Electronic device for performing battery cell balancing method and control method thereof

AU2025312259A1Pending Publication Date: 2026-08-06LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
AU · AU
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
Filing Date
2025-07-30
Publication Date
2026-08-06

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing battery cell balancing technologies struggle to accurately manage State of Charge (SoC) deviations within battery racks, leading to risks of overcharge/overdischarge, thermal runaway, and reduced energy efficiency.

Method used

An electronic device and method that measures SoC of battery cells and modules, identifies targets for balancing, and performs frequency-specific balancing to maintain uniform SoC across battery racks and modules, using a processor to determine reference modules and cells for balancing.

Benefits of technology

Ensures uniform SoC management across battery racks and modules, preventing overcharge/overdischarge and thermal risks, while maximizing energy efficiency and stability.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Disclosed are an electronic device for performing a battery cell balancing method and a control method thereof, the electronic device comprising: an information acquisition interface for acquiring voltages of a plurality of battery cells inside a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack; a memory for storing instructions; and a processor connected to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to measure the voltages of the plurality of battery cells inside the plurality of battery modules included in the battery rack in an idle state, measure SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state on the basis of the voltages, measure the SoCs of the plurality of battery modules in the idle state on the basis of the SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state, determine first battery modules to be subjected to first balancing from among the plurality of battery modules, and perform first balancing between the first battery modules.
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Description

Electronic device for performing a method of balancing battery cells and a method of controlling the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device for performing a method of balancing a battery cell and a method of controlling the same.

[0002] Battery balancing technology refers to a technology that manages and maintains the SoC deviation of battery cells within a battery rack to minimize the risk of batteries being in a safe, efficient, and long-lasting state.

[0003] In particular, balancing battery cells within the same battery rack can prevent overcharge / overdischarge of battery cells, reduce the risk of thermal runaway, maximize energy efficiency, and ensure stable voltage output.

[0004] The most commonly used battery cell balancing technology focuses on the process of measuring the voltage of battery cells within a battery rack, extracting the SoC in the resting state, and selecting cells with a large deviation compared to the cell with the minimum SoC to adjust the SoC deviation of all cells to a certain level. Recently, much research has been conducted on more advanced cell balancing technology.

[0005] The disclosed embodiments aim to increase the accuracy of battery diagnosis by identifying the consumed capacity due to balancing by SoC section of multiple batteries and determining a compensation voltage considering the consumed capacity when detecting a micro-short circuit inside the battery.

[0006] The technical task to be achieved by this embodiment is not limited to the technical task described above, and other technical tasks can be inferred from the following embodiments.

[0007] An electronic device for performing a method of balancing battery cells according to one embodiment includes an information acquisition interface for acquiring voltages of a plurality of battery cells inside a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack; a memory for storing commands; and a processor connected to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to measure voltages of a plurality of battery cells inside a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack in an idle state, measure SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state based on the voltages, measure SoCs of the plurality of battery modules in the idle state based on the SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state, determine first battery modules to be targets of first balancing among the plurality of battery modules, and perform first balancing between the first battery modules.

[0008] The processor may be configured to determine battery modules having an SoC higher than the SoC of a reference battery module that serves as a criterion for the first balancing within a predefined first deviation as the first battery modules.

[0009] The processor may be configured to determine a reference battery module among the plurality of battery modules as a reference for the first balancing, and to perform the first balancing at a first frequency until a difference between the SoC of the first battery modules and the SoC of the reference battery module becomes within a predefined second deviation.

[0010] The processor may be configured to determine reference battery cells that serve as a reference for the second balancing among the battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules, determine battery cells having an SoC higher than the SoC of the reference battery cells that serve as a reference for the second balancing within a predefined third deviation as first battery cells, and perform the second balancing at a second frequency until the difference between the SoC of the first battery cells and the SoC of the reference battery cells becomes within a predefined fourth deviation.

