JP7728253B2 - Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium.

In recent years, there has been progress in the development of electric vehicles, such as EVs (electric vehicles) and HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles), that run on electric motors powered by batteries. Furthermore, some recent electric vehicles employ batteries that can be detached (hereinafter referred to as "detachable batteries"). When the power of the battery that serves as the drive source of an electric vehicle becomes depleted, the battery must be recharged in order to continue driving. In such cases, in an electric vehicle employing a detachable battery, when the power of the currently installed detachable battery becomes depleted, the vehicle can be replaced with another detachable battery that has sufficient stored power, such as a fully charged spare detachable battery, thereby allowing the vehicle to continue driving without requiring the time required to recharge the detachable battery. This allows a user of an electric vehicle that employs a detachable battery to use the electric vehicle continuously, eliminating the time loss required to charge the detachable battery, except for the time required to replace the currently installed detachable battery with a spare detachable battery.

For this reason, in recent years, the development of battery sharing services (so-called battery sharing services) in which multiple users of electric vehicles share the use of removable batteries has been considered. In a battery sharing service, a user removes a depleted removable battery from their electric vehicle and returns it to a charging/discharging station, which then lends them a charged removable battery. The user can then attach the borrowed removable battery to their electric vehicle and continue driving the electric vehicle.

Various technologies related to such battery sharing services have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes technology related to a method for efficiently operating a battery exchange service. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, a management server monitors battery stations from a remote location, and the battery stations lend out removable batteries based on lending instruction information obtained in advance from the management server. As a result, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, even if communication between the battery station and the management server is interrupted, the battery station can continue to provide the removable battery exchange service.

International Publication No. 2019/163682

However, conventional technology has not adequately considered techniques for identifying the cause of a communication interruption between a battery station and a management server. As a result, depending on the cause of the communication interruption between the battery station and the management server, the management server may be unable to monitor the charging status of the removable batteries at the battery station or error information for the charging equipment, which could disrupt the removable battery replacement service. For example, if communication between the battery station and the management server is interrupted due to a power outage at or near the location where the battery station is installed, it may be impossible to provide the removable battery replacement service, even if the battery station had previously obtained rental instruction information from the management server.

The present invention was made based on the recognition of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, program, and storage medium that can identify the occurrence of malfunctions in facilities where removable batteries installed in electric vehicles are replaced.

The information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, program, and storage medium according to the present invention employ the following configuration.
(1): An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device that includes a receiving unit that receives information from a plurality of power devices that are configured to communicate information, and an identifying unit that identifies, as a defective power device, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction, based on the reception status of the information at the receiving unit.

(2): In the above aspect (1), the identification unit identifies the power device from which the receiving unit did not receive the information as the defective power device.

(3): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the information processing device further includes a fault location estimation unit that estimates the geographical location or area where a fault may have occurred based on the identification information or geographical location information of the faulty power device identified by the identification unit.

(4): In any one of the above (1) to (3), the information processing device further includes an output unit that outputs information regarding the power device.

(5): In the above aspect (4), the output unit outputs identification information or geographical location information of the defective power device when the identification unit identifies the defective power device.

(6): In the above aspect (5), the output unit further outputs maintenance information to be used for the maintenance and/or servicing of the defective power device.

(7): In any one of the above aspects (4) to (6), when the identification unit identifies the defective power device, the output unit outputs identification information or geographical location information of the power devices other than the defective power device among the plurality of power devices.

(8): In any one of the above aspects (1) to (7), the information processing device further includes a memory unit that stores malfunction information that associates the identification information or geographical location information of the defective power device identified by the identification unit with the identified time, and a prediction unit that predicts, based on the malfunction information stored in the memory unit, which of the multiple power devices is likely to experience a malfunction.

(9): In the above aspect (8), the prediction unit further predicts the time at which a malfunction is likely to occur based on the malfunction information.

(10): In the above aspect (8) or (9), the prediction unit further predicts the geographical location or area where the malfunction may occur based on the malfunction information.

(11): In any one of the above (1) to (10), each of the multiple power devices has multiple secondary power devices configured separately from each other, the receiving unit receives secondary information from each of the multiple secondary power devices, and the identifying unit identifies the secondary power device from which the receiving unit did not receive the secondary information as a malfunctioning secondary power device in which a malfunction may have occurred.

(12): In any one of the above (1) to (11), each of the plurality of power devices further includes a memory unit that stores operation information including information regarding the operation of the power device when the malfunction occurs, and a transmission unit that transmits the operation information stored in the memory unit to the information processing device as malfunction-period operation information after the malfunction is resolved.

(13): In the above aspect (12), a first malfunction content estimation unit is further provided that estimates the content of the malfunction of the power device based on the malfunction operation information transmitted from the transmitter of the power device and received by the receiver.

(14): In any one of the above (1) to (13), the power device is an exchange device that receives a storage device removed from another power device and provides the other storage device stored in the power device.

(15): In the above aspect (14), the receiving unit receives exchange-related information including information indicating that the storage device of the other power device has been exchanged, which is transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device.

(16): In the above aspect (15), a second malfunction content estimation unit is further provided which estimates the content of the malfunction of the power device based on the exchange-related information received by the receiving unit.

(17): In any one of the above (1) to (16), the malfunction is a malfunction in which the power device is unable to transmit the information to the information processing device.

(18): In any one of the above (1) to (17), the power device is supplied with power from an external power source, and the malfunction is a malfunction in which the power device is not supplied with power from the external power source.

(19): An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a receiving unit that receives information from a plurality of power devices that are arranged to be capable of communicating information, and an analysis unit that analyzes the details of a malfunction in the plurality of power devices, wherein each of the plurality of power devices comprises a memory unit that stores operation information including information regarding the operation of the power device when a malfunction occurs in the power device, and a transmission unit that transmits the operation information stored in the memory unit to the information processing device as malfunction-in-progress operation information after the malfunction is resolved, and the analysis unit analyzes the details of the malfunction based on the malfunction-in-progress operation information received by the receiving unit and transmitted from the transmission unit of the power device.

(20): An information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing system comprising a plurality of electric power devices arranged to be capable of communicating information, and an information processing device that manages the operating status of each of the electric power devices, wherein the information processing device comprises a receiving unit that receives information from the plurality of electric power devices, and an identifying unit that identifies, as a defective electric power device, an electric power device among the plurality of electric power devices that may have experienced a malfunction, based on the reception status of the information at the receiving unit.

(21): An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method including the steps of: a computer of an information processing device receiving information from a plurality of power devices that are capable of communicating information; and, based on the reception status of the information, identifying, as a faulty power device, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction.

(22): A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer of an information processing device to execute the steps of receiving information from a plurality of power devices that are capable of communicating information, and identifying, based on the reception status of the information, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device.

(23): A storage medium according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer of an information processing device to execute the steps of receiving information from a plurality of power devices that are capable of communicating information, and identifying, based on the reception status of the information, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device.

According to the above aspects (1) to (23), it is possible to identify malfunctions occurring in facilities where removable batteries installed in electric vehicles are replaced.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage environment of a management server device to which an information processing device according to a first embodiment is applied; 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an electric vehicle according to a first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a detachable battery according to a first embodiment; 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a battery exchange station according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a management server device according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow in a station identification unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image provided by the management server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a battery exchange station according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a management server device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed in a battery exchange station according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of a management server device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of another process executed in the battery exchange station according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage environment of a management server device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electric vehicle (electric motorcycle) according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a detachable battery according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a mobile terminal device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a management server device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a defect content estimation process of the management server device according to the third embodiment.

Below, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, program, and storage medium of the present invention are described.

In the following description, the information processing device of the embodiment is described as being applied to a management server device that manages multiple battery exchange stations that accept (return) removable batteries removed from other power devices and provide (provide, lend) replacement batteries in a battery sharing service system (battery sharing service system) that shares batteries (hereinafter referred to as "detachable batteries"), which are power storage devices configured to be detachable from electric vehicles. Electric vehicles include various vehicles that run on power from removable batteries, such as saddle-type electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "electric motorcycles") and four-wheeled electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "electric automobiles"). For example, this includes not only two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles, but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel), as well as all types of vehicle-type moving objects that run on electric motors powered by power supplied from removable batteries, such as assisted bicycles. Instead of these vehicle-type moving bodies, for example, a mobile robot, an autonomous driving device, an autonomous driving car, other electric vehicles, a drone aircraft, or other electric moving devices (electric mobility) may be used.

(First embodiment)
[Overall configuration]
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a usage environment of a management server device to which an information processing device according to the first embodiment is applied. Fig. 1 shows an example of a battery sharing service system that includes four battery exchange stations 200 (battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4) and is configured such that a management server device 300 manages each of the battery exchange stations 200.

A battery sharing service system is an example of an "information processing system" or "energy storage device management system."

Each of the battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4 includes a station control device 210 and multiple battery exchange devices 220. For example, the battery exchange station 200-1 includes a station control device 210 and two battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b. While FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which each of the battery exchange stations 200-2 to 200-4 also includes two battery exchange devices 220, the number of battery exchange devices 220 included in each of the battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4 may differ for each battery exchange station 200. Furthermore, in Figure 1, each of the battery exchange stations 200-2 to 200-4 is equipped with two battery exchange devices 220, so the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220 are shown as different devices, i.e., separate entities, but in cases where, for example, the battery exchange station 200 is equipped with only one battery exchange device 220, the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220 may be configured as a single unit.

Each of the battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4 is supplied with electric power (power supply) transmitted via power lines from the system AC power network PG. The power supply from the system AC power network PG may be transmitted via different power lines and supplied to each of the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220 provided in the battery exchange station 200. The power supply from the system AC power network PG may be transmitted via the same power line to the location where the battery exchange station 200 is installed or to any location between the system AC power network PG and the battery exchange station 200, and may be distributed, for example, by a power distributor (not shown), and then supplied to each of the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220 provided in the battery exchange station 200. FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the power supply from the system AC power network PG is transmitted via different power lines and supplied to each of the station control device 210, battery exchange device 220-a, and battery exchange device 220-b provided in the battery exchange station 200-1. Each of the battery exchange stations 200-2 to 200-4 is supplied with power based on the same concept as the power supplied to the battery exchange station 200-1, but in Figure 1, the power supplies supplied to each of the battery exchange stations 200-2 to 200-4 are not shown.

Each of the battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4 is an example of a "power device" or a "charging device." In the following description, battery exchange station 200-1 will be described as "battery exchange station 200" to represent each of the battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4.

The station control device 210 manages the charging and discharging of the removable battery 100 in the two battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b provided in the battery exchange station 200, as well as the receipt and provision of the removable battery 100 (hereinafter referred to as "replacement of the removable battery 100").

The removable battery 100 is an example of an "energy storage device."

When a user of an electric vehicle (in FIG. 1, electric motorcycle 10 or electric automobile 50) visits a location where a battery exchange station 200 is installed to exchange a removable battery 100, the station control device 210 provides the user with information about the removable battery 100 to be exchanged. For example, the station control device 210 provides information about the location of a battery slot 221 provided in a battery exchange device 220 that receives a removable battery 100 that has been installed in an electric vehicle and used and has reduced its stored power, and information about the location of a battery slot 221 provided in a battery exchange device 220 that houses another removable battery 100 to be provided in place of the received removable battery 100.

An electric vehicle (in Figure 1, an electric motorcycle 10 or an electric car 50) is an example of "electric equipment."

Each of the battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b is a device that allows an electric vehicle user to charge and replace the removable battery 100 that is the driving source of the electric vehicle. Each of the battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b accommodates multiple removable batteries 100 for charging and replacement. Figure 1 shows an example of battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b configured to accommodate eight removable batteries 100, i.e., configured with eight battery slots 221. In Figure 1, of the eight battery slots 221, only battery slot 221-a is indicated by a reference numeral.

Each of the battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b charges the removable battery 100 received from the user under control of the station control device 210. When charging of the removable battery 100 is complete, each of the battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b notifies the station control device 210 of this. This allows the station control device 210 to identify the removable battery 100 that is available for provision to the user. Each of the battery exchange devices 220-a and 220-b may, for example, discharge the power stored in the removable battery 100. Discharging may include, for example, discharging to the battery exchange device and its control device, discharging to other removable batteries 100 beyond that, or discharging outside the battery exchange device.

Each of the battery replacement devices 220-a and 220-b is an example of a "secondary power device." In the following description, the battery replacement device 220-a will be described as the "battery replacement device 220" to represent each of the battery replacement devices 220-a and 220-b.

The management server device 300 is connected to the network NW so that it can communicate with the network. Each battery exchange station 200 (battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4 in FIG. 1) is also connected to the network NW so that it can communicate with the network. For example, the management server device 300 communicates with each battery exchange station 200 via the network NW to exchange information. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet network, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), etc.

