JP2010212048A - Rechargeable battery collection system, rechargeable battery collection method, and rechargeable battery exchange device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide inexpensive exchange service of a rechargeable battery to users. <P>SOLUTION: The rechargeable battery exchange device 3 selects a vehicle 2 which goes in the direction of a collection center, in which a rechargeable battery satisfying collection conditions is collected, from among vehicles 2 exchanging rechargeable batteries at an exchange station, and loads a rechargeable battery satisfying the collection conditions to the selected vehicle 2 in exchanging the rechargeable battery. In such a constitution, the vehicle 2 itself carries a rechargeable battery to be exchanged to the collection center, so that the cost and manhour for employing collection vehicles are reduced, and the exchange service of a rechargeable battery is inexpensively provided to users. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery recovery system, a rechargeable battery recovery method, and a rechargeable battery replacement device for recovering a rechargeable battery mounted on a vehicle such as a hybrid electric vehicle or an electric vehicle.

  Conventionally, the rechargeable batteries installed in the vehicle are graded based on the electrical characteristics and usage history, and the reusable battery can be reused and the resale destination is determined for each rechargeable battery based on the graded result. Is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-141464 A (paragraph 0113)

  In the conventional system, a rechargeable battery collection company needs to dispatch a collection vehicle for collecting a rechargeable battery that is waiting for resale or to be discarded to all exchange stations where the user replaces the rechargeable battery. For this reason, according to the conventional system, enormous costs and man-hours are required for the operation of the collection vehicle, and as a result, it is difficult to provide the user with a rechargeable battery replacement service at low cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a rechargeable battery recovery system, a rechargeable battery recovery method, and a rechargeable battery replacement device that can provide a user with a rechargeable battery replacement service at a low cost. is there.

  The present invention is selected when replacing a rechargeable battery by selecting a vehicle heading toward a recovery center that recovers a rechargeable battery that satisfies a predetermined recovery condition from among vehicles that replace a rechargeable battery at an exchange station. Instructing the vehicle to be mounted with a rechargeable battery that satisfies a predetermined collection condition.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to limit the movement range of the collection vehicle for waiting for resale or collecting the rechargeable battery to be discarded, thereby reducing the cost and man-hours required for the operation of the collection vehicle, and providing the user with a rechargeable battery replacement service. It can be provided at low cost.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the rechargeable battery collection | recovery system used as embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle used as embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification of the rechargeable battery shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the rechargeable battery exchange apparatus and battery information management apparatus which become embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the collection | recovery object determination process used as embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the rechargeable battery exchange process used as embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a rechargeable battery collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Overall configuration of rechargeable battery collection system]
As shown in FIG. 1, in the rechargeable battery collection system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle 2 (2 a, 2 b, 2 c) on which the rechargeable battery is mounted and the user replace the rechargeable battery mounted on the vehicle 2. Rechargeable battery exchange device 3 (3a to 3g) provided for each exchange station serving as a place, the function of the exchange station, and the function as a place where the rechargeable battery collection company collects rechargeable batteries waiting for resale or disposal A rechargeable battery exchange device 4 provided in the exchange / recovery station, and a battery information management device 5 for managing information related to the rechargeable battery mounted on the vehicle 2, the vehicle 2, the rechargeable battery exchange devices 3, 4, and The battery information management device 5 is configured to be capable of information communication via an electric communication line such as the Internet.

[Vehicle configuration]
The vehicle 2 is constituted by a vehicle driven by electric power stored in a rechargeable battery such as a hybrid electric vehicle or an electric vehicle, and as shown in FIG. 2, the rechargeable battery 1 that is detachable from the vehicle 2 and that can be charged and discharged. Is provided. In this embodiment, the rechargeable battery 1 includes a vehicle / battery information storage unit 11, a battery state detection unit 12, a vehicle interface (I / F) 13, and a station I / F 14. The vehicle / battery information storage unit 11 stores unique identification information (unique ID) given to each rechargeable battery 1, information about the usage history of the rechargeable battery 1, and information detected by the battery state detection unit 12. Further, the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11 is configured to be able to record information (details will be described later) generated by the information processing device 24.

