JP7523268B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium.

In recent years, there has been progress in the development of electric vehicles, such as EVs (Electric Vehicles) and HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles), in which the electric motor used for driving the vehicle is driven by power supplied from a battery (electricity storage device). Furthermore, a battery exchange system has been proposed that lends batteries to such electric vehicles (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-014032 A

However, if a malfunction occurs in the power device used in the battery exchange system described above, it may result in restrictions on the provision of services. For this reason, it is hoped that the occurrence of malfunctions in power devices can be suppressed.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium that can suppress the occurrence of malfunctions related to power devices.

The information processing device, information processing method, program, and storage medium according to the present invention employ the following configurations.
(1): One aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that includes an acquisition unit that acquires an air temperature, which is the temperature of the air inside a housing of an electric power device that has an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is the temperature of the electric component, and a processing unit that executes at least one of a determination regarding deterioration of the electric component, outputting an alert indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electric component, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electric component, based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electric component that has been determined in advance, and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.

(2): In the above embodiment (1), the information includes a relationship between the air temperature and the maximum component temperature when the electrical component is in a non-degraded state and is in operation.

(3): In the above embodiment (1) or (2), the electrical component is a power converter, the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter, and the information includes a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature when the power converter is in operation.

(4): In the above aspect (3), the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging multiple power storage devices, and the power converter is arranged so as to be capable of simultaneously supplying charging power to the multiple power storage devices.

(5): In the above aspect (4), the information includes the relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature for each number of the power storage devices to which the power converter supplies the charging power.

(6): In the above aspect (4) or (5), the processing unit executes the processing when the power converter simultaneously supplies the charging power to two or more of the power storage devices.

(7): In the aspect of (6) above, the processing unit executes the processing when the power converter supplies the charging power to all of the plurality of power storage devices that can be charged simultaneously.

(8): In any one of the above aspects (3) to (7), the processing unit makes a judgment regarding deterioration of the electrical component based on the temperature difference between the maximum value of the power converter temperature obtained from the information according to the air temperature acquired by the acquisition unit and the power converter temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.

(9): In the aspect of (8) above, the processing unit determines the degree of deterioration of the electrical component based on the magnitude of the temperature difference between the maximum value of the power converter temperature obtained from the information according to the air temperature acquired by the acquisition unit and the maximum value of the power converter temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.

(10): In the above aspect (8) or (9), the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging multiple power storage devices, and the processing unit makes a determination regarding deterioration of the electrical component based on the temperature difference and a threshold value for the temperature difference that is set for each of the power storage devices.

(11): In any one of the above aspects (3) to (10), the power converter temperature is obtained based on the temperature of the power converter's substrate.

(12): In any one of the above aspects (3) to (10), the power converter temperature is obtained based on the temperature of the capacitor of the power converter.

(13): In any one of the above aspects (1) to (12), the processing unit determines the degree of deterioration of the electrical component based on the information and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit, and the information processing device further includes a prediction unit that predicts when the degree of deterioration will exceed a predetermined threshold.

(14): In any one of the above aspects (1) to (13), the processing unit determines whether or not the electrical component has deteriorated beyond a predetermined level based on the information and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit, and the information processing device further includes an output unit that outputs information to be used for the maintenance or servicing of the power device when it is determined that the electrical component has deteriorated beyond the predetermined level.

(15): In any one of the above (1) to (14), the housing has an intake port and an exhaust port, and the air temperature is the temperature of air closer to the exhaust port than to the intake port.

(16): In any one of the above (1) to (15), the electrical component includes a first component and a second component having a lower heat resistance temperature than the first component, the first component becomes hotter inside the housing than the second component, the air temperature is the temperature of the air inside the housing to which a portion of the heat of the first component is transferred, and the component temperature is the temperature of the second component, and the processing unit makes a judgment regarding deterioration of the second component based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electrical component that is determined in advance, and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.

(17): Another aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that includes an acquisition unit that acquires a component temperature, which is the temperature of an electrical component of an electric power device that has an electrical component inside a housing, and a processing unit that executes at least one of the following processes based on information including a maximum value of the component temperature during past operation of the electrical component and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit: determining whether the electrical component has deteriorated, outputting a notification indicating that the electrical component has deteriorated, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component.

(18): Another aspect of the invention is an information processing method in which a computer acquires an air temperature, which is the temperature of the air inside a housing of an electric power device having an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is the temperature of the electric component, and executes at least one of the following processes based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electric component that has been determined in advance, and the acquired air temperature and component temperature: determining whether the electric component has deteriorated, outputting a notification indicating that the electric component has deteriorated, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electric component.

(19): Another aspect of the invention is a program that causes a computer to acquire an air temperature, which is the temperature of the air inside a housing of an electric power device having an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is the temperature of the electric component, and executes at least one of the following processes based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electric component that has been determined in advance, and the acquired air temperature and component temperature: determining whether the electric component has deteriorated, outputting a notification indicating that the electric component has deteriorated, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electric component.

(20): Another aspect of the invention is a storage medium having stored therein a program that causes a computer to acquire an air temperature, which is the temperature of the air inside a housing of an electric power device having electric components inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is the temperature of the electric components, and executes at least one of the following processes based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electric components that has been determined in advance, and the acquired air temperature and component temperature: determining whether the electric components have deteriorated, outputting a notification indicating that the electric components have deteriorated, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electric components.

By using (1) to (20), it is possible to prevent malfunctions related to power equipment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a battery sharing service system 1 according to a first embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electric vehicle 10 according to a first embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a removable battery 100 of a first embodiment. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a battery exchange device 220 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the inside of a battery exchange device 220 of the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a battery exchange device 220 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram showing a part of the configuration of an AC/DC converter 260 according to the first embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a battery exchange device 220 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a battery exchange station 200 of the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a management server device 300 according to the first embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining a determination made by a deterioration determining unit 330 in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of relationship information I22 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of relationship information I22A according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow relating to deterioration determination in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a management server device 300A according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of deterioration degree determination information I25 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a management server device 300B according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of component temperature reference information I32 according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be given the same reference numerals. Furthermore, duplicate descriptions of those components may be omitted.

In the following description, the information processing device of the embodiment is applied to a battery sharing service system (battery sharing service system) that shares batteries (hereinafter referred to as "detachable batteries"), which are power storage devices that are detachably mounted on electric vehicles. More specifically, this is an example in which the information processing device of the embodiment is applied to a management server device that manages a battery exchange station that receives removable batteries and provides (provides) replacement removable batteries in the battery sharing service system. However, part or all of the information processing device of the embodiment may be provided as part of the battery exchange station instead of the management server device.

In the following description, the electric vehicle may include various vehicles that run using power from a removable battery, such as a saddle-type electric vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an "electric two-wheeled vehicle") and a four-wheeled electric vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an "electric automobile"). For example, it includes not only two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles, but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel), and even assisted bicycles, and other vehicle-type moving bodies that run using an electric motor driven by power supplied from a removable battery. However, moving bodies to which the information processing device of the embodiment can be applied may be moving bodies such as mobile robots, autonomous driving devices, autonomous driving cars, other electric vehicles, drone aircraft, or other electric moving bodies (electric mobility) instead of these vehicle-type moving bodies.

First Embodiment
[1. Overall configuration]
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a battery sharing service system 1 according to an embodiment. The battery sharing service system 1 includes one or more (e.g., a plurality of) battery exchange stations 200 (four battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4 are shown in Fig. 1) and a management server device 300. The battery sharing service system 1 is an example of an "information processing system" or a "power storage device management system".

The battery exchange station 200 includes, for example, a station control device 210 and one or more battery exchange devices 220 (two battery exchange devices 220-a, 220-b are shown in FIG. 1). The station control device 210 and the battery exchange devices 220 can communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly. The station control device 210 and the battery exchange devices 220 may be integrated into a single device rather than being separate devices. The battery exchange station 200 is an example of a "power device" and an example of a "charging device".