[0011] The first frequency may have a value greater than a second frequency for performing second balancing between the plurality of battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules.

[0012] The first deviation in the first balancing may be different from the third deviation in the second balancing.

[0013] The processor may be configured to measure the SoC of the plurality of battery modules in the idle state based on an average of the SoCs of the plurality of battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules in the idle state.

[0014] The processor may be configured to determine battery cells having the lowest SoC among the battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules as the reference battery cells.

[0015] A method for balancing battery cells performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment may include: measuring voltages of a plurality of battery cells within a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack in an idle state; measuring SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state based on the voltages, and measuring SoCs of the plurality of battery modules in the idle state based on the SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state; determining first battery modules to be targets of first balancing among the plurality of battery modules; and performing first balancing among the first battery modules.

[0016] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0017] According to the proposed embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be expected.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present specification, the SoC between battery modules existing within a battery rack can be maintained uniformly, so that even if a specific battery module is replaced due to a defect, it is possible to manage it in an integrated manner with the battery modules existing within the battery rack.

[0019] In addition, according to the embodiment of the present specification, balancing can be performed on battery cells within a battery module after balancing between battery modules, so that battery cells within the same battery module can be managed uniformly.

[0020] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates the interlocking relationships of electronic devices performing a method for balancing battery cells according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the relationship between a battery rack, a battery module, and a battery cell according to one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIGS. 4A and 4B are drawings for explaining the concept of balancing a battery cell according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for balancing battery cells according to one embodiment.

[0026] The terms used in the embodiments have been selected from widely used and common terms, taking into account the functions of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present disclosure.

[0027] When a part of a specification is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise stated.

[0028] The expression "at least one of a, b, and c" described throughout the specification may encompass 'a alone', 'b alone', 'c alone', 'a and b', 'a and c', 'b and c', or 'all of a, b, and c'.

[0029] The "terminal" mentioned below may be implemented as a computer or portable terminal that can connect to a server or other terminal via a network. Here, the computer includes, for example, a notebook, desktop, laptop, etc. equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal may include, for example, a wireless communication device that guarantees portability and mobility, and may include all types of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as communication-based terminals such as IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), smartphones, tablet PCs, etc.

[0030] Below, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates the interlocking relationships of electronic devices performing a method for balancing battery cells according to one embodiment.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device (100) may operate in conjunction with a battery management device (200) that manages a battery (300). At this time, the battery (300) may include a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells, which are the smallest battery units that store and release electrical energy through chemical reactions, are assembled to provide a higher voltage and capacity than a single cell, and a battery rack in which a plurality of battery modules are assembled to form a complete battery system. Meanwhile, FIG. 1 only illustrates components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment will understand that other general-purpose components may be further included in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0034] The electronic device (100) is a device that configures and provides various information. The electronic device (100) can obtain information related to battery cells included in the battery (300). The electronic device (100) can provide a balancing function between battery modules and a balancing function for battery cells within a battery module. Battery balancing can include first balancing, which equalizes charge and discharge capacities between battery modules, and second balancing, which equalizes charge and discharge capacities between individual battery cells within a battery module to ensure optimal performance, lifespan, and safety. The electronic device (100) can provide a passive balancing function to prevent overcharging and overdischarging of battery cells due to changes in the capacity and voltage of battery cells that occur due to differences in manufacturing properties, aging, or operating conditions of battery cells that constitute battery modules included in a battery rack. Passive balancing can correspond to a process of dissipating excess energy as heat by connecting a resistor to each battery cell. In one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may correspond to a server, an analysis device, or a charging device that receives parameters related to a battery (300) from a battery management device (200) present inside a vehicle and instructs the battery management device (200) to perform a method for balancing battery cells according to the present disclosure. The electronic device (100) may receive parameters related to the battery (300) from the battery management device (200) and measure voltages of a plurality of battery cells within a plurality of battery modules included in the battery (300) in an idle state. The electronic device (100) may be configured to measure SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in an idle state based on the voltages, determine first battery modules to be subject to first balancing among the plurality of battery modules, and then perform first balancing between the first battery modules through the battery management device (200).The electronic device (100) may be configured to additionally perform second balancing through the battery management device (200) for a plurality of battery cells within a plurality of battery modules, and the entire process of performing the first balancing and the second balancing will be described in detail below.