  The battery state detection unit 12 includes a temperature of the rechargeable battery 1, an internal resistance value, a remaining battery level, individual information for each use (travel distance, travel time, voltage and current value at full charge, internal resistance value), error information, and the like. Information on the state of the rechargeable battery 1 is detected. The station I / F 14 is used for communication when the rechargeable battery 1 performs information communication with the rechargeable battery exchange device 3 provided on the exchange station side or the rechargeable battery exchange device 4 provided on the exchange / collection station side. Functions as an interface.

  The vehicle I / F 13 functions as a communication I / F when the rechargeable battery 1 performs information communication with the information processing device 24 provided on the vehicle 2 side. As shown in FIG. 3, the station I / F 14 in the rechargeable battery 1 is replaced by a communication module 16 capable of communicating information in a wireless form (for example, a mobile phone communication network or a wireless LAN) via an antenna 15. The battery 1 may wirelessly communicate with the rechargeable battery exchange device 3 provided on the exchange station side or the rechargeable battery exchange device 4 provided on the exchange / recovery station side.

  The vehicle 2 includes a rechargeable battery I / F 21, a position information acquisition unit 22, a vehicle information acquisition unit 23, an information processing device 24, an input device 25, and an output device 26. The rechargeable battery I / F 21 functions as a communication interface when the vehicle 2 reads / writes information stored in the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11. The position information acquisition unit 22 includes a GPS receiver and a gyro sensor, and acquires information regarding the position and moving direction of the vehicle 2. The vehicle information acquisition unit 23 acquires signals indicating the state of the vehicle 2 such as vehicle speed, motor power consumption, presence / absence of an accelerator pedal operation, presence / absence of a brake pedal operation, and the like.

  The information processing device 24 includes a microcomputer and includes a storage unit 27 and an information processing unit 28. The storage unit 27 stores a route guidance program 29 for performing route guidance for the vehicle 1, a map database (DB) 30 for storing map information used for route guidance, and position information of exchange stations and exchange / collection stations. It has a station position DB 31 for storing. The information processing unit 28 includes a CPU and a RAM. The CPU loads a computer program stored in the storage unit 27 to the RAM, and executes the loaded computer program, thereby performing route guidance processing and user action history. Perform various functions such as analysis processing.

  The input device 25 is configured by an input device such as a touch panel switch or a switch button, and outputs information input by a user operation to the information processing device 24. The output device 26 includes a known output device such as a liquid crystal display or a speaker, and outputs various types of information such as route guidance information to the user.

[Configuration of exchange station and exchange / collection station]
As shown in FIG. 4, the rechargeable battery exchange device 3 (4) provided on the exchange station side or the exchange / collection station side includes an information processing unit 41, a rechargeable battery I / F 42, and a communication I / F 43. . The information processing apparatus 41 is constituted by a microcomputer and controls the overall operation of the information processing apparatuses 3 and 4. The rechargeable battery I / F 42 is connected to the rechargeable battery 1 and controls information communication with the connected rechargeable battery 1. When the rechargeable battery 1 has the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the rechargeable battery I / F 42 is not necessary, and the rechargeable battery exchange device 3 (4) can be configured at low cost. The communication I / F 43 controls communication processing with an external device such as the battery information management device 5 via an electric communication line such as the Internet.

