JP2007182310A - Battery distribution managing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery distribution managing system that releases a user from labor on charging work. <P>SOLUTION: The battery distribution managing system is provided for managing the distribution of charged batteries between a plurality of stations where the batteries are replaced. It comprises a station terminal device installed in the station for managing inventory information for the batteries, a moving body terminal device installed in a moving body which transports the batteries after charged, and a central managing device to be data-communicative with the station terminal device and the moving body terminal device. The station terminal device transmits data relating to the inventory information to the central managing device at predetermined timings. The central managing device uses the data relating to the inventory information to generates data relating to transporting information for the batteries and transmit it to the moving body terminal device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for managing distribution of storage batteries, and more particularly to a system for managing distribution between facilities (stations) for exchanging a storage battery for a vehicle such as an electric vehicle.

  In recent years, environmental problems such as air pollution and global warming, and problems related to energy resources have been a global concern. Especially for automobiles, reduction of exhaust gas and energy saving are required. , These are the weights that are being developed.

  An electric vehicle is attracting attention under such circumstances. In general, an electric vehicle includes a storage battery (secondary battery) such as a lead battery, a nickel / hydrogen battery, or a lithium ion battery, and runs by running an electric motor with electric energy supplied from the storage battery.

  Therefore, it has the advantage that it can run without gasoline (that is, it does not depend on oil), emits little exhaust gas, and is excellent in quietness.

  As described above, the electric vehicle has excellent advantages from the viewpoint of environment and energy resource countermeasures, but on the other hand, there is a problem that it takes time to replenish energy, that is, to charge the storage battery.

  The storage battery is charged using a household power source (100V) in the owner's parking lot or at a charging facility called a “electric eco station” installed in a predetermined public facility or the like. be able to. However, because the charging time is as long as 4 to 8 hours and there are few places to install the electric eco-station, in most cases, the owner's parking lot etc. does not use cars at night etc. It can be said that it is rare that the battery is charged in the time zone (non-use time zone) and charged on the go. Therefore, it is actually used within the range of charging performed during the non-use time period, and this point is one of the reasons that it does not spur the spread of electric vehicles.

  In this case, it is possible to solve the problem that it is not possible to find a place where charging can be performed on the go by increasing the number of places where the electric eco station is installed. However, since it takes time to charge, it is not a drastic solution that promotes long-distance use of vehicles. There is also a quick charger that charges with a large amount of power in a short time (about 50% can be charged in 30 minutes), but it is not easy to increase the number of installation points because the cost of installation is higher than that of ordinary chargers. . Moreover, since there are few storage batteries corresponding to quick charge, and even if it is short, it is still a long time compared with the refueling of an internal combustion vehicle, Therefore It is hard to become an inducer which promotes long-distance use of a vehicle.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and by constructing a new system that manages the distribution of charged storage batteries among a plurality of stations that replace storage batteries, the user can An object of the present invention is to provide a storage battery distribution management system that can be eliminated from the trouble of charging work.

  A storage battery distribution management system according to the present invention is a system for managing the distribution of charged storage batteries among a plurality of stations for exchanging storage batteries, and is installed in the station and manages station battery inventory information. A mobile terminal device installed in a mobile body carrying a charged storage battery, and a central management device configured to be able to communicate data with the station terminal device and the mobile terminal device, the station The terminal device transmits the data related to the inventory information to the central management device at a predetermined timing, the central management device generates data related to the transport information of the storage battery using the data related to the inventory information, This is transmitted to the mobile terminal device.

  According to the storage battery distribution management system having the above configuration, the central management device stores the inventory information of each station (for example, the total inventory number of storage batteries held by the station and its breakdown (the number of completed charging, Number) etc. are transmitted at a predetermined timing, so the central management device knows at any time whether the inventory status of each station, that is, whether the charged storage battery is insufficient or not It becomes possible to do. Therefore, by using such inventory information, data relating to transportation information including information such as a station where the storage battery should be collected and the number of collection thereof, a station where the storage battery should be replenished and the number of supplements, etc. is generated, It is possible to transmit to the body terminal device.

  As a result, a transporter (operator) riding on the mobile body can move the mobile body according to the transport information and perform a transport operation. As a result, the charged storage batteries can be distributed efficiently between the stations.

  In addition, the mobile terminal device includes a GPS device that acquires the location information of the mobile body, and transmits data related to the location information to the central management device at a predetermined timing. It is preferable that the data related to the transportation information of the storage battery is generated using the data related to the information.

  When the above configuration is adopted, the central management device can grasp the current position (latitude, longitude, etc. coordinates) of the moving body, so there are multiple collection destinations and replenishment destination stations by using this. In this case, an efficient transportation route is determined, and this can be included in the transportation information. As a result, work efficiency related to transportation can be improved.

  The storage battery targeted by the storage battery distribution management system of the present invention is preferably used for driving an electric vehicle.

  As a result, the range of use of electric vehicles can be expanded, and as a result, an increase in the penetration rate of electric vehicles can be expected.

