BATTERY MODULE, ELECTRIC VEHICLE, AUTHENTICATION APPARATUS, AND DISCHARGING CONTROL METHOD FOR BATTERY MODULE

• US 20110270480A1
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tajima, Shigeru, Suzuki, Masahiro, Ishibashi, Yoshihito, Yamazaki, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 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.

2. A battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the first authentication unit carries out the first authentication with an authentication apparatus owned by a user via the first authentication route, and

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication with the authentication apparatus via the second authentication route.

3. A battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the first authentication unit carries out the first authentication with a first authentication apparatus via the first authentication route, and

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication with a second authentication apparatus that differs to the first authentication apparatus via the second authentication route.

4. A battery module according to claim 2,

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

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using a second communication route that differs to the first communication path.

5. A battery module according to claim 3,

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

the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using a second communication route that differs to the first communication path.

6. A battery module according to claim 4,

wherein the battery module is installed in an electric vehicle including:

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

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

7. A battery module according to claim 5,

wherein the battery module is installed in an electric vehicle including:

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

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

8. A battery module according to claim 6,

wherein the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the second communication path that passes the control unit of the electric vehicle.

9. A battery module according to claim 7,

wherein the second authentication unit carries out the second authentication using the second communication path that passes the control unit of the electric vehicle.

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 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;

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

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

11. 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 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, the authentication apparatus comprising:

a first authentication unit carrying out the first authentication via a first authentication route; and

a second authentication unit carrying out the second authentication via a second authentication route.

12. 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 via a first authentication route;

sharing key information to be used in second authentication with an authentication party for the second authentication when the first authentication has succeeded;

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

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