JP7542187B2 - Information terminal device, charging and discharging system - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to control technology, and in particular to an information terminal device that acquires information from a storage battery and a charging/discharging system.

Battery packs that are subject to recall are generally collected by their manufacturers, etc. At that time, it is necessary to estimate the location of the battery pack that is subject to recall. For this reason, a charger to which a battery pack can be attached and detached is equipped with a communication function for communicating with a server device via a base station, and the charger transmits identification information of the battery pack to the server device. Based on the identification information of the battery pack, the server device determines whether the battery pack is subject to recall, and estimates the location of the battery pack based on the identification information of the base station that relayed the battery pack identification information (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-191833 A

The use of battery packs makes it possible to supply power to a variety of devices. There is a demand to improve the ease of use of such battery packs.

This disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that improves the ease of use of storage battery packs.

In order to solve the above problems, an information terminal device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires first information from a first storage battery pack by direct wireless communication with a first storage battery pack attached to a first charging/discharging device, and acquires second information from a second storage battery pack by direct wireless communication with a second storage battery pack attached to a second charging/discharging device, and a control unit that displays a list of the first information and second information acquired by the acquisition unit on a screen. The first information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a first battery pack abnormality notification for notifying the abnormal state of the first battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first battery pack, and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the first charging/discharging device via the first battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first charging/discharging device, and for notifying the abnormal state of the first charging/discharging device. The second information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a second battery pack abnormality notification for notifying the abnormal state of the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second battery pack, and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the second charging/discharging device via the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second charging/discharging device, and for notifying the abnormal state of the second charging/discharging device.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a charging/discharging system. This charging/discharging system includes a first charging/discharging device, a first storage battery pack attached to the first charging/discharging device, a second charging/discharging device, a second storage battery pack attached to the second charging/discharging device, and an information terminal device capable of performing direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack and the second storage battery pack. The information terminal device includes an acquisition unit that acquires first information from the first storage battery pack through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack and acquires second information from the second storage battery pack through direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack, and a control unit that displays a list of the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit on a screen. The first information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a first battery pack abnormality notification for notifying the abnormal state of the first battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first battery pack, and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the first charging/discharging device via the first battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first charging/discharging device, and for notifying the abnormal state of the first charging/discharging device. The second information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a second battery pack abnormality notification for notifying the abnormal state of the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second battery pack, and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the second charging/discharging device via the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second charging/discharging device, and for notifying the abnormal state of the second charging/discharging device.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and conversions of the expressions of this disclosure between methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also valid aspects of this disclosure.

This disclosure can improve the ease of use of battery packs.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charge/discharge system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the charge/discharge system of FIG. 1 . 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of a table stored in a storage unit in FIG. 2 . 2 is a sequence diagram showing a communication procedure of the charge/discharge system of FIG. 1. 5(a) and (b) are diagrams showing screens displayed on the display unit of FIG. 6(a) to (c) are diagrams showing other screens displayed on the display unit of FIG. 7(a) and (b) are diagrams showing still another screen displayed on the display unit of FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a display procedure by the charge/discharge system of FIG. 1. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing the configuration of a charge/discharge system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a lighting procedure by the charge/discharge system of FIGS. 11A to 11C are sequence diagrams showing communication procedures in the charge/discharge system of the third embodiment. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing screens displayed on the display unit of the third embodiment. 13A to 13C are sequence diagrams showing another communication procedure by the charge/discharge system of the third embodiment. 14(a)-(b) are sequence diagrams showing another communication procedure by the charge/discharge system of the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of a table stored in a storage unit according to a fourth embodiment.

Example 1
Before specifically describing an embodiment of the present disclosure, an overview of the embodiment will be described. The embodiment relates to a charge/discharge system that enables charging/discharging of a battery pack by connecting the battery pack to a charge/discharge device. When the battery pack includes, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery, various states of the lithium ion secondary battery are acquired in the battery pack in order to safely use the battery pack. The various states are, for example, a remaining charge and an abnormal state. If such various information is transmitted from the battery pack to an information terminal device such as a smartphone by wireless communication, it becomes possible to check the various information on the information terminal device. For example, a short-range wireless communication system is used for the wireless communication.

However, when multiple battery packs are present near an information terminal device, usability is reduced if the various statuses of each of the multiple battery packs cannot be immediately confirmed. For this reason, the battery pack application program (hereinafter referred to as the "application") according to this embodiment has a function of acquiring various information about each of the multiple battery packs via wireless communication and visualizing the various information so that it can be viewed at a glance.

It is also preferable to be able to check the abnormal state of the charging/discharging device to which the storage battery pack is connected. However, in order to simplify the configuration of the charging/discharging device, the charging/discharging device is not equipped with a wireless communication function. Therefore, the charging/discharging device according to this embodiment outputs information about the abnormal state to the storage battery pack, and the storage battery pack transmits information about the charging/discharging device to the information terminal device. As a result, the application according to this embodiment has a function to visualize information about the charging/discharging device to which the storage battery pack is connected. Here, this embodiment will be described in the following order: (1) basic configuration, (2) state determination, (3) communication by a short-range wireless communication system, and (4) display of information.

(1) Basic Configuration Fig. 1 shows the configuration of a charge/discharge system 1000. The charge/discharge system 1000 includes a first storage battery pack 100a to a third storage battery pack 100c collectively referred to as storage battery packs 100, a first charging/discharging device 200a to a third charging/discharging device 200c collectively referred to as charging/discharging devices 200, an information terminal device 300, a network 400, and a server device 500. The number of storage battery packs 100 and charging/discharging devices 200 is not limited to "3".

The battery pack 100 includes a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery, and manages its state based on various states of the lithium-ion secondary battery. The battery pack 100 is detachable from the charge/discharge device 200. When the battery pack 100 is attached to the charge/discharge device 200, the charge/discharge device 200 charges and discharges the battery pack 100, and communicates between the battery pack 100 and the charge/discharge device 200. The battery pack 100 communicates in accordance with a short-range wireless communication system. Examples of short-range wireless communication systems include Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

The information terminal device 300 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC. The information terminal device 300 is compatible with the same short-range wireless communication system as the storage battery pack 100, and can perform direct wireless communication with the storage battery pack 100. The information terminal device 300 is connected to a network 400, and can communicate with a server device 500 via the network 400. For example, a wireless communication system such as 5G or 4G is used for the network 400. The network 400 may also be combined with the Internet. In general, the communication range of a wireless communication system is wider than the communication range of a short-range wireless communication system. The information terminal device 300 executes an application program (hereinafter also referred to as an "application") for controlling the storage battery pack 100. Processing by the application will be described later.

The server device 500 is used by the manufacturer or business that produced the storage battery pack 100. The server device 500 is connected to the network 400 and performs processing to provide various information to applications, for example.

