Lead-Acid Battery Deterioration Assessment Using Image-Based Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for determining the degree of deterioration or guarantee of lead-acid batteries are manual, time-consuming, and require skilled judgment, leading to potential user dissatisfaction and increased guarantee costs.
Innovation Solution
A determination device and system that acquire and analyze appearance and internal inspection information, including image data, using a database or learning model to quickly and objectively determine the degree of deterioration or guarantee of lead-acid batteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual determination procedures are used to assess lead-acid battery deterioration, then the determination can be performed with human judgment and experience, but the process requires significant time and labor, and results may vary based on individual skill levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical assessment process with an automated image processing system. The determination device captures images of the battery and uses image processing to automatically extract features such as liquid smear, terminal corrosion, and container breakage, eliminating the need for manual visual inspection and significantly reducing determination time while maintaining consistent accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service determination by automatically analyzing battery images without requiring human intervention. The image processing unit independently extracts deterioration features and the determination unit automatically compares these features against reference data to assess battery status, making the process autonomous and eliminating labor-intensive manual evaluation.
2Measurement precision
If strict determination standards are applied to ensure high accuracy in assessing battery deterioration, then measurement precision improves, but user dissatisfaction increases due to perceived harshness of the criteria
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing reference determination data that includes multiple types of deterioration features and their corresponding assessments. This reference data serves as a predetermined standard that guides the automatic determination process, ensuring consistent and fair assessment while reducing perceived harshness through objective comparison rather than subjective judgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The determination device incorporates feedback mechanisms by comparing extracted image features against stored reference data and providing automated determination results. This objective feedback loop ensures consistent application of determination standards while allowing for systematic adjustment of criteria based on accumulated data, improving both accuracy and user acceptance.
3Ease of operation
If loose determination standards are used to maintain user satisfaction, then ease of operation improves, but guarantee costs increase due to fewer rejected batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pre-stored reference determination data that encompasses multiple deterioration types and severity levels. This comprehensive reference data enables the system to apply appropriate determination standards objectively, preventing both overly strict and overly loose assessments, thereby controlling guarantee costs while maintaining user satisfaction through fair and consistent evaluations.
4Reliability
If multiple determination procedures including use state checking, appearance inspection, and internal inspection are performed manually, then comprehensive assessment is achieved, but the device complexity and required skills increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple determination procedures into a single integrated image processing system. The image processing unit simultaneously extracts multiple deterioration features (liquid smear, terminal corrosion, container breakage) from battery images, and the determination unit comprehensively assesses all these features together by comparing against reference data, achieving comprehensive assessment without requiring separate manual inspection steps or high levels of operator skill.
Data Source
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AI summary
A determination device (1) includes: an acquisition unit (11) that acquires determination information for determining a degree of deterioration or guarantee of a lead-acid battery (3); a determination unit (11) that determines the degree of deterioration or guarantee of the lead-acid battery (3) by referring to a database (142) that stores the determination information and the degree of deterioration or guarantee of the lead-acid battery (3) in association with each other based on the acquired determination information; and an output unit (11) that outputs a result determined by the determination unit (11).