Granted Patent B2

US 12,472,842 · App. 17/762,286 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: Shinya Nishikawa (Osaka, JP); Takashi Iida (Hyogo, JP); Changhui Yang (Osaka, JP); Masaharu Amaike (Osaka, JP)

Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.

B60L58/16B60L53/80B60L58/12B60L58/18

Abstract

Claims (54)

1 . An information processing method executed by a computer, the method comprising:

(i) acquiring a total weight of an electric mobile body for a given number of batteries, the total weight including a weight of the given number of batteries to be used in the mobile body;

(ii) acquiring an amount of power consumption of the mobile body for the given number of batteries;

(iii) calculating a degradation cost for the given number of batteries, the degradation cost gradually decreasing as a number of batteries increases;

(iv) calculating a charging cost for the given number of the numbers of the one or more batteries, the charging cost being calculated based on the total weight, the charging cost being an estimated value representing a cost required for charging the electric mobile body and increasing gradually as the given number of the batteries increases;

(v) calculating a total cost for the given number of batteries in accordance with the degradation cost and the charging cost acquired for the given number of batteries;

repeating (i) to (v) by changing the given number of batteries by one from a minimum number of batteries up to a maximum number of batteries that the mobile body is able to mount, the minimum number of batteries being the smallest number of batteries of which a total battery capacity is able to cover the amount of power consumption; and

determining a number of batteries to be mounted on the mobile body as a number of batteries which minimizes the total cost, in accordance with the degradation cost and the charging cost such that a total cost, and outputting the number of batteries to be mounted,

wherein the method further comprises:

correcting a degradation cost calculation information stored in a memory, according to the number of batteries or to a set of the number of batteries and a loading amount, and

in (iii), the degradation cost is calculated by reading the degradation cost calculation information corresponding to the given number of batteries, from the memory, and referring to the read degradation cost calculation information.

2 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising acquiring a planned moving distance of the mobile body,

wherein in acquiring the amount of power consumption, the amount of power consumption is acquired by calculating the amount of power consumption for each of numbers of the one or more batteries, from the planned moving distance and the total weight.

3 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising acquiring a traveling history of the mobile body,

wherein in acquiring the amount of power consumption, the amount of power consumption corresponding to a planned moving distance of the mobile body is acquired for each of numbers of the one or more batteries, from the traveling history.

4 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein in calculating the degradation cost, a remaining capacity of batteries is acquired for each of numbers of the one or more batteries, and the degradation cost is calculated based on a total of the remaining capacities for each of the numbers of the one or more batteries and on the amount of power consumption.

5 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein in calculating the degradation cost, the degradation cost is calculated for each of numbers of the one or more batteries, based on a current flowing through each of one or more batteries.

6 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein in determining the number of batteries to be mounted, the number of batteries to be mounted is determined according to a total of the degradation cost and the charging cost.

7 . The information processing method according to claim 2 , wherein in acquiring the planned moving distance, the planned moving distance is acquired based on user input.

8 . The information processing method according to claim 2 , wherein in acquiring the planned moving distance, a moving distance that is calculated based on a vehicle allocation plan to allocate the mobile body is acquired.

9 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

acquiring traveling history information of the mobile body, the traveling history information comprising a past moving distance, a number of batteries mounted for traveling the past moving distance, a load-carrying amount, for traveling the past moving distance and an amount of power consumption for traveling the past moving distance; and

creating a power amount information table by using a machine learning model that is trained by a machine learning process using the number of batteries mounted for traveling the past moving distance, the load-carrying amount for traveling the past moving distance, and the past moving distance extracted from the traveling history information, as training data and the amount of power consumption extracted from the traveling history information, as reference data, and

in (iii), the degradation cost is calculated by using the power amount information table and based on the given number of batteries.

10 . The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

acquiring a number of the batteries actually mounted on the electric mobile body from a battery management device;

determining whether the acquired number of batteries is different from the determined number of batteries;

displaying a notification recommending a change in the number of batteries on a display device when determining that the acquired number of batteries is different from the determined number of batteries.

11 . An information processing device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an information processing program, the information processing program, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform:

(i) acquiring a total weight of an electric mobile body for a given number of batteries, the total weight including a weight of the given number of batteries to be used in the mobile body;

(ii) acquiring an amount of power consumption for the given number of batteries;

(iii) acquiring a degradation cost of batteries for the given number of batteries, based on the amount of power consumption and on the given number of batteries, the degradation cost gradually decreasing as a number of batteries increases;

(iv) calculating a charging cost for the given number of batteries, based on the total weight, the charging cost being an estimated value representing a cost required for charging the electric mobile body and increasing gradually as the given number of the batteries increases;

(v) calculating a total cost for the given number of batteries in accordance with the degradation cost and the charging cost acquired for the given number of batteries;

repeating (i) to (v) by changing the given number of batteries from a minimum number of batteries up to a maximum number of batteries that the mobile body is able to mount, the minimum number of batteries being the smallest number of batteries of which a total battery capacity is able to cover the amount of power consumption;

determining a number of batteries to be mounted on the mobile body as a number of batteries which minimizes the total cost; and

outputting the number of batteries to be mounted,

wherein the processor further performs:

correcting a degradation cost calculation information stored in a memory, according to the number of batteries or to a set of the number of batteries and a loading amount, and

in (iii), the degradation cost is calculated by reading the degradation cost calculation information corresponding to the given number of batteries, from the memory, and referring to the read degradation cost calculation information.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores an information processing program causing a computer to perform:

(i) acquiring a total weight of an electric mobile body for a given number of batteries, the total weight including a weight of the given number of batteries to be used in the mobile body;

(ii) acquiring an amount of power consumption for the given number of batteries;

(iii) acquiring a degradation cost of batteries for the given number of batteries, based on the amount of power consumption and on the given number of batteries, the degradation cost gradually decreasing as a number of batteries increases;

(iv) calculating a charging cost for the given number of batteries, based on the total weight, the charging cost being an estimated value representing a cost required for charging the electric mobile body and increasing gradually as the given number of the batteries increases;

(v) calculating a total cost for the given number of batteries in accordance with the degradation cost and the charging cost acquired for the given number of batteries;

repeating (i) to (v) by changing the given number of batteries by one from a minimum number of batteries up to a maximum number of batteries that the mobile body is able to mount, the minimum number of batteries being the smallest number of batteries of which a total battery capacity is able to cover the amount of power consumption;

determining a number of batteries to be mounted on the mobile body as a number of batteries which minimizes the total cost; and

outputting the number of batteries to be mounted,

wherein the computer further performs:

correcting a degradation cost calculation information stored in a memory, according to the number of batteries or to a set of the number of batteries and a loading amount, and

in (iii), the degradation cost is calculated by reading the degradation cost calculation information corresponding to the given number of batteries, from the memory, and referring to the read degradation cost calculation information.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (24)