  In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, in the exchange station or the exchange / collection station, the electrical equipment for performing replacement or charging of the rechargeable battery 1 and the storage equipment for the rechargeable battery 1 and the characteristics of the rechargeable battery 1 (number of times of charging, capacity reduction Measuring equipment for measuring temperature, voltage drop degree, internal resistance value, temperature, remaining battery level, etc.) and transporting equipment for attaching and detaching the rechargeable battery 1 to the storage equipment. In addition, the exchange / collection station is provided with a storage facility for storing the rechargeable battery 1 that has become unusable until the collection company comes to collect it. In addition, the replacement work of the rechargeable battery 1 at the exchange station or the exchange / collection station is performed by removing the used rechargeable battery 1 from the vehicle 2 using a dedicated facility and selecting the rechargeable battery 1 by the rechargeable battery replacement device 3 (4). This is done automatically by the flow of removing the rechargeable battery 1 from the storage facility and mounting it on the vehicle 2.

[Configuration of battery information management device]
As shown in FIG. 4, the battery information management device 5 includes an information processing unit 51, a battery information management DB 52, and a communication I / F 53. The information processing unit 51 is configured by a microcomputer and controls the operation of the battery information management device 5 as a whole. The battery information management DB 52 includes unique identification information (unique ID) for each rechargeable battery 1, manufacturing date / use start date, total travel distance, total use time, and individual information for each use (travel distance, travel time, full charge time) Voltage and current values, internal resistance values), error information, and the like are stored in association with each other. The communication I / F 53 controls communication processing with an external device such as the rechargeable battery switching device 3 (4) via an electric communication line such as the Internet.

  The rechargeable battery recovery system having such a configuration enables the replacement service for the rechargeable battery 1 to be provided to the user at low cost by executing the following recovery target determination process and charge replacement process. Hereinafter, the operation of the rechargeable battery replacement system when executing the collection target determination process and the rechargeable battery replacement process will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

[Collection target judgment processing]
First, the operation of the rechargeable battery collection system when executing the collection target determination process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle 2 enters the exchange station or the exchange / collection station, and the rechargeable battery 1 removed from the vehicle 2 is connected to the rechargeable battery exchange device 3 (4) via the rechargeable battery I / F 42. The recovery target determination process proceeds to the process of step S1.

  In the process of step S <b> 1, the information processing unit 41 acquires the unique ID of the rechargeable battery 1 from the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11 via the rechargeable battery I / F 42 and the station I / F 14. Thereby, the process of step S1 is completed and the collection target determination process proceeds to the process of step S2.

  In the process of step S2, the information processing section 41 transmits the unique ID acquired by the process of step S1 to the battery information management server 5 via the telecommunication line, and acquired from the battery information management server DB 52 by the process of step S1. Information about the usage history of the rechargeable battery 1 corresponding to the unique ID is acquired. Thereby, the process of step S2 is completed and the collection target determination process proceeds to the process of step S3.

  In the process of step S <b> 3, the information processing unit 41 acquires information related to the use history immediately before the rechargeable battery 1 from the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11 via the rechargeable battery I / F 42 and the station I / F 14. Thereby, the process of step S3 is completed and the collection target determination process proceeds to the process of step S4.

  In the process of step S4, the information processing unit 41 compares the information about the straight line usage history acquired from the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11 with the information about the usage history acquired from the battery information management server DB 52, so that the vehicle 2 It is determined whether or not the mounted rechargeable battery 1 is a collection target. Specifically, when the information processing unit 41 compares the usage histories and determines that the rechargeable battery 1 exceeds the service life limit, the information processing unit 41 determines that the rechargeable battery 1 is a collection target. More specifically, when the service life is set to 2 years, the information processing unit 41 determines the service life after the use date immediately before the manufacture date / battery use start date recorded in the battery information management DB 52. If it is confirmed that the battery has exceeded the limit, the rechargeable battery 1 is determined to be a collection target.