Figure 2 shows the configuration of the charging/discharging system 1000. Figure 2 shows the configurations of the first storage battery pack 100a to the third storage battery pack 100c, the first charging/discharging device 200a to the third charging/discharging device 200c, and the information terminal device 300 in Figure 1. The first storage battery pack 100a includes a storage battery 110, a control unit 120, a memory unit 130, a first communication unit 140, a notification unit 150, and an operation unit 180, and the control unit 120 includes a determination unit 160 and a second communication unit 170. The first charging/discharging device 200a includes a charging/discharging circuit 210, a control unit 220, a communication unit 230, a power plug 250, a power supply unit 260, a cooling fan 270, and a discharger 280, and the control unit 220 includes a reception unit 240. The information terminal device 300 includes a first communication unit 310, a control unit 320, a memory unit 330, a display unit 340, an operation unit 350, and a second communication unit 360, and the control unit 320 includes an acquisition unit 322 and an output unit 324. The second storage battery pack 100b and the third storage battery pack 100c have the same configuration as the first storage battery pack 100a, and the second charging/discharging device 200b and the third charging/discharging device 200c have the same configuration as the first charging/discharging device 200a.

The storage battery 110 of the storage battery pack 100 is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The storage battery 110 is connected to and controlled by the control unit 120. The control unit 120 controls the overall operation of the storage battery pack 100. One example of the operation is the determination of the state of the storage battery 110 by the determination unit 160. To determine the state, the degree of deterioration of the storage battery 110 may be determined. The memory unit 130 stores a table that is used by the determination unit 160 when determining the state of the storage battery 110. The storage battery pack 100 is provided with a power supply unit (not shown), and the storage battery 110 may output power from the power supply unit. One example of the power supply unit is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal.

The first communication unit 140 communicates with the information terminal device 300 by executing communication corresponding to a short-range wireless communication system. The notification unit 150 is an interface for notifying the user of various information. The notification unit 150 includes, for example, multiple LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and changes the lighting pattern of the multiple LEDs depending on the content of the information. The second communication unit 170 is capable of executing serial communication such as RS-485, RS-422, and RS-232C, and communicates with the charging/discharging device 200 when the storage battery pack 100 is connected to the charging/discharging device 200. The operation unit 180 is an interface that can be operated by the user, for example, a button.

The power plug 250 of the charging/discharging device 200 is detachably connected to an external AC power source. When the power plug 250 is connected to the AC power source, the AC power source can supply AC power, for example, up to 330 W of AC power, to the charging/discharging device 200. When the power plug 250 is connected to the AC power source, if the storage battery pack 100 is connected to a connection portion (not shown) of the charging/discharging device 200, the charging/discharging circuit 210 of the charging/discharging device 200 converts the AC power from the power plug 250 into DC power to charge the storage battery 110.

The power supply unit 260 detachably connects an external electronic device. When an electronic device is connected to the power supply unit 260, the charging/discharging device 200 can supply AC power to the electronic device. When an electronic device is connected to the power supply unit 260, if the storage battery pack 100 is connected to a connection unit (not shown) of the charging/discharging device 200, the charging/discharging circuit 210 of the charging/discharging device 200 converts DC power from the storage battery 110 to AC power and outputs the AC power from the power supply unit 260. Even if the AC power source is interrupted, the charging/discharging circuit 210 of the charging/discharging device 200 converts DC power from the storage battery 110 to AC power and outputs the AC power from the power supply unit 260. At that time, the charging/discharging circuit 210 discharges the storage battery 110 to a first level. The first level is determined in advance.

The cooling fan 270 rotates to blow air to the charging/discharging circuit 210. The air blowing suppresses the temperature rise of the charging/discharging circuit 210. The cooling fan 270 is not limited to cooling, and may be a fan. The control unit 220 is connected to the charging/discharging circuit 210 and controls the overall operation of the charging/discharging device 200. The communication unit 230 can be connected to the second communication unit 170 and communicates with the storage battery pack 100 by the above-mentioned serial communication. For example, when the control unit 220 detects an abnormal state of the charging/discharging device 200, the communication unit 230 transmits information for notifying the storage battery pack 100 of the abnormal state of the charging/discharging device 200 (hereinafter referred to as "charging/discharging device abnormality notification") to the storage battery pack 100. One example of an abnormal state of the charging/discharging device 200 is when the cooling fan 270 cannot rotate. Since a known technology can be used to detect the abnormal state in the control unit 220, a description thereof will be omitted here.

The first communication unit 310 of the information terminal device 300 communicates with the storage battery pack 100 by executing communication corresponding to the short-range wireless communication system. The control unit 320 is connected to the first communication unit 310 and controls the overall operation of the information terminal device 300. The control unit 320 executes, for example, an application stored in the storage unit 330 to execute processing provided by the application. The display unit 340 is a display for displaying information, and the operation unit 350 is an interface for receiving instructions from a user. The display unit 340 and the operation unit 350 may be integrated as a touch panel. The second communication unit 360 communicates with the server device 500 via the network 400 in FIG. 1 by executing communication corresponding to the wireless communication system.

(2) State Determination The determination unit 160 of the control unit 120 measures various states of the storage battery 110, i.e., the storage battery pack 100. The various states are, for example, the remaining battery capacity, the SOH (State of Health), the average temperature of the storage battery, the internal resistance value of the storage battery, the time elapsed since the storage battery pack 100 was manufactured, the total charge amount, the total discharge amount, and the like. Here, the remaining battery capacity is the remaining capacity of the storage battery 110. The SOH indicates the ratio of the current full charge capacity to the initial full charge capacity of the storage battery 110, and corresponds to, for example, the learning capacity. The time elapsed since the storage battery pack 100 was manufactured is measured based on the difference between the current date acquired by a clock function provided in the determination unit 160 and the manufacturing date of the storage battery pack 100 stored in the memory unit 130. Since known techniques may be used for these measurements, a description thereof will be omitted here.

The determination unit 160 determines the state of the battery pack 100 based on various measured states while referring to the table stored in the memory unit 130. One example of the state is the deterioration degree, which is a value indicating the degree to which the battery pack 100 has deteriorated from its initial state, and is indicated, for example, by five stages. FIG. 3 shows the data structure of the table stored in the memory unit 130. Here, the deterioration degree increases in the order of deterioration degree A, deterioration degree B, deterioration degree C, deterioration degree D, and deterioration degree E. Deterioration degree A is a state in which the SOH is 90% or more, deterioration degree B is a state in which the SOH is lower than 89% and 90% or more, deterioration degree C is a state in which the SOH is lower than 79% and 70% or more, deterioration degree D is a state in which the SOH is lower than 69% and 60% or more, and deterioration degree E is a state in which the SOH is lower than 59%. In other words, deterioration degree A is the lowest deterioration degree and indicates a state closest to the initial state. On the other hand, deterioration degree E is the highest deterioration degree and indicates a state in which deterioration has progressed the most. It can be said that such deterioration level A indicates a state close to new, deterioration level B indicates a slightly deteriorated state, deterioration level C indicates a significantly deteriorated state, deterioration level D indicates a state before the end of its life, and deterioration level E indicates a state at the end of its life. Here, deterioration level D or E corresponds to a state in which an abnormality has occurred in the storage battery pack 100, and a notification of deterioration level D or E corresponds to information for notifying an abnormal state of the storage battery pack 100 (hereinafter referred to as a "storage battery pack abnormality notification"). The storage battery pack abnormality notification can also be called a notification of a recommendation to discard the storage battery pack.

Here, the number of discharges is defined as 1 discharge of 10 Wh or more. The number of charges is defined as 1 charge of 50 Wh or more. The average number of charges and discharges is defined as the average number of times per month. The conditions are Awh>Dwh, Bwh>Ewh, and C hours>F hours, with the transition being more likely (the degree of deterioration is higher) when the frequency of use is high. Return to Figure 2.