[0035] The battery management device (200) may include one or more sensors for measuring parameters such as current, voltage, initial SoC, internal resistance, and internal temperature of the battery (300), and may include a memory and a processor (not shown) for various operations. That is, the battery management device (200) operates based on a memory and a processor similar to the electronic device (100), but additionally includes a sensor to measure and calculate the parameters of the battery (300). In addition, the battery management device (200) may similarly perform the overall calculations and simulations performed by the electronic device (100), as briefly described above.

[0036] Here, the electronic device (100) and the battery management device (200) may be completely separate and independent entities, but may also exist conceptually separated within a single device or system. That is, the electronic device (100) may exist in combination with the battery management device (200) within a single vehicle system, depending on the embodiment, and may control balancing between battery modules within a battery rack included in an internal battery (300) of the vehicle, and may also control balancing between battery cells within the battery module. That is, a single computing device having a control function for a battery may perform all of the functions of the electronic device (100) and the battery management device (200) described below, and therefore, such an embodiment is also considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the relationship between a battery rack, a battery module, and a battery cell according to one embodiment.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 2, a connection relationship between a battery rack (210), a plurality of battery modules (220), and a plurality of battery cells (230) included in a battery according to an embodiment can be confirmed. The battery rack (210) according to an embodiment may include a plurality of battery modules (220). In an embodiment, each of the plurality of battery modules (220) included in the battery rack (210) may be connected in series, and each of the plurality of battery cells (230) included in the plurality of battery modules (220) may be connected in series. In other words, the battery examined in FIG. 1 may be hierarchically configured starting from battery cells, which are basic units for storing and releasing electrical energy. The plurality of battery cells (230) may be grouped together to form a plurality of battery modules (220) that provide a higher voltage and capacity than a single battery cell can store and release on its own. A plurality of battery modules (220) can be assembled into a battery rack (210), and the battery rack (210) can serve as a framework that accommodates and configures the plurality of battery modules (220) to provide appropriate electrical connections and structural support. The following description of the battery module (220) is equally applicable to a battery pack formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells.

[0039] The electronic device (100) and the battery management device (200) illustrated in FIG. 1 can communicate with each of the plurality of battery cells (230), monitor the current, voltage, and temperature of the plurality of battery cells (230), and calculate the SoC (status of charge) of the plurality of battery cells (230) and control charging and discharging based on the monitoring results. The electronic device (100) and the battery management device (200) can perform a first balancing function corresponding to a passive balancing method that consumes energy of other battery modules based on a battery module having the lowest SoC among the plurality of battery modules (220) included in the battery rack (210). The electronic device (100) and the battery management device (200) can perform a first balancing function corresponding to a passive balancing method that consumes energy of other battery cells in other identical battery modules based on a battery cell having the lowest SoC among the plurality of battery cells (230) included in each of the plurality of battery modules (220).