  When the service distance and service time are set to 10000 km and 2000 hours, respectively, the information management unit 41 determines the total travel distance and total use time recorded in the battery information management DB 52 as the current travel distance and use time. As a result of the addition, when the service distance and the service life are exceeded, the rechargeable battery 1 is determined as a collection target. Also, when using a straight line, the mileage at full charge was 100 km, but the battery performance was compared to the previous use state, as in the previous usage history, the mileage at full charge was 200 to 250 km. The information management unit 41 determines that the rechargeable battery 1 is a collection target. In addition, the threshold value used for determination shall be set for every battery type according to the deterioration state of the rechargeable battery 1 such as the number of times the rechargeable battery 1 is used, capacity decrease, voltage decrease, and internal resistance. As a result of the determination, if it is determined that the rechargeable battery 1 is a collection target, the information processing section 41 advances the collection target determination process to the process of step S7. On the other hand, when it is determined that the rechargeable battery 1 is not a collection target, the information processing unit 41 advances the collection target determination process to the process of step S5.

  In the process of step S5, the operator directly determines the state of the rechargeable battery 1 using the measurement facility to determine whether or not the rechargeable battery 1 is a collection target. As a result of the determination, when the rechargeable battery 1 is a collection target, the operator notifies the battery information management device 5 of the unique ID of the rechargeable battery 1 as a process of step S6, and the rechargeable battery 1 becomes a collection target. Contact me. Thereby, the collection target determination process proceeds to the process of step S7.

  In the process of step S <b> 7, the information processing section 51 records information on the rechargeable battery 1 that is a collection target in the battery information management DB 52. Thereby, the process of step S7 is completed and the collection target determination process proceeds to the process of step S8.

  In the process of step S8, the information processing unit 41 instructs the operator to recharge the rechargeable battery 1. The operator recharges the rechargeable battery 1 after transporting the rechargeable battery 1 to the storage location. Thereby, the process of step S8 is completed and a series of collection | recovery object determination processes are complete | finished.

[Rechargeable battery replacement process]
Next, the operation of the rechargeable battery collection system when the charged rechargeable battery 1 is mounted on the vehicle 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition, this rechargeable battery replacement process shall be performed in parallel with the said collection | recovery object determination process.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle 2 enters the exchange station or the exchange / collection station, and the rechargeable battery 1 removed from the vehicle 2 is connected to the rechargeable battery exchange device 3 (4) via the rechargeable battery I / F 42. The rechargeable battery replacement process proceeds to step S11.

  In the process of step S <b> 11, the information processing unit 41 determines whether destination information for route guidance processing of the vehicle 2 is stored in the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11. If the destination information is stored as a result of the determination, the information processing section 41 advances the rechargeable battery replacement process to the process of step S12. On the other hand, when the destination information is not stored, the information processing section 41 advances the rechargeable battery replacement process to the process of step S14.

  In the process of step S12, the information processing unit 41 acquires the destination information from the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11, and the destination of the route guidance process is the direction of the exchange / collection station with reference to the acquired destination information. It is determined whether or not. As a result of the determination, when the destination of the route guidance process is the direction of the exchange / collection station, the information processing section 41 advances the rechargeable battery exchange process to the process of step S13. On the other hand, when the destination of the route guidance process is not in the direction of the exchange / collection station, the information processing section 41 advances the rechargeable battery exchange process to the process of step S16.

  In the process of step S <b> 13, the information processing unit 41 instructs the operator to mount the rechargeable battery 1 determined as the collection target in the collection target determination process on the vehicle 2. According to such processing, since the rechargeable battery 1 to be collected is mounted on the vehicle 2 heading toward the exchange / collection station, the cost required for collecting the rechargeable battery 1 can be reduced. In addition, when the distance from the exchange station to the destination of the route guidance process is equal to or longer than the cruising distance of the rechargeable battery 1, in other words, when the rechargeable battery 1 cannot reach the destination, the information processing unit 41 If the exchange station that is expected to be replaced is in a place convenient for the collection of the rechargeable battery 1 (for example, the exchange stations 3c and 3f shown in FIG. 1), the vehicle 2 is instructed to mount the rechargeable battery 1 to be collected. To do. Thereby, the process of step S13 is completed and a series of rechargeable battery exchange processes are complete | finished.