(3) Communication via a short-range wireless communication system As described above, communication via a short-range wireless communication system is performed between the first communication unit 140 of the storage battery pack 100 and the first communication unit 310 of the information terminal device 300. Here, an overview of BLE as an example of a short-range wireless communication system will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a communication procedure by the charging/discharging system 1000. The storage battery pack 100 periodically transmits an advertisement (S10, S12). When the information terminal device 300 receives the advertisement, it executes a scan (S14).

The information terminal device 300 transmits a connection request to the battery pack 100 (S16). The battery pack 100 transmits a connection response (S18). As a result, a connection between the battery pack 100 and the information terminal device 300 is established (S20). The information terminal device 300 transmits a read to the battery pack 100 (S22). The read is a request to the battery pack 100 to transmit information. The battery pack 100 transmits a read response to the information terminal device 300 (S24). The read response is information corresponding to the transmission request. The information terminal device 300 transmits a disconnection request to the battery pack 100 (S26). The battery pack 100 transmits a disconnection response to the information terminal device 300 (S28). As a result, the connection between the battery pack 100 and the information terminal device 300 is disconnected (S30). Return to FIG. 2.

(4) Display of Information In order to explain the processing in the information terminal device 300, FIG. 5(a)-(b), FIG. 6(a)-(c), and FIG. 7(a)-(b) are also used here. FIG. 5(a)-(c) show screens displayed on the display unit 340. FIG. 5(a) shows a screen displayed on the display unit 340 in the information terminal device 300 in which an application is installed, when the application is not running. A plurality of icons are displayed on the screen. The user of the information terminal device 300 selects an icon 600 by operating the operation unit 350 while looking at the screen displayed on the display unit 340 as shown in FIG. 5(a). An instruction to select the icon 600 by the user is output from the operation unit 350 to the control unit 320. When the control unit 320 receives the instruction to select, it starts the application stored in the storage unit 330. In the application, the first storage battery pack 100a to the third storage battery pack 100c are registered as communication targets by the short-range wireless communication system.

When the application is started, the control unit 320 controls the first communication unit 310 to execute communication with the registered first storage battery pack 100a as described above. At that time, read is a request to transmit information from the first storage battery pack 100a (hereinafter referred to as "first information"). When the first communication unit 140 of the first storage battery pack 100a receives read, the control unit 120 causes the first communication unit 140 to transmit the first information including various states determined by the determination unit 160 to the information terminal device 300. At that time, the first information may include a storage battery pack abnormality notification of the first storage battery pack 100a (hereinafter referred to as "first storage battery pack abnormality notification"). In addition, if the second communication unit 170 has received a charging/discharging device abnormality notification (hereinafter referred to as "first charging/discharging device abnormality notification") from the first charging/discharging device 200a, the control unit 120 also includes the first charging/discharging device abnormality notification in the first information. The first information corresponds to a read response. When the first communication unit 310 of the information terminal device 300 receives the first information from the first storage battery pack 100a, the acquisition unit 322 acquires the first information through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack 100a attached to the first charging/discharging device 200a. As described above, the first information may include a first storage battery pack abnormality notification and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification.

The control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 also performs such processing on the second storage battery pack 100b and the third storage battery pack 100c. As a result, the acquisition unit 322 acquires the second information from the second storage battery pack 100b by direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack 100b attached to the second charging/discharging device 200b. The second information may include a second storage battery pack abnormality notification and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification. The acquisition unit 322 also acquires the third information from the third storage battery pack 100c by direct wireless communication with the third storage battery pack 100c attached to the third charging/discharging device 200c. The third information may include a third storage battery pack abnormality notification and a third charging/discharging device abnormality notification. In this way, the application executed in the control unit 320 acquires information from multiple storage battery packs 100 and multiple charging/discharging devices 200.

The control unit 320 stores the first information to the third information acquired by the acquisition unit 322 in the memory unit 330. The memory unit 330 stores information in association with the serial number of each storage battery pack 100 and the serial number of each charging/discharging device 200. The control unit 320 also outputs the first information to the third information acquired by the acquisition unit 322 to the second communication unit 360. The second communication unit 360 transmits the first information to the third information to the server device 500 via the network 400 in FIG. 1. The server device 500 stores the first information to the third information.

Furthermore, the control unit 320 displays the first information to the third information acquired by the acquisition unit 322 on the screen of the display unit 340 in a list. This corresponds to being able to display information on the first storage battery pack 100a to the third storage battery pack 100c and information on the first charging/discharging device 200a to the third charging/discharging device 200c connected thereto together. FIG. 5(b) shows a list display screen displayed on the display unit 340. On the list display screen, the first display area 610a, the second display area 610b, ..., the seventh display area 610g are arranged in order from the top. The first display area 610a to the seventh display area 610g are collectively referred to as the display area 610, and the display area 610 has a rectangular shape that is long in the horizontal direction. The first display area 610a is an area for displaying the first information, the second display area 610b is an area for displaying the second information, and the third display area 610c is an area for displaying the third information. The fourth display area 610d is an area for displaying fourth information from a fourth storage battery pack 100d not shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and the fourth information also includes information from a fourth charging/discharging device 200d connected to the fourth storage battery pack 100d. The same is true for the fifth display area 610e to the seventh display area 610g, and a description thereof will be omitted here.

In the first display area 610a, the serial number of the first storage battery pack 100a is displayed as a first serial number 612a, and the remaining battery charge of the first storage battery pack 100a is displayed as a first battery charge 614a. In particular, the first battery charge 614a is displayed by an indicator. The first battery charge 614a may be displayed by a numerical value (0 to 100%). The display contents in the second display area 610b to the seventh display area 610g are similar to the display contents in the first display area 610a, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

As an example, an abnormality notification icon 620 is displayed next to the fifth serial number 612e in the fifth display area 610e. The abnormality notification icon 620 indicates that at least one of the fifth storage battery pack abnormality notification and the fifth charge/discharge device abnormality notification is included in the fifth information. By displaying such an abnormality notification icon 620, information on the charge/discharge device 200 to which the storage battery pack 100 is connected is also displayed in a list. If at least one of the first storage battery pack abnormality notification and the first charge/discharge device abnormality notification is included in the first information, the abnormality notification icon 620 is displayed next to the first serial number 612a in the first display area 610a. Also, if at least one of the second storage battery pack abnormality notification and the second charge/discharge device abnormality notification is included in the second information, the abnormality notification icon 620 is displayed next to the second serial number 612b in the second display area 610b. The same applies to the other display areas 610.

In FIG. 5(b), the first display area 610a to the seventh display area 610g are arranged in order from the top of the list screen. However, the control unit 320 may be able to rearrange the display areas 610 in the list display according to a preset pattern. This corresponds to being able to rearrange the first information to the seventh information according to a preset pattern. For example, each piece of information may be rearranged in ascending/descending order, or abnormal conditions may be sorted by type.

Figures 6(a)-(c) show different screens displayed on the display unit 340. Figure 6(a) shows the same list display screen as Figure 5(b). When the user taps the first display area 610a, the operation unit 350 receives an instruction to select the first information. When the operation unit 350 receives an instruction to select the first information, the control unit 320 causes the display unit 340 to display a screen showing details of the first information (hereinafter referred to as the "details display screen"). Figure 6(b) shows the details display screen of the first information.

