communication unit 36 ​​includes one or more communication modules that support multiple communication methods (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G). For example, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi may be integrated into a single communication module. The third antenna 37 corresponding to each communication method may be built into each communication module or may be external.

[0043] In this embodiment, before using the vehicle 20, the user must download an application program for managing the battery pack 10 (hereinafter referred to as the pack management app) from the distribution server to the mobile terminal device 30 and install it on the mobile terminal device 30. The pack management app is pre-uploaded to the distribution server, and the distribution server provides the managed pack management app to the mobile terminal device 30 that accesses it via the network 2. Alternatively, the mobile terminal device 30 may directly access the website managed by the battery pack management system 3 and download the pack management app from there.

[0044] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing a first embodiment of the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30. In this embodiment, the focus is on the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30, so a detailed explanation of the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the vehicle 20 is omitted. The sequence diagram shown in Figure 4 assumes that the pairing between the battery pack 10 and the vehicle 20 has already been established. As long as the battery pack 10 and the vehicle 20 are paired together, it is not necessary whether the battery pack 10 is installed in the vehicle 20 or not. In this embodiment, a highly secure pairing process is achieved by involving the vehicle 20 in the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30.

[0045] When a user pairs the battery pack 10 with the mobile terminal device 30 using BLE, they perform a predetermined operation on the control panel 29 of the vehicle 20. For example, if the control panel 29 has an operation button for initiating the pairing connection, the user presses that button. Alternatively, if an operation key for initiating the pairing connection is displayed on the touch panel display, the user presses that key.

[0046] When the second control unit 25 of the vehicle 20 recognizes a pairing connection start operation to the operation unit 29 (P1), it transmits a request to the already paired battery pack 10 for the acquisition of the pack ID and the authentication code used for pairing the battery pack 10 with the mobile terminal device 30 (P2). At the same time, the second control unit 25 transmits an advertisement request to the battery pack 10 (P3). The second control unit 25 may transmit the pack ID, the authentication code acquisition request and the advertisement request using BLE with the second wireless communication unit 26, or, if the battery pack 10 is installed in the vehicle 20, it may transmit them via a wired connection.

[0047] When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives a request from the vehicle 20 to obtain a pack ID and authentication code, it generates an authentication code and transmits its own pack ID and the generated authentication code to the requesting vehicle 20 (P4). The first control unit 15 may transmit the pack ID and authentication code using BLE with the first wireless communication unit 16, or, if the battery pack 10 is installed in the vehicle 20, it may transmit them via a wired connection.

[0048] The second control unit 25 of the vehicle 20 obtains the pack ID and authentication code from the battery pack 10, and then generates a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code) in which the obtained pack ID and authentication code are embedded. The second control unit 25 displays the generated two-dimensional code on the display unit 28 (P5). A one-dimensional code (e.g., a barcode) may be used instead of a two-dimensional code.

[0049] The user launches the pack management application on the mobile terminal device 30 and takes a picture of the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 28 of the vehicle 20 with the imaging unit 31 (P6). Alternatively, when the pack management application is launched, a camera application (two-dimensional code reader) for reading the two-dimensional code, which is linked to the pack management application, may be automatically launched.

[0050] In the mobile terminal device 30, the third control unit 35, which is running the pack management application, reads a two-dimensional code from the image input from the imaging unit 31 and obtains the pack ID and authentication code embedded in the read two-dimensional code (P7).

[0051] When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives an advertisement request from the vehicle 20, it generates an advertisement packet containing its own pack ID and sends the generated advertisement packet using the first wireless communication unit 16 (P8).

[0052] When the third control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 receives an advertised packet with the third wireless communication unit 36, it compares the pack ID contained in the advertised packet with the pack ID obtained from the scanned two-dimensional code. If the two match, the third control unit 35 authenticates the device to which the advertised packet was sent as the battery pack 10 to be paired (P9). The third control unit 35 uses the third wireless communication unit 36 ​​to send a pairing request to the destination of the advertised packet (P10). The pairing process is then performed between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30. For example, the pairing process described below is performed.

[0053] When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives a pairing request via the first wireless communication unit 16, it accepts the pairing request unless it is from an unsupported device. The first control unit 15 uses the first wireless communication unit 16 to send a pairing response accepting the pairing request back to the source of the pairing request.