[0040] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device (100) according to an embodiment may include a memory (101) and a processor (102). The electronic device (100) illustrated in FIG. 3 only illustrates components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment that other general components may be included in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0042] An information acquisition interface (101) according to an embodiment can acquire time-series data on the voltages of each of a plurality of battery modules and a plurality of battery cells included in a battery. For example, the information acquisition interface (101) can acquire voltage values ​​of each battery module or battery cell at specific time intervals and acquire time-series data on the voltage values. That is, the time-series data can be a set of voltage values ​​acquired at multiple points in time. In addition to the voltage of the battery module or battery cell, the information acquisition interface (101) can also acquire data such as current, temperature, and SOC (State-Of-Charge). When the electronic device (100) that performs a method for diagnosing a battery cell is a battery management system (BMS) of the battery, the information acquisition interface (101) can be a component that directly measures the battery voltage, for example, a voltage sensor. In addition, the information acquisition interface (101) may be a communication interface that receives voltage information measured from a component (e.g., a voltage sensor of a battery) that measures the voltage of a battery pack when the electronic device (100) corresponds to a vehicle OBD (on-board diagnostics device), a server, a cloud BMS, or a charger / discharger. The processor (103) may analyze time-series data acquired from the information acquisition interface (101) to diagnose the status of each battery cell. Unless otherwise specified, the processor (103) in the present disclosure may refer to a set of one or more processors.

[0043] According to an embodiment, the memory (102) is hardware that stores various data processed within the electronic device (100). The memory (102) is located within the processor (103) of the electronic device (100) and can store data processed and data to be processed through the processor (103). In addition, the memory can store basic programming and data structures that can provide functions of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, as well as applications (programs, code modules, instructions), drivers, etc. that can provide functions of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory may include random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM, Blu-ray or other optical disk storage, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory, but is not limited to the specific cases mentioned in the embodiments according to the present disclosure.

[0044] In one embodiment, the processor (103) may control the overall operation of the electronic device (100) and process data and signals. The processor (103) may be composed of at least one hardware unit. In addition, the processor (103) may operate by one or more software modules generated by executing program codes stored in the memory (101). The processor (103) may include the memory (101), and the processor (103) may control the overall operation of the electronic device (100) and process data and signals by executing the program codes stored in the memory (101). That is, the processor (103) according to one embodiment may be configured to measure voltages of a plurality of battery cells within a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack in an idle state, measure SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state based on the voltages, measure SoCs of the plurality of battery modules in the idle state based on the SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in the idle state, determine first battery modules to be targets of first balancing among the plurality of battery modules, and perform first balancing between the first battery modules. In addition, the electronic device (100) may be configured to additionally perform second balancing on a plurality of battery cells within the plurality of battery modules, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 below.

[0045] The electronic device (100) according to the above-described embodiments may include a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a user interface device such as a touch panel, a key, a button, etc. Methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable codes or program commands executable on the processor. Here, the computer-readable recording medium includes a magnetic storage medium (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and an optical reading medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD: Digital Versatile Disc)). The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed to computer systems connected to a network, so that the computer-readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium may be readable by a computer, stored in a memory, and executed by a processor.

[0046] FIGS. 4A and 4B are drawings for explaining the concept of balancing a battery cell according to one embodiment.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 4A, an electronic device (100) according to an embodiment may measure the voltage of a plurality of battery cells included in a battery rack in an idle state in step S410-1. The electronic device (100) according to an embodiment may measure the voltage of the battery cells in an idle state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed so that the voltage can reach an equilibrium state in which the voltage is stabilized after charging or discharging of the battery cells. The voltage of the battery cells in the idle state may correspond to the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery cells.

[0048] An electronic device (100) according to an embodiment can measure the SoC of a battery cell in a resting state in step S420-1. An electronic device (100) according to an embodiment can measure the SoC of a battery cell in a resting state based on the relationship between the open circuit voltage and the SoC of the battery cell in the resting state.

[0049] In one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may select a battery cell having an SoC within a specific deviation compared to the SoC of a battery cell having a minimum SoC in step S430-1. The electronic device (100) may identify a battery cell having a minimum SoC among all battery cells included in a battery rack, and select a battery cell having a high SoC within a specific deviation. For example, if the SoC of a battery cell having a minimum SoC among all battery cells included in a battery rack is 70V, the electronic device (100) may select a battery cell having an SoC of 70% or more and 73.5% or less, which has a high SoC within a specific deviation of 5%. Even for battery cells in the same battery rack, a difference in SoC may occur within a specific deviation due to differences in physical properties and deterioration during battery cell manufacturing, and thus a battery cell having a high SoC within the specific deviation may be determined as a target battery cell for balancing.

