Battery management apparatus and method and battery storage system

Abstract

A battery management device according to an embodiment of the present application includes a voltage measurement unit for measuring a voltage of a battery at each of preset voltage measurement periods, a communication unit for outputting voltage information about the voltage measured by means of the voltage measurement unit at each of preset communication periods, a power supply unit for supplying a running power source to the communication unit when the communication unit is running, an environmental information measurement unit for measuring environmental information including a temperature and / or humidity in the vicinity of the power supply unit, and a control unit for receiving the measured environmental information from the environmental information measurement unit, judging whether the power supply unit is runnable based on at least one of the received environmental information, a capacity of the power supply unit, and a current consumption required for the communication unit to output the voltage information and a communication time, and controlling a running of the communication unit according to a result of the judgment about whether the power supply unit is runnable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0131452, filed in Korea on October 12, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to a battery management device and method, and more specifically, to a battery management device and method capable of collecting battery voltage information over a longer period of time. Background Technology

[0003] Recently, there has been a surge in demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones, and there has been significant development in electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites. Therefore, research is actively underway to develop high-performance batteries that allow for repeated charging and discharging.

[0004] Currently available batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium batteries. Among them, lithium batteries have attracted much attention due to their almost non-existent memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, extremely low self-charging rate, and high energy density.

[0005] After production and assembly, these batteries may undergo a distribution process to be delivered to customers. During distribution, the batteries may discharge naturally, and in particular, batteries defective during the manufacturing process may discharge more than normal batteries. Therefore, diagnosing battery defects by measuring battery voltage is one of the most important processes during battery distribution.

[0006] However, there are limitations to workers measuring the voltage of each battery during the battery distribution process.

[0007] Furthermore, since commercial power is not provided in most cases during battery distribution, the electrical power that can be provided to measure battery voltage and output the measured voltage to the server is inevitably limited.

[0008] Therefore, in order to continuously diagnose the battery status during battery distribution, a technology that can significantly reduce power consumption by reducing unnecessary power consumption needs to be developed. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] This disclosure is designed to address problems in the related art, and therefore aims to provide a battery management device and method that can collect battery voltage over a longer period of time with limited power by adjusting the communication cycle and / or voltage measurement cycle by taking into account ambient temperature and humidity.

[0011] These and other objects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description and will become even clearer through exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, it will be readily understood that the objects and advantages of this disclosure can be achieved by the means and combinations thereof shown in the appended claims.

[0012] Technical solution

[0013] A battery management device according to one aspect of this disclosure may include: a voltage measurement unit configured to measure the voltage of a battery in each preset voltage measurement cycle; a communication unit configured to output voltage information for the voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit in each preset communication cycle; a power supply unit configured to provide operating power to the communication unit when the communication unit is operating; an environmental information measurement unit configured to measure environmental information including at least one of the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit; and a control unit configured to receive the measured environmental information from the environmental information measurement unit, determine whether the power supply unit is operable based on at least one of the received environmental information, the capacity of the power supply unit, and the current consumed by the communication unit in outputting the voltage information, and the communication time, and control the operation of the communication unit based on the determination result regarding whether the power supply unit is operable.

[0014] When it is determined that the power supply unit is operational, the control unit can be configured to operate the communication unit to output the voltage information.

[0015] The control unit can be configured to calculate a diagnostic coefficient for the power supply unit based on the environmental information, calculate an availability limit for the power supply unit based on the calculated diagnostic coefficient, the capacity of the power supply unit, the current consumption, and the communication time, and determine whether the power supply unit is operable based on the calculated availability limit.

[0016] The available limit can be configured to decrease as the calculated diagnostic coefficient increases.

[0017] The control unit can be configured to calculate the diagnostic coefficient based on the temperature difference between a preset standard temperature for the power supply unit and the ambient temperature of the power supply unit, and the humidity difference between a preset standard humidity for the power supply unit and the ambient humidity of the power supply unit.

[0018] The control unit can be configured to classify high-temperature and low-temperature zones based on the standard temperature, and to calculate a larger diagnostic coefficient when the ambient temperature of the power supply unit is in the low-temperature zone compared to when the ambient temperature of the power supply unit is in the high-temperature zone.