On the detailed display screen, the remaining battery power 630 is shown as a numerical value (0 to 100%). Below the remaining battery power 630, the SOH 632 is shown. The SOH 632 indicates the maximum capacity state of the storage battery 110 of the first storage battery pack 100a. Below the SOH 632, an estimated usage time 634 when various loads are used with the remaining battery power 630 is shown. Furthermore, an LED light button 636 is located at the bottom of the detailed display screen. The LED light button 636 will be described later.

Figure 6 (c) shows a screen displaying details of the first information. This is a different type of detailed display screen from that of Figure 6 (b). The remaining battery level 630, SOH 632, estimated usage time 634, and LED illumination button 636 are displayed in the same manner as in Figure 6 (b). A discard button 638 is added to the bottom of the detailed display screen. The discard button 638 will be described later.

As described above, on the list display screen of FIG. 5(b), an abnormality notification icon 620 is displayed in the fifth display area 610e. When the user taps the fifth display area 610e, the operation unit 350 receives an instruction to select the fifth information. When the operation unit 350 receives an instruction to select the fifth information, the control unit 320 causes the display unit 340 to display a screen showing details of the fifth information for which an abnormality notification has been issued.

7(a)-(b) show yet another screen displayed on the display unit 340. FIG. 7(a) shows a screen for displaying details of the fifth information, that is, a screen for displaying details of information for which an abnormality notification has been issued. The remaining battery level 630, SOH 632, estimated usage time 634, LED light button 636, and discard button 638 are shown in the same manner as in FIG. 6(c). Here, the remaining battery level 630, SOH 632, estimated usage time 634, and LED light button 636 may be shown in the same manner as in FIG. 6(b). In the upper part of the detailed information screen, a storage battery pack abnormality notification message 640 and a charging/discharging device abnormality notification message 642 are arranged. The storage battery pack abnormality notification message 640 is a message displayed when the fifth information includes a fifth storage battery pack abnormality notification, and the charging/discharging device abnormality notification message 642 is a message displayed when the fifth information includes a fifth charging/discharging device abnormality notification. In other words, if the information from the battery pack 100 includes a battery pack abnormality notification, a battery pack abnormality notification message 640 is displayed, and if the information from the battery pack 100 includes a charge/discharge device abnormality notification message 642 is displayed.

When the user wants to check the details of the battery pack abnormality notification message 640, the user taps the battery pack abnormality notification message 640, and the operation unit 350 accepts an instruction to select the fifth battery pack abnormality notification. When the operation unit 350 accepts an instruction to select the fifth battery pack abnormality notification, the control unit 320 causes the display unit 340 to display a screen showing the contents of the fifth battery pack abnormality notification (hereinafter referred to as the "notification display screen"). FIG. 7(b) shows the notification display screen. The contents of the fifth battery pack abnormality notification are shown, for example, as "XXXXXX". Here, an abnormality code may be displayed, or the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the manufacturer of the battery pack 100 may be displayed. In FIG. 7(a), when the user taps the charge/discharge device abnormality notification message 642, a screen similar to that in FIG. 7(b) is displayed on the display unit 340. Return to FIG. 2.

The subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure includes a computer. The computer executes a program to realize the function of the subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure. The computer includes a processor that operates according to the program as the main hardware configuration. The type of processor is not important as long as it can realize the function by executing the program. The processor is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or an LSI (Large Scale Integration). The multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip or may be provided on multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into one device or may be provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable ROM, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The program may be stored in the recording medium in advance, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet.

The operation of the charging/discharging system 1000 configured as above will be described. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the display procedure by the charging/discharging system 1000. When the first charging/discharging device 200a detects an abnormality (S50), it transmits a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification to the first storage battery pack 100a (S52). The first storage battery pack 100a transmits the first information including the first charging/discharging device abnormality notification to the information terminal device 300 (S54). The second storage battery pack 100b transmits the second information to the information terminal device 300 (S56), and the third storage battery pack 100c transmits the third information to the information terminal device 300 (S58). The information terminal device 300 displays the first information to the third information in a list (S60). The information terminal device 300 transmits the information to the server device 500 (S62). The server device 500 stores the information (S64).

According to this embodiment, information on each of the multiple storage battery packs 100 is displayed in a list by performing direct wireless communication with each of the multiple storage battery packs 100, so that the information on each of the multiple storage battery packs 100 can be checked at once. In addition, since the information on each of the multiple storage battery packs 100 can be checked at once, the usability of the storage battery packs 100 can be improved. In addition, since the information on the multiple storage battery packs 100 is displayed in a list, various information can be checked on one screen.

In addition, when an abnormality occurs in the charging/discharging device 200, a charging/discharging device abnormality notification is received via the storage battery pack 100, so information about the charging/discharging device 200 can be obtained even if the charging/discharging device 200 is not directly connected. In addition, since information about the charging/discharging device 200 can be obtained even if the charging/discharging device 200 is not directly connected, the configuration of the charging/discharging device 200 can be prevented from becoming complicated. If there is a storage battery pack abnormality notification or a charging/discharging device abnormality notification in each of the multiple storage battery packs 100, it is displayed in a list, so that the usability of the storage battery pack 100 and the charging/discharging device 200 can be improved.

In addition, since the first information and the second information in the list display can be rearranged according to a preset pattern, the usability of the storage battery pack 100 can be improved. Furthermore, since the first information and the second information are stored in the server device 500 via the network 400, the first information and the second information can be managed by the server device 500.

An overview of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. An information terminal device (300) of one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit (322) that acquires first information from a first storage battery pack (100a) attached to a first charging/discharging device (200a) through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack (100a) and acquires second information from a second storage battery pack (100b) attached to a second charging/discharging device (200b) through direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack (100b), and a control unit (320) that displays a list of the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) on a screen. The first information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) includes a first storage battery pack abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first storage battery pack (100a) when an abnormality occurs in the first storage battery pack (100a), and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the first charging/discharging device (200a) via the first storage battery pack (100a) when an abnormality occurs in the first charging/discharging device (200a) and for notifying an abnormal state of the first charging/discharging device (200a), The second information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) includes a second battery pack abnormality notification for notifying the abnormal state of the second battery pack (100b) when an abnormality occurs in the second battery pack (100b), and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the second charging/discharging device (200b) via the second battery pack (100b) when an abnormality occurs in the second charging/discharging device (200b), and for notifying the abnormal state of the second charging/discharging device (200b).

The control unit (320) may be capable of sorting the first information and the second information in the list display according to a preset pattern.

The control unit (320) may store the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) in the server device (500) via the network (400).

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a charging/discharging system (1000). The charging/discharging system (1000) includes a first charging/discharging device (200a), a first storage battery pack (100a) attached to the first charging/discharging device (200a), a second charging/discharging device (200b), a second storage battery pack (100b) attached to the second charging/discharging device (200b), and an information terminal device (300) capable of performing direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack (100a) and the second storage battery pack (100b). The information terminal device (300) includes an acquisition unit (322) that acquires first information from the first storage battery pack (100a) through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack (100a) and acquires second information from the second storage battery pack (100b) through direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack (100b), and a control unit (320) that displays a list of the first information and second information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) on a screen. The first information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) includes a first storage battery pack abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first storage battery pack (100a) when an abnormality occurs in the first storage battery pack (100a), and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the first charging/discharging device (200a) via the first storage battery pack (100a) when an abnormality occurs in the first charging/discharging device (200a) and for notifying an abnormal state of the first charging/discharging device (200a), The second information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) includes a second battery pack abnormality notification for notifying the abnormal state of the second battery pack (100b) when an abnormality occurs in the second battery pack (100b), and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the second charging/discharging device (200b) via the second battery pack (100b) when an abnormality occurs in the second charging/discharging device (200b), and for notifying the abnormal state of the second charging/discharging device (200b).