[0050] An electronic device (100) according to an embodiment may perform balancing to adjust the SoC deviation of a plurality of battery cells included in a battery rack to a certain level in step S440-1. In this case, the balancing may correspond to manual balancing, and may perform balancing to adjust the SoC deviation of a plurality of battery cells included in the battery rack to a certain level by identifying a battery cell having a minimum SoC among all battery cells included in the battery rack as examined above, and connecting a resistance component to each battery cell having a high SoC within a certain deviation to consume the SoC.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 4B, an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment can measure voltages of a plurality of battery cells within a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack in an idle state in step S410-2. The electronic device (100) can measure open circuit voltages of a plurality of battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules in an idle state.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the electronic device (100) may measure the SoC of a plurality of battery cells in an idle state in step S420-2, and may measure the SoC of a plurality of battery modules in an idle state based on the SoC of the plurality of battery cells in an idle state. For example, the electronic device (100) may measure the SoC of each of the plurality of battery modules in an idle state based on an average of the SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in an idle state included in each of the plurality of battery modules in an idle state.

[0053] According to an embodiment, an electronic device (100) may determine first battery modules to be the target of the first balancing among a plurality of battery modules in step S430-2. The electronic device (100) may determine a battery module having a minimum SoC among the plurality of battery modules as a reference battery module, and may determine battery modules having a SoC higher than the SoC of the reference battery module by a predefined first deviation as the first battery modules.

[0054] The predefined first deviation can be defined as a percentage value based on the SoC of the reference battery module. In other words, if the SoC of the reference battery module is a% and the predefined first deviation is b%, the SoC of the first battery module that is higher than the SoC of the reference battery module by within the predefined first deviation can be defined as in the following mathematical expression 1.

[0055]

[0056] In other words, the electronic device (100) according to one embodiment can determine a battery module having an SoC that exceeds the SoC of a reference battery module and is within a first deviation of the SoC of the reference battery module as the first battery module.

[0057] An electronic device (100) according to one embodiment may perform a first balancing between the first battery modules in step S440-2. In this case, the first balancing may include the entire process of reducing the SoC of the first battery module through manual balancing of all of the plurality of battery cells included in the first battery module.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for balancing battery cells according to one embodiment.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment can measure the voltage of a plurality of battery cells inside a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack in an idle state in step S510.

[0060] According to an embodiment, the electronic device (100) may measure the SoC of a plurality of battery cells in an idle state in step S520, and may measure the SoC of a plurality of battery modules in an idle state based on the SoC of the plurality of battery cells in an idle state. As described above, the electronic device (100) may measure the SoC of each of the plurality of battery modules in an idle state based on the average of the SoCs of the plurality of battery cells in an idle state included in each of the plurality of battery modules in an idle state.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the electronic device (100) may determine whether to perform the first balancing between battery modules in step S525. For example, if at least one battery module among a plurality of battery modules has been replaced after the first balancing between battery modules was previously performed, the electronic device (100) may determine to perform the first balancing between battery modules. For example, if the SoCs of each of the plurality of battery modules differ within a specific deviation and the electronic device (100) determines that the SoCs of the plurality of battery modules are all equal, the electronic device (100) may determine not to perform the first balancing.

[0062] In an embodiment, when the electronic device (100) determines to perform the first balancing between battery modules in step S525, the electronic device (100) may determine a balancing reference battery module and first battery modules to be subjected to the first balancing among a plurality of battery modules in step S530. The reference battery module may correspond to a battery module having a minimum SoC among the plurality of battery modules in the battery rack. The first battery modules may correspond to battery modules having an SoC higher than the SoC of the reference battery module by a first deviation. For example, based on mathematical expression 1, when the SoC of the battery module having the minimum SoC among the plurality of battery modules is 80% and the first deviation is 10%, the electronic device (100) may determine battery modules having an SoC of 80% or more and 88% or less among the plurality of battery modules in the battery rack as the first battery modules.