[0019] The control unit can be configured to compare the available limit with a first standard value and determine whether to change the communication cycle based on the comparison result.

[0020] The control unit can be configured to increase the communication cycle when the available limit is less than the first standard value.

[0021] The control unit can be configured to determine that the power supply unit is operable when the available limit is equal to or greater than the first standard value.

[0022] When the available limit is less than the first standard value, the control unit can be configured to compare the available limit with a second standard value, and determine that the power supply unit is inoperable when the available limit is less than the second standard value.

[0023] When the available limit is less than the first standard value, the control unit can be configured to increase the communication cycle and the voltage measurement cycle.

[0024] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the battery management device may further include a storage unit configured to store voltage information about the voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit in each voltage measurement cycle.

[0025] The communication unit can be configured to access the storage unit in each communication cycle and output the stored voltage information.

[0026] A battery storage system according to another aspect of this disclosure may include the battery management device according to another aspect of this disclosure.

[0027] A battery management method according to another aspect of this disclosure may include: an environmental information measurement step, measuring environmental information including at least one of ambient temperature and ambient humidity of a power supply unit; an operability determination step, determining whether the power supply unit is operable based on at least one of the environmental information measured in the environmental information measurement step, the capacity of the power supply unit, and the current consumed by the communication unit outputting voltage information for the battery and the communication time; and a communication unit control step, controlling the operation of the communication unit according to the determination result regarding whether the power supply unit is operable, wherein the power supply unit may be configured to provide operating power to the communication unit when the communication unit is operating.

[0028] Technical effect

[0029] According to one aspect of this disclosure, there is an advantage that by changing the communication cycle and / or voltage measurement cycle according to the availability of the power supply unit, battery voltage information can be collected over a longer period of time.

[0030] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the description of the claims that other unmentioned effects will be apparent. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are used together with the foregoing disclosure to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure; therefore, the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery storage system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 3 The diagram schematically illustrates a battery management method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the steps for determining the operability of a battery management method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0036] It should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to their general or dictionary meanings, but rather should be interpreted in accordance with the meanings and concepts consistent with the various technical aspects of this disclosure, based on the principle that the inventors are allowed to define the terms appropriately to obtain the best interpretation.

[0037] Therefore, the detailed description presented herein is merely a preferred example for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of disclosure. It should be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of disclosure.

[0038] In addition, when describing this disclosure, a detailed description of a relevant known element or function is omitted herein if it is believed that such a detailed description would obscure the key subject matter of the disclosure.

[0039] Ordinal terms such as “first” and “second” can be used to distinguish one element from another among various different elements, but are not intended to impose restrictions through these terms.

[0040] Throughout this specification, when a section is referred to as “comprising” or “including” any element, unless otherwise specifically stated, this means that the section may also include other elements, without excluding other elements.

[0041] In addition, the term "control unit" as described in the specification refers to a unit for processing at least one function or operation, and can be implemented by hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software.

[0042] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when one part is referred to as "connected" to another part, it is not limited to the case where they are "directly connected," but also includes the case where they are "indirectly connected" and allow another element to be inserted between them.

[0043] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery management device 100 may include a voltage measurement unit 110, a communication unit 120, a power supply unit 130, an environmental information measurement unit 140, and a control unit 150.

[0045] The voltage measurement unit 110 can be configured to measure the battery voltage in each preset voltage measurement cycle.

[0046] Here, a battery can refer to a physically separable, independent cell comprising a negative electrode terminal and a positive electrode terminal. For example, a pouch-type lithium polymer cell can be considered a battery cell. Furthermore, a battery can be a battery module in which one or more cells are connected in series and / or in parallel.

[0047] For example, the battery can be stored in a predetermined storage space after production and before shipment. During the storage period, the voltage measuring unit 110 can be connected to the battery to measure its voltage.

[0048] The communication unit 120 can be configured to output voltage information for the voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit 110 in each preset communication cycle.

[0049] Here, the communication cycle is a preset cycle, and to reduce power consumption, the communication unit 120 can be switched to wake-up mode during each communication cycle. Furthermore, the communication unit 120 can be switched back to sleep mode after the output voltage information is received.