The station control device 210 manages the charging and discharging of the removable battery 100 in the battery exchange device 220, and the receipt and provision of the removable battery 100 (hereinafter referred to as "replacement of the removable battery 100"). When a user of an electric vehicle 10 uses the battery exchange station 200, the station control device 210 provides the user with information for the replacement of the removable battery 100. For example, the station control device 210 provides the user with information indicating the battery slot 221 that receives the removable battery 100 that has been used in the electric vehicle 10 and has low remaining capacity, and information indicating the battery slot 221 that houses another removable battery 100 to be provided in place of the received removable battery 100.

The battery exchange device 220 is a device that charges, discharges, and exchanges the removable battery 100. The battery exchange device 220 has one or more (e.g., multiple) battery slots 221. The battery slot 221 is a storage section that can store and charge and discharge the removable battery 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, one battery exchange device 220 has eight battery slots 221 and can store eight removable batteries 100 simultaneously. The battery exchange device 220 can simultaneously charge multiple removable batteries 100 (up to eight removable batteries 100 in the example shown in FIG. 1) stored in multiple battery slots 221. In this specification, "charging simultaneously" or "simultaneous charging" is not limited to the case where charging of multiple removable batteries 100 is started at the same time, but also includes the case where part of the charging time of one removable battery 100 and part of the charging time of another removable battery 100 are simultaneous.

The battery exchange device 220 is supplied with power from an external power source PS. The external power source PS is, for example, a 100V AC commercial power source. The battery exchange device 220 charges the removable battery 100 received from the user of the electric vehicle 10 according to the control of the station control device 210. When charging of the removable battery 100 is completed, the battery exchange device 220 transmits a notification indicating that charging is completed to the station control device 210. This allows the station control device 210 to recognize the removable battery 100 that can be provided to the user of the electric vehicle 10. The battery exchange device 220 may also discharge the remaining power in the removable battery 100. Details of the battery exchange station 200 will be described later.

The management server device 300 is connected to a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, one or more of the Internet, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), and the like. In this embodiment, the management server device 300 communicates with a plurality of battery exchange stations 200 via the network NW and manages the plurality of battery exchange stations 200. For example, the management server device 300 receives information indicating the state of the battery exchange station 200 from each battery exchange station 200 (hereinafter referred to as "state information"), and determines the state of each battery exchange station 200 based on the state information. The management server device 300 is an example of an "information processing device."

The management server device 300 communicates directly or via the network NW with a terminal device T1 used by an administrator P1 who manages the battery sharing service system 1, and outputs a predetermined notification regarding the status of the battery exchange station 200 to the terminal device T1. The terminal device T1 is, for example, a stationary or notebook personal computer.

The management server device 300 communicates via the network NW with a terminal device T2 used by security personnel P2 in charge of maintaining the battery exchange station, and outputs a predetermined notification regarding the status of the battery exchange station 200 to the terminal device T2. The terminal device T2 is, for example, a portable terminal device, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. Details of the management server device 300 will be described later.

[2. Configuration of electric vehicle]
2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electric vehicle 10 according to an embodiment. The electric vehicle 10 runs on the driving force of an electric motor driven by power supplied from a removable battery 100. However, the electric vehicle 10 may be a hybrid electric vehicle that runs on the driving force obtained by combining the removable battery 100 and an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine. The electric vehicle 10 includes, for example, a battery connection unit 12, a vehicle control unit 14, a running driving force output device 16, a vehicle sensor 18, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 20, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 22.

The battery connection unit 12 is electrically connected to the removable battery 100 when the removable battery 100 is attached to the electric vehicle 10. The battery connection unit 12 includes a connection terminal for a power line that receives power from the removable battery 100, and a connection terminal for a communication line that communicates data between the removable battery 100 and the vehicle control unit 14.

The vehicle control unit 14 acquires measurement results from the vehicle sensors 18, acquires a value indicating the state of charge (SOC) of the power storage unit 120 from a BMU (Battery Management Unit) provided in the removable battery 100, and acquires the position of the electric vehicle 10 from the GNSS receiver 22. The vehicle control unit 14 controls the driving force output device 16 based on the acquired data. The vehicle control unit 14 may transmit the position information of the electric vehicle 10 acquired from the GNSS receiver 22 to the removable battery 100 via the battery connection unit 12.

The driving force output device 16 includes, for example, an electric motor, an inverter, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the inverter. The ECU controls the power supplied to the electric motor from the removable battery 100, for example, by controlling the inverter. The vehicle sensor 18 includes a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a rotational speed sensor, an odometer, and various other sensors mounted on the electric vehicle 10. The vehicle sensor 18 outputs the measurement results to the vehicle control unit 14.

The HMI 20 outputs various information to the user of the electric vehicle 10 and accepts input operations by the user. The HMI 20 includes, for example, various display devices such as a HUD (Head Up Display) and a meter display unit (which may be a touch panel), a speaker, etc. The GNSS receiver 22 locates the position of the electric vehicle 10 based on radio waves arriving from GNSS satellites such as GPS satellites.

[3. Removable battery]
3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the removable battery 100 according to the embodiment. The removable battery 100 includes, for example, a power storage unit 120, a BMU 110, and a connection unit 150. The BMU 110 includes, for example, a measurement sensor 130, and a storage unit 140.

The power storage unit 120 is, for example, a battery pack in which multiple single cells are connected in series. The single cells constituting the power storage unit 120 are, for example, secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), nickel-metal hydride batteries, and all-solid-state batteries. The secondary batteries constituting the power storage unit 120 may be, for example, lead-acid batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and other types of batteries, as well as capacitors such as electric double-layer capacitors, or combination batteries that combine secondary batteries and capacitors. There are no particular limitations on the configuration of the secondary batteries constituting the power storage unit 120.

The BMU 110 controls the charging and discharging of the power storage unit 120, performs cell balancing, detects abnormalities in the power storage unit 120, derives the cell temperature of the power storage unit 120, derives the charge and discharge current of the power storage unit 120, estimates the SOC of the power storage unit 120, and so on. The BMU 110 stores abnormalities and failures of the power storage unit 120 identified based on the measurement results of the measurement sensor 130 in the memory unit 140 as battery state information. The measurement sensor 130 is a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, and so on for measuring the state of charge of the power storage unit 120. The measurement sensor 130 outputs the measurement results of the measured voltage, current, temperature, and so on to the BMU 110.

The storage unit 140 includes a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory. The storage unit 140 stores the battery status information described above. The storage unit 140 may store identification information (battery ID) assigned to the removable battery 100. When the removable battery 100 is attached to the electric vehicle 10, the connection unit 150 is electrically connected to the battery connection unit 12 of the electric vehicle 10. In this state, the removable battery 100 supplies the power stored in the power storage unit 120 to the electric motor provided in the electric vehicle 10.

[4. Battery Exchange Station]
[4.1 Physical configuration of the battery exchange device]
Next, a detailed description will be given of the battery exchange station 200. First, the physical configuration of the battery exchange device 220 will be described.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a battery exchange device 220 of an embodiment. The battery exchange device 220 has a housing 251. The housing 251 is formed, for example, in a vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape. More specifically, the housing 251 has a lower wall 251a, a front wall (front panel) 251b, a rear wall 251c, a left side wall 251d, a right side wall 251e, and an upper wall 251f. The lower wall 251a is installed on the floor. The front wall 251b, the rear wall 251c, the left side wall 251d, and the right side wall 251e stand upright from the front end, rear end, left end, and right end of the lower wall 251a, respectively, and extend in the vertical direction. The upper wall 251f connects the upper ends of the front wall 251b, the rear wall 251c, the left side wall 251d, and the right side wall 251e.

