Secondary battery module, battery information management device, battery information management system, secondary battery reuse system, secondary battery recovery and sales system, secondary battery reuse method, and secondary battery recovery and sales method

• US 8,299,757 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Shuko, Kawahara, Youhei, Emori, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US12/756,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• 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: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/54 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/52 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste cells or batteries , e.g. recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells

Abstract

A secondary battery module includes a battery information storage unit for storing electric characteristic information and usage history information of the secondary battery module. A battery information management device and a terminal device respectively include interfaces to be connected to the secondary battery module. The battery information management device is provided with a battery information database. The battery information management device is connected to the terminal device through a communications network. In this way, battery information stored in the battery information storage unit, which is acquired by the battery information management device and the terminal device, is accumulated in the battery information database. Moreover, the battery information management device grades the secondary battery module for reuse based on the battery information and a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A battery system comprising:

a battery module having an assembled battery formed by electrically connecting a plurality of cells; and

a battery controller configured to detect states of the plurality of cells of the battery module, control the plurality of cells of the battery module, and transmit and receive information to and from a controller of a host system,

wherein the battery module includes;

a storage device adapted to have stored therein at least one of electrical characteristic information and usage history information on the cells or the assembled battery, as battery information,

a battery controller communication interface circuit configured to communicate with the battery controller, and

a storage device control circuit configured to, in response to an instruction from the battery controller, read the battery information stored in the storage device and transmit the read battery information to the battery controller via the interface circuit, and receive the battery information transmitted from the battery controller via the interface circuit and write the received battery information into the storage device,

wherein the battery controller includes;

a battery module communication interface circuit configured to communicate with the battery module,

means for transmitting to the storage device control circuit of the battery module an instruction to read the battery information stored in the storage device of the battery module and the battery information to be stored in the storage device of the battery module via the battery module communication interface circuit,

means for receiving the battery information via the battery module communication interface circuit, the battery information having been read from the storage device of the battery module in response to the instruction to read the battery information, and transmitted from the storage device control circuit of the battery module, and

a host system communication interface for communicating with the controller of the host system, and

wherein the battery module and the battery controller are configured to be separable.

2. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller further includes a host system communication interface circuit configured to communicate with a host system controller that controls a host system having the battery system built therein.

3. The battery system according to claim 2, wherein the batter controller further includes:

judging means for judging if replacement of the battery module is necessary, and

means for transmitting, if replacement of the battery module is determined to be necessary by the judging means, information to the effect that the replacement of the battery module is necessary via the host system communication interface circuit.

4. The battery system according to claim 3, wherein the battery controller further includes a display device configured to display, if replacement of the battery module is determined to be necessary by the judging means, information to the effect that the replacement of the battery module is necessary.

5. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller, after power is turned on, outputs an instruction to the storage device control circuit of the battery module to read the battery information stored in the storage device of the battery module, and acquires from the storage device control circuit of the battery module the battery information stored in the storage device of the battery module.

6. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller outputs to the storage device control circuit of the battery module the battery information to be stored in the storage device of the battery module at predetermined time intervals.

7. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller, before power is turned off, outputs to the storage device control circuit of the battery module the battery information to be stored in the storage device of the battery module.

8. A battery system comprising:

a plurality of electrically connected battery modules each having an assembled battery formed by electrically connecting a plurality of cells; and

a battery controller provided corresponding to the plurality of battery modules, the battery controller being configured to detect states of the plurality of cells of each of the battery modules, control the plurality of cells of each of the battery modules, and transmit and receive information to and from a controller of a host system,

wherein each battery module includes;

a storage device adapted to have stored therein at least one of electrical characteristic information and usage history information on the cells or the assembled battery of the associated battery module, as battery information,

a battery controller communication interface circuit configured to communicate with the battery controller, and

a storage device control circuit configured to, in response to an instruction from the battery controller, read the battery information on the associated battery module stored in the storage device and transmit the read battery information on the associated battery module to the battery controller via the interface circuit, and receive the battery information on the associated battery module transmitted from the battery controller via the interface circuit and write the received battery information on the associated battery module into the storage device,

wherein the battery controller includes;

a battery module communication interface circuit configured to communicate with the plurality of battery modules,

means for transmitting to the storage device control circuit of each of the battery modules an instruction to read the battery information stored in the storage device of each of the battery modules and the battery information to be stored in the storage device of each of the battery modules via the battery module communication interface circuit,

means for receiving the battery information via the battery module communication interface circuit, the battery information having been read from the storage device of each of the battery modules in response to the instruction to read the battery information, and transmitted from the storage device control circuit of each of the battery modules, and

a host system communication interface for communicating with the controller of the host system, and

wherein the battery modules and the battery controller are configured to be separable.

9. The battery system according to claim 8, wherein the battery controller further includes a host system communication interface circuit configured to communicate with a host system controller that controls a host system having the battery system built therein.

10. The battery system according to claim 9, wherein the battery controller further includes:

Judging means for judging if replacement of the battery module is necessary, and

Means for transmitting, if replacement of the battery module is determined to be necessary by the judging means, information to the effect that the replacement of the battery module is necessary via the host system communication interface circuit.

11. The battery system according to claim 10, wherein the battery controller further includes a display device configured to display, if replacement of the battery module is determined to be necessary by the judging means, information to the effect that the replacement of the battery module is necessary.

12. The battery system according to claim 8, wherein the battery controller, after power is turned on, outputs an instruction to the storage device control circuit of each of the battery modules to read the battery information stored in the storage device of each of the battery modules, and acquires from the storage device control circuit of each of the battery modules the battery information stored in the storage device of each of the battery modules.

13. The battery system according to claim 8, wherein the battery controller outputs the storage device control circuit of each of the battery modules the battery information to be stored in the storage device of each of the battery modules at predetermined time intervals.

14. The battery system according to claim 8, wherein the battery controller, before power is turned off, outputs to the storage device control circuit of each of the battery modules the battery information to be stored in the storage device of each of the battery modules.