  As described above, the storage battery distribution management system of the present invention can efficiently distribute storage batteries that have been charged between stations that replace storage batteries, and can free the user from the burden of charging work. In particular, if the target is a storage battery used for driving an electric vehicle, it is possible to promote the long-distance use of the electric vehicle by the user and further contribute to the improvement of the diffusion rate.

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

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an application example of the storage battery distribution management system according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, a service station (SS) 20 is a facility that replaces a storage battery 41 mounted on a user vehicle 40 (for example, a small private electric vehicle). In addition, although SS20 can be set up in various places throughout the country, in this embodiment, it is assumed that it is set up at three points from point A to point C for convenience of explanation.

  The storage battery 41 is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery used to drive an electric motor that is a power engine of the user vehicle 40. Here, the storage battery 41 indicates a unit composed of a plurality of the secondary batteries, and replacement of the storage battery 41 refers to replacement in units.

  The storage battery replacement charging device 21 includes a transport unit 22, a charging device 23, and a management device 24 (station terminal device). The transport unit 22 is a machine having a crane function for transporting the storage battery 41 in both directions between the user vehicle 40 and the charging device 23 and can move the storage battery 41 substantially vertically and substantially horizontally.

  The charging device 23 is a device that charges the storage battery 41 transported from the user vehicle 40 by the transport unit 22 by a normal charging method, and is configured to charge a plurality of storage batteries 41 in parallel.

  The management device 24 manages inventory information of the storage battery 41 in the SS 20 (total number of inventory and its breakdown (number of completed charging, number of charging)). In addition, data transmission / reception is performed by a packet communication method via a predetermined communication line with the central management apparatus 10 described later.

  The transport vehicle 30 (moving body) is a vehicle such as a truck that moves between the SSs 20 at the points A to C and transports the charged storage battery 41. In addition, a terminal device 31 (mobile terminal device) that can transmit and receive data with the central management device 10 through a predetermined communication line using a packet communication method is provided.

  The central management device 10 generates information (transportation information) related to the transport of the storage battery 41 based on the information obtained from the management device 24 and the terminal device 31 of the SS 20 at each point (A to C). Send to. A transporter (operator) of the transport vehicle 30 moves the transport vehicle 30 and transports the storage battery 41 according to the information.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the management device 24, the terminal device 31, and the central management device 10. In addition, in SS20 of each point (A-C), all the internal structures of the management apparatus 24 are the same.

  The management device 24 includes a detection unit 25, a storage unit 26, a communication unit 27, and a display unit 28. The detection unit 25 is configured to be electrically connected to a plurality of chargers (not shown) included in the charging device 23 and to detect the current operation state of each charger.

  The storage unit 26 is a storage device such as a hard disk that stores the inventory information of the storage battery 41 in the SS 20. The communication unit 27 transmits / receives data to / from the central management apparatus 10 via the communication line 50 using a packet communication method. The display unit 28 is a monitor such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display for displaying the detection result of the detection unit 25 and the data content transmitted from the central management device 10. In addition, the management device 24 includes input devices (not shown) such as a mouse and a keyboard.

  The terminal device 31 includes a GPS processing unit 32, a communication unit 33, and a display unit 34. The GPS processing unit 32 receives GPS signals (time signals) transmitted from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites (not shown) by an antenna (not shown), and performs a predetermined calculation based on the received signals. Thus, the current position of the transport vehicle 30 (coordinates such as latitude and longitude) is measured periodically (for example, every 10 seconds).

  The communication unit 33 transmits / receives data to / from the central management apparatus 10 via the communication line 60 using a packet communication method. Here, the communication line 60 may be the same as the communication line 50 used between the management apparatus 24 and the central management apparatus 10, or may be a different communication line.

  The display unit 34 is a monitor that displays the contents of data transmitted from the central management apparatus 10. Here, the type of the monitor is not limited, but considering that it is mounted on a vehicle, it is desirable that it is of a liquid crystal type, and further, it is preferable to have a configuration (touch panel) that can be input with a fingertip, a pen, or the like.

  The central management device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a processing unit 12, a display unit 13, a storage battery inventory information DB 14, a storage battery reference possession number DB 15, a location DB 16, and a map DB 17. The communication unit 11 transmits / receives data by the packet communication method with the management device 24 of each SS 20 via the communication line 50 and with the terminal device 31 via the communication line 60.

  The processing unit 12 generates information (transport information) related to transport of the storage battery 41 based on the data transmitted from the management device 24 and the terminal device 31 of each SS 20. The display unit 13 is a monitor such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display that displays data contents transmitted from the management device 24 and the terminal device 31 of each SS 20. In addition, the central management device 10 includes input devices (not shown) such as a mouse and a keyboard.

  The storage battery inventory information DB 14 is a database that holds and manages the inventory information of the storage battery 41 for each SS 20. The inventory information is information including the total number of storage batteries 41 currently held by each SS 20, the number of charging completions, and the number during charging.

  The storage battery reference possession number DB 15 is a database that retains and manages reference possession number information. The reference possession number information is information including the number of charged storage batteries 41 that should be included in each SS 20 (charging is completed).