[0050] Specifically, the communication unit 120 can be configured to communicate with external devices. For example, the communication unit 120 can send voltage information about the battery to a voltage information collection device located outside the battery management device 100. Additionally, the communication unit 120 can send voltage information to a server.

[0051] The power supply unit 130 can be configured to provide operating power to the communication unit 120.

[0052] Preferably, the power supply unit 130 can provide operating power only to the communication unit 120. Furthermore, components of the battery management device 100, such as the voltage measurement unit 110, the environmental information measurement unit 140, and the control unit 150, can receive operating power from the battery.

[0053] For example, the capacity of the power supply unit 130 may be limited. That is, the power supply unit 130 may be a power storage unit with a predetermined capacity that is not connected to a commercial power supply.

[0054] The environmental information measurement unit 140 can be configured to measure at least one of the environmental information, including the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit 130.

[0055] Preferably, the environmental information measurement unit 140 can measure both the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit 130. That is, the environmental information measurement unit 140 can measure environmental information including both the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit 130.

[0056] The control unit 150 can be configured to receive measured environmental information from the environmental information measurement unit 140.

[0057] Specifically, the control unit 150 can be connected to and communicate with the environmental information measurement unit 140. Furthermore, the control unit 150 can receive measured environmental information from the environmental information measurement unit 140.

[0058] The control unit 150 can be configured to determine whether the power supply unit 130 is operable based on at least one of the received environmental information, the capacity of the power supply unit 130, and the current consumption and communication time required for the output voltage information of the communication unit 120.

[0059] Here, the capacity of power supply unit 130 can be the maximum capacity of power supply unit 130. That is, the capacity of power supply unit 130 can be the maximum capacity of power supply unit 130 in the Beginning of Life (BOL) state.

[0060] In addition, the current consumed can be the current consumed during the period when the communication unit 120 is outputting voltage information.

[0061] In addition, the communication time can be the time consumed while the communication unit 120 is outputting voltage information.

[0062] Preferably, the control unit 150 can determine whether the power supply unit 130 is operational before the communication unit 120 switches to wake-up mode. For example, when the available capacity of the power supply unit 130 is insufficient, the communication unit 120 may not be able to receive sufficient power from the power supply unit 130, and therefore, even if the communication unit 120 switches to wake-up mode, it may not be able to output voltage information. Therefore, the control unit 150 can determine in advance whether the power supply unit 130 is operational before the communication unit 120 switches to wake-up mode.

[0063] The control unit 150 can be configured to control the operation of the communication unit 120 based on a determination of whether the power supply unit 130 is operable.

[0064] For example, control unit 150 can be configured to activate communication unit 120 to output voltage information when power supply unit 130 is determined to be operational. That is, when power supply unit 130 is determined to be operational, control unit 150 can switch communication unit 120 to wake-up mode according to the communication cycle. In this case, communication unit 120 can receive operating power from power supply unit 130. Communication unit 120 in wake-up mode can output voltage information to the outside.

[0065] Conversely, when it is determined that the power supply unit 130 is not operational, the control unit 150 can keep the communication unit 120 in sleep mode. Furthermore, the control unit 150 can output a notification to the outside to inform that the power supply unit 130 is not operational.

[0066] The battery management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has the following advantages: by taking into account not only the power consumption and communication time required during communication and the available capacity of the power supply unit 130 that can supply operating power to the communication unit 120, but also the surrounding environmental information of the power supply unit 130, it can more accurately determine whether the power supply unit 130 is operable.

[0067] For example, since the power supply unit 130 is a power storage unit with a predetermined capacity, its performance may deviate depending on the ambient temperature and humidity during operation. That is, compared to when the power supply unit 130 provides operating power to the communication unit 120 under optimal temperature and humidity conditions, it will consume more power when providing operating power to the communication unit 120 under high temperature and high humidity conditions. Therefore, by considering the surrounding environmental information of the power supply unit 130 to determine whether the power supply unit 130 is operable, the control unit 150 can prevent the output voltage information of the communication unit 120 from being interrupted, or prevent the power supply unit 130 from over-discharging beyond its limits. In other words, by considering the surrounding environmental information of the power supply unit 130, the control unit 150 can more accurately determine whether the power supply unit 130 is operable.