The information exchanged between the management server device 300 and each battery exchange station 200 via the network NW includes, for example, information indicating the operating status of the station control device 210 and battery exchange device 220 provided in each battery exchange station 200 (hereinafter referred to as "operational information"). The operational information includes, for example, the identification information of each battery exchange station 200 and information on the geographical location (location information) where each battery exchange station 200 is installed. Here, for example, if the identification information is associated with the geographical location information where each battery exchange station 200 is installed, and the management server device 300 can recognize the geographical location based on the identification information, the operational information does not need to include the geographical location information where each battery exchange station 200 is installed. The operational information also includes, for example, information indicating whether the station control device 210, battery exchange device 220, and battery slot 221 provided in the battery exchange device 220 are operating normally or not (i.e., malfunctioning). The information indicating whether a malfunction has occurred is, for example, various error information that can be notified by the station control device 210 or the battery replacement device 220, such as a mechanical malfunction (hardware malfunction) or a functional malfunction (software malfunction).

Operation information is an example of "information" or "sub-information" that an information processing device receives from a power device.

The management server device 300 determines the operating status of the battery exchange station 200 based on the operation information transmitted by the battery exchange station 200 via the network NW, and presents (notifies) information representing the determination result to a supervisor of the battery sharing service system. The information presented by the management server device 300 (hereinafter referred to as "presented information") includes the results of the determination of possible malfunctions for each individual device, such as the station control device 210, the battery exchange device 220, or the battery slot 221 provided in the battery exchange device 220. Figure 1 shows an example configuration in which a terminal device T is connected to the management server device 300. The terminal device T displays the presented information representing the operating status determination result, thereby notifying, for example, a supervisor P of the battery sharing service system, of possible malfunctions in each device. This allows the supervisor P to check the presented information displayed on the terminal device T and operate and maintain each battery exchange station 200 provided in the battery sharing service system. For example, when the supervisor P is notified by the management server device 300 that a malfunction has occurred in one of the battery exchange stations 200, the supervisor P can instruct, for example, a worker of the battery sharing service system to perform maintenance work on the malfunctioning battery exchange station 200. In this way, the presented information indicating the determination result of the battery exchange station 200 notified by the management server device 300 can be used for maintenance work on the battery sharing service system.

The management server device 300 is an example of a "management device." The presented information notified by the management server device 300, which indicates the determination result of the operating status of the battery exchange station 200, is also an example of "maintenance and servicing information." The maintenance and servicing information includes, for example, information used for the maintenance and/or servicing of the battery exchange station 200.

[Configuration of electric vehicle]
In the following description, the configuration of the electric motorcycle 10 will be described as a representative example of electric vehicles that share replaceable detachable batteries in a battery sharing service system.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electric vehicle (electric motorcycle 10) according to the first embodiment. The electric motorcycle 10 is a saddle-type electric vehicle with a detachable (freely detachable) detachable battery 100. The electric motorcycle 10 runs, for example, using the driving force of an electric motor (electric motor) that is driven by power supplied from a power storage unit 120 (described below) included in the detachable battery 100. In Figure 2, the electric motorcycle 10 is shown as being capable of mounting two detachable batteries 100, but the number of detachable batteries 100 mounted on the electric motorcycle 10 is not limited to two and may be any number. The electric motorcycle 10 may be, for example, a hybrid electric vehicle that runs using the driving force of a combination of the detachable battery 100 and an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

The electric motorcycle 10 includes, for example, a battery connection unit 12, a vehicle control unit 14, a driving force output device 16, a vehicle sensor 18, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 20, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 22.

When the detachable battery 100 is attached to the electric motorcycle 10, the battery connection unit 12 is electrically connected to a connection unit 150 (described below) provided on the detachable battery 100. The battery connection unit 12 includes, for example, a connection terminal (battery terminal) for a power line for receiving power from the detachable battery 100, and a connection terminal for a communication line for data communication between the detachable battery 100 and the vehicle control unit 14.

The vehicle control unit 14 acquires measurement results from the vehicle sensors 18, acquires a value representing the state of charge (SOC) of the power storage unit 120 from a BMU (Battery Management Unit) 110 (described below) provided in the detachable battery 100, and acquires the position of the electric motorcycle 10 from the GNSS receiver 22. Based on the acquired data, the vehicle control unit 14 controls the driving force output device 16 in response to operation of a control (not shown) or by autonomous driving. The vehicle control unit 14 may transmit the position information of the electric motorcycle 10 acquired from the GNSS receiver 22 to the detachable battery 100 via the battery connection unit 12.

The driving force output device 16 includes, for example, an electric motor, an inverter, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the inverter. The ECU controls the power supplied to the electric motor from the removable battery 100, for example, by controlling the inverter. In this way, the ECU controls the driving force (torque) output by the electric motor to the drive wheels. By controlling the output frequency of the inverter to be lower than the rotation speed of the drive wheels, the driving force output device 16 can operate the electric motor as a regenerative brake, converting the braking energy of the drive wheels into electrical energy and charging the removable battery 100.

The vehicle sensors 18 include various sensors mounted on the electric motorcycle 10, such as a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a rotational speed sensor, an odometer, and others. The vehicle sensors 18 output the measurement results to the vehicle control unit 14.

The HMI 20 outputs various information to the user of the electric motorcycle 10 and accepts input operations from the user. The HMI 20 includes, for example, various display devices such as a HUD (Head Up Display) and a meter display unit (which may be a touch panel), a speaker, etc.

The GNSS receiver 22 determines the position of the electric motorcycle 10 based on radio waves received from GNSS satellites such as GPS satellites.

With this configuration, the electric motorcycle 10 runs using power supplied from the removable battery 100. While Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the electric motorcycle 10, the configuration of the electric vehicle 50 is similar to the configuration of the electric motorcycle 10 shown in Figure 2. However, the number of removable batteries 100 that can be attached to the electric vehicle 50 may differ from that of the electric motorcycle 10. For example, the electric vehicle 50 may be able to attach four removable batteries 100. In this case, the configuration of the electric vehicle 50 can be easily understood based on the configuration of the electric motorcycle 10 that can be attached to the two removable batteries 100 described above. Therefore, a detailed description of the configuration of the electric vehicle 50 will be omitted.

[Removable battery]
3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the detachable battery 100 according to the first embodiment. The detachable battery 100 includes, for example, a power storage unit 120, a BMU 110, and a connection unit 150. The BMU 110 includes, for example, a measurement sensor 130 and a storage unit 140.

The power storage unit 120 is, for example, a battery pack consisting of multiple cells connected in series. The cells that make up the power storage unit 120 are secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), nickel-metal hydride batteries, and all-solid-state batteries. The secondary batteries that make up the power storage unit 120 may be, for example, lead-acid batteries, sodium-ion batteries, capacitors such as electric double-layer capacitors, or combination batteries that combine secondary batteries and capacitors. In the present invention, the configuration of the secondary batteries that make up the power storage unit 120 is not particularly specified.

The BMU 110 controls the charging and discharging of the power storage unit 120, performs cell balancing, detects abnormalities in the power storage unit 120, derives the cell temperature of the power storage unit 120, derives the charge/discharge current of the power storage unit 120, and estimates the SOC of the power storage unit 120. The BMU 110 stores abnormalities or failures in the power storage unit 120 identified based on the measurement results of the measurement sensor 130 in the memory unit 140 as battery status information.

The measurement sensor 130 is a voltage sensor, current sensor, temperature sensor, etc. for measuring the state of charge of the storage unit 120. The measurement sensor 130 outputs the measurement results of the measured voltage, current, temperature, etc. to the BMU 110.

The storage unit 140 includes, for example, a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory. The storage unit 140 stores battery status information. The storage unit 140 may also store identification information (battery ID) assigned to the removable battery 100.

When the detachable battery 100 is attached to the electric motorcycle 10, the connection unit 150 is electrically connected to the battery connection unit 12. In this state, the detachable battery 100 supplies the power stored in the power storage unit 120 to the electric motor of the electric motorcycle 10. When the detachable battery 100 is accommodated in a battery slot 221 (see FIG. 1) of the battery replacement device 220, the connection unit 150 is electrically connected to the battery connection units 225 (described below) provided in each battery slot 221 of the battery replacement device 220. In this state, the detachable battery 100 charges the power storage unit 120 with the power supplied by the battery replacement device 220. The connection unit 150 includes, for example, a power line connection terminal (battery terminal) and a communication line connection terminal, etc., corresponding to the battery connection unit 12 and the battery connection unit 225.

[Battery exchange station]
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the battery exchange station 200 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 shows an example of the configuration of each of the station control device 210 and one battery exchange device 220.

First, we will explain the configuration of the station control device 210. The station control device 210 includes, for example, a station communication unit 211, a charge/discharge control unit 213, an interface unit 215, a station information acquisition unit 217, and a station memory unit 219.

The station communication unit 211, charge/discharge control unit 213, and station information acquisition unit 217 are each realized by a hardware processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory provided in the station control device 210, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the station control device 210 by inserting the storage medium into a drive device provided in the station control device 210.

The station communication unit 211 includes, for example, a wireless communication module for connecting to the Internet, a cellular network such as 3G/LTE, 4G, or 5G, or a Wi-Fi network. The station communication unit 211 communicates wirelessly with the management server device 300 via the network NW. The station communication unit 211 may also include, for example, a wired communication module such as a terminal adapter or an Ethernet (registered trademark) communication device. In this case, the station communication unit 211 may communicate wired with the management server device 300 via the network NW. If the station communication unit 211 includes both a wireless communication module and a wired communication module, for example, a battery exchange station 200 installed near the management server device 300 may communicate wired with the management server device 300, while a battery exchange station 200 installed in a remote location away from the management server device 300 may communicate wirelessly with the management server device 300. For example, station communication unit 211 transmits various pieces of information stored in station storage unit 219 as operation information to management server device 300 at predetermined time intervals (periodically). For example, station communication unit 211 transmits operation information to management server device 300 at five-minute intervals.

The charge/discharge control unit 213 controls the charger 227 (described below) to charge the power storage unit 120 based on the SOC of the power storage unit 120 estimated by the BMU 110 of the removable battery 100, which is acquired via a signal line from the battery exchange device 220. The SOC of the power storage unit 120 is, for example, sequentially transmitted to the charge/discharge control unit 213, which stores information correlating the battery ID and SOC of the removable battery 100 in the station memory unit 219 as battery information. The charge/discharge control unit 213 also stores, as battery information, information such as the status indicating whether the removable battery 100 is charging, discharging, or on standby, the charging time from when charging of the removable battery 100 begins until charging is completed (or when charging to the desired SOC), and the charging voltage and charging current when charging the removable battery 100 in the station memory unit 219.

The interface unit 215 includes a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The interface unit 215 may be a so-called touch panel that combines a display device with an input device that detects input operations. The input device may include, for example, a reader that uses near field communication (NFC) to read information recorded on an NFC card (not shown) carried by a user of the electric motorcycle 10 who visits a location where the battery exchange station 200 is installed and replaces the removable battery 100, thereby obtaining the user's identification information (user ID). The interface unit 215 may also include various display units other than a display device, as well as switches and keys other than input devices, such as a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The station information acquisition unit 217 acquires the operating status of the battery exchange device 220 and each battery slot 221 provided in the battery exchange device 220, for example, at any timing or at predetermined time intervals (periodically). The operating status of the battery exchange device 220 is, for example, a status indicating whether the battery exchange device 220 is operating, stopped, etc. The operating status of the battery slot 221 is, for example, a status indicating whether the battery slot 221 is operating, waiting with a removable battery 100 accommodated, or waiting without a removable battery 100 accommodated. The operating status acquired by the station information acquisition unit 217 also includes error information for the battery exchange device 220 and the battery slot 221. The arbitrary timing includes, for example, the timing when charging of the removable battery 100 is completed (or when it is charged to a desired SOC), the timing when the removable battery 100 is accommodated in the battery slot 221, and the timing when the removable battery 100 is removed from the battery slot 221 (when the removable battery 100 is provided). In other words, the arbitrary timing may be the timing when a change occurs in the number of charged removable batteries 100 accommodated in the battery exchange device 220. The predetermined time interval is, for example, every five minutes.

The station information acquisition unit 217 stores, as operation information, information that associates each piece of acquired information with the identification information of the battery replacement device 220 and the battery slot 221 in the station memory unit 219. At this time, the station information acquisition unit 217 associates the operation information of the battery replacement device 220 with the identification information (replacement device ID) assigned to the battery replacement device 220 and stores the information in the station memory unit 219. The station information acquisition unit 217 associates the operation information of the battery slot 221 with the identification information (slot ID) assigned to the battery slot 221 and stores the information in the station memory unit 219. The station information acquisition unit 217 may also associate information on the date and time when each piece of information was acquired with the operation information and store the information in the station memory unit 219.

The station information acquisition unit 217 further acquires the operating status of the station control device 210, for example, at any timing or at predetermined time intervals (periodically). Information about the station control device 210 is, for example, a status indicating whether the station control device 210 is operating, stopped, etc. The operating status of the station control device 210 acquired by the station information acquisition unit 217 also includes error information about the station control device 210. The station information acquisition unit 217 stores information that associates the acquired operating status information of the station control device 210 with identification information (station ID) assigned to the station control device 210 in the station memory unit 219 as operating information. The station information acquisition unit 217 may also store information about the date and time when the station control device 210 information was acquired in the station memory unit 219, in association with the operating information of the station control device 210.