The front wall 251b is provided with an opening (battery replacement port) 221a that exposes the battery slots 221 provided inside the housing 251 to the outside of the housing 251. In this embodiment, eight battery slots 221 are arranged in a matrix of two horizontal rows and four vertical rows. The removable battery 100 is inserted into the battery slot 221 from the opening 221a and placed inside the housing 251. The removable battery 100 inserted into the battery slot 221 generates heat when charged by the battery replacement device 220. At least a portion of the heat generated by the removable battery 100 is transferred to the air inside the housing 251.

In this embodiment, a plurality of intake ports 252 are opened in the front wall 251b. The intake ports 252 are provided above the battery slot 221. The intake ports 252 communicate the inside and outside of the housing 251. On the other hand, a plurality of exhaust ports 253 are opened in the rear wall 251c (see FIG. 8). The exhaust ports 253 are arranged in positions corresponding to the intake ports 252 in the rear wall 251c (for example, at the same height as the intake ports 252). The exhaust ports 253 communicate the inside and outside of the housing 251. Inside the housing 251, a fan 254 (see FIG. 8) is arranged near the exhaust ports 253. When the fan 254 is driven, air inside the housing 251 is exhausted to the outside of the housing 251 through the exhaust ports 253, and new air outside the housing 251 enters the inside of the housing 251 through the intake ports 252.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the inside of the battery exchange device 220 of the embodiment. For ease of explanation, Figure 5 shows the removable battery 100 housed in the battery slot 221. The battery exchange device 220 has an AC/DC converter 260. The AC/DC converter 260 is a power converter that converts AC power supplied from the external power source PS into DC power. The AC/DC converter 260 is an example of a "power converter" and an example of an "electrical component". Details of the AC/DC converter 260 will be described later.

In this embodiment, a shelf 255 is provided inside the housing 251. The shelf 255 is disposed above the plurality of battery slots 221 (the plurality of removable batteries 100). The AC/DC converter 260 is placed on the shelf 255 and disposed above the plurality of battery slots 221 (the plurality of removable batteries 100). In other words, the AC/DC converter 260 is disposed closer to the intake port 252 and the exhaust port 253 than the plurality of battery slots 221 (the plurality of removable batteries 100). In this embodiment, at least a portion of the AC/DC converter 260 is disposed at a height that is aligned horizontally with the intake port 252 and the exhaust port 253.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the internal electrical configuration of a battery exchange device 220 of an embodiment. In Figure 6, solid lines indicate power lines (such as power cables). Dashed lines in Figure 6 indicate signal lines (such as communication cables). In addition to the AC/DC converter 260, the battery exchange device 220 has multiple DC/DC converters 271, multiple interface boards (I/F boards) 272, and a control board 273.

The AC/DC converter 260 is supplied with AC power from the external power source PS. The AC/DC converter 260 converts the AC power supplied from the external power source PS into DC power and supplies the converted DC power to the multiple DC/DC converters 271. One AC/DC converter 260 is provided for the multiple battery slots 221 (multiple removable batteries 100). The AC/DC converter 260 is arranged so that it can simultaneously supply charging power to the multiple removable batteries 100 housed in the multiple battery slots 221. In other words, multiple battery slots 221 are connected to one AC/DC converter 260. When multiple removable batteries 100 are charged simultaneously, the AC/DC converter 260 generates heat due to the current that is the sum of the charging currents flowing through the multiple removable batteries 100. The amount of heat generated by the AC/DC converter 260 increases as the number of removable batteries 100 that are charged simultaneously increases.

The multiple DC/DC converters 271 are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the multiple battery slots 221. The multiple DC/DC converters 271 are electrically connected in parallel to the AC/DC converter 260. The DC/DC converter 271 is connected to the removable battery 100 housed in the battery slot 221 via the connection portion 221b (see FIG. 8) of the battery slot 221. The DC/DC converter 271 converts the DC power supplied from the AC/DC converter 260 into DC power having a voltage suitable for charging the removable battery 100, and supplies the converted DC power to the removable battery 100.

The multiple IF boards 272 are provided in a one-to-one relationship with the multiple battery slots 221. The IF board 272 is connected to the removable battery 100 housed in the battery slot 221 via the connection portion 221b (see FIG. 8) of the battery slot 221. The IF board 272 communicates with the removable battery 100 and acquires information (e.g., battery status information and battery ID) stored in the memory portion 140 of the removable battery 100 from the removable battery 100. The IF board 272 outputs the information acquired from the removable battery 100 to the control board 273.

The control board (control unit) 273 controls the AC/DC converter 260, the multiple DC/DC converters 271, and the multiple IF boards 272. For example, the control board 273 controls the magnitude of the power converted by the AC/DC converter 260 by controlling the field effect transistors 261 (FETs, see FIG. 8) included in the AC/DC converter 260 according to the number of removable batteries 100 to be charged simultaneously.

Figure 7 is an electrical circuit diagram showing a portion of the configuration of the AC/DC converter 260. The AC/DC converter 260 has multiple thyristors 262a, 262b, 262c, 262d, 262e, and 262f, multiple feedback diodes 263a, 263b, 263c, 263d, 263e, and 263f, and one or more capacitors (smoothing capacitors) 264. Hereinafter, when the multiple thyristors 262a to 262f are not distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as thyristors 262. When the feedback diodes 263a to 263f are not distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as feedback diodes 263.

The two thyristors 262a and 262b are connected in series between the positive electrode line L1 and the negative electrode line L2. The intermediate node between the two thyristors 262a and 262b is connected to the U-phase line to which AC power is input. Similarly, the two thyristors 262c and 262d are connected in series between the positive electrode line L1 and the negative electrode line L2. The intermediate node between the two thyristors 262c and 262d is connected to the V-phase line to which AC power is input. The two thyristors 262e and 262f are connected in series between the positive electrode line L1 and the negative electrode line L2. The intermediate node between the two thyristors 262e and 262f is connected to the W-phase line to which AC power is input.

The multiple feedback diodes 263a to 263f are connected in anti-parallel to the multiple thyristors 262a to 262f, respectively. The capacitor 264 is connected between the positive electrode line L1 and the negative electrode line L2. The capacitor 264 is, for example, an electrolytic capacitor. In this embodiment, the capacitor 264 is a component with a lower heat resistance temperature than the above-mentioned FET 261, thyristor 262, and feedback diode 263. On the other hand, the FET 261, thyristor 262, and feedback diode 263 are components that become hotter than the capacitor 264 when the AC/DC converter 260 is operating. Each of the FET 261, thyristor 262, and feedback diode 263 is an example of a "first component." The capacitor 264 is an example of a "second component."

In addition to the above-mentioned configuration, the AC/DC converter 260 has a substrate 265 (see FIG. 8). The FET 261, the thyristor 262, the feedback diode 263, and the capacitor 264 are mounted on the substrate 265. The "substrate" here means a base on which components are mounted, and is not limited to a printed wiring board, but may be a metal plate or the like.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the battery exchange device 220. The battery exchange device 220 has an air temperature sensor S1 and a component temperature sensor S2. The air temperature sensor S1 and the component temperature sensor S2 are provided, for example, inside the housing 251.

The air temperature sensor S1 is a temperature sensor that measures the air temperature (hereinafter simply referred to as "air temperature"), which is the temperature related to the air inside the housing 251. The "temperature related to the air inside the housing 251" is not limited to the air temperature inside the housing 251 itself, but may be a temperature related to the air temperature inside the housing 251 (such as a temperature that can be used to estimate the air temperature inside the housing 251, or a temperature that is proportional to the air temperature inside the housing 251). Examples of such temperatures include the air temperature outside the housing 251 (for example, the air temperature outside the housing 251 measured near the intake vent 252 or the exhaust vent 253) and the temperature of the housing 251 itself. From a certain perspective, the "air temperature" is a temperature that is influenced by the temperature outside the housing 251 (such as the room temperature or outside air temperature in the space where the battery exchange station 200 is installed, or the environmental temperature) (for example, a temperature that is proportional to the outside temperature).