[0068] Meanwhile, the control unit 150 disposed in the battery management device 100 may optionally include processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., known in the art, to execute the various control logics performed in this disclosure. Furthermore, when the control logic is implemented as software, the control unit 150 can be implemented as a set of program modules. In this case, the program modules can be stored in memory and executed by the control unit 150. The memory can be located internally or externally to the control unit 150 and can be connected to the control unit 150 by various known means.

[0069] In addition, the battery management device 100 may also include a storage unit 160. The storage unit 160 may store data required for the function and operation of the various components of the battery management device 100, data generated during the execution of operation or function, etc. There are no particular limitations on the type of storage unit 160, as long as it is a known information storage device capable of recording, erasing, updating, and retrieving data. As an example, the information storage device may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 160 may store program code defining processes that can be executed by the control unit 150.

[0070] For example, storage unit 160 can be configured to store voltage information about the voltage measured by voltage measurement unit 110 in each voltage measurement cycle. Furthermore, communication unit 120 can be configured to access storage unit 160 in each communication cycle and output the stored voltage information.

[0071] The following will describe in more detail an embodiment in which the control unit 150 determines whether the power supply unit 130 is operable.

[0072] The control unit 150 can be configured to calculate the diagnostic coefficients of the power supply unit 130 based on environmental information.

[0073] Here, the diagnostic coefficient is calculated based on the surrounding environment information of the power supply unit 130, and may be a factor related to the performance degradation of the power supply unit 130 due to the surrounding environment information.

[0074] Specifically, the control unit 150 can be configured to calculate diagnostic coefficients based on the temperature difference between a preset standard temperature for the power supply unit 130 and the ambient temperature of the power supply unit 130, and the humidity difference between a preset standard humidity for the power supply unit 130 and the ambient humidity of the power supply unit 130.

[0075] Here, the standard temperature can be set to the optimal temperature for the power supply unit 130 to operate optimally, and the standard humidity can be set to the optimal humidity for the power supply unit 130 to operate optimally. For example, the standard temperature can be set to 25°C, which is the room temperature, and the standard humidity can be set to 0%.

[0076] Therefore, the performance of the power supply unit 130 can deteriorate as the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the standard temperature of the power supply unit 130, and the humidity difference between the ambient humidity and the standard humidity of the power supply unit 130, increase. In other words, the amount of power consumed by the power supply unit 130 to output voltage information by the communication unit 120 can increase as the temperature difference and humidity difference increase.

[0077] Preferably, the control unit 150 can be configured to classify high-temperature and low-temperature zones based on a standard temperature, and to calculate a larger diagnostic coefficient when the ambient temperature of the power supply unit 130 is in the low-temperature zone compared to when the ambient temperature of the power supply unit 130 is in the high-temperature zone.

[0078] Generally speaking, the performance of power supply unit 130 may degrade more at low temperatures than at high temperatures. For example, the performance degradation when the temperature of power supply unit 130 drops from 25°C to 0°C can be greater than the performance degradation when the temperature of power supply unit 130 rises from 25°C to 50°C. Furthermore, the performance degradation of power supply unit 130 may increase further when the temperature of power supply unit 130 is below 0°C.

[0079] Therefore, the control unit 150 can be configured to calculate a larger diagnostic coefficient when the temperature of the power supply unit 130 is in the low temperature range, even if the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the standard temperature of the power supply unit 130 is the same when the temperature of the power supply unit 130 is in the low temperature range and when the temperature of the power supply unit 130 is in the high temperature range.

[0080] The control unit 150 can be configured to calculate the available limit for the power supply unit 130 based on the calculated diagnostic coefficients, the capacity of the power supply unit 130, the current consumption, and the communication time.

[0081] Here, the available limitation is a factor used to determine whether the power supply unit 130 is operable, and can be expressed as the available time of the power supply unit 130 based on diagnostic coefficients, the capacity of the power supply unit 130, the current consumption, and the communication time. Additionally, it should be noted that, through appropriate unit conversion, the available limitation of the power supply unit 130 expressed in time units can also be expressed as the remaining capacity of the power supply unit 130 or the number of communication lines of the power supply unit 130.