The station memory unit 219 stores various information about the battery exchange station 200. The station memory unit 219 stores, for example, battery information from the charge/discharge control unit 213 described above and operation information from the station information acquisition unit 217. The station memory unit 219 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD, flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), etc. The station memory unit 219 may be shared with a storage device (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) in the station control device 210 that stores (installs) programs that realize the functions of the station communication unit 211, charge/discharge control unit 213, and station information acquisition unit 217.

Next, the configuration of the battery replacement device 220 will be described. The battery replacement device 220 includes, for example, a battery slot 221, a battery connection unit 225, and a charger 227. The battery replacement device 220 includes multiple charge/discharge modules, each of which includes a battery slot 221, a battery connection unit 225, and a charger 227. The battery replacement device 220 shown in Figure 1 is configured with eight charge/discharge modules. In the following description, when "battery slot 221" is mentioned, this also includes "charge/discharge module."

The battery slot 221 is a mechanism for replacing the removable battery 100. The battery replacement device 220 shown in FIG. 1 replaces the removable battery 100 by inserting and removing the battery. More specifically, the battery 100 before replacement is received by inserting the battery 100 into an empty battery slot 221, and the replaced battery 100 is provided by removing the battery 100 from the battery slot 221 that contains a charged battery. The mechanism of the battery slot 221 is not limited to the mechanism configured as described above.

Each battery slot 221 is provided with a battery connection section 225. When the removable battery 100 is accommodated in the battery slot 221, the battery connection section 225 is electrically connected to the connection section 150 of the removable battery 100. The battery connection section 225 includes, for example, a connection terminal (battery terminal) for a power line for supplying power to the removable battery 100, and a connection terminal for a communication line for performing data communication (e.g., serial communication) between the removable battery 100 and the battery exchange device 220.

The battery replacement device 220 can acquire battery status information stored in the memory unit 140 provided in the removable battery 100 through data communication via a communication line. The battery replacement device 220 may output (transmit) the acquired battery status information to the station control device 210 (e.g., the charge/discharge control unit 213 or the station information acquisition unit 217). The charge/discharge control unit 213 or the station information acquisition unit 217 that has received this battery status information may include the input battery status information in the battery information and store it in the station memory unit 219.

The charger 227 is connected to the power storage unit 120 provided in the removable battery 100 via the battery connection unit 225. A power source for supplying power to the power storage unit 120 is connected to the charger 227. The charger 227 converts the power supplied from a power source (e.g., the power source PS shown in FIG. 4) into, for example, direct current and supplies it to the power storage unit 120. The power source PS is a power source from the system AC power network PG. Either the system AC power network PG or the power source PS, or both, are examples of an "external power source."

[Management server device]
5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server device 300 according to the first embodiment. The management server device 300 includes, for example, a station management unit 310, a server communication unit 320, a station identification unit 330, a server storage unit 340, a defect location estimation unit 350, a defect prediction unit 360, and an information output unit 370.

The station management unit 310, server communication unit 320, station identification unit 330, defect location estimation unit 350, defect prediction unit 360, and information output unit 370 are each realized by a hardware processor, such as a CPU, executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or by a combination of software and hardware. Some or all of the functions of these components may be realized by a dedicated LSI. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as a HDD or flash memory provided in the management server device 300, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the management server device 300 by inserting the storage medium into a drive device provided in the management server device 300.

An "information processing device" is provided by the configuration of a server communication unit 320, a station identification unit 330, a server storage unit 340, a defect location estimation unit 350, a defect prediction unit 360, and an information output unit 370. In other words, the "information processing device" is included in the management server device 300.

The station management unit 310 manages the operation of each battery exchange station 200 that constitutes the battery sharing service system. The station management unit 310 also notifies the supervisor P of the battery sharing service system and the workers performing maintenance and/or repair work of information prompting maintenance, such as replacing or repairing battery exchange station 200 components. The station management unit 310 also manages, for example, the number of charged removable batteries 100 that can be provided by the battery exchange device 220 at each battery exchange station 200. For example, the station management unit 310 manages the deterioration state of the removable batteries 100 housed in the battery slots 221 of the battery exchange device 220 at each battery exchange station 200, and prevents significantly deteriorated removable batteries 100 from being provided to users of electric motorcycles 10. The station management unit 310 also notifies the supervisor P and the workers of information prompting maintenance, such as replacing or repairing removable batteries 100 components.

The server communication unit 320 includes a wireless communication module for connecting to, for example, the Internet network, cellular networks such as 3G/LTE, 4G, and 5G, or Wi-Fi networks, and communicates wirelessly with each battery exchange station 200 (more specifically, station control device 210) via the network NW. The server communication unit 320 may also include a wired communication module such as a terminal adapter or Ethernet (registered trademark) communication device, and communicate wired with each station control device 210 via the network NW. The server communication unit 320 receives operation information transmitted by each station control device 210, for example, at predetermined time intervals (periodically). For example, the server communication unit 320 receives operation information transmitted by each station control device 210 every five minutes. The server communication unit 320 outputs the received operation information to the station identification unit 330. The server communication unit 320 stores the received operation information in the server storage unit 340.

The server communication unit 320 is an example of a "receiving unit."

The station identification unit 330 identifies a battery exchange station 200 (which may be a battery exchange device 220) that may have experienced some kind of malfunction among the battery exchange stations 200 that make up the battery sharing service system, based on the reception status of the operation information at the server communication unit 320. The reception status of the operation information at the server communication unit 320, i.e., whether the server communication unit 320 has received operation information, can be determined by whether the operation information received from the server communication unit 320 has been output. More specifically, if operation information is output by the server communication unit 320, it can be determined that no malfunction has occurred in any of the battery exchange stations 200 (all battery exchange stations 200 are operating normally). On the other hand, if operation information is not output by the server communication unit 320, it can be determined that some kind of malfunction may have occurred in the battery exchange station 200 that would have sent the operation information that was not output.

There are several possible reasons why the battery exchange station 200 may have malfunctioned, i.e., the station communication unit 211 of the station control device 210 may not transmit operation information. For example, if a power outage occurs at the location where the battery exchange station 200 is installed or in the vicinity thereof, causing a loss of power supply to the battery exchange station 200 (e.g., the power supply PS shown in Figure 4), the station communication unit 211 will not transmit operation information. For example, even if the power supply to the battery exchange station 200 has not been lost (the power supply is fine), if a hardware or software malfunction occurs in the station control device 210 and the wireless communication function of the station communication unit 211 becomes abnormal, the station communication unit 211 will not transmit operation information.

On the other hand, even if the station communication unit 211 transmits operation information, it is possible that some kind of malfunction has occurred in the battery exchange station 200. For example, if a malfunction such as a poor connection has occurred between the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220, error information will be included in the operation information corresponding to the battery exchange device 220 with the poor connection, and in the operation information corresponding to all of the battery slots 221 (charge/discharge modules) equipped in this battery exchange device 220. Alternatively, the operation information transmitted by the battery exchange station 200 will not include (be lost from) the operation information corresponding to the battery exchange device 220 with the poor connection.

In this way, the station identification unit 330 identifies the battery exchange station 200 in which some malfunction may have occurred and the cause of the malfunction based on the operation information output by the server communication unit 320 and the information contained in the operation information.

The station identification unit 330 is an example of an "identification unit."

Here, we will explain the process performed by the server communication unit 320 to identify a battery exchange station 200 in which a malfunction may have occurred and the cause of the malfunction that may have occurred. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow in the station identification unit 330 according to the first embodiment. The processing of this flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals (periodically). For example, the processing of this flowchart is repeatedly executed at five-minute intervals when the server communication unit 320 receives operation information transmitted by each station control device 210.

As described above, the station identification unit 330 identifies a battery exchange station 200 in which some kind of malfunction may have occurred based on the operation information received and output by the server communication unit 320. However, for ease of explanation, the flowchart shown in Figure 6 will be described as if the station identification unit 330 receives the operation information.

The station identification unit 330 receives operation information transmitted by each battery exchange station 200 that constitutes the battery sharing service system (step S100). The station identification unit 330 then checks whether operation information has been received from all battery exchange stations 200 that constitute the battery sharing service system (step S102).

If, in the processing of step S102, it is confirmed that operation information has been received from all battery exchange stations 200, the station identification unit 330 checks whether any of the received operation information contains error information (step S110).

If it is confirmed in the processing of step S110 that none of the received operation information contains error information, the station identification unit 330 determines that all battery exchange stations 200 are operating normally (step S112). In other words, in the processing of step S112, the station identification unit 330 determines that all battery exchange stations 200 are operating and that users of electric motorcycles 10 can exchange detachable batteries 100.

On the other hand, if it is confirmed in the processing of step S110 that any of the received operation information contains error information, the station identification unit 330 checks whether all of the received operation information contains error information (step S120).

If the station identification unit 330 confirms in step S120 that all received operation information contains error information, it determines that all battery exchange stations 200 are in a "first malfunction state," indicating that some software malfunction may be occurring (step S122). More specifically, the station identification unit 330 determines that all battery exchange stations 200 are experiencing a software malfunction other than the wireless communication function of the station control device 210, or a software malfunction of the battery exchange device 220 (including all battery slots 221). The station identification unit 330 makes this determination because it is unlikely that hardware malfunctions will occur simultaneously in the components of all battery exchange stations 200 that make up the battery sharing service system. Furthermore, because the station identification unit 330 receives operation information from all battery exchange stations 200, it is unlikely that a loss of power due to, for example, a power outage has occurred. Then, the station identification unit 330 determines, based on the determination processing result of step S122, that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 cannot exchange the detachable battery 100 at any of the battery exchange stations 200.

On the other hand, if it is confirmed in the processing of step S120 that all received operation information does not contain error information, the station identification unit 330 determines whether error information is contained in the operation information corresponding to all battery exchange devices 220 (including all battery slots 221) received from the specific battery exchange station 200 that transmitted the operation information containing error information (step S130).

If, in the processing of step S130, it is determined that the received operation information corresponding to all battery exchange devices 220 contains error information, the station identification unit 330 determines that the specific battery exchange station 200 that transmitted the operation information containing the error information is in a "second malfunction state," indicating that some kind of hardware or software malfunction may be occurring (step S132). More specifically, the station identification unit 330 determines that the specific battery exchange station 200 may be experiencing a malfunction in a function other than the wireless communication function of the station control device 210, in the function for exchanging information between the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220, or in the hardware and/or software of the battery exchange device 220 (including all battery slots 221). The station identification unit 330 makes this determination because, since it has received operation information from the specific battery exchange station 200, it is unlikely that a power outage or other cause has occurred. Then, in accordance with the determination process result of step S132, the station identification unit 330 determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 cannot exchange the detachable battery 100 at the specific battery exchange station 200. In other words, it determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 can exchange the detachable battery 100 at any battery exchange station 200 that is operating other than the specific battery exchange station 200.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of step S130 that the received operation information corresponding to all battery exchange devices 220 does not contain error information, the station identification unit 330 determines that the specific battery exchange station 200 that transmitted the operation information containing error information is in a "third malfunction state," which indicates that the specific battery exchange device 220 corresponding to the operation information containing error information may be experiencing some kind of hardware or software malfunction (step S134). More specifically, the station identification unit 330 determines that the specific battery exchange device 220 may be experiencing a malfunction in the function of exchanging information between the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220, or in the hardware and/or software of the battery exchange device 220 (including some or all of the battery slots 221). The reason why the station identification unit 330 makes this determination is that because only the operation information of the specific battery exchange apparatus 220 contains error information, it is unlikely that a loss of power has occurred due to, for example, a power outage, and it is possible that a malfunction has occurred only in the specific battery exchange apparatus 220 itself or in some or all of the battery slots 221 provided in the specific battery exchange apparatus 220. Then, in accordance with the determination result of step S134, the station identification unit 330 determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 cannot exchange the removable battery 100 housed in the specific battery exchange apparatus 220 provided in the specific battery exchange station 200. In other words, it determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 can exchange the removable battery 100 at any battery exchange apparatus other than the specific battery exchange apparatus 220 or at any other operating battery exchange station 200.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the processing of step S102 that operation information has not been received from all battery exchange stations 200, the station identification unit 330 determines whether operation information has been received from all battery exchange stations 200 (step S140).

If, in the processing of step S140, it is determined that operation information has not been received from all battery exchange stations 200, the station identification unit 330 determines that a "fourth malfunction state" has occurred, in which some malfunction may have occurred at all battery exchange stations 200 (step S142). More specifically, the station identification unit 330 determines that, for example, a power outage has caused a loss of power at all battery exchange stations 200, or that a malfunction has occurred in the hardware and/or software of the wireless communication function of the station control device 210. The station identification unit 330 makes this determination because it has not received operation information from all battery exchange stations 200 that make up the battery sharing service system. Then, in accordance with the determination processing result of step S142, the station identification unit 330 determines that users of electric motorcycles 10 cannot exchange detachable batteries 100 at all battery exchange stations 200.

On the other hand, if the processing of step S140 determines that operation information has not been received from all battery exchange stations 200, that is, that operation information has been received from at least one battery exchange station 200, the station identification unit 330 checks whether operation information corresponding to all battery exchange devices 220 (including all battery slots 221) received from the battery exchange station 200 that sent the operation information has been received (step S150).