[0063] In one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may perform a first balancing between battery modules at a first frequency until the SoC difference between the reference battery module and the first battery modules is within a specific deviation in step S540. For example, the specific deviation may correspond to a predefined second deviation having a value smaller than a predefined first deviation.

[0064] The predefined second deviation can be defined as a percentage value based on the SoC of the reference battery module. In other words, if the SoC of the reference battery module is a% and the predefined second deviation is c%, the SoC of the first battery module after the balancing operation, which serves as the criterion for terminating the first balancing operation, can be defined as in the following mathematical expression 2.

[0065]

[0066] For example, as previously discussed, if the first deviation is 10%, the electronic device (100) may determine battery modules having an SoC of 80% or more and 88% or less among the plurality of battery modules in the battery rack as the first battery modules. If the second deviation, which is a condition for terminating the first balancing, is 5%, the electronic device (100) may perform manual balancing for all of the plurality of battery cells included in the first battery module until the SoC difference between the first battery module and the reference battery module becomes within the second deviation. For example, assuming that there is a battery module among the first battery modules whose SoC is 85% before performing the first balancing, the SoC within the second deviation corresponds to an SoC of 80% or more and 84% or less, so the electronic device (100) can perform the first balancing until the SoC of the battery module whose SoC is 85% before performing the first balancing becomes 84%, and can terminate the first balancing when all the first battery modules satisfy the condition. In this case, the first frequency can be defined as the number of times the first balancing is performed over time.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may determine whether to perform second balancing between battery cells within the battery module in step S545. For example, the electronic device (100) may determine whether to perform second balancing to compensate for natural SoC deviations between battery cells that occur due to differences in manufacturing properties, aging, or operating conditions of the battery cells within the battery module.

[0068] In an embodiment, when the electronic device (100) determines to perform the second balancing among the battery cells in the battery module in step S545, the electronic device (100) may determine a reference battery cell and first battery cells to be subject to the second balancing among the battery cells of each of the plurality of battery modules in step S550. The reference battery cell may correspond to a battery cell having a minimum SoC among the plurality of battery cells in the battery module. The first battery cells may correspond to battery cells having an SoC higher than the SoC of the reference battery cell by a third deviation. For example, when the SoC of the battery cell having the minimum SoC among a specific battery module is 90% and the third deviation is 5%, the electronic device (100) may determine battery cells having an SoC of 90% or more and 94.5% or less among the plurality of battery cells in the battery module as the first battery cells.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the electronic device (100) may perform second balancing between battery cells at a second frequency until the SoC difference between the reference battery cell and the first battery cells becomes within a specific deviation in step S560. For example, the specific deviation may correspond to a predefined fourth deviation having a smaller value than a predefined third deviation. For example, as discussed above, when the third deviation is 5%, the electronic device (100) may determine battery cells having an SoC of 90% or more and 94.5% or less among the plurality of battery cells in the battery module as the first battery cells. When the fourth deviation, which is a condition for terminating the second balancing, is 1%, the electronic device (100) may perform manual balancing targeting the first battery cell among the plurality of battery cells included in the battery module. For example, assuming that there is a battery module among the first battery cells whose SoC is 92% before performing the second balancing, the SoC within the second deviation corresponds to an SoC of 90% or more and 90.9% or less, so the electronic device (100) can perform the second balancing until the SoC of the battery cell whose SoC is 92% before performing the second balancing becomes 90.9%, and can terminate the second balancing when all the first battery cells satisfy the condition. In this case, the second frequency can be defined as the number of times the second balancing is performed over time.