[0082] Preferably, the available limitations can be configured to decrease as the calculated diagnostic coefficient increases. That is, as the diagnostic coefficient increases, the available limitations of the power supply unit 130 can decrease. For example, as the temperature difference between the ambient temperature of the power supply unit 130 and the standard temperature, and the humidity difference between the ambient humidity of the power supply unit 130 and the standard humidity increase, the diagnostic coefficient can be calculated to be larger, and due to this diagnostic coefficient, the available limitations can be reduced.

[0083] For example, the available limits can be calculated according to the following Equation 1.

[0084] [Equation 1]

[0085]

[0086] In Equation 1, D can be the available limit, C can be the maximum capacity of power supply unit 130 (maximum capacity in the initial state), I can be the current consumption, K can be a diagnostic coefficient, and T can be the communication time. Specifically, the unit of C can be [mAh], the unit of I can be [mA], K can be a constant, and the unit of T can be [s] or [h]. Furthermore, in Equation 1, in order to calculate the available limit (D) in seconds [s] or hours [h], it can be multiplied by an appropriate coefficient for unit conversion.

[0087] Therefore, the available limit (D) calculated according to Equation 1 can indicate the available time of power supply unit 130 based on its current capacity. This available time can be shortened as power supply unit 130 operates (as operating power is supplied to communication unit 120). That is, in Equation 1, the calculated available limit (D) can decrease as power supply unit 130 operates because the product of the diagnostic coefficient (K) and the communication time (T) is accumulated.

[0088] Furthermore, referring to Equation 1, the available limitation (D) can be further reduced as the diagnostic coefficient (K) increases. That is, as the diagnostic coefficient (K) is calculated to be larger based on the surrounding environmental information of the power supply unit 130, the reduction in the available limitation D can be increased.

[0089] After calculating the available limits, the control unit 150 can be configured to determine whether the power supply unit 130 is operable based on the calculated available limits.

[0090] Specifically, the control unit 150 can be configured to compare the available limit with a first standard value and determine whether to change the communication cycle based on the comparison result.

[0091] For example, control unit 150 can be configured to determine that power supply unit 130 is operable if the available limit is equal to or greater than a first standard value.

[0092] As another example, when the available limit is less than a first standard value, the control unit 150 can be configured to increase the communication cycle of the communication unit 120. That is, when the available limit is less than the first standard value, the power supply unit 130 cannot supply normal operating power to the communication unit 120 according to the preset communication cycle. Therefore, if the available limit is less than the first standard value, the preset communication cycle can be increased, thereby reducing the communication frequency of the communication unit 120.

[0093] In addition, the control unit 150 can determine whether the power supply unit 130 is not operational.

[0094] Specifically, when the available limit is less than a first standard value, the control unit 150 can compare the available limit with a second standard value. Here, the second standard value can be set to be less than the first standard value.

[0095] If the available limit is less than the second standard value, the control unit 150 can be configured to determine that the power supply unit 130 is not operable.

[0096] In other words, after the first comparison of the calculated available limit with the first standard value, if the available limit is less than the first standard value, the control unit 150 can determine whether the power supply unit 130 can operate by comparing the calculated available limit with the second standard value again.

[0097] In summary, if the available limit is equal to or greater than the first standard value, the power supply unit 130 can supply normal operating power to the communication unit 120 according to the preset communication cycle. Therefore, if the available limit is equal to or greater than the first standard value, the control unit 150 can determine that the power supply unit 130 is operational.

[0098] If the available limit is less than the first standard value and equal to or greater than the second standard value, the power supply unit 130 cannot supply operating power to the communication unit 120 normally according to the preset communication cycle. Conversely, the power supply unit 130 can supply operating power to the communication unit 120 normally with any increased communication cycle. Therefore, if the available limit is less than the first standard value and equal to or greater than the second standard value, the control unit 150 can determine that the power supply unit 130 is operable after increasing the preset communication cycle.