[0054] When the third control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 receives a pairing response accepting the pairing request via the third wireless communication unit 36, it sends a pairing confirmation containing the acquired authentication code to the pairing request recipient. When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives the pairing confirmation containing the authentication code via the first wireless communication unit 16, it compares the authentication code previously sent to the vehicle 20 with the authentication code included in the received pairing confirmation. If the two match, the first control unit 15 sends a pairing confirmation of successful authentication back to the pairing requester.

[0055] When the third control unit 35 of the mobile terminal device 30 receives confirmation of successful authentication pairing from the third wireless communication unit 36, it generates a short term key (STK) using the acquired authentication code. The third control unit 35 transmits security information, including the generated short term key, to the pairing request recipient. When the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 receives the security information, including the short term key, from the first wireless communication unit 16, it sends a confirmation of receipt of the security information back to the pairing requester.

[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 requester. The first control unit 15 sends security information, including the encryption key encrypted with the temporary key, to the pairing requester.

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

[0058] Following the above procedure, the encryption key used for BLE communication is exchanged between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30, and pairing between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 is established (P11, P12). If the first wireless communication unit 16 and the third wireless communication unit 36 ​​are equipped with microcontrollers, the generation and exchange of temporary keys, and the generation, exchange and bonding of encryption keys may be performed by the first wireless communication unit 16 and the third wireless communication unit 36.

[0059] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing a second embodiment of the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30. In this second embodiment, only users who have registered in advance with the battery pack management system 3 can obtain the pack ID and authentication code with the mobile terminal device 30. This second embodiment primarily targets users who utilize electric assist bicycle rental or sharing services. The differences from the sequence diagram of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 4 will be explained below.

[0060] Users of electric assist bicycle rental or sharing services register their user information (P0) with the battery pack management system 3 via the network 2 from their mobile terminal device 30 before using the electric assist bicycle. The user information also includes the payment method for the electric assist bicycle usage fee (bank account number, credit card number, etc.).

[0061] Users may register with the battery pack management system 3 via a pack management app previously downloaded to their mobile terminal device 30, or they may register by directly accessing the website managed by the battery pack management system 3 from their mobile terminal device 30. Registered users are provided with an encrypted pack ID and a decryption key to decrypt the authentication code.

[0062] Alternatively, the distribution server managing the pack management application may have a mechanism that allows the mobile terminal device 30 that accesses it to download the pack management application on the condition that the user registers with the battery pack management system 3. In that case, the above decryption key may be embedded within the pack management application.

[0063] In process P4 of Figure 5, the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 encrypts its own pack ID and authentication code with an encryption key previously assigned by the battery pack management system 3 when transmitting its own pack ID and authentication code to the vehicle 20. The first control unit 15 then transmits the encrypted pack ID and authentication code to the vehicle 20.

[0064] In process P5, the second control unit 25 of the vehicle 20 obtains an encrypted pack ID and authentication code from the battery pack 10, generates a two-dimensional code into which the obtained encrypted pack ID and authentication code are embedded, and displays it on the display unit 28.

[0065] The user launches the pack management application on the mobile terminal device 30 and uses the imaging unit 31 to photograph the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 28 of the vehicle 20 (P6). The third control unit 35 reads the two-dimensional code from the image input from the imaging unit 31 and obtains the encrypted pack ID and authentication code embedded in the read two-dimensional code (P7).

[0066] If the user has registered in advance (Y on P72), the third control unit 35 decrypts the encrypted pack ID and authentication code using the previously acquired decryption key (P74). If the user has not registered in advance (N on P72), the encrypted pack ID and authentication code cannot be decrypted because there is no decryption key. Therefore, the pairing process with the battery pack 10 cannot be performed.

[0067] Alternatively, the third control unit 35 may transmit the encrypted pack ID and authentication code obtained from the two-dimensional code to the battery pack management system 3 via the network 2. The battery pack management system 3 decrypts the encrypted pack ID and authentication code and sends it back to the mobile terminal device 30 that accessed the system in response to access from a mobile terminal device 30 of a user who has been registered in advance.

[0068] Once pairing is established between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 (P11, P12), the first control unit 15 of the battery pack 10 transmits a notification of pairing establishment with the mobile terminal device 30 to the vehicle 20 on which it is installed, either via wired or wireless connection (P13). When the second control unit 25 of the vehicle 20 receives the notification of pairing establishment with the mobile terminal device 30 from the battery pack 10, it releases the driving lock (P14).