If, in the processing of step S150, it is confirmed that operation information corresponding to all battery exchange devices 220 has been received, the station identification unit 330 determines that a "fifth malfunction state" has occurred, indicating that some malfunction may be occurring in a specific battery exchange station 200 for which operation information has not been received (step S152). More specifically, the station identification unit 330 determines that a malfunction may be occurring in the specific battery exchange station 200 due to a loss of power to the station control device 210 and/or battery exchange device 220, the wireless communication function of the station control device 210, the function for exchanging information between the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220, or the hardware and/or software of the battery exchange device 220 (including all battery slots 221). The station identification unit 330 makes this determination because it believes that various malfunctions may be occurring in the specific battery exchange station 200 due to the inability to receive operation information from the specific battery exchange station 200. Then, based on the determination result of step S152, the station identification unit 330 determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 cannot exchange the detachable battery 100 at the specific battery exchange station 200. In other words, it determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 can exchange the detachable battery 100 at any battery exchange station 200 that is operating other than the specific battery exchange station 200.

On the other hand, if the processing of step S150 confirms that operation information corresponding to all battery exchange devices 220 has not been received, the station identification unit 330 determines that even in the battery exchange station 200 from which operation information was received, a "sixth malfunction state" exists, indicating that some malfunction may be occurring in the specific battery exchange device 220 corresponding to the operation information not received (step S154). More specifically, the station identification unit 330 determines that the specific battery exchange device 220 from which operation information was not received may be experiencing a power outage or other power outage, a malfunction in the function for exchanging information between the station control device 210 and the battery exchange device 220, or a malfunction in the hardware and/or software of the battery exchange device 220 (including some or all of the battery slots 221). The station identification unit 330 makes this determination because, due to the inability to receive operation information from the specific battery exchange device 220, various malfunctions may be occurring in the specific battery exchange device 220 itself or in some or all of the battery slots 221 provided in the specific battery exchange device 220. Then, in accordance with the determination process result of step S154, the station identification unit 330 determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 cannot exchange the detachable battery 100 housed in the specific battery exchange device 220 provided in the specific battery exchange station 200. In other words, it determines that the user of the electric motorcycle 10 can exchange the detachable battery 100 at any battery exchange device 220 other than the specific battery exchange station 200 or any other operating battery exchange station 200.

In this way, the station identification unit 330 identifies possible malfunctions occurring in the station control device 210 and battery exchange device 220 (including battery slot 221) equipped in each battery exchange station 200 based on the operation information transmitted by each battery exchange station 200 that constitutes the battery sharing service system.

A battery exchange station 200 that has been identified by the station identification unit 330 as possibly having some kind of malfunction (a battery exchange station 200 determined to be in any of the first to sixth malfunction states) is an example of a "malfunctioning power device" or a "malfunctioning charging device." A battery exchange device 220 that has been determined to be possibly having some kind of malfunction and is included in a battery exchange station 200 that has been determined by the station identification unit 330 to be in any of the second, third, fifth, or sixth malfunction states is an example of a "malfunctioning secondary power device."

The station identification unit 330 then outputs the determination result (step S160). For example, the station identification unit 330 stores information representing the determination result (hereinafter referred to as "malfunction information") in the server storage unit 340. At this time, the station identification unit 330 stores in the server storage unit 340 malfunction information in which information on the date and time at which each determination was made is associated with (added to) each determination result. The station identification unit 330 may also store the malfunction information in the server storage unit 340 in association with the operation information received by the server communication unit 320 and stored in the server storage unit 340. In this case, too, the station identification unit 330 associates the malfunction information, to which information on the date and time at which each determination was made has been added, with the operation information. If the station identification unit 330 identifies any battery exchange station 200 as having a possible malfunction, it may output information indicating this (which may be malfunction information) to the information output unit 370.

As a result, the management server device 300 can notify the supervisor P of the battery sharing service system of the determination result by the station identification unit 330. As a result, when the supervisor P is notified by the management server device 300 that a malfunction may have occurred at one of the battery exchange stations 200, he or she can instruct, for example, a worker of the battery sharing service system to visit the battery exchange station 200 where the malfunction may have occurred and confirm the malfunction and perform maintenance work before the malfunction occurred, or to perform maintenance work after the malfunction has occurred.

Returning to FIG. 5, the server memory unit 340 stores various information in the management server device 300. The server memory unit 340 stores, for example, the operation information from the server communication unit 320 and the malfunction information from the station identification unit 330. At this time, the server memory unit 340 continues to store the operation information and malfunction information for a predetermined period (e.g., one day, one week, one month, one year, etc.). In other words, the server memory unit 340 does not update the operation information from the server communication unit 320 or the malfunction information from the station identification unit 330 each time the information is output, but rather stores a history of the operation information and malfunction information over the predetermined period. The server memory unit 340 may store, for example, map information indicating the geographical location information of each battery exchange station 200 that constitutes the battery sharing service system. The server memory unit 340 may be a RAM, HDD, flash memory, SSD, EEPROM, etc. The server memory unit 340 may be shared with a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) in which programs that realize the functions of the station management unit 310, the server communication unit 320, the station identification unit 330, the defect location estimation unit 350, the defect prediction unit 360, and the information output unit 370 in the management server device 300 are stored (installed).

The server memory unit 340 is an example of a "memory unit."

The malfunction location estimation unit 350 estimates the geographic location or range where a malfunction may have occurred based on the determination result (malfunction information) by the station identification unit 330. More specifically, the malfunction location estimation unit 350 acquires location information for battery exchange stations 200 identified by the station identification unit 330 as possibly having a malfunction (determined to be in one of the first to sixth malfunction states). The location information acquired by the malfunction location estimation unit 350 may be input, for example, by the monitor P operating the terminal device T. Alternatively, the malfunction location estimation unit 350 may acquire location information by searching for operation information previously transmitted by the same battery exchange station 200 from the operation information history stored in the server storage unit 340 based on the station ID of the battery exchange station 200 identified as possibly having a malfunction. Here, for example, if information correlating the station ID with the geographic location information of the battery exchange station 200 is prepared in advance, the malfunction location estimation unit 350 may acquire location information for the battery exchange station 200 identified as possibly having a malfunction from this information. The malfunction location estimation unit 350 then estimates the geographical location indicated by the acquired location information as the geographical location where the battery exchange station 200 identified as possibly having a malfunction is installed.

In the operation of a battery sharing service system, it is possible that there are multiple battery exchange stations 200 identified by the station identification unit 330 as possibly having a malfunction. In this case, the malfunction location estimation unit 350 estimates the geographical locations of each battery exchange station 200 identified as possibly having a malfunction. If the geographical locations of each battery exchange station 200 identified as possibly having a malfunction are within a predetermined range (for example, within a 2 km range), the malfunction location estimation unit 350 estimates this range as the range in which the battery exchange stations 200 identified as possibly having a malfunction are installed.

The defect location estimation unit 350 outputs information on the estimation result indicating the estimated geographical location and range to the information output unit 370. The defect location estimation unit 350 may store the information on the estimation result indicating the estimated geographical location and range in the server storage unit 340. In this case, the defect location estimation unit 350 may store the information on the estimation result as standalone information in the server storage unit 340, or may store the information in the server storage unit 340 in association with (addition to) the defect information stored in the server storage unit 340.

The failure prediction unit 360 predicts battery exchange stations 200 that may experience a failure based on the failure information history stored in the server storage unit 340. More specifically, the failure prediction unit 360 analyzes the frequency and tendency of each battery exchange station 200 being identified as having a possible failure based on the station ID of the battery exchange station 200 included in the failure information history stored in the server storage unit 340 and the date and time when the battery exchange station 200 was identified as having a possible failure (determined to be in one of the first through sixth failure states). For example, battery exchange stations 200 installed in locations where power outages occur during the same time period, on the same day of the week, or at the same time may periodically be identified as having a possible failure that includes a power outage as a cause, such as the fourth through sixth failure states. For example, other battery exchange stations 200 installed around the same time as a battery exchange station 200 identified as having a possible failure may be identified as having a possible failure that includes a hardware and/or software failure as a cause, such as the first through sixth failure states. Therefore, based on the analyzed information, the failure prediction unit 360 predicts the time, geographical location, and range in which a failure may occur at each battery exchange station 200 before the failure actually occurs.

The failure prediction unit 360 predicts battery exchange stations 200 where a failure may occur, including not only other battery exchange stations 200 different from the battery exchange station 200 identified as having a possibility of a failure occurring, but also battery exchange stations 200 identified as having a possibility of a failure already occurring. In other words, the failure prediction unit 360 predicts battery exchange stations 200 where a failure may occur, including the occurrence of a recurrence of a failure at the same battery exchange station 200 as the battery exchange station 200 identified as having a possibility of a failure already occurring.

The malfunction prediction unit 360 may make predictions by learning using, for example, machine learning, deep learning, AI (artificial intelligence), etc. More specifically, the malfunction prediction unit 360 may predict the time, geographical location, and range in which a malfunction may occur in the future at each battery exchange station 200 by inputting the history of malfunction information stored in the server memory unit 340 into a trained model that has been trained using correct answer data, such as the time of day when power outages tend to occur, the days of the week when power outages tend to occur within a week, and the months and seasons of the year when power outages tend to occur.

The defect prediction unit 360 outputs information on the prediction results indicating the predicted time, geographical location, and range to the information output unit 370. The defect prediction unit 360 may store the information on the prediction results indicating the predicted time, geographical location, and range in the server storage unit 340. In this case, the defect prediction unit 360 may store the information on the estimation results as standalone information in the server storage unit 340, or may store the information in the server storage unit 340 in association with (addition to) the defect information stored in the server storage unit 340.

The defect prediction unit 360 is an example of a "prediction unit."

The information output unit 370 outputs various information from the management server device 300, such as the malfunction information output by the station identification unit 330, the estimation result information output by the malfunction location estimation unit 350, and the prediction result information output by the malfunction prediction unit 360. The information output unit 370 presents (notifies) various information (presentation information) from the management server device 300 to a supervisor P of the battery sharing service system, for example, by outputting the respective information to a terminal device T. The information output unit 370 transmits, for example, the station ID of the battery exchange station 200, geographical location information, and information for performing maintenance and/or servicing work (maintenance and servicing information) based on the malfunction information, estimation result information, and prediction result information to a mobile work terminal (worker mobile terminal) (not shown) used by a worker performing the maintenance and/or servicing work.

The information output unit 370 may, for example, be equipped with an image generation unit (not shown) for generating an image representing each piece of information, and the generated image may be output and displayed on the terminal device T, thereby presenting (notifying) a supervisor P or the like of the battery sharing service system. This allows the supervisor P or the like of the battery sharing service system to check and manage the operating status of each battery exchange station 200 that constitutes the battery sharing service system from the image displayed on the terminal device T.

The information output unit 370 is an example of an "output unit."

As described above, the management server device 300 determines any malfunctions that may have occurred at each battery exchange station 200 that constitutes the battery sharing service system. This determination result is also useful information for users of electric motorcycles 10, for example. For example, if a user attempts to replace the detachable battery 100 attached to an electric motorcycle 10 and is able to obtain information about battery exchange stations 200 that can replace the detachable battery 100 before the replacement, the user will be able to replace the detachable battery 100 more smoothly, without running into a situation where they are unable to replace the detachable battery 100 after visiting the battery exchange station 200.

For example, the information output unit 370 may present (notify) the user of the electric motorcycle 10 with an image showing information about battery exchange stations 200 where the removable battery 100 can be replaced, based on the malfunction information, estimation result information, and prediction result information. The information output unit 370 may also present (notify) the user with an image showing information about battery exchange stations 200 where the removable battery 100 cannot be replaced. In this case, an image generation unit (not shown) included in the information output unit 370 generates an image on a local map based on map information stored in the server storage unit 340, superimposing the locations of battery exchange stations 200 installed within the local map in accordance with the operating status of the battery exchange stations 200. The information output unit 370 then causes the server communication unit 320 to transmit the generated image to, for example, a mobile terminal device (not shown) used by the user, thereby presenting (notifying) the user with the locations of battery exchange stations 200 where the removable battery 100 can be replaced.

The mobile terminal device (not shown) is a portable terminal device, such as a smartphone or tablet, used by a user of the electric motorcycle 10 who uses the battery sharing service system. The mobile terminal device may also be a mobile work terminal (worker mobile terminal) used by a worker who performs maintenance and/or repairs on the battery exchange station 200 in the battery sharing service system. The following describes a case where the mobile terminal device is primarily used by a user of the electric motorcycle 10. The mobile terminal device includes a terminal communication unit for connecting to the network NW, a display unit, input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, speakers, and a processor such as a CPU. The mobile terminal device may also include a GNSS receiver. The processor of the mobile terminal device executes a UA (User Agent) such as a browser or application program, and an image showing information about the battery exchange station 200 where the removable battery 100 can be replaced, transmitted from the management server device 300, is displayed on the display unit.

