US-12620839-B2 - System for promoting lending or borrowing of portable electric power supply

US12620839B2US 12620839 B2US12620839 B2US 12620839B2US-12620839-B2

Abstract

A system for promoting lending and borrowing of portable electrical energy storage devices is provided. The system acquires status information indicating an amount of stored electrical energy of the portable electrical energy storage devices and position information indicating a geographic position of it. The system extracts, from a user database, position information or a communication address of a portable electrical energy storage device of which stored electrical energy is sufficient on the basis of the status information, and extracts, from the user database, a communication address of a user of a portable electrical energy storage device of which stored electrical energy is insufficient on the basis of the status information, and transmits information including extracted position information or a extracted communication address.

Inventors

Ryo Oshima
Sho TAKADA
Nobuyuki Sasaki
Mitsuhiro Ito
Mio Oshima
Yoshihiro Matsunaga

Assignees

HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20200915
Priority Date: 20180320

Claims (12)

1 . A system comprising: a server device; and a plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices, wherein the server device includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire status information indicating an electrical energy storage status of each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices and position information indicating a geographic position of each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; a user database configured to associate the status information and the position information acquired by the acquisition unit with a communication address and store the status information, the position information and the communication address; a first extraction unit configured to extract, from the user database, a first position information as the position information or a first communication address associated with a first position information as the communication address of a first portable electrical energy storage device which is a portable electrical energy storage device having an insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information among the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; a second extraction unit configured to extract, from the user database, a second communication address as the communication address of a second portable electrical energy storage device which is a portable electrical energy storage device having a non-insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information among the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; and a transmission unit configured to transmit insufficiency information including the first position information or the first communication address associated with the first position information extracted by the first extraction unit to the second communication address extracted by the second extraction unit; wherein each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices includes: a communication unit configured to communicate with the server device; an electrical energy storing unit; a measuring unit configured to measure an amount of stored electrical energy of the electrical energy storing unit; and a positioning unit configured to find a geographic position, wherein the communication unit is further configured to transmit, to the server device, the status information indicating the amount of stored electrical energy measured by the measuring unit as the electrical energy storage status and the position information indicating the geographic position found by the positioning unit, and wherein the insufficiency information transmitted to the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device includes the first position information or the first communication address of the first portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device which makes a pair with the first portable electrical energy storage device and other first position information or other first communication address of other first portable electrical energy storage device extracted by the first extraction unit which is not to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the other first portable electrical energy storage device is different from the first portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device to which the insufficiency information is transmitted includes the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for supplying the electrical energy to the first portable electrical energy storage device which makes a pair with the second portable electrical energy storage device and other second communication address of other second portable electrical energy storage device extracted by the second extraction unit which is not to be used for supplying the electrical energy to the first portable electrical energy storage device.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second extraction unit preferentially extracts a second position information as the position information or the second communication address associated with the second position information of the second portable electrical energy storage device located at a position close to a position indicated by the first position information on the basis of the first position information associated with the first position information extracted by the first extraction unit and the second position information.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second extraction unit preferentially extracts position information or a communication address associated with a position information of a portable electrical energy storage device having a high amount of the stored electrical energy on the basis of status information of the portable electrical energy storage device.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a third extraction unit configured to extract, from the user database, a third communication address as the communication address of a third portable electrical energy storage device having an insufficient amount of the stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information; a query unit configured to transmit a query message to the third communication address for inquiring as to whether or not supply of power received from another portable electrical energy storage device is desired by the third portable electrical energy storage device; a reception unit configured to receive a response to the query message; and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the supply of power from the another portable electrical energy storage device is desired by the third portable electrical energy storage device on the basis of the response; wherein the transmission unit transmits, when the determining unit determines that the supply of power from the another portable electrical energy storage device is desired by the third portable electrical energy storage device, insufficiency information including a third position information as the position information of the third portable electrical energy storage device or the third communication address associated with a third position information to the second communication address extracted by the second extraction unit.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second extraction unit preferentially extracts a second position information as the position information of the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the second further comprises: a query unit configured to transmit a query message to the second communication address associated with the second position information extracted by the second extraction unit for inquiring as to whether or not supply of power to the first portable electrical energy storage device is desired by the second portable electrical energy storage device, a reception unit configured to receive a response to the query message, and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the supply of power to the first portable electrical energy storage device is desired by the second portable electrical energy storage device on the basis of the response; wherein the first extraction unit extracts, from the user database, the first position information or the first communication address associated with the first position information in a case in which the supply of power to the first portable electrical energy storage device is desired by the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the transmission unit transmits the insufficiency information including the first position information or the first communication address associated with the first position information to the second communication address.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the insufficiency information includes desire-to-borrow information.
7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the insufficiency information includes information indicating that the first portable electrical energy storage device has an insufficient amount of stored electrical energy.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein a display of the second portable electrical energy storage device or a display of a communication terminal connected to the server via a network displays the first position information or the first communication address of the first portable electrical energy storage device and the other first position information or the other first communication address of the other first portable electrical energy storage device.