In this embodiment, the air temperature sensor S1 is disposed closer to the exhaust port 253 than the intake port 252 inside the housing 251 (see position A in FIG. 8). More specifically, the air temperature sensor S1 is disposed closer to the exhaust port 253 than the heat-generating components (such as the AC/DC converter 260, the DC/DC converter 271, the removable battery 100, etc.) housed inside the housing 251. From another perspective, the "air temperature" is the temperature of the air to which a portion of the heat generated by the heat-generating components (such as the AC/DC converter 260, the DC/DC converter 271, the removable battery 100, etc.) housed inside the housing 251 is transferred (for example, a temperature proportional to the heat generation state). The measurement result of the air temperature sensor S1 is output to the control board 273.

However, the position of the air temperature sensor S1 is not limited to the above example. The air temperature sensor S1 may be placed inside the housing 251 near the air intake 252 (see position B in FIG. 8), or may be placed outside the housing 251 near the air intake 252 or the exhaust 253 as described above (see positions C and D in FIG. 8). Two or more air temperature sensors S1 may be provided. In this case, the air temperature may be the average value of the temperatures measured by two or more air temperature sensors S1, or the highest temperature among the temperatures measured by two or more air temperature sensors S1 may be used.

On the other hand, the component temperature sensor S2 is a temperature sensor that measures the component temperature (power converter temperature, hereinafter simply referred to as "component temperature"), which is the temperature related to the AC/DC converter 260 (electrical component). The "temperature related to the electrical component" is not limited to the temperature of the electrical component itself, but may be a temperature related to the temperature of the electrical component (such as a temperature that can be used to estimate the temperature of the electrical component, or a temperature that is proportional to the temperature of the electrical component). Examples of such temperatures include the air temperature near the electrical component, or the temperature of a heat dissipation component to which the electrical component is attached.

In this embodiment, the component temperature sensor S2 is attached to the capacitor 264 of the AC/DC converter 260 and measures the temperature of the capacitor 264 (see position A in FIG. 8). Alternatively, the component temperature sensor S2 may be attached to components such as the FET 261, the thyristor 262, the feedback diode 263, or the like, or may be attached to the substrate 265 (see positions B and C in FIG. 8). If the substrate 265 is a metal plate or the like, the temperatures of the components included in the AC/DC converter 260 can be measured with high accuracy by measuring the temperature of the substrate 265. The measurement results of the component temperature sensor S2 are output to the control substrate 273.

However, the position of the component temperature sensor S2 is not limited to the above example. Instead of being directly attached to the AC/DC converter 260, the component temperature sensor S2 may be disposed away from the AC/DC converter 260 so as to measure the air temperature near the AC/DC converter 260 as described above, or may be attached to a heat dissipation component attached to the AC/DC converter 260. Two or more component temperature sensors S2 may be provided. In this case, the component temperature sensor S2 may be attached to the capacitor 264 and another component (e.g., FET 261) that has a higher heat resistance temperature than the capacitor 264 but becomes hot. In this case, the component temperature may be the average value of the temperatures measured by two or more component temperature sensors S2, or may be a temperature derived from another perspective. Alternatively, a deterioration judgment as described below may be performed on two or more component temperatures measured by two or more component temperature sensors S2.

[4.2 System configuration of battery exchange station]
Next, the system configuration of the battery exchange station 200 will be described.
9 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the battery exchange station 200. In this embodiment, the station control device 210 has, for example, a battery management unit 211, a receiving/discharging control unit 212, an air temperature detection unit 213, a component temperature detection unit 214, an information output unit 215, and a storage unit 216.

The battery management unit 211, the receiving and discharging control unit 212, the air temperature detection unit 213, the component temperature detection unit 214, and the information output unit 215 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device with a non-transient storage medium) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory provided in the station control device 210, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transient storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the station control device 210 by mounting the storage medium in a drive device provided in the station control device 210. The storage unit 216 is realized by one or a combination of storage devices such as a HDD, flash memory, and RAM (Random Access Memory).

The battery management unit 211 manages the multiple removable batteries 100 housed in the multiple battery slots 221. For example, the battery management unit 211 manages receipt of the removable battery 100 from the user of the electric vehicle 10, determination of the need for charging or discharging the removable battery 100, and provision of the fully charged removable battery 100 to the user of the electric vehicle 10.

The receiving and discharging control unit 212 controls the charging and discharging of the removable battery 100 that is determined by the battery management unit 211 to require charging. For example, the receiving and discharging control unit 212 charges and discharges the removable battery 100 by controlling the AC/DC converter 260 and the DC/DC converter 271 included in the battery exchange device 220. The receiving and discharging control unit 212 stores the control history related to the charging and discharging of the removable battery 100 in the storage unit 216 as control history information I12. The control history information I12 includes, for example, the charging start time and charging end time of each removable battery 100, and information that associates the number of removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously with date and time information.

The air temperature detection unit 213 detects the air temperature based on the measurement results of the air temperature sensor S1. For example, if the measurement results of the air temperature sensor S1 do not directly include the air temperature inside the housing 251, the air temperature detection unit 213 may estimate the air temperature inside the housing 251 based on the measurement results of the air temperature sensor S1 and a relational equation or calculation table obtained in advance. The air temperature detection unit 213 associates the detected air temperature with date and time information and stores it in the memory unit 216 as air temperature information I13. However, as described above, the air temperature outside the housing 251 may be used as is without performing the calculations described above.

The component temperature detection unit 214 detects the component temperature based on the measurement results of the component temperature sensor S2. For example, if the measurement results of the component temperature sensor S2 do not directly include the component temperature of the AC/DC converter 260, the component temperature detection unit 214 may estimate the component temperature of the AC/DC converter 260 based on the measurement results of the component temperature sensor S2 and a relational expression or calculation table obtained in advance. The component temperature detection unit 214 associates the detected component temperature with date and time information and stores it in the memory unit 216 as component temperature information I14. However, as described above, the temperature near the AC/DC converter 260 may be used as is for the component temperature without performing the calculations described above.

The information output unit 215 transmits status information of the battery exchange station 200, including the control history information I12, the air temperature information I13, and the part temperature information I14 stored in the memory unit 216, to the management server device 300 at a predetermined cycle. The predetermined cycle is, for example, every 10 minutes, but is not limited to the above example. The status information is linked to the station IDI11 stored in the memory unit 216 and transmitted to the management server device 300. The station IDI11 is identification information that can identify the battery exchange station 200.

[5. Management Server Device]
Next, the management server device 300 will be described in detail.
10 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the management server device 300. The management server device 300 includes, for example, an information acquisition unit 310, a station management unit 320, a deterioration determination unit 330, a deterioration prediction unit 340, a notification information output unit 350, a control command output unit 360, and a storage unit 370.

The information acquisition unit 310, the station management unit 320, the deterioration determination unit 330, the deterioration prediction unit 340, the notification information output unit 350, and the control command output unit 360 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by collaboration between software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory provided in the management server device 300, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transient storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and may be installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the management server device 300 by mounting the storage medium in a drive device provided in the management server device 300. The storage unit 370 is realized by one or a combination of storage devices such as a HDD, flash memory, and RAM.

The information acquisition unit 310 acquires status information transmitted from each battery exchange station 200. For example, the information acquisition unit 310 acquires control history information I12, air temperature information I13, and component temperature information I14 transmitted from each battery exchange station 200. In this specification, "acquire" includes not only acquisition by receiving from the outside, but also internal generation (e.g., generation by performing a predetermined calculation on information received from the outside). The information acquisition unit 310 accumulates the status information acquired from each battery exchange station 200 in the memory unit 370 as status history information I21. The information acquisition unit 310 is an example of an "acquisition unit".

The station management unit 320 manages each battery exchange station 200 based on the status information acquired from each battery exchange station 200. For example, the station management unit 320 manages the operating status of each battery exchange station 200, the number of removable batteries 100 received by each battery exchange station 200, the number of removable batteries 100 provided by each battery exchange station 200, etc.