[0069] The riding lock is an electromagnetic lock attached to the front or rear wheel that, when locked, restricts the rotation of the front or rear wheel, and when unlocked, releases the restriction on the rotation of the front or rear wheel. In Example 2, the operator providing the rental or sharing service for electric assist bicycles permits the use of electric assist bicycles only to registered users.

[0070] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to enhance the security of the pairing process between the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 at low cost without compromising user convenience. There is no need to newly install a display on the battery pack 10, thus suppressing an increase in the cost of the battery pack 10. Although installing a display on the vehicle 20 will increase the cost compared to models without a display, the cost of the display is negligible compared to the overall cost of the vehicle 20, so the impact of the cost increase is small. The mobile terminal device 30 only needs to have the pack management application installed, and no additional hardware is required.

[0071] If the authentication code is attached to the battery pack 10 using a barcode or QR code sticker, it becomes difficult to pair the battery pack 10 with the mobile terminal device 30 in a vehicle 20 where the battery pack 10 is not exposed to the outside. Furthermore, the value of the authentication code cannot be changed unless the barcode or QR code sticker is replaced. Also, the authentication code information is essentially exposed to the outside.

[0072] In contrast, in this embodiment, the battery pack 10 and the mobile terminal device 30 can be paired even when the battery pack 10 is mounted on a vehicle 20 in which the battery pack 10 is not exposed to the outside. Furthermore, a new authentication code can be generated each time the battery pack 10 issues an authentication code. In addition, the authentication code is displayed on the display unit 28 of the vehicle 20 only when an authentication code is to be notified. Therefore, the security level can be significantly enhanced compared to the case where a barcode or QR code sticker is attached to the battery pack 10.

[0073] Furthermore, the user can acquire the authentication code in the mobile terminal device 30 simply by scanning the two-dimensional code displayed on the vehicle's display unit 28 with the imaging unit 31 of the mobile terminal device 30, reducing the hassle of operation. This also eliminates human input errors and improves the reliability of pairing. Additionally, the authentication code can be obtained in a short time. Moreover, the user's operational burden does not increase even if the authentication code has a large number of digits.

[0074] The present disclosure has been described above based on embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in combinations of their components and processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0075] In Embodiment 1, provided that the driving lock, which is unlocked by a physical key, is released, the second control unit 25 of the vehicle 20 may display a two-dimensional code embedded with the pack ID and authentication code on the display unit 28. In this case, only the person who possesses the physical key to the vehicle 20 (in principle the owner) can pair the battery pack 10 with the portable terminal device 30. Unless the physical key to the vehicle 20 is lost, a third party without legitimate authority cannot pair the battery pack 10 with the portable terminal device 30, further enhancing security.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, the second control unit 25 of the vehicle 20 generates a two-dimensional code embedded with the pack ID and authentication code obtained from the battery pack 10 and displays it on the display unit 28. Alternatively, the second control unit 25 of the vehicle 20 may display the pack ID and authentication code obtained from the battery pack 10 directly on the display unit 28 as numbers or strings. In that case, the displayed numbers or strings may be captured by the imaging unit 31 of the mobile terminal device 30 and imported into the mobile terminal device 30, or the displayed numbers or strings may be entered by the user into the operation display unit 33 and imported into the mobile terminal device 30.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the pack ID was included in the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 28 of the vehicle 20, the pack ID was included in the advertisement packet, and the pack ID obtained from the two-dimensional code by the mobile terminal device 30 was compared with the pack ID included in the advertisement packet. However, the comparison of the pack ID by the mobile terminal device 30 may be omitted. In this case, the battery pack 10 does not need to transmit the pack ID to the vehicle 20, nor does it need to be included in the advertisement packet. This is particularly effective when the display area of ​​the display unit 28 of the vehicle 20 is small, as it reduces the amount of information to be displayed.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, an authentication code was notified to the user of the mobile terminal device 30 using a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 28 of the vehicle 20. However, the notification of the authentication code is not limited to a method using visual information. It is also possible to notify the user of the mobile terminal device 30 of the authentication code using sound information.