  The location DB 16 is a database that holds and manages information (location information) regarding the location of each SS 20. The location information includes the SS 20 address, telephone number, and position (coordinates such as latitude and longitude).

  The map DB 17 is a database that holds and manages map information covering at least points A to C. The map information is information used for determining a transportation route, drawing a map on the display unit 13, and the like, and map data for car navigation that is generally popular can also be used.

  Next, an operation example of this system will be described. The management device 24 of each SS 20 transmits the inventory information (related data) of the storage battery 41 in the SS 20 to the central management device 10 periodically or in response to an inquiry from the central management device 10. Such inventory information is transmitted to the processing unit 12 via the communication unit 11 of the central management apparatus 10. The processing unit 12 updates the storage battery inventory information DB 14 with the inventory information. Further, the received inventory information is compared with the reference possession number information of the storage battery reference possession number DB 15 to obtain the excess / shortage information of the storage battery 41 in each SS 20 (for example, the SS 20 in the A district is less than 10 units, the SS 20 in the B district Then there are 5 units excess).

  Further, the current position information (coordinates such as latitude and longitude) (data relating to latitude and longitude) is transmitted from the terminal device 31 to the central management device 10 periodically (for example, at intervals of 5 minutes). The processing unit 12 displays the current position of the transport vehicle 30 on the monitor (display unit 13) using the position information and the map information of the map DB 17 (specifically, the vehicle at the coordinate position on the drawn map). Plot the mark etc.). Moreover, the process part 12 produces | generates conveyance information using the received positional information, the said excess / deficiency information, and the location information of location DB16. The transportation information includes information on the SS 20 of the collection destination (store name, address, telephone number, etc.), the number of storage batteries 41 to be collected, information on the SS 20 of the transportation destination (replenishment destination), the number of storage batteries to be supplemented, and the like. In addition, when there are a plurality of collection destinations and replenishment destinations, a route (transport route) for transporting (distributing) the storage battery 41 most efficiently is also determined, and this is also included in the transport information. Yes. In addition, the specification which produces | generates conveyance information also considering other information, such as road information (for example, congestion condition), may be sufficient.

  The processing unit 12 transmits the transport information generated in this way to the terminal device 31 of the transport vehicle 30. When receiving the transport information, the terminal device 31 displays the content on the display unit 34. A transporter of the transport vehicle 30 moves the transport vehicle 30 in accordance with the contents thereof, and transports the storage battery 41.

  As described above, in the storage battery distribution management system according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, in each SS 20 that replaces the storage battery 41, the inventory information of the storage battery 41 is managed by the management device 24. It is transmitted to the central management apparatus 10 at the timing. Further, in the transport vehicle 30, the current position of the transport vehicle 30 is acquired by the terminal device 31 via the GPS processing unit 32, and the acquired information (position information) is transmitted to the central management device 10 at regular intervals. . The central management device uses the received inventory information and position information and the various DBs that are managed to generate transport information and transmits it to the terminal device 31 of the transport vehicle 30. Thereby, since the carrier of the transport vehicle 30 can move the transport vehicle 30 and perform the transport operation according to the transport information, it is possible to smoothly distribute the storage batteries 41 between the SSs 20.

  The storage battery distribution management system according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in order to increase equivalence when replacing a storage battery, an IC tag (for example, a non-contact type IC tag using RFID technology) is attached to the storage battery, and the state of the storage battery (manufacturing date, number of times of charging, etc.) ) May be managed by the storage battery replacement charging device of each station.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the example of application of the storage battery distribution management system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a management device, a terminal device, and a central management device in the embodiment. FIG.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Central management apparatus, 11 ... Communication part, 12 ... Processing part, 13 ... Display part, 14 ... Storage battery stock information DB, 15 ... Storage battery standard possession number DB, 16 ... Location DB, 17 ... Map DB, 20 ... Service station (SS), 21 ... storage battery exchange charging device, 22 ... transport unit, 23 ... charging device, 24 ... management device, 25 ... detection unit, 26 ... storage unit, 27 ... communication unit, 28 ... display unit, 30 ... transport vehicle , 31 ... Terminal device, 32 ... GPS processing part, 33 ... Communication part, 34 ... Display part, 40 ... User vehicle, 41 ... Storage battery, 50, 60 ... Communication line

Claims (3)

A system for managing the distribution of charged storage batteries among a plurality of stations that exchange storage batteries,
Station terminal device installed in the station and managing storage battery inventory information;
A mobile terminal device installed in a mobile body that carries a fully charged storage battery;
A central management device configured to be capable of data communication with the station terminal device and the mobile terminal device,
The station terminal device transmits data relating to the inventory information to the central management device at a predetermined timing, and the central management device generates data relating to transport information of the storage battery using the data relating to the inventory information. And transmits this to the mobile terminal device,
Storage battery distribution management system characterized by that. The mobile terminal device includes a GPS device that acquires location information of the mobile body, and transmits data related to the location information to the central management device at a predetermined timing.
The central management device uses the data related to the location information to generate data related to storage battery transportation information.
The storage battery distribution management system according to claim 1.   The storage battery distribution management system according to claim 1, wherein the storage battery is used for driving an electric vehicle.

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