The deterioration determination unit 330 determines the deterioration of each battery exchange station 200 based on the status information acquired from each battery exchange station 200. In this embodiment, the deterioration determination unit 330 determines the deterioration of the AC/DC converter 260 based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the AC/DC converter 260 that has been determined in advance, and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310. In this embodiment, the deterioration determination unit 330 determines whether or not the AC/DC converter 260 has deteriorated to a predetermined level. This will be described in detail below. The deterioration determination unit 330 is an example of a "processing unit".

Figure 11 is a diagram for explaining the determination by the deterioration determination unit 330. In the figure, "◆" indicates the change in component temperature when six removable batteries 100 are charged simultaneously in the battery exchange device 220, and indicates the change in component temperature when there is no deterioration in the AC/DC converter 260. In the figure, "x" indicates the change in component temperature when two removable batteries 100 are charged simultaneously in the battery exchange device 220, and indicates the change in component temperature when there is no deterioration in the AC/DC converter 260. In FIG. 11, "△" indicates the change in component temperature when six removable batteries 100 are charged simultaneously in the battery exchange device 220, and indicates the change in component temperature when there is a predetermined level of deterioration in the AC/DC converter 260. In the figure, the mark "□" indicates the change in air temperature. The above-mentioned "◆", "x", and "△" indicate the component temperatures when the same air temperature is measured.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the AC/DC converter 260 deteriorates to a predetermined level, the temperature rise of the AC/DC converter 260 increases even if the measured air temperature is the same. For this reason, the deterioration determination unit 330, for example, compares the maximum component temperature under normal conditions (non-degraded state) when the same air temperature is measured with the maximum component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310, and can determine that the AC/DC converter 260 has deteriorated to a predetermined level when the difference between these maximum component temperatures is greater than or equal to a predetermined level.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 11, the maximum measured component temperature varies depending on the number of removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously. Therefore, the deterioration determination unit 330 can make a determination regarding deterioration with higher accuracy by making a determination taking into account the number of removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously.

The following describes an example of the specific processing of the deterioration determination unit 330. The deterioration determination unit 330 determines whether or not a predetermined level of deterioration has occurred in the AC/DC converter 260 (e.g., the capacitor 264) based on the relationship information I22 pre-stored in the memory unit 370 and the air temperature and component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of relationship information I22. Relationship information I22 is information including a relationship (e.g., correlation) between air temperature and component temperature when the AC/DC converter 260 (electrical component) is in operation that has been determined in advance. Relationship information I22 according to this embodiment includes a relationship (e.g., correlation) between air temperature and maximum component temperature when the AC/DC converter 260 in a non-degraded state is in operation. Relationship information I22 according to this embodiment includes a relationship (e.g., correlation) between air temperature and component temperature for each number of removable batteries 100 to which the AC/DC converter 260 is simultaneously supplying charging power.

In the example shown in FIG. 12, the maximum component temperature in normal times and the threshold value for determining deterioration (the difference value from the maximum component temperature in normal times) are registered for each number of detachable batteries 100 that are charged simultaneously. For example, "Tc11max" in the figure indicates the maximum component temperature in normal times (non-degraded times) when the number of detachable batteries 100 that are charged simultaneously is one and the measured air temperature is "Ta1 [°C]". Similarly, "Tc12max" in the figure indicates the maximum component temperature in normal times (non-degraded times) when the number of detachable batteries 100 that are charged simultaneously is one and the measured air temperature is "Ta2 [°C]". "Tc13max" in the figure indicates the maximum component temperature in normal times (non-degraded times) when the number of detachable batteries 100 that are charged simultaneously is one and the measured air temperature is "Ta3 [°C]". Ta1, Ta2, and Ta3 are different temperatures, for example, Ta3>Ta2>Ta1. In this case, the relationship Tc13max>Tc12max>Tc11max holds.

In the figure, "Tth1" is a threshold value for determining deterioration when one removable battery 100 is being charged simultaneously. Tth1 is used in combination with each of the maximum component temperatures Tc11max, Tc12max, and Tc13max under normal conditions. For example, when the air temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 is "Ta1 [°C]", the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that the AC/DC converter 260 has deteriorated to a predetermined level if the maximum component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 is equal to or greater than the sum of Tc11max and Tth1 (Tc11max+Tth1).

On the other hand, when the air temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 is "Ta1 [°C]", the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that the AC/DC converter 260 has not deteriorated beyond a predetermined level in accordance with the fact that the maximum component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 is less than the sum of Tc11max and Tth1 (Tc11max+Tth1). In this embodiment, Tth1 is set commonly for Tc11max, Tc12max, and Tc13max, but different values may be set for each of Tc11max, Tc12max, and Tc13max. The same applies to the other thresholds (Tth2, Tth3, ...).

Similarly, "Tc21max" in the figure indicates the maximum component temperature under normal conditions (when not degraded) when there are two removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously and the measured air temperature is "Ta1 [°C]". "Tc22max" in the figure indicates the maximum component temperature under normal conditions (when not degraded) when there are two removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously and the measured air temperature is "Ta2 [°C]". These definitions are the same for other component temperatures. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the relationship Tc21max > Tc11max holds, and the relationship Tc22max > Tc12max holds. These relationships are the same for other component temperatures.

"Tth2" in the figure is a threshold value for determining deterioration when two removable batteries 100 are being charged simultaneously. Tth2 is used in combination with each of Tc21max, Tc22max, and Tc23max, which are the maximum component temperatures under normal conditions. These definitions are similar for the other threshold values. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the relationship Tth3>Tth2>Tth1 holds. These relationships are similar for the other threshold values.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing relationship information I22A, which is another example of relationship information I22. Relationship information I22A directly includes the relationship between the air temperature while the AC/DC converter 260 (electrical component) is operating and a threshold value for determining degradation (threshold value related to component temperature) instead of the relationship between the air temperature while the AC/DC converter 260 is operating in a non-degraded state and the maximum value of the component temperature, as information including a relationship (e.g., correlation) between the air temperature and the component temperature while the AC/DC converter 260 (electrical component) is operating that has been determined in advance. Even such information corresponds to the "information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature while the electrical component is operating that has been determined in advance" as used in this specification.

13 includes a relationship between the air temperature and the threshold value for determining deterioration, depending on the number of removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the threshold value for determining deterioration is not a difference value with respect to the maximum value of the component temperature as shown in FIG. 12, but an absolute value of the component temperature. For example, "Tth11" in the figure is a threshold value for determining deterioration when the number of removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously is one and the measured air temperature is "Ta1 [°C]". When the air temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 is "Ta1 [°C]", the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that the AC/DC converter 260 has deteriorated to a predetermined level or more in response to the maximum value of the component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 being equal to or greater than Tth11. On the other hand, when the air temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 is "Ta1 [°C]", the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that the AC/DC converter 260 has not deteriorated beyond a predetermined level because the maximum component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 is less than Tth11.

Similarly, "Tth12" in the figure is the threshold value for determining deterioration when there is one removable battery 100 being charged simultaneously and the measured air temperature is "Ta2 [°C]". "Tth13" in the figure is the threshold value for determining deterioration when there is one removable battery 100 being charged simultaneously and the measured air temperature is "Ta3 [°C]". Here, when Ta3>Ta2>Ta1, the relationship Tth13>Tth12>Tth11 holds.

Similarly, "Tth21" in the figure is the threshold value for determining deterioration when there are two removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously and the measured air temperature is "Ta1 [°C]". "Tth22" in the figure is the threshold value for determining deterioration when there are two removable batteries 100 being charged simultaneously and the measured air temperature is "Ta2 [°C]". These definitions are similar for the other threshold values. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the relationship Tth21>Tth11 holds, and the relationship Tth22>Tth12 holds. These relationships are similar for the other component temperatures.