The local map is an image of a map created by an image generation unit (not shown) included in the information output unit 370, for example, by cropping the area around the current location of the electric motorcycle 10 from map information stored in the server storage unit 340. The map information used to create the local map by the image generation unit (not shown) may be obtained by the management server device 300 from a server device other than the management server device 300 (for example, a map server device, not shown). The map information may include information on the location of the battery exchange station 200, as well as facility information (Points of Interest: POI) such as convenience stores, restaurants, accommodation facilities, and various activity facilities. The current location of the electric motorcycle 10 may be obtained, for example, from the GNSS receiver 22 included in the electric motorcycle 10 via the network NW. The current position of the electric motorcycle 10 may be estimated based on the user's current position, which is obtained by acquiring the position of a relay point within the network NW from a similar function provided in the mobile terminal device (not shown) used by the user, or if the mobile terminal device (not shown) is equipped with a GNSS receiver, the current position of the user acquired from this GNSS receiver may be used as the current position of the electric motorcycle 10.

Here, an example will be described in which the information output unit 370 presents (notifies) the user of the electric motorcycle 10 with information about battery exchange stations 200 where the removable battery 100 can be replaced using an image. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an image provided by the management server device 300 according to the first embodiment. The image IM shown in FIG. 7 is an example of an image showing the location of the electric motorcycle 10 and the battery exchange stations 200 using graphics such as icons. More specifically, the image IM superimposes a triangle mark LT on a local map as an icon representing the current location of the electric motorcycle 10, and superimposes pin marks LB as icons representing the locations of each battery exchange station 200. The image IM also indicates within the pin marks LB whether the removable battery 100 can be replaced at each battery exchange station 200. In the image IM, an "X" is displayed within the pin mark LB of battery exchange stations 200 where the removable battery 100 cannot be replaced. Also, instead of (or in addition to) the above indication, a "circle" mark may be displayed within the pin mark LB of the battery exchange station 200 where the battery can be exchanged.

The battery exchange stations 200 shown in image IM that are unable to replace the removable battery 100 may include not only battery exchange stations 200 that may be experiencing the above-mentioned malfunctions, but also battery exchange stations 200 that do not have (do not contain) the number of removable batteries 100 required to be fitted to the electric motorcycle 10. Image IM may also include information guiding the route from the current location of the electric motorcycle 10 to a battery exchange station 200 where the removable battery 100 can be replaced, or information for guiding the electric motorcycle 10.

For example, if multiple battery exchange stations 200 are installed nearby, the image IM may display overlapping pin marks LB indicating the locations of each battery exchange station 200, such as the pin marks LB of the two battery exchange stations 200 in region R1. In this case, the pin mark LB of the battery exchange station 200 that can replace the removable battery 100 may be displayed in the foreground, while the pin mark LB of the battery exchange station 200 that cannot replace the removable battery 100 may be displayed in the background (in other words, the pin mark LB may be displayed so that it is at least partially hidden by the foreground pin mark LB). The image IM shown in FIG. 7 illustrates a state in which, of the two battery exchange stations 200 in region R1, the pin mark LB of the battery exchange station 200 that can replace the removable battery 100 is displayed in the foreground, while the pin mark LB of the battery exchange station 200 that cannot replace the removable battery 100 is displayed so that it is partially hidden.

The method for distinguishing between battery exchange stations 200 in which the removable battery 100 can be replaced and battery exchange stations 200 in which the removable battery 100 cannot be replaced in the image IM is not limited to the method described above. For example, whether or not a battery exchange station 200 can replace the removable battery 100 may be indicated by the shade of the color of the pin mark LB, by using a different color for the pin mark LB, by the size of the pin mark LB, or by using a different shape for the pin mark LB.

The information output unit 370 transmits an image IM such as that shown in FIG. 7 to the mobile terminal device (not shown) used by the user via the server communication unit 320 and displays it on a display device provided in the mobile terminal device, thereby presenting (notifying) the user of the electric motorcycle 10 with information about the current location and the location of a battery exchange station 200 where the removable battery 100 can be replaced. This allows the user of the electric motorcycle 10 to identify a battery exchange station 200 in the battery sharing service system where the removable battery 100 can be replaced, and enables the user to travel to the location of the battery exchange station 200 more quickly.

The information output unit 370 may also transmit the image IM via the server communication unit 320 to the mobile work device of the worker at the battery exchange station 200. This allows the worker to be properly notified of the location of a battery exchange station 200 where a malfunction may have occurred in the battery exchange station 200 or the removable battery 100 stored (held) therein. Therefore, the worker can move to the location of the battery exchange station 200 where a malfunction may have occurred in the battery exchange station 200 or the removable battery 100 stored (held) therein, and perform maintenance or repair more quickly. Furthermore, when providing information to the mobile work device, the information output unit 370 may notify information indicating the malfunction status (e.g., information indicating the first to sixth malfunction statuses) in addition to the image IM shown in FIG. 7 . This allows the worker to perform more appropriate maintenance and repair work based on the malfunction status.

The information output unit 370 may also output, for example, to the portable terminal device of the user of the electric motorcycle 10, identification information or geographical location information of battery exchange stations 200 other than the battery exchange station where the removable battery 100 that cannot be replaced is located. The information output unit 370 may also output, to the terminal device T or the portable work terminal, identification information or geographical location information of a battery exchange station where a malfunction may be occurring. This makes it possible to provide the necessary information about the battery exchange station 200 in a more easily understandable manner for each notification recipient identified by the user ID, terminal identification information (terminal ID), etc.

As described above, the management server device 300 to which the information processing device of the first embodiment is applied is equipped with a receiving unit (320) that receives information (operation information) from multiple power devices (200) that are capable of communicating information, and an identification unit (330) that identifies a power device among the multiple power devices (200) that may have a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device based on the reception status of the information (operation information) at the receiving unit (320).This makes it possible to identify a power device (200) that may have a malfunction in a battery sharing service system (battery sharing service system) that shares a storage device (e.g., a detachable battery 100) that can be attached and detached to an electric vehicle (e.g., an electric motorcycle 10 or an electric car 50).

In the first embodiment of the information processing device, the management server device 300 is described as having the following components: a server communication unit 320, a station identification unit 330, a server memory unit 340, a malfunction location estimation unit 350, a malfunction prediction unit 360, and an information output unit 370. However, the information processing device of the present invention is only required to be configured to notify, for example, a supervisor P of the battery sharing service system of the possibility that a malfunction has occurred at any of the battery exchange stations 200. Therefore, the configuration of the management server device 300 to which the information processing device of the present invention is applied is not necessarily limited to the configuration of the first embodiment described above. For example, the management server device 300 may be configured without one or both of the malfunction location estimation unit 350 and the malfunction prediction unit 360.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, instead of (or in addition to) estimating which power device may have malfunctioned, the reason for the malfunction is estimated, for example, when recovering from a malfunction. In the second embodiment, for example, it is estimated whether the malfunction is due to a power outage or a communication interruption. The following mainly focuses on the above differences. Note that the second embodiment differs from the battery sharing service system of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the battery exchange station 200 and the management server device 300 are replaced with a battery exchange station 200A and a management server device 300A. Therefore, the following describes the battery exchange station 200A and the management server device 300A, and descriptions of other devices and the like are omitted.

[Battery exchange station]
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery exchange station 200A according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8 shows an example of the configuration of a station control device 210 and one battery exchange device 220. The battery exchange station 200A differs from the battery exchange station 200 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a battery exchange device 220A instead of the battery exchange device 220. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the battery exchange device 220A.

The battery replacement device 220A includes a battery slot 221, a battery connection unit 225, a charger 227, a display unit 230, a replacement device control unit 232, and a replacement device memory unit 240. The battery replacement device 220A includes multiple charge/discharge modules, each of which includes a battery slot 221, a battery connection unit 225, and a charger 227. In addition to the configuration of the battery replacement device 220 according to the first embodiment, the battery replacement device 220A also includes a display unit 230, a replacement device control unit 232, and a replacement device memory unit 240. The following description will mainly focus on the display unit 230, the replacement device control unit 232, and the replacement device memory unit 240.

The display unit 230 is, for example, a display device such as an LCD. The display unit 230 may be a so-called touch panel that combines a display device with an input device that detects input operations. The display unit 230 may also include various display devices other than a display device, as well as switches and keys other than input devices, such as a speaker, a buzzer, and the like. The display unit 230 may also include a reading device that, for example, uses short-range communication to read information recorded on an NFC card (not shown) carried by a user of the electric motorcycle 10 who visits a location where the battery exchange station 200 is installed and exchanges the removable battery 100, thereby obtaining a user ID.

The replacement device control unit 232 stores, for example, information regarding the receipt (return) and provision (rental) of the detachable battery 100 removed from the electric motorcycle 10, and information regarding the battery status (e.g., SOC) of the detachable battery 100, as replacement device operation information in the replacement device memory unit 240. The replacement device control unit 232 may also generate an image showing information regarding the battery status and the receipt or provision of the detachable battery 100, and display the generated image on the display unit 230.

In addition, if the power supply (e.g., the power supply PS (external power source) shown in FIG. 8 ) supplied to the battery exchange device 220A is lost due to a malfunction or other reason, the exchange device control unit 232 selects one of the removable batteries 100 currently stored in the battery exchange device 220A and controls the operation of each device so that a removable battery can be received or provided using the power supplied from the selected removable battery 100. The selection of the removable battery 100 may involve, for example, selecting the removable battery with the highest SOC value, or randomly selecting one of the stored removable batteries 100. Furthermore, it may be possible to avoid selecting removable batteries with an SOC below a predetermined value. Alternatively, instead of the above selection method, the removable battery 100 with the lowest temperature among the stored removable batteries 100 may be selected, or the removable battery 100 that has been in storage for the longest time since completion of charging or discharging may be selected. Alternatively, the storage removable battery 100 that has been stored for the shortest period of time may be selected from among the storage removable batteries 100. The replacement device control unit 232 may also select two or more removable batteries 100 and operate each device using power supplied from the selected removable battery 100 so that the device can receive or provide a removable battery.

This allows the battery replacement device 220A to continue providing currently stored removable batteries 100 or receiving external removable batteries 100 even when the battery replacement device 220A itself is not receiving power from the power source PS or when the station control device 210 is not receiving power from the power source PS. Furthermore, the replacement device control unit 232 controls the battery replacement device 220A so that it does not charge the stored removable batteries 100 when power from the power source PS is lost. In other words, the power stored in the stored removable battery 100 is not used to charge other removable batteries 100. This reduces the power consumption of the removable battery 100 that is supplying power, allowing the battery replacement device 220A to operate for a long period of time.

Furthermore, even when power is not being supplied from the power source PS, the replacement device control unit 232 stores information related to the receipt and provision of the removable battery 100 as replacement device operation information in the replacement device memory unit 240. This allows operation information during a malfunction (operation information during a malfunction) to be stored. In other words, the replacement device operation information includes operation information during a malfunction. Note that, by design, a difference occurs between the voltage value based on the power supplied from the power source PS (hereinafter referred to as the "first voltage value") and the voltage value based on the power supplied from the removable battery 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "second voltage value"). Therefore, the replacement device control unit 232 may store information related to the voltage value during operation of the battery replacement device 220A in the replacement device operation information.

The switching device control unit 232 also transmits switching device operation information to the station control device 210 at a predetermined timing or at predetermined time intervals. If the station control device 210 is not operating due to a power outage or other reason and transmission is not possible, the switching device control unit 232 retransmits at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing is, for example, the timing when the malfunction is resolved. The timing when the malfunction is resolved is, for example, the timing when power is restored from a power outage or when a state in which power is not supplied from the power source PS is switched to a state in which power is supplied. The predetermined timing may also be the timing when a predetermined time has elapsed since the last transmission.

The exchange device memory unit 240 stores exchange device operation information and various other information. The exchange device memory unit 240 is, for example, RAM, HDD, flash memory, SSD, EEPROM, etc. The exchange device memory unit 240 may be shared with a storage device (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) in which a program that realizes the functions of the display unit 230 and the exchange device control unit 232 in the battery exchange device 220A is stored (installed). The exchange device memory unit 240 is an example of a "memory unit."

The station control device 210 in the second embodiment receives replacement device operation information from the battery replacement device 220A and stores battery information and operation information in the station memory unit 219 based on the received replacement device operation information. Even if the station control device 210 is temporarily unable to receive replacement device operation information due to a malfunction such as a power outage, it can acquire the information after recovery. Therefore, the battery information and operation information include operation information during the malfunction.

The station communication unit 211 transmits battery information and operation information to the management server device 300A at a predetermined timing. If the station communication unit 211 is unable to transmit battery information or operation information to the management server device 300 due to a communication failure, it will retransmit the information after a predetermined time has elapsed. A communication failure is, for example, a failure in which the battery exchange station 200A is unable to transmit various information, such as operation information, to the management server device 300A. The station communication unit 211 is an example of a "transmitter."

[Management server device]
9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server device 300A according to the second embodiment. The management server device 300A includes, for example, a station management unit 310, a server communication unit 320, a station identification unit 330, a server storage unit 340, a defect location estimation unit 350, a defect content estimation unit 355, a defect prediction unit 360, and an information output unit 370. The configuration of the management server device 300A differs from the configuration of the management server device 300 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a defect content estimation unit 355. The following description will mainly focus on the defect content estimation unit 355.