[0099] If the available limit is less than the second standard value, the remaining capacity of the power supply unit 130 is very small, and even if the preset communication cycle is increased, the power supply unit 130 cannot supply normal operating power to the communication unit 120. Therefore, when the available limit is less than the second standard value, the control unit 150 can determine that the power supply unit 130 is not operable.

[0100] Additionally, the control unit 150 can be configured to increase the voltage measurement cycle if the available limit is less than a first standard value.

[0101] As described above, the process of calculating the available limits by the control unit 150 may include the current consumption and communication time required for the communication unit 120 to output voltage information. Furthermore, the communication unit 120 can be configured to output voltage information stored in the storage unit 160. That is, since the voltage information output by the communication unit 120 is stored in the storage unit 160, the current consumption and communication time may further increase as more voltage information is stored in the storage unit 160.

[0102] For example, when the available limit calculated by the control unit 150 is less than a first standard value, the communication cycle may need to be increased because the available capacity of the power supply unit 130 is limited. However, even if the communication cycle is increased, if the voltage measurement cycle for the voltage measurement unit 110 remains the same, the communication unit 120 must output a larger amount of voltage information in each communication cycle than before. That is, as the communication cycle increases, the time period during which the communication unit 120 switches to wake-up mode increases (i.e., the frequency decreases), but the amount of voltage information to be output when switching to wake-up mode increases, making it impossible to effectively reduce the power consumption of the power supply unit 130.

[0103] Therefore, when the calculated available limit is less than the first standard value, the control unit 150 can increase both the communication cycle and the voltage measurement cycle, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of the power supply unit 130.

[0104] The battery management device 100 according to this disclosure can be applied to a battery management system (BMS). That is, the BMS according to this disclosure may include the battery management device 100 described above. In this configuration, at least some of the components of the battery management device 100 can be implemented by supplementing or adding functions included in the configuration of a conventional BMS. For example, the voltage measurement unit 110, communication unit 120, power supply unit 130, environmental information measurement unit 140, control unit 150, and storage unit 160 can be implemented as components of the BMS.

[0105] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a battery storage system 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] Reference Figure 2 The battery storage system 1 may include at least one battery B and a battery management device 100.

[0107] Here, battery B can be stored in a predetermined storage space. For example, battery B can be stored in a warehouse before shipment, or it can be stored in a container during the distribution process after transshipment.

[0108] In other words, to ensure the stored voltage information of battery B over a longer period of time, the battery management device 100 can consider environmental information such as the surrounding environment of the power supply unit 130 to control the operation of the power supply unit 130. Furthermore, the battery management device 100 has the advantage of determining whether the power supply unit 130 is operable and adjusting the communication cycle of the communication unit 120 and / or the voltage measurement cycle of the voltage measurement unit 110 based on the determined operability, so as to efficiently utilize the limited capacity of the power supply unit 130.

[0109] Figure 3 The diagram schematically illustrates a battery management method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] Preferably, the battery management method steps can be performed by the battery management device 100. In the following text, for ease of description, content overlapping with the previously described content will be briefly described or omitted.

[0111] Reference Figure 3 The battery management method may include an environmental information measurement step (S100), an operability determination step (S200), and a communication unit control step (S300).

[0112] The environmental information measurement step (S100) is a step of measuring environmental information including at least one of the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit 130, and can be performed by the environmental information measurement unit 140.

[0113] For example, the environmental information measurement unit 140 can measure both the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit 130.

[0114] The operability determination step (S200) is a step that determines whether the power supply unit 130 is operable based on at least one of the environmental information measured in the environmental information measurement step (S100), the capacity of the power supply unit 130, and the current consumption and communication time required for the communication unit 120 to output the voltage information of the battery B. It can be executed by the control unit 150.

[0115] Reference Figure 4 To describe the specific details of the operability determination step (S200). Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operability determination step (S200) of a battery management method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0116] Step S210 is the diagnostic coefficient calculation step, which can be executed by the control unit 150. The control unit 150 can calculate the diagnostic coefficient of the power supply unit 130 based on environmental information (e.g., temperature and humidity) measured by the environmental information measurement unit 140.