As described above, the deterioration determination unit 330 of this embodiment makes a determination regarding deterioration of the AC/DC converter 260 based on the temperature difference between the maximum component temperature obtained from the relationship information I22 according to the air temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 and the component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 (e.g., the maximum component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310).

In the above explanation, an example has been described in which the deterioration determination unit 330 makes a determination based on table information such as relationship information I22 (or relationship information I22A), but the above example is not limiting. For example, the deterioration determination unit 330 may make a determination using a calculation formula obtained by regression analysis, or may make a determination using a trained model obtained by machine learning (e.g., a neural network). The trained model obtained by machine learning is an example of "information including a relationship between air temperature and component temperature during operation of an electrical component that has been determined in advance."

In this embodiment, the deterioration determination unit 330 performs the above determination when the AC/DC converter 260 supplies charging power to two or more removable batteries 100. With this configuration, the temperature change of the AC/DC converter 260 becomes large, so the possibility of erroneous determination can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the deterioration determination unit 330 performs the above determination when the AC/DC converter 260 supplies charging power to all of the removable batteries 100 that can be charged simultaneously among the multiple removable batteries 100 housed in the battery exchange device 220. With this configuration, the temperature change of the AC/DC converter 260 is maximized, further reducing the possibility of erroneous determination.

When the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that a predetermined level of deterioration or more has occurred, the deterioration prediction unit 340 predicts the speed of the subsequent deterioration progression. For example, the deterioration prediction unit 340 may calculate the rate of deterioration progression based on a time series of changes in the maximum component temperature (e.g., changes in the maximum component temperature at the same air temperature) obtained from the state history information I21, and calculate the time when the AC/DC converter 260 will reach a more serious deterioration level (i.e., the time when the degree of deterioration exceeds a predetermined threshold, for example, the time when a state in which a failure may actually occur) based on the calculated rate of deterioration progression. Alternatively, when the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that a predetermined level of deterioration or more has not occurred, the deterioration prediction unit 340 may calculate the time when the AC/DC converter 260 will experience the above-mentioned predetermined level of deterioration or more (i.e., the time when the degree of deterioration exceeds a predetermined threshold) based on the rate of deterioration progression calculated in the same manner as above.

In addition, the deterioration prediction unit 340 may calculate the rate of deterioration based on the charging frequency (number of charges in a specified period) at each battery exchange station 200, based on the control history information I12 of each battery exchange station 200, instead of/in addition to the time series of changes in the maximum component temperature.

The notification information output unit 350 generates predetermined monitoring information based on the status information acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 and the station management information I23 stored in the memory unit 370, and transmits the generated monitoring information to the terminal device T1 used by the manager P1 of the battery sharing service system 1. The monitoring information is information used for monitoring each battery exchange station 200, and includes, for example, the station ID and location (installation location) of each battery exchange station 200, and the trends in air temperature and component temperature measured at each battery exchange station 200. This allows the manager P1 to remotely monitor the trends in air temperature and component temperature measured at each battery exchange station 200.

Furthermore, when the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that a predetermined level of deterioration has occurred, the notification information output unit 350 generates predetermined notification information including a warning display based on the station management information I23. The notification information output unit 350 then transmits the generated notification information to the terminal device T1 and to the terminal device T2 used by the security personnel P2 in charge of each battery exchange station 200. As a result, the terminal devices T1 and T2 notify the notification information by screen output or audio output. The notification information output unit 350 is another example of a "processing unit" and is also an example of an "output unit".

The notification information is information used for the maintenance or repair of the battery exchange station 200, such as the station ID and location (installation location) of the battery exchange station 200, the time when the security personnel P2 or the maintenance personnel should visit the battery exchange station 200, the number of maintenance personnel required to repair or replace the battery exchange station 200, the type and number of electrical components to be carried, etc. Furthermore, the notification information may include information used for the manufacture, distribution, or storage of electrical components (e.g., AC/DC converters) (e.g., information indicating the required number of electrical components to be manufactured, the number to be delivered, the manufacturing time, the number to be stored, the storage time, etc.). Information for generating such notification information is registered in advance in the storage unit 370 as part of the station management information I23. Furthermore, the notification information may include, as information indicating the degree of urgency, the remaining time until the AC/DC converter 260 reaches a more serious deterioration level predicted by the deterioration prediction unit 340 (i.e., the remaining time until the degree of deterioration exceeds a predetermined threshold, for example, the remaining time until a state in which a failure may actually occur).

When the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that a predetermined level of deterioration or more has occurred, the control command output unit 360 generates a control command to change the operating state of the battery exchange station 200 and transmits the generated control command to the target battery exchange station 200. The control command is a command to reduce the operating state of the AC/DC converter 260 that has been determined to have a predetermined level of deterioration or more. The command to reduce the operating state of the AC/DC converter 260 is, for example, a command to reduce the amount of current flowing through the AC/DC converter 260, such as a command to impose a restriction on the number of removable batteries 100 that are simultaneously charged (for example, even if there are eight battery slots 221, only four removable batteries 100 are allowed to be simultaneously charged). Such a control command can be generated based on the control information I24 stored in advance in the storage unit 370. This makes it possible to extend the time until a breakdown actually occurs in the battery exchange station 200. The command to reduce the operating state of the AC/DC converter 260 may be a command to prohibit the use of part or all of the battery exchange device 220. The control command output unit 360 is another example of a "processing unit."

Furthermore, the control command output unit 360 may change the content of the control command according to the remaining time until the AC/DC converter 260 reaches a more serious degradation level predicted by the degradation prediction unit 340 (e.g., the remaining time until a state in which a failure may actually occur). For example, if the remaining time until the AC/DC converter 260 reaches a more serious degradation level is shorter than a predetermined time, a control command may be generated to reduce the operating state of the AC/DC converter 260 to a greater extent.

6. Processing Flow
Next, the process flow for determining deterioration will be described.
14 is a flow chart showing an example of a process flow relating to deterioration determination. When charging of the removable battery 100 is started, the deterioration determination unit 330 starts the following process flow.

First, the deterioration determination unit 330 identifies the number of removable batteries 100 to be charged simultaneously based on the control history information I12 acquired from the battery exchange station 200 (S101). Next, the deterioration determination unit 330 determines whether the number identified in S101 is the maximum number (8 in this embodiment) that can be charged simultaneously by the battery exchange device 220 (S102). If the number identified in S101 is the maximum number that can be charged simultaneously by the battery exchange device 220 (S102: YES), processing proceeds to S104.

On the other hand, if the number identified in S101 is not the maximum number that can be charged simultaneously by the battery exchange device 220 (S102: NO), the deterioration determination unit 330 determines whether a deterioration determination has been performed within a previous specified period (e.g., within one week) for a number of batteries greater than the number identified in S101 (S103). For example, if the number identified in S101 is four, the deterioration determination unit 330 determines whether a deterioration determination has been performed within a previous specified period in a state in which five or more removable batteries 100 were charged simultaneously. If S103 is YES, the deterioration determination unit 330 ends the processing flow without performing any special processing.

If S103 is NO, the deterioration determination unit 330 performs the deterioration determination described above. That is, the deterioration determination unit 330 determines whether or not a predetermined level of deterioration has occurred in the AC/DC converter 260 based on the relationship information I22 (or relationship information I22A) stored in the memory unit 370 and the air temperature and component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 (S104).

If the AC/DC converter 260 has not deteriorated to a level equal to or greater than the predetermined level (S104: NO), the notification information output unit 350 and the control command output unit 360 end the process flow without performing any special processing. On the other hand, if the AC/DC converter 260 has deteriorated to a level equal to or greater than the predetermined level (S104: YES), the notification information output unit 350 generates the notification information described above and transmits the generated notification information to the terminal devices T1 and T2 (S105). Furthermore, the control command output unit 360 outputs a control command to reduce the operating state of the AC/DC converter 260 (S106). This ends the series of processes.