When the station identification unit 330 determines that a malfunction has occurred, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 estimates (analyzes) the content of the malfunction of the power device based on the malfunction operation information. For example, when the fourth malfunction state or the sixth malfunction state according to the first embodiment occurs, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 subsequently (after the malfunction is resolved) estimates (analyzes) based on the received operation information whether the content (reason, cause) of the malfunction is a power outage or a communication malfunction (e.g., communication interruption).

Specifically, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 first references the voltage information during operation included in the replacement device operation information stored by the battery replacement device 220A and determines whether the voltage value satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, if the voltage values included in the operation information include a first voltage value and a second voltage value, the respective voltage values are different. More specifically, the second voltage value is smaller than the first voltage value. Therefore, if the voltage value included in the operation information is less than a predetermined value, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied and estimates that the malfunction is a power outage. The predetermined value is a value smaller than the predicted first voltage value (e.g., 15.5 V) and greater than the predicted second voltage value (e.g., 15 V). Furthermore, if the voltage value is not less than the predetermined value, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 may determine that the predetermined condition is not satisfied and therefore estimate that the malfunction is not a power outage.

Furthermore, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 may determine that a predetermined condition is met and estimate that the malfunction is a power outage if the difference between the maximum and minimum voltage values included in the operation information is equal to or greater than a predetermined difference.Furthermore, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 may determine that the predetermined condition is not met and estimate that the malfunction is not a power outage if the difference in voltage values is less than the predetermined difference.

The malfunction content estimation unit 355 may also refer to the charging history data of the removable battery 100 stored in the battery exchange device 220A included in the operation information and determine whether the charging state (e.g., SOC) after a predetermined time has elapsed satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, during a power outage, the battery exchange device 220A operates using the power of a selected removable battery 100, but in this case, other removable batteries 100 are not charged. Therefore, if the SOC of a removable battery 100 stored in the battery exchange device 220A after a predetermined time has elapsed is not fully charged and has not increased (or the increase is less than a predetermined amount), the malfunction content estimation unit 355 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied and estimates that the malfunction is a communication malfunction (e.g., a communication disruption between the battery exchange station 200A and the management server device 300A). In addition, if the SOC of the removable battery 100 stored in the battery replacement device 220A increases after a predetermined time has passed, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 may determine that the malfunction content is not a communication malfunction, as this does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

The defect content estimation unit 355 is an example of a "first defect content estimation unit" or an "analysis unit" that analyzes the content of the defect.

[Processing flow of the second embodiment]
Next, an example of processing executed in each of the battery exchange station 200A and the management server device 300A according to the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the battery exchange station 200A according to the second embodiment. The processing in Fig. 10 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing.

In the example of FIG. 10, the exchange device control unit 232 determines whether power is being supplied from the power source PS (step S200). If it is determined that power is being supplied from the power source PS, the exchange device control unit 232 operates the battery exchange device 220A using power from the power source PS (step S202) and stores exchange device operation information corresponding to the operation results in the exchange device storage unit 240 (step S204). In this case, the exchange device operation information stores, for example, information regarding the receipt (return) or provision (rental) of the removable battery 100, the voltage value during operation (first voltage value), and charging progress data (e.g., SOC at return, time required to fully charge, and charging state at each specified time).

Furthermore, if it is determined in step S200 that power is not being supplied from the power source PS, the replacement device control unit 232 selects one of the removable batteries 100 stored in the battery replacement device 220A (step S206). Next, the replacement device control unit 232 operates the battery replacement device 220A using power from the selected removable battery 100 (step S208). Next, the replacement device control unit 232 stores the malfunction operation information as replacement device operation information (step S210). The replacement device operation information includes, for example, information regarding the receipt (return) or provision (rental) of the removable battery 100, the voltage value during operation (second voltage value), and charging progress data. However, when operating the battery replacement device 220A using power from the removable battery 100, charging of other removable batteries 100 stored in the battery slots 221 is not performed. Therefore, the state of charge (SOC) does not increase over time. Next, the switching device control unit 232 determines whether or not the power from the power supply PS has been restored (step S212). If it determines that the power has not been restored, the process returns to step S208.

After processing step S204 or if it is determined in processing step S212 that power from the power source PS has been restored, the replacement device control unit 232 outputs replacement device operation information to the station control device at a predetermined timing (step S214). Next, the station communication unit 211 transmits operation information, including the replacement device operation information, to the management server device 300 at a predetermined timing (step S216). This completes the processing of this flowchart. Note that in this embodiment, the replacement device control unit 232 selected the removable battery 100 when it determined in processing step S200 that power is not being supplied from the power source PS. However, it is also possible to select the removable battery 100 in advance before processing step S200 and have the selected removable battery 100 supply power in parallel with the power source PS under normal circumstances. This allows for continuous, uninterrupted power supply from the removable battery 100 even when power supply from the power source PS is no longer supplied.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the management server device 300A according to the second embodiment. In the example of Figure 11, the station management unit 310 of the management server device 300A analyzes operation information received from the battery exchange station 200A (step S300) and determines whether a malfunction has occurred (step S302). In the processing of step S302, it determines, for example, whether any of the first to sixth malfunction states described above has been estimated. If it is determined that a malfunction has occurred, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 determines whether the malfunction occurring is the fourth or sixth malfunction state (step S304). If it is determined that the malfunction is the fourth or sixth malfunction state, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 acquires the voltage value included in the operation information (step S306) and determines whether the voltage value satisfies a predetermined condition (step S308). If the malfunction content estimation unit 355 determines that the voltage value satisfies the predetermined condition, it estimates that the malfunction content (cause) is a power outage (step S310), and if it determines that the voltage value does not satisfy the predetermined condition, it estimates that the malfunction content is not a power outage (step S312).

Next, the malfunction content estimation unit 355 determines whether the charging state of the removable battery 100 stored in the battery exchange device 220A satisfies a predetermined condition (step S314). If the malfunction content estimation unit 355 determines that the charging state satisfies the predetermined condition, it estimates that the malfunction is a communication malfunction (step S316). If the malfunction content estimation unit 355 determines that the charging state does not satisfy the predetermined condition, it estimates that the malfunction is not a communication malfunction (step S318). This ends the processing of this flowchart.

Processing also ends if it is determined in step S302 that no malfunction has occurred, or if it is determined in step S304 that the fourth or sixth malfunction state is not present. In the example of Figure 11, steps S314 to S318 may be executed before steps S308 to S312.

The above-described process allows the nature of the malfunction to be more accurately understood. This allows the battery exchange station 200 to be managed more appropriately, and maintenance and repair work on the battery exchange station 200 to be carried out more efficiently.

In addition, in the second embodiment described above, the determination of whether the malfunction is a power outage may be made on the battery exchange station 200A side instead of on the management server device 300 side.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of another process executed in the battery exchange station 200A according to the second embodiment. The example in Figure 12 differs from the process of steps S200 to S214 shown in Figure 10 in that it includes the process of steps S220 to S222 before the process of step S214. Therefore, the following explanation will mainly focus on the process of steps S220 to S222.

After processing step S204, or if it is determined in processing step S212 that power from the power source PS has been restored, the exchange device control unit 232 performs a power outage determination based on the voltage value included in the exchange device operation information (step S220). In processing step S220, the exchange device control unit 232, similar to the malfunction content estimation unit 355 described above, determines whether the voltage value satisfies a predetermined condition, and if the predetermined condition is satisfied, determines that the malfunction is a power outage, and if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, determines that the malfunction is not a power outage. Next, the exchange device control unit 232 stores the determination result in the exchange device operation information (step S222).

By performing the processing shown in Figure 12, the processing burden on the management server device 300 can be reduced. In addition, the exchange device control unit 232 can display the results of the power outage determination on the display unit 230, etc., allowing users to more accurately understand the status of the battery exchange station.

As described above, in the second embodiment, for example, when power is not supplied from the power source PS, the battery exchange device 220A selects one of the stored removable batteries 100 and uses the power from the selected removable battery 100 to receive and provide another removable battery 100. Therefore, in addition to achieving the same effects as the first embodiment, the second embodiment also enables the battery exchange device 220A to provide a stored removable battery 100 or receive a removable battery 100 from an external source, even during a power outage. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when receiving and providing a battery using power from a removable battery 100, the battery exchange device 220A does not charge the stored removable battery. This reduces power consumption and allows the above-mentioned receiving and providing to continue for a long period of time. Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the nature (cause, reason) of some malfunctions can be estimated, allowing for a more accurate understanding of the malfunction status. This allows for more appropriate management of the battery exchange station 200, and efficient maintenance and repair of the battery exchange station 200.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment estimates the nature of the defect using a different method from the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage environment of a management server device according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 13, four battery exchange stations 200-1 to 200-4, a management server device 300B, a detachable battery 100B, an electric motorcycle 10B, and a mobile terminal device 400 carried by a user U who uses the electric motorcycle 10B are connected in a manner enabling information communication via a network NW. In the example of FIG. 13, an electric vehicle 50B may also be connected to other devices via the network NW in a manner enabling information communication. For example, the management server device 300 receives various pieces of information as operation information from the battery exchange stations 200, the detachable battery 100B, the electric motorcycle 10B, and the mobile terminal device 400 via the communication network NW.

The electric motorcycle 10B and the electric car 50B are examples of "other power devices." The detachable battery 100B is an example of "other power storage devices." The mobile terminal device 400 is an example of "terminal devices."

[Configuration of electric vehicle]
In the following description, the configuration of the electric motorcycle 10B will be described as a representative example of electric vehicles that share a replaceable detachable battery in a battery sharing service system.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electric vehicle (electric motorcycle 10B) according to the third embodiment. The electric motorcycle 10B is a saddle-ride type electric vehicle with a detachable (freely detachable) detachable battery 100B. The electric motorcycle 10B runs using the driving force of an electric motor driven by power supplied from the power storage unit 120 provided in the detachable battery 100B, for example.

The electric motorcycle 10B includes, for example, a battery connection unit 12, a vehicle control unit 14B, a driving force output device 16, vehicle sensors 18, an HMI 20, a GNSS receiver 22, and a vehicle communication unit 24. Compared to the electric motorcycles 10 of the first and second embodiments, the electric motorcycle 10B of the second embodiment differs in that it includes a vehicle control unit 14B instead of the vehicle control unit 14, and also includes a new vehicle communication unit 24. The following description will mainly focus on the vehicle control unit 14B and the vehicle communication unit 24.

The vehicle control unit 14B acquires measurement results from the vehicle sensors 18, acquires the SOC of the power storage unit 120 from the BMU 110B provided in the detachable battery 100B, and acquires the position of the electric motorcycle 10B from the GNSS receiver 22. Based on the acquired data, the vehicle control unit 14B controls the driving force output device 16 in response to operation of the controls or by autonomous driving. The vehicle control unit 14B may transmit the position information of the electric motorcycle 10B acquired from the GNSS receiver 22 to the detachable battery 100B via the battery connection unit 12 or the vehicle communication unit 24.

The vehicle control unit 14B also monitors the status of the removable battery 100B and outputs the monitoring results to the vehicle communication unit 24. The status of the removable battery 100B refers to the usage status and replacement status of the removable battery 100B. The vehicle control unit 14B monitors, for example, whether the vehicle is traveling based on the amount of decrease in the SOC of the power storage unit 120, and detects that the removable battery 100B has been replaced if the SOC increases or if the SOC value is above a threshold value.

The vehicle communication unit 24 includes a wireless communication module for connecting to, for example, the Internet network, cellular networks such as 3G/LTE, 4G, and 5G, and Wi-Fi networks. The vehicle communication unit 24 communicates wirelessly with the management server device 300 via the network NW. The vehicle communication unit 24 may also communicate with the user U's mobile terminal device 400 using a short-range communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The vehicle communication unit 24 transmits, for example, various information transmitted from the vehicle control unit 14B and the position information of the electric motorcycle 10B received from the GNSS receiver 22 at predetermined timing to the management server device 300 and the mobile terminal device 400. The predetermined timing may be a predetermined time interval or may be timing related to the status of the electric motorcycle 10B.

With this configuration, the electric motorcycle 10B runs using power supplied from the detachable battery 100B. While Figure 14 shows an example of the configuration of the electric motorcycle 10B, the configuration of the electric automobile 50 may also be similar to the configuration of the electric motorcycle 10B shown in Figure 14.

[Removable battery]
15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a detachable battery 100B according to the third embodiment. The detachable battery 100B includes, for example, a power storage unit 120, a BMU 110B, a connection unit 150, and a battery communication unit 160. Compared to the detachable battery 100 according to the first embodiment, the detachable battery 100B differs in that it includes a BMU 110B instead of the BMU 110, and also includes a battery communication unit 160. The following description will mainly focus on the BMU 110B and the battery communication unit 160.

BMU 110B includes, for example, a measurement sensor 130, a memory unit 140, and a communication control unit 145. The measurement sensor 130 and memory unit 140 have the same functions as the measurement sensor 130 and memory unit 140 included in the configuration of BMU 110. The communication control unit 145 sends and receives data to and from external devices such as the management server device 300B via the battery communication unit 160.