[0117] Step S220 is the available limit calculation step, and it can be performed by control unit 150. Control unit 150 can calculate the available limit for power supply unit 130 based on the calculated diagnostic coefficients, the maximum capacity of power supply unit 130, the current consumption of communication unit 120, and the communication time of communication unit 120. For example, control unit 150 can calculate the available limit for power supply unit 130 based on Equation 1.

[0118] Step S230 is a step performed by the control unit 150, and the control unit 150 can compare the calculated available limit with the first standard value.

[0119] If the comparison result of step S230 is yes, that is, if the available limit is greater than or equal to the first standard value, then the control unit 150 can determine that the power supply unit 130 is in an operable state. Afterwards, the communication unit control step (S300) can be executed.

[0120] In contrast, if the comparison result of step S230 is negative, that is, if the available limit is less than the first standard value, then step S240 can be executed.

[0121] Step S240 is a step performed by the control unit 150, and the control unit 150 can compare the calculated available limit with the second standard value.

[0122] If the comparison result of step S240 is yes, that is, if the available limit is less than the first standard value and greater than or equal to the second standard value, then the control unit 150 can determine that the power supply unit 130 is in an operable state.

[0123] However, when the comparison result of step S240 is yes, steps S250 and S260 can be executed by the control unit 150. In step S250, the communication cycle of the communication unit 120 can be increased, thereby reducing the communication frequency of the communication unit 120. Furthermore, in step S260, the voltage measurement cycle of the voltage measurement unit 110 can be increased, thereby reducing the frequency at which the voltage measurement unit 110 measures voltage. That is, when the available limit is less than the first standard value and equal to or greater than the second standard value, the control unit 150 determines that the power supply unit 130 is in an operable state; however, in order to efficiently utilize the capacity of the power supply unit 130, the communication cycle of the communication unit 120 and the voltage measurement cycle of the voltage measurement unit 110 can be increased.

[0124] If the comparison result of step S240 is negative, that is, if the available limit is less than the second standard value, the control unit 150 can determine that the power supply unit 130 is not operable. Then, the communication unit control step (S300) can be executed.

[0125] The communication unit control step (S300) is a step of controlling the operation of the communication unit 120 based on the judgment result of whether the power supply unit 130 is operable, and can be executed by the control unit 150.

[0126] For example, when it is determined that the power supply unit 130 is operable (when the comparison result of step S230 is yes), the control unit 150 can activate the communication unit 120 in each communication cycle to output the voltage information of battery B measured by the voltage measurement unit 110.

[0127] As another example, if the power supply unit 130 is in an operable state and the available limit of the power supply unit 130 is less than a first standard value and greater than or equal to a second standard value (when the comparison result of step S230 is negative and the comparison result of step S240 is positive), then the control unit 150 can increase the communication cycle to reduce the operating frequency of the communication unit 120. In this case, the control unit 150 can also increase the voltage measurement cycle of the voltage measurement unit 110, thereby reducing the frequency at which the voltage measurement unit 110 measures the voltage of battery B.

[0128] As another example, when it is determined that the power supply unit 130 is in an inoperable state (if the comparison result of step S240 is negative), the control unit 150 can control the communication unit 120 to stop operating and output an alarm to request that the power supply unit 130 be charged or replaced.

[0129] According to the steps described above, the battery management method according to another embodiment of this disclosure has the advantage of ensuring the voltage information of battery B with maximum efficiency by continuously measuring the voltage of battery B for as long as possible by efficiently utilizing the limited capacity of power supply unit 130.

[0130] The embodiments of this disclosure described above can be implemented not only by devices and methods, but also by programs that implement functions corresponding to the configurations of the embodiments of this disclosure, or by recording media containing such programs. Those skilled in the art can readily implement the programs or recording media based on the above description of the embodiments.

[0131] This disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that while the detailed description and specific examples indicate preferred embodiments of this disclosure, they are given by way of illustration only, as various modifications and adjustments within the scope of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

[0132] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can make many substitutions, adjustments and modifications to the present disclosure described above without departing from the technical aspects of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and drawings, and the various embodiments can be selectively combined in part or in whole to achieve various adjustments.