7. Advantages
In this embodiment, the information processing device (e.g., the management server device 300) includes an information acquisition unit 310 that acquires an air temperature and a component temperature, and a processing unit (e.g., a deterioration determination unit 330, a notification information output unit 350, and a control command output unit 360) that performs at least one of the following based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of a previously determined electric component (e.g., the AC/DC converter 260) and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310: determining deterioration of the electric component, outputting a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electric component, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electric component. With this configuration, deterioration can be detected before a malfunction actually occurs, and the occurrence of a malfunction related to the power device (e.g., the battery exchange station 200) can be suppressed.

For example, in a battery sharing service system, when remotely monitoring the battery exchange device 220, if the AC/DC converter 260 fails, the service will have to be stopped or restricted, and the impact may be significant due to the long delivery time for parts. For this reason, measures such as keeping parts in stock in case a failure is detected can be considered. However, parts are expensive and performance may deteriorate due to long-term storage (excess inventory). On the other hand, with the above configuration, the difference between the air temperature and the part temperature increases as the electrical parts deteriorate, making it possible to detect deterioration before a failure occurs. This makes it possible to quickly prepare parts and prevent restrictions on services.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the deterioration degree of an electrical component is calculated. The configuration other than that described below is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment.

Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of a management server device 300A of the second embodiment. The management server device 300A has, for example, a deterioration determination unit 330A and a deterioration prediction unit 340A instead of the deterioration determination unit 330 and the deterioration prediction unit 340 of the first embodiment. The deterioration determination unit 330A is an example of a "processing unit." The memory unit 370 stores deterioration degree determination information I25.

In this embodiment, the degradation determination unit 330A determines the degree of degradation (degree of degradation) of the AC/DC converter 260 based on information (e.g., relationship information I22) including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the AC/DC converter 260 that has been determined in advance, and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310. For example, the degradation determination unit 330A determines the degree of degradation of the AC/DC converter 260 at any time based on the temperature difference between the maximum component temperature in a normal state (non-degraded state) obtained from the relationship information I22 according to the air temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310, and the maximum component temperature most recently acquired by the information acquisition unit 310.

In a specific example, the degradation determination unit 330A calculates the temperature difference ΔT between the maximum component temperature of the AC/DC converter 260 in a normal state (non-degraded state) when the air temperature is the same and the maximum component temperature most recently acquired by the information acquisition unit 310, based on the relationship information I22 (see FIG. 12) and the air temperature and component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310. Note that the temperature difference ΔT is calculated, for example, for each number of removable batteries 100 that are being charged simultaneously. Then, the degradation determination unit 330A determines the degree of degradation of the AC/DC converter 260 based on the magnitude of the temperature difference ΔT.

Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of deterioration degree determination information I25 stored in memory unit 370. In deterioration degree determination information I25, the magnitude of temperature difference ΔT and the degree of deterioration of AC/DC converter 260 are registered in association with each other. For example, temperature difference ΔT1 (for example, temperature difference ΔT is 1°C) is associated with deterioration degree "2". Temperature difference ΔT2 (for example, temperature difference ΔT is 2°C) is associated with deterioration degree "4". Degree of deterioration "4" indicates a state where deterioration is more advanced than degree of deterioration "2". The same applies to temperature differences ΔT3, ΔT4, ... below.

Based on the degree of deterioration determined by the deterioration determination unit 330A (e.g., a time series of changes in the degree of deterioration determined from time to time by the deterioration determination unit 330A), the deterioration prediction unit 340A calculates the time when the deterioration of the AC/DC converter 260 will reach a predetermined level of deterioration (e.g., deterioration of a deterioration level of "10") (i.e., the time when the degree of deterioration will exceed a predetermined threshold).

In addition, the deterioration prediction unit 340A may calculate the time when the deterioration of the AC/DC converter 260 will reach the above-mentioned predetermined level based on the charging frequency (number of charges in a specified period) at each battery exchange station 200 obtained from the control history information I12 of each battery exchange station 200 in addition to the degree of deterioration determined by the deterioration determination unit 330A.

In the present embodiment described above, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to detect deterioration before an actual malfunction occurs, and to prevent malfunctions related to the power device.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the deterioration of the electrical components is determined based only on the component temperature, without using the air temperature. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Figure 17 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the management server device 330B of the third embodiment. The management server device 330B has, for example, a deterioration determination unit 330B instead of the deterioration determination unit 330 of the first embodiment. The deterioration determination unit 330B is an example of a "processing unit." The memory unit 370 stores component temperature reference information I32.

In this embodiment, the deterioration determination unit 330B determines the deterioration of the AC/DC converter 260 based on information including the maximum component temperature during past operation of the AC/DC converter 260 (e.g., component temperature reference information I32 described below) and the component temperature most recently acquired by the information acquisition unit 310.

Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of the component temperature reference information I32. The component temperature reference information I32 includes the maximum component temperatures during past (non-degraded) operation of the AC/DC converter 260 for each number of removable batteries 100 to which the AC/DC converter 260 simultaneously supplies charging power.

In the example shown in FIG. 18, the maximum component temperature in normal (non-degraded state) and the threshold value for determining degradation (the difference value from the maximum component temperature in normal) are registered for each number of removable batteries 100 that are charged simultaneously. For example, "Tc1max" in the figure indicates the maximum component temperature in normal (non-degraded) state when there is one removable battery 100 that is charged simultaneously. Similarly, "Tc2max" in the figure indicates the maximum component temperature in normal (non-degraded) state when there are two removable batteries 100 that are charged simultaneously. These definitions are the same for other component temperatures. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the relationship Tc2max>Tc1max holds. This relationship is the same for other component temperatures.

"Tth1'" in the figure is a threshold value for determining deterioration when the number of removable batteries 100 charged simultaneously is one. Tth1' is used in combination with Tc1max, which is the maximum component temperature in normal conditions. For example, when the number of removable batteries 100 charged simultaneously is one, the deterioration determination unit 330 determines that the AC/DC converter 260 has deteriorated to a predetermined level or more in response to the maximum component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310 being equal to or greater than the sum of Tc11max and Tth1' (Tc11max+Tth1'). "Tth2'" in the figure is a threshold value for determining deterioration when the number of removable batteries 100 charged simultaneously is two. Tth2' is used in combination with Tc2max, which is the maximum component temperature in normal conditions. These definitions are similar for other threshold values. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the relationship Tth2'>Tth1' holds true. This relationship also holds true for the other thresholds.

In addition, instead of the above example, the deterioration determination unit 330B may determine the degree of deterioration of the AC/DC converter 260 at any time based on the temperature difference between the maximum component temperature included in the component temperature reference information I32 and the maximum component temperature acquired by the information acquisition unit 310, similar to the deterioration determination unit 330B of the second embodiment.

In the embodiment described above, it is possible to detect deterioration before a malfunction actually occurs, and to prevent malfunctions related to power equipment from occurring.

Next, some modified examples will be described.
(First Modification)
All or some of the functional units among the deterioration determination unit 330 (or deterioration determination units 330A, 330B), the deterioration prediction unit 340 (or deterioration prediction unit 340A), the notification information output unit 350, the control command output unit 360, and the storage unit 370 may be provided in the battery exchange station 200 instead of the management server device 300. With this configuration, as in the above-described embodiment, it is possible to detect deterioration before a malfunction actually occurs, and to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions related to the battery exchange station 200.

(Second Modification)
The above-described embodiment is an example in which the component temperature of the AC/DC converter 260, which is an electrical component, is acquired and deterioration related to the AC/DC converter 260 is determined. Alternatively, the electrical component whose component temperature is acquired and whose deterioration is determined may be a DC/DC converter (e.g., DC/DC converter 271), a DC/AC converter, or an electrical component other than a power converter.