  In the process of step S14, the information processing unit 41 acquires information related to the driver's action history from the vehicle / battery information storage unit 11, and estimates the moving direction and moving range of the vehicle 2 based on the acquired information related to the action history. To do. The information related to the driver's behavior history is obtained by the information processing unit 28 performing pattern analysis on the user's behavior history such as the usage time zone, moving distance, position information, and usage frequency of the vehicle 2. Specifically, when the vehicle 2 is used at a regular frequency for commuting or the like, action history information can be generated because the use time zone and movement route of the vehicle 2 are substantially the same. Even when the vehicle 2 is not used regularly, by calculating the frequency distribution of the moving location and the moving route of the vehicle 2, it is possible to determine which area the vehicle 2 is in (for example, the areas R1, R2, R3 shown in FIG. 1). It is possible to estimate whether the frequency of going to the route is high or which range or route is frequently moved. And the information processing part 41 discriminate | determines whether there exists a possibility that the vehicle 2 heads for the exchange / collection station direction based on an estimation result. As a result of the determination, if there is a possibility that the vehicle 2 is heading toward the replacement / collection station, the information processing section 41 advances the rechargeable battery replacement process to the process of step S15. On the other hand, when there is no possibility that the vehicle 2 is heading toward the replacement / collection station, the information processing section 41 advances the rechargeable battery replacement process to the process of step S16.

  In the process of step S <b> 15, the information processing section 41 instructs the operator to mount the rechargeable battery 1 determined as a collection target in the collection target determination process on the vehicle 2. According to such processing, since the rechargeable battery 1 to be collected is mounted on the vehicle 2 heading toward the exchange / collection station, the cost required for collecting the rechargeable battery 1 can be reduced. Thereby, the process of step S15 is completed and a series of rechargeable battery exchange processes are complete | finished.

  In the process of step S <b> 16, the information processing section 41 instructs the operator to mount the rechargeable battery 1 that has not been determined to be collected on the vehicle 2. Thereby, the process of step S16 is completed and a series of rechargeable battery exchange processes are completed.

  As is clear from the above description, according to the rechargeable battery recovery system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the rechargeable battery replacement device 3 is a charge that satisfies the recovery conditions from the vehicle 2 that replaces the rechargeable battery at the replacement station. When the vehicle 2 heading toward the collection center for collecting the battery 1 is selected and the rechargeable battery 1 is replaced, the rechargeable battery 1 that satisfies the collection conditions is mounted on the selected vehicle 2. According to such a configuration, since the vehicle 2 itself carries the rechargeable battery 1 to be collected to the collection center, the cost and man-hour required for the operation of the collected vehicle are reduced, and the replacement service for the rechargeable battery 1 is performed. Can be provided to the user at low cost.

  In the above-described rechargeable battery replacement process, when information on the destination report or the driver's action history cannot be acquired from the vehicle 1 side, the information processing unit 41 displays information on the replacement station, which is frequently used by the driver, in the vehicle / battery. An area that is obtained from the information storage unit 11 and surrounds an exchange station that is frequently used is defined as a driver's action range, and the vehicle 2 may head toward the exchange / collection station based on the defined action range. It is good to determine whether or not. Since the cruising distance of an electric vehicle is shorter than that of a gasoline-driven vehicle, the moving range of the electric vehicle is limited. Therefore, the action range of the electric vehicle can be estimated with high accuracy.