[0133] (See attached image labels)

[0134] 1: Battery storage system

[0135] 100: Battery Management Device

[0136] 110: Voltage Measurement Unit

[0137] 120: Communication Unit

[0138] 130: Power Supply Unit

[0139] 140: Environmental Information Measurement Unit

[0140] 150: Control Unit

[0141] 160: Storage unit

Claims

1. A battery management device, the battery management device comprising: A voltage measurement unit configured to measure the battery voltage in each preset voltage measurement cycle; A communication unit configured to output voltage information for the voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit in each preset communication cycle; A power supply unit configured to provide operating power to the communication unit when the communication unit is in operation; An environmental information measurement unit, the environmental information measurement unit being configured to measure environmental information including at least one of the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit; as well as A control unit is configured to receive measured environmental information from the environmental information measurement unit, determine whether the power supply unit can operate based on at least one of the following: the current consumed and communication time of the voltage information output by the communication unit, the received environmental information, and the capacity of the power supply unit, and control the operation of the communication unit based on the determination result regarding whether the power supply unit can operate. The control unit is configured to calculate diagnostic coefficients for the power supply unit based on the environmental information, and The control unit is configured to calculate the available limits for the power supply unit based on the calculated diagnostic coefficient, the capacity of the power supply unit, the current consumption, and the communication time, and to determine whether the power supply unit can operate based on the calculated available limits.

2. The battery management device according to claim 1, in, When it is determined that the power supply unit is capable of operating, the control unit is configured to enable the communication unit to output the voltage information.

3. The battery management device according to claim 1, in, The available limit is configured to decrease as the calculated diagnostic coefficient increases.

4. The battery management device according to claim 3, in, The control unit is configured to calculate the diagnostic coefficient based on the temperature difference between a preset standard temperature for the power supply unit and the ambient temperature of the power supply unit, and the humidity difference between a preset standard humidity for the power supply unit and the ambient humidity of the power supply unit.

5. The battery management device according to claim 4, in, The control unit is configured to classify high-temperature and low-temperature zones based on the standard temperature, and to calculate a larger diagnostic coefficient when the ambient temperature of the power supply unit is in the low-temperature zone compared to when the ambient temperature of the power supply unit is in the high-temperature zone.

6. The battery management device according to claim 1, in, The control unit is configured to compare the available limit with a first standard value and determine whether to change the communication cycle based on the comparison result.

7. The battery management device according to claim 6, in, The control unit is configured to: When the available limit is less than the first standard value, the communication cycle is increased, and When the available limit is greater than or equal to the first standard value, it is determined that the power supply unit can operate.

8. The battery management device according to claim 7, in, When the available limit is less than the first standard value, the control unit is configured to compare the available limit with a second standard value, and determine that the power supply unit cannot operate when the available limit is less than the second standard value.

9. The battery management device according to claim 7, in, When the available limit is less than the first standard value, the control unit is configured to increase the communication cycle and the voltage measurement cycle.

10. The battery management device according to claim 6, further comprising: A storage unit configured to store voltage information about the voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit in each voltage measurement cycle. The communication unit is configured to access the storage unit in each communication cycle and output the stored voltage information.

11. A battery storage system, the battery storage system comprising a battery management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A battery management method, the battery management method comprising the following steps: The environmental information measurement steps include measuring at least one of the environmental information, namely the ambient temperature and ambient humidity of the power supply unit. The operability determination step determines whether the power supply unit is operable based on at least one of the following: the current consumed and communication time of the communication unit outputting voltage information for the battery, the environmental information measured in the environmental information measurement step, and the capacity of the power supply unit; and The communication unit control step controls the operation of the communication unit based on the judgment result regarding whether the power supply unit can operate; The power supply unit is configured to provide operating power to the communication unit when the communication unit is running, and The operability determination step includes: The calculation steps for calculating the diagnostic coefficients for the power supply unit based on the environmental information; The calculation steps for determining the available limitations of the power supply unit based on the calculated diagnostic coefficient, the capacity of the power supply unit, the current consumption, and the communication time; and The determination step is to determine whether the power supply unit can operate based on the calculated available limitations.

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