Example 2
Next, a second embodiment will be described. As in the first embodiment, the second embodiment relates to a charging/discharging system 1000 that enables charging/discharging of the storage battery pack 100 by connecting the storage battery pack 100 to the charging/discharging device 200. In the first embodiment, information on each of the storage battery packs 100 is displayed in a list on the information terminal device 300. At that time, it is desirable to immediately grasp the correspondence between the information displayed on the information terminal device 300 and the actual storage battery pack 100. In order to deal with this, when a list is displayed on the information terminal device 300 according to the second embodiment, when a user taps an icon of a specific storage battery pack 100, the information terminal device 300 transmits call information to the storage battery pack 100. When the storage battery pack 100 receives the call information, it turns on an LED. The charging/discharging system 100 according to the second embodiment is of the same type as that shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Here, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

To explain the second embodiment, Figs. 9(a)-(b) are also used. Figs. 9(a)-(b) show the configuration of the charging/discharging system 1000. Fig. 9(a) shows the same list display screen as Fig. 5(b). In each display area 610 in the list display screen, a battery pack icon 650 is displayed. When a user wants to find the first battery pack 100a among the multiple battery packs 100 that are actually placed, the user taps the battery pack icon 650 in the first display area 610a, and the operation unit 350 accepts an instruction to select the first battery pack 100a. Here, even if the LED lighting button 636 in Figs. 6(b)-(c) is tapped, the operation unit 350 accepts an instruction to select the first battery pack 100a.

When the operation unit 350 receives an instruction to select the first storage battery pack 100a, the control unit 320 generates information for calling the first storage battery pack 100a (hereinafter referred to as "first call information"). The first call information includes information for identifying the first storage battery pack 100a and an instruction to call. The control unit 320 outputs the first call information to the first communication unit 310. When the first communication unit 310 receives the first call information from the control unit 320, it transmits the first call information to the first storage battery pack 100a.

Figure 9 (b) shows the arrangement of multiple storage battery packs 100. Here, the first storage battery pack 100a to the seventh storage battery pack 100g are arranged. The first communication unit 140 in the first storage battery pack 100a receives the first call information from the information terminal device 300. When the first communication unit 140 receives the first call information, the control unit 120 performs a process according to the call, for example, turns on the notification unit 150 (light-emitting unit). In other words, when the reception unit 240 receives an instruction to select the first storage battery pack 100a, the output unit 324 of the information terminal device 300 outputs the first call information to the first communication unit 310, thereby transmitting the first call information to the first storage battery pack 100a by direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack 100a.

On the other hand, when the user wants to search for the second storage battery pack 100b, the user taps the storage battery pack icon 650 in the second display area 610b in FIG. 9(a), and the operation unit 350 receives an instruction to select the second storage battery pack 100b. When the operation unit 350 receives an instruction to select the second storage battery pack 100b, the control unit 320 generates information for calling the second storage battery pack 100b (hereinafter referred to as "second call information"), and the first communication unit 310 transmits the second call information to the second storage battery pack 100b. The first communication unit 140 in the second storage battery pack 100b receives the second call information from the information terminal device 300. When the first communication unit 140 receives the second call information, the control unit 120 performs a process according to the call, for example, turns on the notification unit 150 (light-emitting unit). A similar process is performed when searching for another storage battery pack 100.

The operation of the charging/discharging system 1000 configured as above will be described. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the lighting procedure by the charging/discharging system 1000. The information terminal device 300 accepts the selection of the first storage battery pack 100a (S100). The information terminal device 300 transmits first call information to the first storage battery pack 100a (S102). The first storage battery pack 100a turns on when it receives the first call information (S104). The information terminal device 300 accepts the selection of the second storage battery pack 100b (S106). The information terminal device 300 transmits second call information to the second storage battery pack 100b (S108). The second storage battery pack 100b turns on when it receives the second call information (S110).

According to this embodiment, when an instruction to select a storage battery pack 100 is received, call information is transmitted to the storage battery pack 100, and the storage battery pack 100 executes processing according to the call information, so that the correspondence between the information displayed on the information terminal device 300 and the actual storage battery pack 100 can be immediately understood. In addition, the storage battery pack 100 lights up when it receives the call information, so that the storage battery pack 100 can be quickly found.

An overview of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. The device may further include an operation unit (350) that receives an instruction to select the first storage battery pack (100a) from a screen displayed as a list by the control unit (320), and an output unit (324) that outputs first call information for calling the first storage battery pack (100a) when the operation unit (350) receives an instruction to select the first storage battery pack (100a), thereby causing the first call information to be transmitted to the first storage battery pack (100a) by direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack (100a). The operation unit (350) receives an instruction to select the second storage battery pack (100b) from the screen displayed as a list by the control unit (320), and the output unit (324) outputs second call information for calling the second storage battery pack (100b) when the operation unit (350) receives the instruction to select the second storage battery pack (100b), thereby causing the second call information to be transmitted to the second storage battery pack (100b) by direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack (100b), and the first storage battery pack (100a) executes processing in response to the call when it receives the first call information, and the second storage battery pack (100b) executes processing in response to the call when it receives the second call information.

The first storage battery pack (100a) may turn on the light-emitting unit (150) when it receives the first call information, and the second storage battery pack (100b) may turn on the light-emitting unit (150) when it receives the second call information.

Example 3
Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment relates to a charging/discharging system 1000 that enables charging/discharging of the battery pack 100 by connecting the battery pack 100 to the charging/discharging device 200, as in the past. Even if some error occurs when the battery pack 100 is being used, the battery pack 100 may be left unattended without the user recognizing the error. Such a situation may also occur in the charging/discharging device 200. Furthermore, if the battery pack 100 is left unattended with a low remaining battery level, the battery pack 100 may be over-discharged and become unusable. The battery pack 100 in this embodiment transmits information to the charging/discharging device 200 when an abnormality occurs or the remaining battery level is low. When the information terminal device 300 receives information from the battery pack 100, it executes a push notification if the information satisfies the push notification condition even if the application has not been started. The charging/discharging system 100 according to the third embodiment is of the same type as that shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Here, the differences from the past examples will be mainly described. The charge/discharge system 1000 according to the third embodiment may be called a processing system.

The application of the information terminal device 300 assigns a management code to the storage battery pack 100 to be managed by the application in advance. The management code is stored in the storage unit 330 of the information terminal device 300 and also in the storage unit 130 of the storage battery pack 100. When the management code stored in the storage unit 330 is called the "application management code", the management code stored in the storage unit 130 is called the "storage battery pack management code". At that time, the storage unit 330 also stores the serial number of the storage battery pack 100 to which the storage battery pack management code is assigned, while corresponding it to the application management code. Below, the following cases are described in the order of (i) the case where the management codes match and the push notification condition is satisfied, (ii) the case where the management codes match but the push notification condition is not satisfied, and (iii) the case where the serial number is not registered. The push notification conditions will be described in detail later.

