Battery module, electric vehicle, authentication apparatus, and discharging control method for battery module

• US 9,043,059 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Yoshihito, Tajima, Shigeru, Yamazaki, Daisuke, Suzuki, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, MAJDI A
• Application Number:
  US13/092,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 455/556.1, 455/574, 705/31, 726/17, 708/250, 320106-119, 320134-136, 713/182, 340/426.11
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

There is provided a battery module including: a power storage unit storing power; a first authentication unit carrying out first authentication via a first authentication route; a second authentication unit carrying out second authentication via a second authentication route; and a discharging control unit controlling discharging from the power storage unit to an external appliance, wherein the first authentication unit is operable, when the first authentication has succeeded, to share key information to be used in the second authentication with an authentication party for the second authentication, the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the key information shared with the authentication party, and the discharging control unit is operable, when the second authentication has succeeded, to permit discharging from the power storage unit.

Claims

1. A battery module comprising:

a power storage unit storing power;

a first authentication unit carrying out first authentication of the power storage unit with a first authentication apparatus via a first authentication route;

a second authentication unit carrying out second authentication with a second authentication apparatus via a second authentication route; and

a discharging control unit controlling discharging from the power storage unit to an external appliance,

wherein when the first authentication of the power storage unit has succeeded, key information to be used in the second authentication is shared from the power storage unit to the second authentication unit,

wherein the second authentication apparatus is different from the first authentication apparatus,

wherein the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the shared key information, and

wherein the discharging control unit is operable, when the second authentication has succeeded, to permit discharging from the power storage unit.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the first authentication unit carries out the first authentication with the first authentication apparatus owned by a user via the first authentication route.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein

the first authentication unit carries out the first authentication using the first authentication route where direct communication with the first authentication apparatus is possible, and

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the second authentication route that differs from the first authentication route.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the battery module is installed in an electric vehicle including:

a driving unit driving the electric vehicle using the power supplied from the power storage unit; and

a control unit controlling supplying of the power to the driving unit.

5. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the second authentication route that passes the control unit of the electric vehicle.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the first authentication unit carries out the first authentication using the first authentication route where direct communication with the first authentication apparatus is possible, and

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the second authentication route that differs from the first authentication route.

7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the battery module is installed in an electric vehicle including:

a driving unit driving the electric vehicle using the power supplied from the power storage unit; and

a control unit controlling supplying of the power to the driving unit.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the second authentication route that passes the control unit of the electric vehicle.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the first authentication unit is operable to store result of the first authentication and the shared key information in a storage device.

10. An electric vehicle comprising:

a connection terminal for connecting to a battery module that includes

a power storage unit storing power,

a first authentication unit carrying out first authentication of the power storage unit with a first authentication apparatus via a first authentication route,

a second authentication unit carrying out second authentication with a second authentication appartaus via a second authentication route, and

a discharging control unit controlling discharging from the power storage unit to an external appliance,

wherein when the first authentication of the power storage unit has succeeded, key information to be used in the second authentication is shared from the power storage unit to the second authentication unit,

wherein the second authentication apparatus is different from the first authentication apparatus,

wherein the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the shared key information, and

wherein the discharging control unit is operable, when the second authentication has succeeded, to permit discharging from the power storage unit;

a driving unit driving the electric vehicle using the power supplied from the power storage unit; and

a control unit controlling supplying of the power to the driving unit.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the shared key information is deleted when connection between the battery module and the electric vehicle is disconnected.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the first authentication route is used to share or delete the shared key information.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the discharging control unit is operable to permit the supplying of the power to the driving unit when the key information is shared with the second authentication apparatus and the second authentication has succeeded.

14. An authentication apparatus carrying out authentication for a battery module that includes

a power storage unit storing power;

a first authentication unit carrying out first authentication of the power storage unit with a first authentication apparatus via a first authentication route;

a second authentication unit carrying out second authentication with a second authentication apparatus via a second authentication route; and

a discharging control unit controlling discharging from the power storage unit to an external appliance,

wherein when the first authentication of the power storage unit has succeeded, key information to be used in the second authentication is shared from the power storage unit to the second authentication unit,

wherein the second authentication apparatus is different from the first authentication apparatus,

wherein the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the shared key information, and

wherein the discharging control unit is operable, when the second authentication has succeeded, to permit discharging from the power storage unit.

15. A discharging control method for a battery module that includes a power storage unit storing power and a discharging control unit controlling discharging of the power storage unit to an external appliance, the discharging control method comprising steps of the battery module:

carrying out first authentication of the power storage unit with a first authentication apparatus via a first authentication route;

sharing key information to be used in second authentication with a second authentication apparatus, when the first authentication of the power storage unit has succeeded,

wherein the key information to be used in the second authentication is shared from the power storage unit to the second authentication apparatus;

wherein the second authentication apparatus is different from the first authentication apparatus;

carrying out the second authentication with the second authentication apparatus via a second authentication route using the shared key information; and

permitting discharging from the power storage unit by the discharging control unit when the second authentication has succeeded.