(Third Modification)
In the first and second embodiments, the deterioration of the electrical components is determined based on the relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature. Here, the electrical components may include a first component (a component with a relatively high heat resistance temperature and a relatively small increase in component temperature due to aging) and a second component (a component with a relatively low heat resistance temperature and a relatively large increase in component temperature due to aging). The first component is, for example, an FET 261, a thyristor 262, or a feedback diode 263. The second component is a capacitor 264.

In this case, the information processing device may have the following configuration. That is, the information processing device has an acquisition unit that acquires a first component temperature that is a temperature related to the first component and a second component temperature that is a temperature related to the second component, and a processing unit that executes at least one of the following processes based on information including a relationship between the first component temperature and the second component temperature during operation of the electrical component that is determined in advance, and the first component temperature and the second component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit: determining degradation of the electrical component, outputting a notification indicating that degradation has occurred in the electrical component, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component.

The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10...Electric vehicle (mobile body)
100: Detachable battery (electricity storage device)
200... Battery exchange station (charging device)
210: Station control device 220: Battery exchange device 251: Housing 252: Air intake 253: Exhaust port S1: Air temperature sensor S2: Component temperature sensor 260: AC/DC converter (electrical component, power converter)
264: Capacitor 265: Substrate 300: Management server device 310: Information acquisition unit (acquisition unit)
330, 330A, 330B... Deterioration determination section 340, 340A... Deterioration prediction section 350... Notification information output section 360... Control command output section

Claims (17)

an acquisition unit that acquires an air temperature, which is a temperature related to the air inside a housing of a power device including an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is a temperature related to the electric component;
a processing unit that executes at least one of a determination regarding deterioration of the electrical component, an output of a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electrical component, or an output of a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component, based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electrical component that has been obtained in advance and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit;
Equipped with
the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of power storage devices,
the electrical component is a power converter arranged to be able to simultaneously supply charging power to the plurality of power storage devices,
the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter,
the information is a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature while the power converter is in operation, and includes a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature for each number of the power storage devices to which the power converter supplies the charging power.
Information processing device. the information includes a relationship between the air temperature and a maximum temperature of the electrical component when the electrical component is in an undegraded state and is in operation;
2. The information processing device according to claim 1. an acquisition unit that acquires an air temperature, which is a temperature related to the air inside a housing of a power device including an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is a temperature related to the electric component;
a processing unit that executes at least one of a determination regarding deterioration of the electrical component, an output of a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electrical component, or an output of a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component, based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electrical component that has been obtained in advance and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit;
Equipped with
the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of power storage devices,
the electrical component is a power converter arranged to be able to simultaneously supply charging power to the plurality of power storage devices,
the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter,
the information includes a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature when the power converter is in operation;
The processing unit executes the processing when the power converter simultaneously supplies the charging power to two or more of the power storage devices.
Information processing device. the processing unit executes the process when the power converter supplies the charging power to all of the power storage devices that can be charged simultaneously among the plurality of power storage devices.
4. The information processing device according to claim 3 . the processing unit determines deterioration of the electrical component based on a temperature difference between a maximum value of the power converter temperature obtained from the information in accordance with the air temperature acquired by the acquisition unit and the power converter temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . the processing unit determines a degree of deterioration of the electrical component based on a magnitude of a temperature difference between a maximum value of the power converter temperature obtained from the information in accordance with the air temperature acquired by the acquisition unit and the maximum value of the power converter temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.
6. The information processing device according to claim 5 . an acquisition unit that acquires an air temperature, which is a temperature related to the air inside a housing of a power device including an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is a temperature related to the electric component;
a processing unit that executes at least one of a determination regarding deterioration of the electrical component, an output of a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electrical component, or an output of a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component, based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electrical component that has been obtained in advance and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit;
Equipped with
the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of power storage devices,
the electrical component is a power converter;
the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter,
the information includes a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature when the power converter is in operation;
the processing unit makes a determination regarding deterioration of the electrical component based on a magnitude of a temperature difference between a maximum value of the power converter temperature obtained from the information in accordance with the air temperature acquired by the acquisition unit and the maximum value of the power converter temperature acquired by the acquisition unit, and a threshold value for the temperature difference set for each of the power storage devices.
Information processing device. The power converter temperature is obtained based on a temperature of a substrate of the power converter.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The power converter temperature is obtained based on a temperature of a capacitor of the power converter.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The processing unit determines a degree of deterioration of the electrical component based on the information and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit;
The information processing device further includes a prediction unit that predicts a time when the degree of deterioration will exceed a predetermined threshold.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The processing unit determines whether or not the electrical component has deteriorated to a predetermined level based on the information and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit,
The information processing device further includes an output unit that outputs information to be used for maintenance or repair of the power device when it is determined that the power device is deteriorated to a level equal to or greater than the predetermined level.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The housing has an intake port and an exhaust port,
The air temperature is the temperature of air closer to the exhaust port than to the intake port.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the electrical component includes a first component and a second component having a lower heat-resistant temperature than the first component, the first component becomes hotter than the second component inside the housing,
the air temperature is a temperature related to the air inside the housing to which a part of the heat of the first component is transferred, and the component temperature is a temperature related to the second component,
the processing unit determines deterioration of the second component based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electric component that is determined in advance and the air temperature and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . an acquisition unit that acquires a component temperature, the component temperature being a temperature related to an electric component of a power device including an electric component inside a housing;
a processing unit that executes at least one of a determination regarding deterioration of the electrical component, an output of a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electrical component, or an output of a command to reduce an operating state of the electrical component, based on information including a maximum value of the component temperature during past operation of the electrical component and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit;
Equipped with
the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of power storage devices,
the electrical component is a power converter arranged to be able to simultaneously supply charging power to the plurality of power storage devices,
the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter,
the information includes a relationship between a maximum value of the component temperature during a past operation of the power converter and the component temperature acquired by the acquisition unit, for each number of the power storage devices to which the power converter supplies the charging power.
Information processing device. The computer
Acquire an air temperature, which is a temperature related to the air inside a housing of a power device including an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is a temperature related to the electric component;
executes at least one of a process of determining deterioration of the electrical component, outputting a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electrical component, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component, based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electrical component that has been obtained in advance and the acquired air temperature and component temperature ;
the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of power storage devices,
the electrical component is a power converter arranged to be able to simultaneously supply charging power to the plurality of power storage devices,
the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter,
the information is a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature while the power converter is in operation, and includes a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature for each number of the power storage devices to which the power converter supplies the charging power.
Information processing methods. On the computer,
acquiring an air temperature, which is a temperature related to the air inside a housing of a power device including an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is a temperature related to the electric component;
executes at least one of a process of determining deterioration of the electrical component, outputting a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electrical component, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component, based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electrical component that has been obtained in advance and the acquired air temperature and component temperature ;
the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of power storage devices,
the electrical component is a power converter arranged to be able to simultaneously supply charging power to the plurality of power storage devices,
the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter,
the information is a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature while the power converter is in operation, and includes a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature for each number of the power storage devices to which the power converter supplies the charging power.
program. On the computer,
acquiring an air temperature, which is a temperature related to the air inside a housing of a power device including an electric component inside the housing, and a component temperature, which is a temperature related to the electric component;
executes at least one of a process of determining deterioration of the electrical component, outputting a notification indicating that deterioration has occurred in the electrical component, or outputting a command to reduce the operating state of the electrical component, based on information including a relationship between the air temperature and the component temperature during operation of the electrical component that has been obtained in advance and the acquired air temperature and component temperature ;
the power device is a charging device capable of simultaneously charging a plurality of power storage devices,
the electrical component is a power converter arranged to be able to simultaneously supply charging power to the plurality of power storage devices,
the component temperature is a power converter temperature that is a temperature related to the power converter,
the information is a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature while the power converter is in operation, and includes a relationship between the air temperature and the power converter temperature for each number of the power storage devices to which the power converter supplies the charging power.
A storage medium that stores a program.

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