(i) Case where the management codes match and the push notification condition is satisfied Figures 11(a)-(c) are sequence diagrams showing the communication procedure by the charging/discharging system 1000. In Figure 11(a), the control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 has not yet started an application (S200). The first communication unit 140 of the storage battery pack 100 periodically transmits an advertisement (S202, S204). The advertisement is a broadcast signal and includes the serial number of the storage battery pack 100. The serial number is represented by, for example, 12 bytes.

The first communication unit 310 of the information terminal device 300 receives the advertisement. The control unit 320 extracts the serial number included in the advertisement and performs administrator determination based on the extracted serial number (S206). Specifically, if the application management code associated with the serial number is stored in the storage unit 330 and the serial number is not a push-notified serial number, the control unit 320 decides to start scanning. The push-notified serial number will be described later, but the push-notified serial number is stored in the storage unit 330.

When the control unit 320 decides to start scanning, the information terminal device 300 executes a scan (S208). The control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 transmits a connection request from the first communication unit 310 to the storage battery pack 100 (S210). When the first communication unit 140 of the storage battery pack 100 receives the connection request, the control unit 120 transmits a connection response from the first communication unit 140 to the information terminal device 300 (S212). When the first communication unit 310 of the information terminal device 300 receives the connection response, a connection between the storage battery pack 100 and the information terminal device 300 is established (S214).

In a state where a connection with the battery pack 100 is established, the control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 transmits a read from the first communication unit 310 to the battery pack 100 (S216). As described above, a read is a request to transmit information to the battery pack 100. When the first communication unit 140 of the battery pack 100 receives a read, the control unit 120 transmits a read response from the first communication unit 140 to the information terminal device 300 (S218). As described above, a read response is information corresponding to the transmission request. As a result, even if the application is not started, the acquisition unit 322 acquires information from the battery pack 100 as a response to the transmission request by direct wireless communication with the battery pack 100. The information includes a battery pack management code. In addition, when the battery pack 100 is attached to the charging/discharging device 200, the information may also include a charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the charging/discharging device 200 via the battery pack 100.

The control unit 320 executes a push notification determination for the information acquired by the acquisition unit 322 (S220). Items included in the push notification conditions are determined as follows: (A) to (F).
(A) The application is not running. (B) The application management code and the battery pack management code are the same. (C) The remaining battery charge is below a threshold value, for example 10%. (D) The operation status, which indicates whether charging, discharging, or stopped, indicates stopped. (E) A battery pack abnormality notification is included. (F) A charge/discharge device abnormality notification is included.

When (A) and (B) are satisfied, the control unit 320 determines that the push notification determination is satisfied when the combination of (C) and (D) or (E) or (F) is satisfied. The control unit 320 executes the push notification when it determines that the push notification conditions are satisfied.

Figures 12(a)-(b) show screens displayed on the display unit 340. Figure 12(a) shows a push notification screen when the information includes a battery pack abnormality notification. A push notification window 660 is displayed on the display unit 340, and the push notification window 660 shows a message saying "An abnormality has occurred in the battery pack with ID001. Please check the battery pack." This type of display is made, for example, when a user carrying the information terminal device 300 passes near the battery pack 100 when an abnormality has occurred in the battery pack 100. A similar display is made when the information includes a charge/discharge device abnormality notification.

Figure 12(b) shows a push notification screen when the remaining battery level included in the information is below a threshold. A push notification window 660 is displayed on the display unit 340, and the push notification window 660 displays a message saying "The remaining battery level of ID001 is below 10%. Please charge." This type of display is displayed, for example, when the storage battery pack 100 has been stored for a long time in a warehouse or the like. Return to Figure 11(a).

When the control unit 120 executes the push notification, the memory unit 130 stores the serial number of the battery pack 100 as a push-notified serial number (S222). The push-notified serial number can be considered as identification information for identifying the battery pack 100. For example, the memory unit 130 can store up to 100 push-notified serial numbers. The control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 transmits a disconnection request from the first communication unit 310 to the battery pack 100 (S224). The control unit 120 of the battery pack 100 transmits a disconnection response from the first communication unit 140 to the information terminal device 300 (S226). As a result, the connection between the battery pack 100 and the information terminal device 300 is disconnected (S228).

Figure 11 (b) shows a different pattern from that shown in Figure 11 (a). Steps 250 to 254 are the same as steps 200 to 204 in Figure 11 (a). The control unit 320 extracts the serial number included in the advertisement and performs administrator determination based on the extracted serial number (S256). More specifically, even if the application management code associated with the serial number is stored in the storage unit 330, if the serial number is a push-notified serial number, the control unit 320 decides not to start scanning and ends the process. In other words, if the serial number included in the newly received advertisement matches the push-notified serial number stored in the storage unit 330, the control unit 320 does not establish a connection with the storage battery pack 100. Steps 258 to 262 are the same as steps 252 to 256.

Figure 11(c) shows yet another pattern different from Figures 11(a)-(b). In Figure 11(c), the control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 starts an application (S300). When the control unit 320 starts the application, it resets the push notified serial number stored in the memory unit 330 (S302). The subsequent steps 304 to 324 are the same as steps 10 to 30 in Figure 4.

(ii) When the management codes match but the push notification condition is not satisfied Figures 13(a)-(c) are sequence diagrams showing another communication procedure by the charging/discharging system 1000. Steps 350 to 368 in Figure 13(a) are the same as steps 200 to 218 in Figure 11(a). The control unit 320 executes a push notification determination for the information acquired by the acquisition unit 322 (S270). When (A) and (B) are not satisfied, or when the combination of (C) and (D) and (E) and (F) are not satisfied, the control unit 320 determines that the push notification determination is not satisfied. When the control unit 320 determines that the push notification condition is not satisfied, it does not execute the push notification. Therefore, the storage unit 330 does not store the serial number of the storage battery pack 100 as a push-notified serial number. Steps 372 to 376 are the same as steps 224 to 228 in Figure 11(a).

Following on from FIG. 13(a), FIG. 13(b) shows the process when the same information is received from the same storage battery pack 100. In other words, the push notification determination is not satisfied again. Therefore, steps 400 to 426 are the same as steps 350 to 376 in FIG. 13(a). FIG. 13(c) shows the process when an application is started, following on from FIG. 13(b). Therefore, steps 450 to 474 in FIG. 13(c) are the same as steps 300 to 324 in FIG. 11(c).

(iii) When the serial number is not registered Figures 14(a)-(b) are sequence diagrams showing another communication procedure by the charging/discharging system 1000. Steps 500 to 504 in Figure 14(a) are the same as steps 200 to 204 in Figure 11(a). The first communication unit 310 of the information terminal device 300 receives the advertisement. The control unit 320 extracts the serial number included in the advertisement and performs administrator determination based on the extracted serial number (S506). If the application management code associated with the serial number is not stored in the storage unit 330, the control unit 320 decides not to start scanning and ends the process. Steps 508 to 512 are the same as steps 502 to 506.