  Moreover, you may enable it to comprise so that the information regarding an action history cannot be read from the vehicle / battery information storage part 11 by a user's setting for privacy protection. Further, when there are a plurality of vehicles 2 heading toward the exchange / collection station, the information processing unit 41 may compare the destination information and the information about the driver's action history between the vehicles 2 and may go to the exchange / collection station. It is desirable to mount the rechargeable battery 1 to be collected on the highest vehicle 2. Specifically, with reference to FIG. 1, it is assumed that the vehicle 2a and the vehicle 2b are simultaneously stored in the exchange station 3c where the rechargeable battery 1 to be collected is stored. Further, assume that the exchange station 3c collects the used rechargeable battery 1 from the vehicle 2a and the vehicle 2b and simultaneously acquires the destination setting information of the vehicle 2a and the action range information of the vehicle 2b. Further, it is assumed that the destination setting information of the vehicle 2a includes information that the used rechargeable battery 1 is replaced at the exchange station 3c and then returned to the home A of the driver of the vehicle 2a. Further, it is assumed that the action range information of the vehicle 2b includes information that the action range of the vehicle 2b is in the area R2, and that the exchange station 3f is a frequently used exchange station. In this case, the rechargeable battery exchange device 3 is based on the information acquired from the vehicle 2a and the vehicle 2b, while the home A heading after the vehicle 2a leaves the exchange station 3c moves away from the position of the collection center. Since 2b is the action range R2 and the use frequency of the exchange station 3f is high (the possibility of going to the exchange station 3f is high), the collection center is closer to the distance than the exchange station 3c, and the used rechargeable battery 1 is collected. It becomes possible to preferentially send in the direction of the center.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment which applied the invention made by the present inventors was described, this invention is not limited by description and drawing which make a part of indication of this invention by this embodiment. That is, other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, and the like made by those skilled in the art based on the present embodiment are all included in the scope of the present invention.

1: Rechargeable battery 2 (2a, 2b, 2c): Vehicle 3 (3a-3g), 4: Rechargeable battery exchange device 5: Battery information management device 11: Vehicle / battery information storage unit 12: Battery state detection unit 13: Vehicle Interface (I / F)
14: Station I / F
15: Antenna 16: Communication module 21, 41: I / F for rechargeable battery
22: Position information acquisition unit 23: Vehicle information acquisition unit 24: Information processing device 25: Input device 26: Output device 41, 51: Information processing unit 43, 53: I / F for communication
52: Battery information management DB

Claims (7)

Based on information on vehicle behavior characteristics, select a vehicle heading in the direction of a specified replacement station that recovers a rechargeable battery that satisfies a specified recovery condition from among the vehicles that replace the rechargeable battery installed in the replacement station. Selection means to
A rechargeable battery collection system comprising: instruction means for instructing to mount a rechargeable battery satisfying a predetermined collection condition on a selected vehicle when the rechargeable battery is replaced at a replacement station. The rechargeable battery collection system according to claim 1,
The selecting means selects a vehicle heading toward the predetermined exchange station based on information on a destination of the vehicle in a route guidance process acquired from a route guidance device mounted on the vehicle. Rechargeable battery collection system. In the rechargeable battery collection system according to claim 1 or 2,
The recharging battery collecting system according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means selects a vehicle heading toward the predetermined exchange station based on a frequency with which the vehicle uses the exchange station. The rechargeable battery collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The recharging battery collecting system according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means selects a vehicle heading toward the predetermined exchange station based on information relating to a driver's action history acquired from a storage device mounted on the vehicle. The rechargeable battery collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The information related to the behavior characteristic of the vehicle includes information related to at least one of a moving direction, a moving range, a moving route, and a moving distance of the vehicle. Based on information on vehicle behavior characteristics, select a vehicle heading in the direction of a specified replacement station that recovers a rechargeable battery that satisfies a specified recovery condition from among the vehicles that replace the rechargeable battery installed in the replacement station. Processing to
And a process for instructing the selected vehicle to be mounted with a rechargeable battery that satisfies a predetermined recovery condition when replacing the rechargeable battery of the vehicle at the exchange station. Based on the information on the behavioral characteristics of the vehicle, the vehicle is selected from the vehicles that replace the rechargeable battery installed in the replacement station, and is directed toward the predetermined replacement station that recovers the rechargeable battery that satisfies the predetermined recovery condition. Acquisition means for acquiring information about the vehicle;
A rechargeable battery exchange device comprising: mounting means for mounting a rechargeable battery that satisfies a predetermined collection condition on a vehicle corresponding to the information acquired by the acquiring means.

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