9 . A portable electrical energy storage device, comprising: a communication unit configured to communicate with a server device; an electrical energy storing unit; a measuring unit configured to measure an amount of stored electrical energy of the electrical energy storing unit; and a positioning unit configured to find a geographic position, wherein the communication unit transmits, to the server device, status information indicating the amount of stored electrical energy measured by the measuring unit and position information indicating the geographic position found by the positioning unit, and the status information causes the server device to: extract, from a user database of the server device, a first position information or a first communication address associated with a first position information of a first portable electrical energy storage device having an insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information among a plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; extract, from the user database, a second communication address of a second portable electrical energy storage device having a non-insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information among the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; and transmit insufficiency information including the first position information or the first communication address associated with the first position information extracted by server device to the second communication address extracted by the server device, wherein the insufficiency information transmitted to the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device includes the first position information or the first communication address of the first portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device which makes a pair with the first portable electrical energy storage device and other first position information or other first communication address of other first portable electrical energy storage device which is not to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the other first portable electrical energy storage device is different from the first portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device to which the insufficiency information is transmitted includes the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for supplying the electrical energy to the first portable electrical energy storage device which makes a pair with the second portable electrical energy storage device and other second communication address of other second portable electrical energy storage device which is not to be used for supplying the electrical energy to the first portable electrical energy storage device.
10 . The portable electrical energy storage device according to claim 9 , wherein the communication unit transmits the status information indicating the amount of stored electrical energy of the portable electrical energy storage device and the position information indicating the geographic position via a communication terminal connected to the server device.
11 . The portable electrical energy storage device according to claim 9 , wherein the portable electrical energy storage device is carried by a human user with a hand, and the portable electrical energy storage device comprises a power outlet configured to supply electrical energy of the electrical energy storing unit to an external electric device connecting with the power outlet.
12 . A system for promoting lending and borrowing of portable electrical energy storage devices, the system comprising: a server; and a plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices, wherein the server includes: one or more processors configured to acquire status information indicating an amount of stored electrical energy of each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices and position information indicating a geographic position of each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; a user database configured to associate the status information and the position information acquired by the one or more processors with a communication address and store the status information, the position information and the communication address; and a first communication circuitry connected to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: extract, from the user database, a first position information as the position information or a first communication address associated with a first position information as the communication address of a first portable electrical energy storage device which is a portable electrical energy storage device having an insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information among the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; extract, from the user database, a second communication address as the communication address of a second portable electrical energy storage device which is a portable electrical energy storage device having a non-insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information among the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; and the first communication circuitry is configured to transmit insufficiency information including the first position information or the first communication address associated with the first position information extracted by the one or more processors to the second communication address extracted by the one or more processors, and each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices includes: a second communication circuitry configured to communicate with the server; an electrical energy storing unit; a sensor configured to sense an amount of stored electrical energy of the electrical energy storing unit; and a positioning circuitry configured to find a geographic position, wherein the second communication circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the server, the status information indicating the amount of stored electrical energy sensed by the sensor and the position information indicating the geographic position found by the positioning circuitry, and wherein the insufficiency information transmitted to the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device includes the first position information or the first communication address of the first portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device which makes a pair with the first portable electrical energy storage device and other first position information or other first communication address of other first portable electrical energy storage device extracted by the one or more processors which is not to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the other first portable electrical energy storage device is different from the first portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for receiving the electrical energy from the second portable electrical energy storage device, and the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device to which the insufficiency information is transmitted includes the second communication address of the second portable electrical energy storage device which is to be used for supplying the electrical energy to the first portable electrical energy storage device which makes a pair with the second portable electrical energy storage device and other second communication address of other second portable electrical energy storage device extracted by the one or more processors which is not to be used for supplying the electrical energy to the first portable electrical energy storage device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2018/044961 filed on Dec. 6, 2018, which claims priority to and the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-052598 filed on Mar. 20, 2018, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable electrical energy storage device, a server device, and a system for promoting the lending and borrowing of portable electrical energy storage devices. Description of the Related Art PTL 1 describes a system of guiding an electric vehicle installed with an electric vehicle battery to a charging facility with a low power price. The number of electric vehicles and charging facilities are expected to increase in the coming years. CITATION LIST Patent Literature PTL 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-128871 Electric vehicles can be used to supply power from the electric vehicle battery to an external home appliance. Also, portable storage batteries are becoming more common. In recent years, in the U.S. for example, the number of camp lovers who take portable power generators and portable storage batteries to camping grounds to use home appliances is increasing. However, when the fuel for the engine runs out or the charge amount runs low, the camp lovers cannot use the home appliances. At camping grounds, many camp lovers gather. Thus, if the portable storage battery of one camp lover is unable to supply power, the portable storage battery of another camp lover may be able to supply power. Also, the use of portable storage batteries as a power source for stalls is expected to become more common. When the charge of a portable storage battery for a stall runs low, the stall operator may wish for other users to charge the battery using their portable storage battery. In this way, as portable storage batteries become more common, the demand for the lending and borrowing of portable storage batteries between users will also increase. A user that supplies power to another user using the remaining power in their own portable storage battery may wish for remuneration. Also, the other user may be willing to pay a price for receiving the supply of power. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, for example, a system is provided which includes a server device; and a plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices, wherein the server device includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire status information indicating an amount of stored electrical energy of each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices and position information indicating a geographic position of each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices; a user database configured to associate the status information and the position information acquired by the acquisition unit with a communication address of a user and storing the status information and the position information; a first extraction unit configured to extract, from the user database, position information or a communication address of a portable electrical energy storage device with an insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information; a second extraction unit configured to extract, from the user database, a communication address of a user of a portable electrical energy storage device not having an insufficient amount of stored electrical energy on the basis of the status information; and a transmission unit configured to transmit insufficiency information including position information or a communication address extracted by the first extraction unit to a communication address extracted by the second extraction unit; and each one of the plurality of portable electrical energy storage devices includes: a communication unit configured to communicate with the server device; an electrical energy storing unit; a measuring unit configured to measure an amount of stored electrical energy of the electrical energy storing unit; and a positioning unit configured to find a geographic position, wherein the communication unit is further configured to transmit, to the server device, status information indicating an amount of stored electrical energy measured by the measuring unit and position information indicating a position found by the positioning unit. Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electrical energy storage device lending system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portable electrical energy storage device. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a portable electrical energy storage device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a control circuit of a portable electrical energy stor