According to this embodiment, a push notification is executed when the acquired information satisfies the push notification condition, and is not executed when the acquired information does not satisfy the push notification condition, so that highly necessary information can be push-notified. In addition, since a push notification is executed even if the application is not running, it is possible to notify the user of highly urgent information. In addition, since the push notification condition is at least one of the remaining capacity of the storage battery pack 100 being equal to or less than a threshold value, the operating state of the storage battery pack 100 indicating a stop, and the abnormal state of the storage battery pack 100 indicating an abnormality, it is possible to notify the user of highly urgent information. In addition, since the push notification condition also includes the abnormal state of the charging/discharging device 200 indicating an abnormality, it is possible to notify the user of highly urgent information related to the charging/discharging device 200.

In addition, after receiving a broadcast signal from the storage battery pack 100, in a state in which a connection with the storage battery pack 100 is established, a request to send information is transmitted and then information is acquired, so that the BLE communication procedure can be used to acquire information. Furthermore, when a push notification is executed, the serial number of the storage battery pack 100 is stored as a push notified serial number, and if the serial number included in a newly received advertisement matches the push notified serial number, a push notification is not executed, so that unnecessary push notifications can be avoided. Furthermore, because unnecessary push notifications are avoided, battery consumption of the information terminal device 300 can be reduced.

An overview of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. An information terminal device (300) of one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit (322) that acquires information from the storage battery pack (100) by direct wireless communication with the storage battery pack (100), and a control unit (320) that executes a push notification if the information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) satisfies a push notification condition. The control unit (320) does not execute a push notification if the information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) does not satisfy the push notification condition.

The push notification condition in the control unit (320) may be at least one of the following: the remaining capacity of the storage battery pack (100) included in the information is equal to or less than a threshold value; the operating status of the storage battery pack (100) included in the information indicates stopped; and the abnormal status of the storage battery pack (100) included in the information indicates that there is an abnormality.

The battery pack (100) is attached to the charging/discharging device (200), and the information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) includes an abnormal state of the charging/discharging device (200) transmitted from the charging/discharging device (200) via the battery pack (100), and the push notification condition in the control unit (320) may also include an indication that the abnormal state of the charging/discharging device (200) included in the information is abnormal.

After receiving a broadcast signal from the battery pack (100), the information terminal device (300) transmits an information transmission request to the battery pack (100) when a connection with the battery pack (100) is established, and the acquisition unit (322) may acquire the information received by the information terminal device (300) from the battery pack (100) in response to the transmission request.

The device may further include a storage unit (330) that stores identification information for identifying the storage battery pack (100) when the control unit (320) executes a push notification. When the identification information included in the newly received broadcast signal matches the identification information stored in the storage unit (330), the control unit (320) does not establish a connection with the storage battery pack (100).

Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a processing system. This processing system includes a storage battery pack (100) and an information terminal device (300) capable of performing direct wireless communication with the storage battery pack (100). The information terminal device (300) includes an acquisition unit (322) that acquires information from the storage battery pack (100) through direct wireless communication with the storage battery pack (100), and a control unit (320) that executes a push notification when the information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) satisfies a push notification condition. The control unit (320) does not execute a push notification when the information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) does not satisfy the push notification condition.

Example 4
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, as in the past, the charging/discharging system 1000 is configured to enable charging/discharging of the battery pack 100 by connecting the battery pack 100 to the charging/discharging device 200. When the purpose is to provide a function that is available only to a specific user, it is necessary to provide a dedicated application to the specific user. This may result in a complicated specification for the user. In this embodiment, a management code is set for the battery pack 100 from an application of the information terminal device 300, thereby enabling the extension of the control function to the battery pack 100. The management code is set in advance in the third embodiment, but in the fourth embodiment, it is used to extend the control function. The charging/discharging system 1000 according to the fourth embodiment is of the same type as that shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Here, the differences from the previous embodiments will be mainly described. The charging/discharging system 1000 according to the fourth embodiment may be called a processing system.

When a management code is not set for the battery pack 100, the control unit 320 can issue a management code to the battery pack 100. Specifically, when a management code is not set for the battery pack 100, the application executed in the control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 automatically issues a management code when the application registers a management code for the battery pack 100. At that time, the application acquires a serial number from the battery pack 100 via the first communication unit 310. The application stores the issued management code in the memory unit 330 as an application management code while associating it with the serial number. The application also transmits the management code to the battery pack 100 via the first communication unit 310. The control unit 120 of the battery pack 100 stores the received management code as a battery management code.

Figure 15 shows the data structure of the table stored in the memory unit 330. The table shows the presence or absence of an application management code, the presence or absence of a battery pack management code, and the corresponding controllable functions. Here, when the application management code and the battery pack management code are both "present" and match, this is called the first state. On the other hand, when the application management code and the battery pack management code are both "present" but do not match, or when at least one of the application management code and the battery pack management code is "absent," this is called the second state.

Furthermore, "BLE connection", "display of remaining capacity, maximum capacity, and abnormality in the application" are referred to as the first process. Furthermore, "discharge instruction/cancellation when discarding", "notification of low remaining capacity, abnormality notification (push notification when application is not running)", and "deletion of management code of storage battery pack 100 by application" are referred to as the second process. In the first state, the control unit 320 controls so that the first process and the second process can be executed. In the second state, the control unit 320 controls so that the first process on the storage battery pack 100 can be executed, while controlling so that the second process on the storage battery pack 100 cannot be executed. Return to Figure 2.

Here, the "discharge instruction at the time of disposal" will be described. When the "discharge instruction at the time of disposal" is controlled to be executable, the display unit 340 can display the detailed display screen of FIG. 6(c). When the Discard button 638 on the detailed display screen is tapped, the operation unit 350 accepts the discharge instruction at the time of disposal. The control unit 320 causes the first communication unit 310 to transmit the discharge instruction at the time of disposal to the storage battery pack 100.

The first communication unit 140 of the storage battery pack 100 receives a discharge instruction at the time of disposal from the information terminal device 300. The control unit 120 causes the notification unit 150 to display a notification to notify the start of disposal discharge. For example, the notification unit 150 causes all of the LEDs to blink. The second communication unit 170 transmits the discharge instruction at the time of disposal to the charging/discharging device 200. The communication unit 230 of the charging/discharging device 200 receives the discharge instruction at the time of disposal. In response to this, the reception unit 240 receives the discharge instruction at the time of disposal. When the reception unit 240 receives the discharge instruction at the time of disposal, the charging/discharging circuit 210 uses the discharger 280, which reduces the capacity of the storage battery 110, to discharge the storage battery pack 100 to a second level lower than the first level. The discharger 280 is, for example, a resistor. The second level is defined as, for example, a value equal to or greater than the remaining battery charge at which the first communication unit 140 of the storage battery pack 100 can transmit the end of discharging to the information terminal device 300 and the control unit 120 can be driven. At that time, the control unit 220 uses the cooling fan 270, which is normally used to cool the charge/discharge circuit 210, to cool the discharger 280.

The charge/discharge circuit 210 ends discharging when the remaining battery charge of the storage battery 110 reaches a second level. When the control unit 120 of the storage battery pack 100 detects the end of discharging, it causes the notification unit 150 to display a notification to notify the end of discharging. For example, the notification unit 150 turns off all of the multiple LEDs. The control unit 120 causes the notification of the end of discharging to be transmitted to the information terminal device 300 via the first communication unit 140. The notification of the end of discharging corresponds to a notification that preparation for disposal is complete.