The battery communication unit 160 includes a wireless communication module for connecting to, for example, the Internet network, cellular networks such as 3G/LTE, 4G, and 5G, and Wi-Fi networks. The battery communication unit 160 communicates wirelessly with the management server device 300 via the network NW. The battery communication unit 160 transmits, for example, at predetermined time intervals (periodically), to the management server device 300, measurement results from the measurement sensor 130 and information stored in the memory unit 140 (for example, information about the charging state and the attached power device).

For example, BMU 110B controls the charging and discharging of the power storage unit 120, performs cell balancing, detects abnormalities in the power storage unit 120, derives the cell temperature of the power storage unit 120, derives the charge/discharge current of the power storage unit 120, and estimates the SOC of the power storage unit 120. BMU 110B stores abnormalities or malfunctions in the power storage unit 120 identified based on the measurement results of the measurement sensor 130 in the memory unit 140 as battery status information. Furthermore, BMU 110B may store information received from the communication control unit 145 in the memory unit 140. The configuration of Figure 15 allows information regarding removable battery 100B to be transmitted to management server device 300B at a predetermined timing.

[Terminal Device]
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a mobile terminal device 400 according to the third embodiment. The mobile terminal device 400 illustrated in FIG. 16 includes, for example, a device communication unit 410, a device communication control unit 420, an input unit 430, a display unit 440, a speaker 450, a terminal location acquisition unit 460, an application execution unit 470, an output control unit 480, and a device storage unit 490. The device communication control unit 420, the terminal location acquisition unit 460, the application execution unit 470, and the output control unit 480 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Furthermore, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium), or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device of the mobile terminal device 400 by inserting the storage medium into a drive device, card slot, etc.

The terminal memory unit 490 may be realized by the various storage devices mentioned above, or RAM, SSD, EEPROM, etc. The terminal memory unit 490 stores, for example, a battery replacement app, programs, and various other information.

Under the control of the terminal communication control unit 420, the terminal communication unit 410 communicates with the electric motorcycle 10B, the management server device 300B, and other external devices. The terminal communication unit 410 may also communicate with an electric motorcycle 10B located within a predetermined distance using a short-range communication method such as Bluetooth. In this case, the terminal communication control unit 420 detects a communication establishment request from the electric motorcycle 10B and establishes Bluetooth communication with the detected electric motorcycle 10B. The terminal communication control unit 420 may also be controlled to authenticate user information (e.g., user ID and password) when communicating with the electric motorcycle 10B, and enable communication if authentication is successful.

The terminal communication control unit 420 controls communication with the electric motorcycle 10B and communication with the management server device 300B via the terminal communication unit 410. For example, the terminal communication control unit 420 receives, from the electric motorcycle 10B, identification information (e.g., a vehicle ID) that identifies the electric motorcycle 10B and location information of the electric motorcycle 10B. The terminal communication control unit 420 also receives information about the attached detachable battery 100B from the electric motorcycle 10B. The terminal communication control unit 420 also transmits location information (terminal location information) of the mobile terminal device 400 acquired by the terminal location acquisition unit 460 to the management server device 300 via the network NW, and transmits information acquired from the electric motorcycle 10B.

The input unit 430 accepts input from the user U, for example, by operating various keys, buttons, etc. The input unit 430 includes, for example, a microphone. The microphone accepts voice input from the user U, for example, under the control of the output control unit 480. The input unit 430 may be configured as a touch panel integrated with the display unit 440.

The display unit 440 is, for example, a display device such as an LCD. The display unit 440 displays various information in the embodiment under the control of the output control unit 480. The speaker 450 outputs a predetermined sound under the control of the output control unit 480, for example. The display unit 440 and the speaker 450 are examples of an "output unit."

The terminal location acquisition unit 460 acquires location information (terminal location information) of the mobile terminal device 400 using a built-in GPS device (not shown). The terminal location information includes, for example, latitude and longitude.

The app execution unit 470 is realized by executing a battery exchange app stored in the device storage unit 490. The battery exchange app is an application program that controls the output control unit 480 to output information provided by the management server device 300B, information provided by the electric motorcycle 10B, etc. to the display unit 440 or from the speaker 450. The battery exchange app is, for example, downloaded from an external device via the network NW and installed on the mobile terminal device 400.

The battery replacement app displays an image provided by the management server device 300B (e.g., image IM shown in FIG. 7) on the display unit 440, and generates an image showing information obtained from the electric motorcycle 10B and displays the generated image on the display unit 440. The information obtained from the electric motorcycle 10B includes, for example, information showing whether the power supply (more specifically, the ignition switch) of the electric motorcycle 10B is on or off, information about the position of the electric motorcycle 10B, the vehicle ID, information showing whether the detachable battery 100B has been replaced, information about the detachable battery 100B (e.g., battery ID, SOC), etc.

The battery exchange app may also output information indicating the start or end of the application, various error information, etc. from the display unit 440 or speaker 450. The battery exchange app may also display an authentication screen, etc. on the display unit 440 during user authentication, and transmit information input by the input unit 430, terminal location information acquired by the terminal location acquisition unit 460, information acquired from the electric motorcycle 10B, etc. to the management server device 300B via the terminal communication unit 410.

The output control unit 480 controls the content of the image to be displayed on the display unit 440, the content of the sound to be output from the speaker 450, and the output mode thereof, under the control of the application execution unit 470. The configuration of the mobile terminal device 400 shown in FIG. 16 may also be applied to the above-mentioned work mobile terminal (worker mobile terminal).

[Management server device]
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management server device 300B according to the third embodiment. The management server device 300B illustrated in FIG. 17 includes, for example, a station management unit 310, a server communication unit 320, a station identification unit 330, a server storage unit 340B, a malfunction location estimation unit 350, a malfunction content estimation unit 355B, a malfunction prediction unit 360, and an information output unit 370. The management server device 300B differs from the management server device 300A according to the second embodiment in that it includes a malfunction content estimation unit 355B instead of the malfunction content estimation unit 355, and that the server storage unit 340B stores battery exchange device location information in addition to operation information and malfunction information. The following description will mainly focus on these differences.

The battery exchange device location information is, for example, information in which location information (e.g., latitude and longitude information) is associated with identification information (e.g., exchange device ID) that identifies the battery exchange device 220. Furthermore, instead of (or in addition to) the location information of the battery exchange device 220, the battery exchange device location information may also store information regarding the location of the station control device 210 to which the battery exchange device 220 is connected, or information regarding the location of the battery exchange station 200. The battery exchange device location information is updated to the latest location information at a specified time whenever a new battery exchange device is installed or when its installation location is moved.

The malfunction content estimation unit 355B acquires information transmitted from the electric motorcycle 10B, and if a specified malfunction occurs (for example, if the fourth or sixth malfunction state occurs), it estimates the nature of the malfunction based on the acquired information. The malfunction content estimation unit 355B is an example of a "second malfunction content estimation unit."

Next, the malfunction content estimation process of the management server device 300B according to the third embodiment will be described. Figure 18 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the malfunction content estimation process of the management server device 300B according to the third embodiment. In the example of Figure 18, the malfunction content estimation unit 355B of the management server device 300B estimates the malfunction content based on information from the electric motorcycle 10B.

In the example of FIG. 18 , the electric motorcycle 10B determines whether the power is off, for example, by turning the ignition switch on/off (step S400). If it is determined that the power is off, the vehicle control unit 14B acquires position information of the electric motorcycle 10B using the GNSS receiver 22 (step S402) and transmits information including the position information to the management server device 300B using the vehicle communication unit 24 (step S404). The information including the position information may include the vehicle ID of the electric motorcycle 10B and the user ID of the user U, in addition to the position information of the electric motorcycle 10B. The information transmitted from the electric motorcycle 10B may also include information about the detachable battery 100 mounted on the electric motorcycle 10B, such as the state of charge (e.g., SOC) and identification information (battery ID) assigned to the detachable battery 100.

The server communication unit 320 of the management server device 300B receives the information transmitted from the electric motorcycle 10B. The malfunction estimation unit 355B of the management server device 300B then compares the location information of the electric motorcycle 10B included in the received information with the location information stored in the battery exchange device location information (step S406) and determines whether the electric motorcycle 10B is in proximity to the battery exchange device 220 (step S408). Specifically, the malfunction estimation unit 355B determines whether a battery exchange device 220 is present within a predetermined distance from the location information of the electric motorcycle 10B, and if a battery exchange device 220 is present within the predetermined distance, it determines that the electric motorcycle 10B and the battery exchange device 220 are in proximity to each other. Furthermore, if no battery exchange device 220 is present within the predetermined distance, the malfunction estimation unit 355B determines that the electric motorcycle 10B and the battery exchange device 220 are not in proximity to each other when the electric motorcycle 10B is stopped. The determination result may be stored in, for example, the server storage unit 340B. In the following description, it is assumed that it is determined that the electric motorcycle 10B and the battery exchange apparatus 220 are in close proximity.

The vehicle control unit 14 then determines whether the electric motorcycle 10B is powered on. If it determines that the electric motorcycle 10B is powered on (e.g., the ignition switch is on) (step S410), the vehicle control unit 14 generates replacement-related information (step S412). The replacement-related information includes, for example, battery information. The battery information may include information about the SOC of the detachable battery 100B mounted on the electric motorcycle 10B and a battery ID that identifies the detachable battery 100B. In other words, the replacement-related information includes information indicating that the detachable battery 100B has been replaced. The battery information may also include, for example, a vehicle ID, a user ID, and location information for the electric motorcycle 10B. Next, the vehicle control unit 14 transmits the generated battery information to the management server device 300B via the vehicle communication unit 24 (step S414).

The server communication unit 320 of the management server device 300B receives the replacement-related information transmitted from the electric motorcycle 10B. The malfunction estimation unit 355B of the management server device 300B then receives the replacement-related information transmitted from the electric motorcycle 10B and determines whether the detachable battery 100B has been replaced based on the received replacement-related information (step S416). In step S416, the malfunction estimation unit 355B compares the battery ID of the detachable battery 100B attached to the electric motorcycle 10B, acquired when the electric motorcycle 10B was powered off, with the battery ID of the detachable battery 100B attached to the electric motorcycle 10B, acquired when the electric motorcycle 10B was powered on. If at least one battery ID is different, the malfunction estimation unit 355B determines that the detachable battery 100B has been replaced. If the battery IDs are the same, the malfunction estimation unit 355B estimates that the detachable battery 100B has not been replaced.

Furthermore, the malfunction content estimation unit 355B may determine that a removable battery has been replaced if the SOC of removable battery 100B acquired when the power was turned on is higher by a predetermined amount or more than the SOC of removable battery 100B acquired when the power was turned off, and may determine that a removable battery has not been replaced if the SOC has not increased by the predetermined amount or more.Furthermore, when it is determined that removable battery 100B has been replaced, the malfunction content estimation unit 355B may acquire the number of removable batteries 100B replaced.

Next, the malfunction content estimation unit 355B determines the content of the malfunction based on the result of the determination of whether the removable battery 100B has been replaced (step S418). For example, if the malfunction content estimation unit 355B determines in the processing of step S416 that the removable battery 100B has not been replaced, it estimates that the malfunction is a power outage, and if it determines that the removable battery 100B has been replaced, it estimates that the malfunction is a communication malfunction.

Furthermore, when it is determined that the replaced removable batteries 100B have been replaced, the malfunction content estimation unit 355B may determine whether the number of replaced removable batteries 100B is less than a predetermined number. In this case, the malfunction content estimation unit 355B estimates that the malfunction is a power outage if the number of removable batteries 100B is less than the predetermined number, and estimates that the malfunction is a communication malfunction if the number is equal to or greater than the predetermined number. For example, if the number of removable batteries that can be stored in the battery replacement device 220 is eight, and eight or more have been replaced, it is highly likely that power is being supplied to the battery replacement device 220 from the power source PS and that the stored removable batteries 100B are being charged. Therefore, in this case, estimating that the malfunction is a communication malfunction enables more accurate estimation.

[Modification of the third embodiment]
One or both of the processes in step S416 and step S418 described above may be executed by the electric motorcycle 10B, for example. Furthermore, in the third embodiment described above, instead of (or in addition to) communication with the electric motorcycle 10B, communication may occur between the management server device 300B and the mobile terminal device 400 from which the electric motorcycle 10B has acquired information. In this case, the mobile terminal device 400 acquires replacement-related information and the like from the electric motorcycle 10B and transmits the acquired information to the management server device 300B. This allows the server communication unit 320 of the management server device 300B to acquire the replacement-related information and the like transmitted from the mobile terminal device 400 and estimate the nature of the malfunction using the method described above.

In the third embodiment, the management server device 300B may communicate with the detachable battery 100B, receive replacement-related information from the detachable battery 100B, and estimate the nature of the malfunction using the method described above. The malfunction estimation unit 355B of the management server device 300B may pre-set which of the electric motorcycle 10B, the portable terminal device 400, and the detachable battery 100B to communicate with, or may be set by the monitor P of the management server device 300B. The management server device 300B may also integrate replacement-related information received from multiple of the electric motorcycle 10B, the portable terminal device 400, and the detachable battery 100B to determine whether a battery should be replaced or estimate the nature of the malfunction.

