Method for controlling storage battery pack and storage battery pack

• US 9,900,730 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Go
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US15/163,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a method, when a first information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communication device capable of communicating with a first wireless communication device provided in a storage battery pack and which retains first identification information indicating a user of the storage battery pack, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communication device (S11), the first information terminal is registered in registration information as a first type of information terminal capable of altering the registration information, the registration information being stored in a storage device provided inside or outside of the storage battery pack, and being of information terminals capable of acquiring information relating to the storage battery pack stored in the storage device (S12).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) when a first information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with a first wireless communicator provided in a storage battery pack, wherein the first information terminal retains first identification information indicating a user of the storage battery pack, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator,

registering in registration information the first information terminal as a first type of information terminal that alters the registration information related to an information terminal registered in the registration information, the altered registration information being stored in a storage that is provided inside or outside of the storage battery pack and having registered therein information terminals that acquire information relating to the storage battery pack;

(c) receiving the first identification information via the first wireless communicator; and

(d1) when a second information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator, wherein the second information terminal does not retain the first identification information, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator within a prescribed time from after the first identification information has been received,

automatically registering in the registration information the second information terminal as a second type of information terminal, which is an information terminal that cannot alter the registration information from the storage battery pack, and does acquire, from the storage battery pack, other information relating to the storage battery pack that is different from the registration information.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first type of information terminal alters the registration information, and acquires the information relating to the storage battery pack from the storage battery pack.

3. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the information relating to the storage battery pack is information indicating a state of the storage battery pack.

4. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the information relating to the storage battery pack is information relating to an electrical device onto which the storage battery pack is mounted.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(b) altering content of the registration information based on an instruction to alter the registration information, the instruction being transmitted from the first information terminal registered as the first type of information terminal.

6. The method according to claim 1, further including comprising:

(d2) when a second information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator and which does not retain the first identification information, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator after a prescribed time from after the first identification information has been received, not registering in the registration information the second information terminal as a second type of information terminal, which is an information terminal that cannot alter the registration information from the storage battery pack and may acquire from the storage battery pack other information relating to the storage battery pack that is different from the registration information,

wherein the storage battery pack is capable of discharging within the prescribed time and after the prescribed time.

7. The method according to claim 6,

wherein, in the (d1), when the second information terminal, which does not retain the first identification information and retains second identification information that is different from the first identification information, comes into close proximity, registering in the registration information the second information terminal as the second type of information terminal.

8. The method according to claim 6,

wherein the other information relating to the storage battery pack is information indicating a state of the storage battery pack.

9. The method for controlling a storage battery pack according to claim 6,

wherein the other information relating to the storage battery pack is information relating to an electrical device onto which the storage battery pack is mounted.

10. The method according to claim 6,

wherein, in the (c), the first wireless communicator receives the first identification information due to the first information terminal coming into close proximity with the first wireless communicator.

11. The method according to claim 6,

wherein, in the (c), the first wireless communicator receives the first identification information due to a third information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator and which retains the first identification information, coming into close proximity with the first wireless communicator.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(e1) when a second information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator and which retains the first identification information, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator within a prescribed time from after the first identification information has been received, registering in the registration information the second information terminal as the first type of information terminal; and

(e2) when a second information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator and which retains the first identification information, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator after a prescribed time from after the first identification information has been received, not registering in the registration information the second information terminal as the first type of information terminal,

wherein the storage battery pack is capable of discharging within the prescribed time and after the prescribed time.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(f) storing identification information in the storage prior to the (a);

(g) when the first information terminal comes into close proximity, acquiring the first identification information retained by the first information terminal; and

(h) comparing the acquired first identification information with the stored identification information,

wherein, in the (a), when the acquired first identification information and the stored identification information match as a result of the comparing, the first information terminal is registered in the registration information as the first type of information terminal.

14. The method according to claim 13,

wherein, in the (f), the identification information is stored in the storage due to an external device, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator, retains the first identification information, and is not able to refer to the registration information, coming into close proximity with the first wireless communicator.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(i) when the first information terminal comes into close proximity, acquiring the first identification information via the first wireless communicator from the first information terminal, and determining whether or not the acquired first identification information is appropriate,

wherein the (a) is executed when it is determined in the (i) that the first identification information is appropriate.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(j) when the first information terminal comes into close proximity, acquiring the first identification information via the first wireless communicator from the first information terminal, and confirming in a server provided outside of the storage battery pack whether or not the acquired first identification information is appropriate,

wherein the (a) is executed when it is confirmed in the (j) that the first identification information is appropriate.

17. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the registration information includes information indicating either the first type of information terminal or a second type of a second type of information terminal, the second type of information terminal being an information terminal that cannot alter the registration information from the storage battery pack, and does acquire, from the storage battery pack, other information relating to the storage battery pack that is different from the registration information.

18. A storage battery pack, comprising:

a first wireless communicator that wirelessly communicates with a first information terminal; and

a controller that,

(a) when the first information terminal retaining first identification information indicating a user of the storage battery pack comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator, registers the first information terminal in registration information as a first type of information terminal that alters the registration information related to an information terminal registered in the registration information, the altered registration information being stored in a storage that is provided inside or outside of the storage battery pack and having registered therein information terminals that acquire information relating to the storage battery pack;

(c) receives the first identification information via the first wireless communicator; and

(d1) when a second information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator, wherein the second information terminal does not retain the first identification information, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator within a prescribed time from after the first identification information has been received,

automatically registers in the registration information the second information terminal as a second type of information terminal, which is an information terminal that cannot alter the registration information from the storage battery pack, and acquires, from the storage battery pack, other information relating to the storage battery pack that is different from the registration information.

19. A method, comprising:

(a) when a first information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with a first wireless communicator provided in a storage battery pack, wherein the first information terminal retains first identification information indicating a user of the storage battery pack, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator,

registering in registration information the first information terminal as a first type of information terminal that alters the registration information related to an information terminal registered in the registration information, the registration information being stored in a storage that is provided inside or outside of the storage battery pack and having registered therein information terminals that acquire information relating to the storage battery pack;

(c) receiving the first identification information via the first wireless communicator;

(d1) when a second information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator, wherein the second information terminal does not retain the first identification information, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator within a prescribed time from after the first identification information has been received,

registering in the registration information the second information terminal as a second type of information terminal, which is an information terminal that cannot alter the registration information from the storage battery pack, and does acquire, from the storage battery pack, other information relating to the storage battery pack that is different from the registration information; and

(d2) when a second information terminal, which is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator and which does not retain the first identification information, comes into close proximity with the first wireless communicator after a prescribed time from after the first identification information has been received, not registering in the registration information the second information terminal as a second type of information terminal, which is an information terminal that cannot alter the registration information from the storage battery pack and may acquire from the storage battery pack other information relating to the storage battery pack that is different from the registration information,

wherein the storage battery pack is capable of discharges within the prescribed time and after the prescribed time,

wherein, in the (c), the first wireless communicator receives the first identification information due to an external device coming into close proximity with the first wireless communicator,

and wherein the external device is a device that is provided with a wireless communicator that communicates with the first wireless communicator, retains the first identification information, and is not able to refer to the registration information.

20. The method according to claim 19,

wherein the external device includes a registration card.