The first communication unit 310 of the information terminal device 300 receives a notification of the end of discharging from the storage battery pack 100. The control unit 320, for example, causes the display unit 340 to display guidance for disposing of the storage battery pack 100. The control unit 320 also transmits the notification of the end of discharging to the server device 500 via the second communication unit 360. When the server device 500 receives the notification of the end of discharging, it registers the storage battery pack 100 that can be disposed of.

Furthermore, the control unit 320 can delete a management code for the battery pack 100 that has already been set. If the battery pack management code acquired from the battery pack 100 via the first communication unit 310 matches the application management code stored in the memory unit 330, the application executed in the control unit 320 of the information terminal device 300 decides to delete the management code. If it is decided to delete the management code, the application deletes the application management code stored in the memory unit 330. In addition, the application transmits an instruction to delete the battery pack management code to the first communication unit 140 via the first communication unit 310. When the control unit 120 of the battery pack 100 receives an instruction to delete the battery pack management code via the first communication unit 140, it deletes the battery pack management code stored in the memory unit 130.

According to this embodiment, the executable processes are changed depending on the battery pack management code and the application management code, so that function expansion can be easily performed. Furthermore, when the battery pack management code and the application management code match, the second process can be executed in addition to the first process, so that function expansion can be easily performed. Furthermore, even if the battery pack management code and the application management code do not match, the first process can be executed, so that the necessary process can be executed. Furthermore, since the first process is a process for displaying the remaining capacity of the battery pack 100 on the screen, and the second process is a process for discharging the battery pack 100 for disposal, the remaining capacity of the battery pack 100 can be displayed on the screen regardless of the management code. Furthermore, since a management code can be issued, the management code can be set as necessary.

An overview of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. Another aspect of the present disclosure is also an information terminal device (300). This device includes an acquisition unit (322) that acquires information from the storage battery pack (100) by direct wireless communication with the storage battery pack (100), a storage unit (330) that stores a management code that has already been issued, and a control unit (320) that controls a first process and a second process for the storage battery pack (100) to be executable in a first state in which the management code of the storage battery pack (100) for the information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) matches the management code stored in the storage unit (330). In a second state different from the first state, the control unit (320) controls the first process for the storage battery pack (100) to be executable, while controlling the second process for the storage battery pack (100) to be inexecutable.

The first process may be a process of displaying the remaining capacity of the storage battery pack (100) on a screen, and the second process may be a process of discharging the storage battery pack (100) for disposal.

If a management code is not set in the battery pack (100), the control unit (320) can issue a management code to the battery pack (100), and the memory unit (330) can store the management code issued by the control unit (320).

Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is also a processing system. This processing system includes a storage battery pack (100) and an information terminal device (300) capable of performing direct wireless communication with the storage battery pack (100). The information terminal device (300) includes an acquisition unit (322) that acquires information from the storage battery pack (100) through direct wireless communication with the storage battery pack (100), a storage unit (330) that stores an already issued management code, and a control unit (320) that controls the storage battery pack (100) to be able to execute a first process and a second process in a first state in which the management code of the storage battery pack (100) corresponding to the information acquired by the acquisition unit (322) matches the management code stored in the storage unit (330). In a second state different from the first state, the control unit (320) controls the storage battery pack (100) to be able to execute the first process while controlling the storage battery pack (100) to be unable to execute the second process.

The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. These examples are merely illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each of the components or each of the processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

100 Battery pack, 110 Battery, 120 Control unit, 130 Memory unit, 140 First communication unit, 150 Notification unit, 160 Determination unit, 170 Second communication unit, 180 Operation unit, 200 Charging/discharging device, 210 Charging/discharging circuit, 220 Control unit, 230 Communication unit, 240 Reception unit, 250 Power plug, 260 Power supply unit, 270 Cooling fan, 280 Discharger, 300 Information terminal device, 310 First communication unit, 320 Control unit, 322 Acquisition unit, 324 Output unit, 330 Memory unit, 340 Display unit, 350 Operation unit, 360 Second communication unit, 400 Network, 500 Server device, 1000 Charging and discharging system.

Claims (7)

an acquisition unit that acquires first information from a first storage battery pack attached to a first charging/discharging device through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack, and acquires second information from a second storage battery pack attached to a second charging/discharging device through direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack;
a control unit that displays a list of the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit on a screen,
the first information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a first storage battery pack abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first storage battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first storage battery pack, and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the first charging/discharging device via the first storage battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first charging/discharging device, the first charging/discharging device abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first charging/discharging device;
An information terminal device in which the second information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a second battery pack abnormality notification for notifying of an abnormal state of the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second battery pack, and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the second charging/discharging device via the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second charging/discharging device, and for notifying of the abnormal state of the second charging/discharging device. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is capable of rearranging the first information and the second information in the list display according to a preset pattern. The information terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit stores the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit in a server device via a network. an operation unit that receives an instruction to select the first storage battery pack from a screen displayed as a list by the control unit;
an output unit that outputs first call information for calling the first storage battery pack when the operation unit receives an instruction to select the first storage battery pack, thereby causing the first call information to be transmitted to the first storage battery pack through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack,
the operation unit receives an instruction to select the second storage battery pack from a screen displayed as a list by the control unit,
the output unit outputs second call information for calling the second storage battery pack when the operation unit receives an instruction to select the second storage battery pack, thereby causing the second call information to be transmitted to the second storage battery pack through direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack;
the first storage battery pack executes a process in response to a call when the first call information is received;
The information terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the second storage battery pack executes a process corresponding to the call when the second call information is received. the first storage battery pack turns on a light emitting unit when the first call information is received;
The information terminal device according to claim 4 , wherein the second storage battery pack turns on a light emitting portion when the second call information is received. A first charging/discharging device;
A first storage battery pack attached to the first charging/discharging device;
A second charging/discharging device;
A second storage battery pack attached to the second charging/discharging device;
an information terminal device capable of performing direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack and the second storage battery pack;
The information terminal device
an acquisition unit that acquires first information from the first storage battery pack through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack and acquires second information from the second storage battery pack through direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack;
a control unit that displays a list of the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit on a screen,
the first information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a first storage battery pack abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first storage battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first storage battery pack, and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the first charging/discharging device via the first storage battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first charging/discharging device, the first charging/discharging device abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first charging/discharging device;
A charging/discharging system in which the second information acquired by the acquisition unit includes a second battery pack abnormality notification for notifying of an abnormal state of the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second battery pack, and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the second charging/discharging device via the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second charging/discharging device, and for notifying of the abnormal state of the second charging/discharging device. acquiring first information from a first storage battery pack attached to a first charging/discharging device through direct wireless communication with the first storage battery pack, and acquiring second information from a second storage battery pack attached to a second charging/discharging device through direct wireless communication with the second storage battery pack;
a step of displaying the acquired first information and second information on a screen as a list;
the acquired first information includes a first storage battery pack abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first storage battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first storage battery pack, and a first charging/discharging device abnormality notification transmitted from the first charging/discharging device via the first storage battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the first charging/discharging device, the first charging/discharging device abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the first charging/discharging device;
A program for causing a computer to execute the following in which the acquired second information includes a second battery pack abnormality notification for notifying an abnormal state of the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second battery pack, and a second charging/discharging device abnormality notification that is transmitted from the second charging/discharging device via the second battery pack when an abnormality occurs in the second charging/discharging device, and for notifying an abnormal state of the second charging/discharging device.

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