[0079] For example, if a speaker is installed in the vehicle 20, and a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 29, the second control unit 25 may cause the speaker to output the pack ID and authentication code as sound. The user inputs the heard pack ID and authentication code into the operation display unit 33 of the mobile terminal device 30. Alternatively, if a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 29, the second control unit 25 may cause the speaker to output audio or sound with the pack ID and authentication code embedded as a digital watermark. The user records this audio or sound with the microphone (not shown) of the mobile terminal device 30. The acoustic analysis function implemented in the pack management application detects the embedded digital watermark of the pack ID and authentication code. In this way, the mobile terminal device 30 can also obtain the pack ID and authentication code from the vehicle 20 via sound information.

[0080] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which a battery pack 10 containing a storage battery 11 is used. However, a capacitor pack containing a capacitor, such as an electric double-layer capacitor cell or a lithium-ion capacitor cell, may also be used. In this specification, battery packs and capacitor packs are collectively referred to as energy storage packs.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, an electric assist bicycle was assumed as the vehicle 20 to which the energy storage pack is attached. However, the vehicle 20 is not limited to an electric assist bicycle; it can also include electric motorcycles (electric scooters), electric kick scooters, electric vehicles (including low-speed electric vehicles such as golf carts and land cars), and railway vehicles. Furthermore, the objects to which the energy storage pack is attached are not limited to vehicles 20; for example, electric vessels and electric mobile devices such as multicopters (drones) are also included.

[0082] The embodiments may be specified by the following items.

[0083] [Item 1] An electric mobile body (20) to which a power storage pack (10) is attached, A control unit (25) obtains an authentication code from the power storage pack (10) via wired or wireless connection, which is used for the process of exchanging encryption keys used for short-range wireless communication between the power storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30). A notification unit (28) temporarily notifies the user of the mobile terminal device (30) of the authentication code obtained from the aforementioned power storage pack (10), An electric mobile body (20) characterized by being equipped with the following.

[0084] According to this, the security of the pairing process between the power storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30) can be enhanced by using an authentication code that is only notified temporarily.

[0085] [Item 2] The notification unit (28) includes a display unit (28) for displaying the authentication code. The electric mobile body (20) described in item 1, characterized by the features described herein.

[0086] According to this, the energy storage pack (10) does not need to have a display unit. Also, since the display unit (28) of the electric mobile unit (20) is installed in a position that is easy for the user to see, the authentication code is highly visible.

[0087] [Item 3] The operating unit (29) that receives user input is provided with: When the control unit (25) recognizes a predetermined operation on the operation unit (29), it transmits to the energy storage pack (10) a request to obtain the authentication code and a request to transmit a signal to the surroundings via short-range wireless communication to notify its presence. An electric mobile body (20) according to item 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

[0088] According to this, the mobile terminal device (30) will be able to verify the identity of the power storage pack (10) attached to the electric mobile body (20) and the power storage pack (10) of the communication partner of the mobile terminal device (30).

[0089] [Item 4] When the control unit (25) receives notification from the power storage pack (10) that the process of exchanging encryption keys used for short-range wireless communication between the power storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30) has been completed, it authorizes the electric mobile unit (20) to move. An electric mobile body (20) according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

[0090] According to this, the completion of pairing between the energy storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30) can be made a condition for the electric mobile unit (20) to start moving.

[0091] [Item 5] A wireless communication unit (36) for performing short-range wireless communication, An acquisition unit (31) that acquires an authentication code notified from an electric mobile device (20) described in any one of items 1 to 4, due to user operation, A control unit (35) that uses the aforementioned authentication code to perform a process of exchanging an encryption key with the power storage pack (10) attached to the electric mobile body (20) for use in short-range wireless communication with the power storage pack (10), A portable terminal device (30) characterized by comprising the following:

[0092] According to this, the security of the pairing process between the energy storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30) can be enhanced.

[0093] [Item 6] The acquisition unit (31) includes an imaging unit (31), The imaging unit (31) captures the authentication code displayed on the display unit (28) of the motorized mobile body (20) described in item 2, as a result of user operation. The control unit (35) performs image recognition on the image captured by the imaging unit (31), detects the authentication code, and executes a process to exchange the encryption key using the detected authentication code. A portable terminal device (30) as described in item 5, characterized by the above.

[0094] This reduces the inconvenience of users having to enter an authentication code.