[0070] As examined in FIG. 5, the electronic device (100) can sequentially perform the first balancing corresponding to balancing between battery modules and the second balancing corresponding to balancing between battery cells within the battery module. In this case, the first deviation in the first balancing and the third deviation in the second balancing may be different from each other, and the second deviation in the first balancing and the fourth deviation in the second balancing may be different from each other. The electronic device (100) according to one embodiment may perform the first balancing between battery modules more frequently than the second balancing between battery cells within the battery module, taking into account the replacement cycle of the battery modules. That is, the electronic device (100) according to one embodiment may perform the first balancing and the second balancing by making the first frequency of performing the first balancing greater than the second frequency of performing the second balancing.

[0071] Meanwhile, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention. Although specific terms have been used, they are used in a general sense only to easily explain the technical contents of the present invention and to assist in understanding the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modified examples based on the technical concept of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0072] The present embodiment may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various hardware and / or software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the embodiment may employ integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which may perform various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, the present embodiment may be implemented in a programming or scripting language such as C, C++, Java, assembler, Python, etc., including various algorithms implemented as a combination of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming configurations. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms that execute on one or more processors. Furthermore, the present embodiment may employ conventional techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms such as "mechanism," "element," "means," and "composition" can be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical or physical structures. These terms can also encompass a series of software routines, such as those associated with a processor.

[0073] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. In an electronic device performing a method of balancing battery cells, An information acquisition interface for acquiring voltages of multiple battery cells within multiple battery modules included in a battery rack; memory for storing instructions; and comprising a processor connected to the above memory, The above processor, Measure the voltage of multiple battery cells inside multiple battery modules contained in a battery rack in an idle state, Measure the SoC of the plurality of battery cells in the resting state based on the voltage, and measure the SoC of the plurality of battery modules in the resting state based on the SoC of the plurality of battery cells in the resting state, Determine first battery modules to be subject to first balancing among the plurality of battery modules, and set to perform first balancing between the first battery modules. Electronic devices.

2. In paragraph 1, The above processor, It is set to determine battery modules having a higher SoC within a predefined first deviation than the SoC of the reference battery module that serves as the basis for the first balancing as the first battery modules. Electronic devices.

3. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Determine a reference battery module that serves as a reference for the first balancing among the plurality of battery modules, The first balancing is set to be performed at a first frequency until the difference between the SoC of the first battery modules and the SoC of the reference battery module becomes within a predefined second deviation. Electronic devices.

4. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Determine reference battery cells that serve as the basis for the second balancing among the battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules, Battery cells having a SoC higher than the SoC of the reference battery cell, which is the basis for the second balancing, within a predefined third deviation are determined as first battery cells, The second balancing is set to be performed at a second frequency until the difference between the SoC of the first battery cells and the SoC of the reference battery cells becomes within a predefined fourth deviation. Electronic devices.

5. In paragraph 3, The above first frequency is, having a value greater than a second frequency for performing second balancing between a plurality of battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules; Electronic devices.

6. In paragraph 2, The first deviation from the first balancing is, Different from the third deviation in the second balancing, Electronic devices.

7. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Set to measure the SoC of the plurality of battery modules in the resting state based on the average of the SoC of the plurality of battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules in the resting state, Electronic devices.

8. In paragraph 4, The above processor, Set to determine the battery cells with the lowest SoC among the battery cells included in each of the plurality of battery modules as the reference battery cells, Electronic devices.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of any one of clauses 1 to 8 on an electronic device.

10. A method for balancing battery cells performed by an electronic device, A step of measuring the voltage of a plurality of battery cells inside a plurality of battery modules included in a battery rack in an idle state; A step of measuring SoC of a plurality of battery cells in the resting state based on the voltage, and measuring SoC of a plurality of battery modules in the resting state based on the SoC of the plurality of battery cells in the resting state; A step of determining first battery modules to be subject to first balancing among the plurality of battery modules; and Comprising a step of performing a first balancing between the first battery modules, How to balance battery cells.