Battery Exchange Service System and Charging Method Therefor, and Portable Device

• US 20080281732A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,355,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4221 with battery type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

There is provided a service system that allows a user to charge and repeatedly use a secondary battery and exchanges a battery pack for a charged battery pack. There is provided a battery exchange service system in which a terminal is connected to a management server. The terminal includes an information obtaining unit that obtains battery information and user information; a charging and discharging unit that charges and discharges a battery pack; and a power information generation unit that generates information on an amount of electricity based on the charging and discharging by the charging and discharging unit. The management server includes a battery information database that stores battery information distributed in the battery exchange service system; a contractor information database that stores contractor information for the battery exchange service system; a battery information verification unit that verifies the battery information by the battery information stored in the battery information database; a user information verification unit that verifies the user information by the contractor information stored in the contractor information database; and a charge calculation unit that calculates a charge based on the information on the amount of electricity.

Claims

1. A battery exchange service system comprising a terminal and a management server connected with each other, wherein

the terminal includes an information obtaining unit for obtaining battery information and user information;

a charging and discharging unit for charging or discharging a battery pack;

a power information generation unit for generating information on an amount of electricity based on charging or discharging by the charging and discharging unit; and

an information transmission unit for transmitting to the management server the battery information, the user information, and the information on the amount of electricity, and

the management server includes an information reception unit for receiving the battery information, the user information, and the information on the amount of electricity from the terminal;

a battery information database for storing battery information distributed in the battery exchange service system;

a contractor information database for storing contractor information for the battery exchange service system;

a battery information verification unit for verifying the battery information by the battery information stored in the battery information database;

a user information verification unit for verifying the user information by the contractor information stored in the contractor information database;

a charge calculation unit for calculating a charge based on the information on the amount of electricity; and

a transmission unit for transmitting to the terminal a result of verification of the user information, a result of verification of the battery information, and the charge.

2. The battery exchange service system according to claim 1, wherein the power information generation unit generates information on an amount of electricity based on a difference between an amount of charge of a first battery pack to be provided to a user and an amount of charge remaining in a second battery pack taken back from the user.

3. The battery exchange service system according to claim 2, wherein the amount of charge of the first battery pack is determined based on an amount of charge immediately before the first battery pack is given to the user.

4. The battery exchange service system according to claims 2, wherein the charging and discharging unit has a function of regenerating power discharged from the second battery pack.

5. The battery exchange service system according to claims 2, wherein the terminal further includes a dropping opening for the second battery pack;

and a take-out opening for the first battery pack, and the charging and discharging unit further includes a control unit for fully charging a battery pack present near the take-out opening.

6. The battery exchange service system according to claims 1, wherein the management server further includes an amount-of-power-generation information reception unit for receiving information on an amount of power generation of renewable energy;

and an information processing unit for calculating an amount of sales of renewable energy that can be sold, based on the information on the amount of power generation and the information on the amount of electricity.

7. The battery exchange service system according to claims 6, wherein the terminal further includes a display unit for displaying any one of the information on the amount of power generation of the renewable energy, information on an amount of electricity sold by the battery exchange service, and information on a difference between the amount of power generation and the amount of electricity sold.

8. A terminal of a battery exchange service system, the terminal comprising:

an information obtaining unit for obtaining battery information and user information;

an information storage unit for storing in advance the battery information and the user information;

a verification unit for verifying the battery information and the user information obtained by the information obtaining unit, by the battery information and the user information stored in the information storage unit;

a charging and discharging unit for charging and discharging a battery pack;

a power information generation unit for generating information on an amount of electricity based on charging and discharging by the charging and discharging unit; and

a charge calculation unit for calculating a charge based on the information on the amount of electricity.

9. A terminal of a battery exchange service system, the terminal being connected to a management server and comprising:

an information obtaining unit for obtaining battery information and user information;

a charging and discharging unit for charging and discharging a battery pack;

a power information generation unit for generating information on an amount of electricity based on charging and discharging by the charging and discharging unit;

an information transmission unit for transmitting to the management server the battery information and the user information obtained by the information obtaining unit and the information on the amount of electricity generated by the power information generation unit; and

a reception unit for receiving the battery information and the user information stored in an information storage unit of the management server, information on results of verification of the transmitted battery information and the transmitted user information, and information on a charge calculated by a charge calculation unit of the management server based on the transmitted information on the amount of electricity.

10. A charging method for a battery exchange service system including a terminal and a management server connected with each other, wherein

the terminal performs an information obtaining step of obtaining battery information and user information;

a charging and discharging step of charging and discharging a battery pack; and

a power information generation step of generating information on an amount of electricity based on the charging and the discharging, and

at least one of the terminal and the management server performs a verification step of verifying the battery information and the user information obtained in the information obtaining step; and

a charge calculation step of calculating a charge based on the information on the amount of electricity.

11. The charging method for the battery exchange service system according to claim 10, further comprising, after the step of calculating the charge, a step of displaying information on first cost bearing for maintaining and operating the battery exchange service system and information on second cost bearing for use in other than the first cost bearing, wherein a user is allowed to select one of the first cost bearing and the second cost bearing.

12. The charging method according to claim 11, wherein a use of the second cost bearing is any one of a donation to a disaster or the like, a general fundraising activity, a consideration for an environmental value, and an investment in a project.

13. A portable device comprising:

a battery pack installed in the portable device;

a location detection unit for detecting a current location;

a capacity detection unit for detecting a dischargeable capacity remaining in the battery pack;

a place information obtaining unit for obtaining information on a place where a battery exchange service can be received; and

a display unit for displaying the information on the place where the battery exchange service can be received obtained by the place information obtaining unit, when the capacity detection unit detects that the dischargeable capacity remaining in the battery pack is less than or equal to a certain value or/and when it is detected that the current location detected by the location detection unit approaches the obtained place where the battery exchange service can be received.