As described above, in the third embodiment, the management server device 300B determines whether the electric motorcycle 10B is in proximity to the battery exchange device 220, for example, when the electric motorcycle 10B is powered off. If the electric motorcycle 10B is in proximity, the management server device 300B estimates the nature of the malfunction based on the state of the detachable battery 100B inside the electric motorcycle 10B when the power is on. Therefore, in addition to achieving the same effects as the first embodiment, the third embodiment can also estimate the nature (cause, reason) of some malfunctions based on the location information of the electric motorcycle 10B and the determination result of whether the detachable battery 100B has been replaced. For example, even if a user U arrives at the battery exchange station 200 and the electric motorcycle 10B is powered off, if the battery exchange device 220 is unusable due to a power outage or other reason, the user U may leave without replacing the detachable battery 100B. Therefore, in the third embodiment, when such behavior (operation) of the electric vehicle is predicted, the nature of the malfunction can be more accurately identified by determining that the malfunction is a power outage. Therefore, the battery exchange station 200 can be managed more appropriately, and maintenance and repair work on the battery exchange station 200 can be carried out efficiently.

Note that each of the first to third embodiments described above may be combined with part or all of the other embodiments. For example, the estimation results of the malfunction content estimation unit 355 in the second embodiment and the estimation results of the malfunction content estimation unit 355B in the third embodiment may be integrated to estimate the malfunction content. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, an example was described in which the removable battery 100 in the battery sharing service system is used in an electric power device such as a mobile object (e.g., an electric vehicle). However, in addition to this, the removable battery 100 may also be used in an electric power device such as a stationary battery discharger (e.g., a stationary battery power source, an external power supply) or a battery-powered electrical device (e.g., an outdoor floodlight, an outdoor lighting device). Furthermore, the removable battery 100 in the battery sharing service system may also be used in an electric power device such as a battery-powered work machine (e.g., a lawnmower, a tiller, a blower).

The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a hardware processor;
a storage device that stores a program,
The hardware processor reads and executes the program stored in the storage device,
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
identifying a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device based on a reception status of the information;
An information processing device configured to execute an information processing method including:

Furthermore, the above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
An information processing system including a plurality of electric power devices and an information processing device that manages the operating states of each of the electric power devices,
The information processing device includes:
a hardware processor;
a storage device that stores a program,
The hardware processor reads and executes the program stored in the storage device,
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
identifying a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device based on a reception status of the information;
An information processing system configured to execute an information processing method including:

Furthermore, the above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a plurality of charging devices that charge and supply power to power storage devices that are detachably attached to power equipment that moves using electric power;
a management device that is communicably connected to the charging device and manages an operating state of the charging device;
The management device
a hardware processor;
a storage device that stores a program,
The hardware processor reads and executes the program stored in the storage device,
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
identifying a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device based on a reception status of the information;
An energy storage device management system comprising: an information processing device configured to execute an information processing method including the steps of:

Furthermore, the above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a plurality of charging devices that charge and supply power to power storage devices that are detachably attached to power equipment that moves using electric power;
a management device that is communicably connected to the charging device and manages an operating state of the charging device;
The management device
a receiving unit that receives information from a plurality of charging devices that are provided so as to be capable of communicating information;
an identification unit that identifies a charging device among the plurality of charging devices that may have experienced a malfunction as a malfunctioning charging device based on a reception status of the information by the receiving unit;
an information processing device having
A power storage device management system comprising:

Furthermore, the above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a hardware processor;
a storage device that stores a program,
The hardware processor reads and executes the program stored in the storage device,
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
and analyzing the details of the malfunctions of the plurality of power devices,
storing, in a storage unit, operation information including information related to the operation of the power device when a malfunction occurs in the power device;
transmitting the operation information stored in the storage unit to the information processing device as operation information during the malfunction after the malfunction is resolved;
analyzing the details of the malfunction based on the received operation information during the malfunction transmitted from the power device;
An information processing device configured to execute an information processing method including:

In the above-described embodiment, a configuration was described in which an information processing device is applied to a management server device 300 that manages a battery exchange station 200 that receives and provides (provides) removable batteries 100 in a battery sharing service system (the information processing device is included in the management server device 300). However, the system to which the information processing device is applied is not limited to the battery sharing service system described above. In other words, the information processing device can be applied to a management device in any system as long as it is a management device that manages the operating status and operational status of a device installed in a remote location. In this case, the system, the device installed in a remote location, and the configuration, operation, and processing of the management device can be easily understood based on the above-described embodiment. Therefore, detailed descriptions of the system, the device installed in a remote location, and the configuration, operation, and processing of the management device when the information processing device is applied to another system will be omitted.

The above describes the form for implementing the present invention using embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

10, 10B... Electric two-wheeled vehicle 12, 225... Battery connection unit 14, 14B... Vehicle control unit 16... Traveling driving force output device 18... Vehicle sensor 20... HMI
22: GNSS receiver 24: vehicle communication unit 50, 50B: electric vehicle 100, 100B: detachable battery 110, 110B: BMU
120... Power storage unit 130... Measurement sensor 140... Memory unit 150... Connection unit 160... Battery communication unit 200, 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, 200-4, 200A... Battery exchange station 210... Station control device 211... Station communication unit 213... Charging/discharging control unit 215... Interface unit 217... Station information acquisition unit 219... Station memory unit 220, 220-a, 220-b, 220A... Battery exchange device 221, 221-a... Battery slot 227... Charger 230, 440... Display unit 232... Exchange device control unit 240... Exchange Device storage unit 300, 300A, 300B... management server device 310... station management unit 320... server communication unit 330... station identification unit 340, 340B... server storage unit 350... defect location estimation unit 355, 355B... defect content estimation unit 360... defect prediction unit 370... information output unit 400... mobile terminal device 410... terminal communication unit 420... terminal communication control unit 430... input unit 450... speaker 460... terminal position acquisition unit 470... application execution unit 480... output control unit 490... terminal storage unit NW... network T... terminal device PG... system AC power network PS... power supply

Claims (24)

a receiving unit that receives information from a plurality of power devices that are provided so as to be able to communicate information;
an identifying unit that identifies, as a malfunctioning power device, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction, based on a reception status of the information by the receiving unit ;
the electric power device is an exchange device that receives an electric storage device removed from another electric power device different from the electric power device and provides the other electric storage device stored in the electric power device;
the receiving unit receives exchange-related information including information indicating that the power storage device of the other power device has been exchanged with another power storage device, the exchange-related information being transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device attached to the other power device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device;
a second malfunction content estimation unit that estimates the content of the malfunction of the power device that is the exchange device based on the exchange-related information received by the receiving unit,
Information processing device. The identifying unit identifies, as the defective power device, a power device from which the receiving unit did not receive the information, among the plurality of power devices .
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The power supply system further includes a failure location estimation unit that estimates a geographical location or area where a failure may have occurred based on the identification information or geographical location information of the defective power device identified by the identification unit.
3. The information processing device according to claim 1. An output unit that outputs information about the power device is further provided.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the output unit outputs identification information or geographical location information of the defective power device when the identification unit identifies the defective power device.
The information processing device according to claim 4 . The output unit further outputs maintenance information to be used for maintenance and/or repair of the defective power device.
The information processing device according to claim 5 . the output unit outputs, when the identifying unit identifies the defective power device, identification information or geographical location information of the power devices other than the defective power device among the plurality of power devices.
7. The information processing device according to claim 4. a storage unit that stores failure information that associates the identification information or geographical location information of the defective power device identified by the identification unit with the identified time;
a prediction unit that predicts, based on the failure information stored in the storage unit, which electric power device among the plurality of electric power devices that is likely to experience a failure;
Further provided with
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The prediction unit further predicts a time when a malfunction is likely to occur based on the malfunction information.
The information processing device according to claim 8 . The prediction unit further predicts a geographical location or area where a malfunction may occur based on the malfunction information.
10. The information processing device according to claim 8 or claim 9. Each of the plurality of power devices includes a plurality of auxiliary power devices configured separately from one another,
the receiving unit receives sub information from each of the plurality of secondary power devices;
the identifying unit identifies the secondary power apparatus from which the receiving unit did not receive the secondary information as a malfunctioning secondary power apparatus in which a malfunction may have occurred.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Each of the plurality of power devices comprises:
a storage unit that stores operation information including information about the operation of the power device when the malfunction occurs;
a transmission unit that transmits the operation information stored in the storage unit to the information processing device as operation information during the malfunction after the malfunction is resolved,
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. a first malfunction content estimation unit that estimates a content of the malfunction of the power device based on the malfunction-period operation information transmitted from the transmission unit of the power device and received by the reception unit,
The information processing device according to claim 12. the malfunction is a malfunction in which the power device cannot transmit the information to the information processing device;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 . The power device is supplied with power from an external power source,
The malfunction is a malfunction in which the power device is not supplied with power from the external power source.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 14 . a receiving unit that receives information from a plurality of power devices that are provided so as to be able to communicate information;
an identification unit that identifies an electric power device that may have a malfunction among the plurality of electric power devices as a malfunctioning electric power device,
the electric power device is an exchange device that receives an electric storage device removed from another electric power device different from the electric power device and provides the other electric storage device being stored to the electric power device;
the information processing device further includes a determination unit that determines that the power storage device in the other power device has been replaced with another power storage device;
the receiving unit receives exchange-related information transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device, the exchange-related information including information indicating that the power storage device of the other power device has been exchanged with the other power storage device;
the determination unit determines that the power storage device in the other power device has been replaced with another power storage device based on the replacement-related information received by the receiving unit.
Information processing device. The determination unit
When identification information of the power storage device attached to the other power device, which was acquired when the power supply of the other power device was previously turned off, is different from identification information of the power storage device attached to the other power device, which was acquired when the power supply of the other power device was currently turned on, it is determined that the power storage device in the other power device has been replaced with the other power storage device.
The information processing device according to claim 16. The determination unit
When the amount of stored power of the power storage device attached to the other power device acquired when the power supply of the other power device was turned on this time increases by a predetermined amount or more compared to the amount of stored power of the power storage device attached to the other power device acquired when the power supply of the other power device was turned off last time, the determination is made that the power storage device in the other power device has been replaced with the other power storage device.
The information processing device according to claim 16. An information processing system including a plurality of power devices that are provided to be able to communicate information, and an information processing device that manages the operating states of each of the power devices,
The information processing device includes:
a receiving unit that receives information from a plurality of power devices;
an identifying unit that identifies, as a malfunctioning power device, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction, based on a reception status of the information by the receiving unit ;
the electric power device is an exchange device that receives an electric storage device removed from another electric power device different from the electric power device and provides the other electric storage device stored in the electric power device;
the receiving unit receives exchange-related information including information indicating that the power storage device of the other power device has been exchanged with another power storage device, the exchange-related information being transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device attached to the other power device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device;
a second malfunction content estimation unit that estimates the content of the malfunction of the power device that is the exchange device based on the exchange-related information received by the receiving unit,
Information processing system. The computer of the information processing device
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
and identifying, as a malfunctioning power device, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction, based on a reception status of the information ;
the electric power device is an exchange device that receives an electric storage device removed from another electric power device different from the electric power device and provides the other electric storage device stored in the electric power device;
receiving exchange-related information including information indicating that the power storage device of the other power device has been exchanged with another power storage device, the exchange-related information being transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device attached to the other power device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device;
and estimating the content of the malfunction of the power device that is the replacement device based on the received replacement-related information.
Information processing methods. The computer of the information processing device
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
and identifying a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device,
the electric power device is an exchange device that receives an electric storage device removed from another electric power device different from the electric power device and provides the other electric storage device stored in the electric power device;
The computer of the information processing device
determining that the power storage device in the other power device has been replaced with another power storage device;
receiving exchange-related information transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device, the exchange-related information including information indicating that the power storage device of the other power device has been exchanged with another power storage device;
and determining, based on the received exchange-related information, that the power storage device in the other power device has been exchanged for another power storage device.
Information processing methods. The computer of the information processing device
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
and identifying, as a malfunctioning power device, a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction based on a reception status of the information;
the electric power device is an exchange device that receives an electric storage device removed from another electric power device different from the electric power device and provides the other electric storage device stored in the electric power device;
receiving exchange-related information including information indicating that the power storage device of the other power device has been exchanged with another power storage device, the exchange-related information being transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device attached to the other power device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device;
and further executing a step of estimating the content of the malfunction of the power device that is the replacement device based on the received replacement-related information.
program . The computer of the information processing device
receiving information from a plurality of power devices communicatively arranged;
identifying a power device among the plurality of power devices that may have experienced a malfunction as a malfunctioning power device;
the electric power device is an exchange device that receives an electric storage device removed from another electric power device different from the electric power device and provides the other electric storage device stored in the electric power device;
The computer of the information processing device
determining that the power storage device in the other power device has been replaced with another power storage device;
receiving exchange-related information transmitted from the other power device, the other power storage device, or a terminal device carried by a user of the other power device, the exchange-related information including information indicating that the power storage device of the other power device has been exchanged with another power storage device;
and determining, based on the received exchange-related information, that the power storage device in the other power device has been exchanged for another power storage device.
program . A storage medium storing the program according to claim 22 or 23 .