[0095] [Item 7] The authentication code includes the identification information of the energy storage pack (10), The control unit (35) of the aforementioned mobile terminal device (30) is: If the identification information contained in the signal received by the wireless communication unit (36) matches the identification information contained in the authentication code detected by the image recognition, the system authenticates that the power storage pack (10) attached to the electric mobile body (20) and the communication partner of the short-range wireless communication are the same person. A portable terminal device (30) as described in item 6, characterized by the above.

[0096] According to this, it is possible to verify the identity of the power storage pack (10) attached to the electric mobile device (20) and the power storage pack (10) of the communication partner of the mobile terminal device (30).

[0097] [Item 8] In a management system (3) that manages the status of multiple energy storage packs (10), the control unit (15) of a mobile terminal device (30) owned by a user who is not registered is prohibited from exchanging the encryption key used for short-range wireless communication with the energy storage pack (10). A portable terminal device (30) according to item 6 or 7, characterized by the features described above.

[0098] According to this, it becomes possible to operate the electric mobile device (20) in a way that only registered users can use it.

[0099] [Item 9] A process to obtain an authentication code notified from the electric mobile device (20) described in any one of items 1 to 4, due to user operation, The process involves using the aforementioned authentication code to perform a process of exchanging an encryption key with the power storage pack (10) attached to the electric mobile body (20) for use in short-range wireless communication with the power storage pack (10), A wireless communication program characterized by causing a computer to execute it.

[0100] According to this, the security of the pairing process between the energy storage pack (10) and the mobile terminal device (30) can be enhanced. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 2 network, 3 battery pack management system, 10 battery pack, 20 vehicle, 30 mobile terminal device, 11 storage battery, 15 first control unit, 16 first wireless communication unit, 17 first antenna, 21 motor, 22 inverter, 25 second control unit, 26 second wireless communication unit, 27 second antenna, 28 display unit, 29 operation unit, 31 imaging unit, 32 GPS receiver, 33 operation display unit, 35 third control unit, 36 third wireless communication unit, 37 third antenna.

Claims

1. An electric mobile vehicle equipped with a battery storage pack, A control unit that obtains an authentication code from the power storage pack, either via wired or wireless connection, which is used in the process of exchanging encryption keys for short-range wireless communication between the power storage pack and the mobile terminal device. A notification unit that temporarily notifies the user of the mobile terminal device of the authentication code obtained from the aforementioned power storage pack, An electric mobile device characterized by having the following features.

2. The notification unit includes a display unit for displaying the authentication code. The electric mobile device according to feature 1.

3. The system further includes an operating unit that receives user input, When the control unit recognizes a predetermined operation on the operation unit, it transmits to the power storage pack a request to obtain the authentication code and a request to transmit a signal to the surroundings via short-range wireless communication to notify its presence. The electric mobile body according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. When the control unit receives notification from the power storage pack that the process of exchanging encryption keys used for short-range wireless communication between the power storage pack and the mobile terminal device has been completed, it permits the electric mobile body to move. The electric mobile body according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

5. A wireless communication unit for performing short-range wireless communication, An acquisition unit that acquires an authentication code notified from the electric mobile device described in claim 1 or 2 due to user operation, A control unit that uses the aforementioned authentication code to perform a process of exchanging an encryption key used for short-range wireless communication with the power storage pack attached to the electric mobile body with the power storage pack, A portable terminal device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

6. The acquisition unit includes an imaging unit, The imaging unit captures the authentication code displayed on the display unit of the electric mobile body described in claim 2, in response to user operation. The control unit performs image recognition on the image captured by the imaging unit, detects the authentication code, and executes a process to exchange the encryption key using the detected authentication code. The mobile terminal device according to claim 5.

7. The authentication code includes the identification information of the energy storage pack. The control unit of the aforementioned mobile terminal device is: If the identification information contained in the signal received by the wireless communication unit matches the identification information contained in the authentication code detected by the image recognition, the system authenticates that the power storage pack attached to the electric mobile body and the communication partner of the short-range wireless communication are the same person. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6.

8. In a management system that manages the status of multiple energy storage packs, the control unit of a mobile terminal device owned by a user who is not registered is prohibited from exchanging encryption keys used for short-range wireless communication with the aforementioned energy storage pack. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6.

9. A process for obtaining an authentication code notified from the electric mobile device described in claim 1 or 2 due to user operation, The process involves using the aforementioned authentication code to exchange an encryption key with the energy storage pack attached to the electric mobile body for use in short-range wireless communication with the energy storage pack, A wireless communication program characterized by causing a computer to execute it.

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