Multipoint communication system for battery management system, and related systems and methods

Abstract

A multi-point communication system for a battery management system includes a distributed antenna disposed at least partially within a battery pack, a plurality of nodes each wirelessly coupled to the distributed antenna and configured to obtain battery information, and a radio frequency gateway electrically coupled to the distributed antenna.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on February 14, 2019, entitled "Multipoint Communication System for Battery Management System, and Associated System and Method", with application number 201910113632.1.

[0002] Related applications

[0003] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 630,950, filed February 15, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0004] Battery management systems (BMS) are commonly used to control battery operation in various applications, such as electric vehicle applications and renewable energy storage applications. For example, a BMS can be used to control the charging and discharging of multiple battery modules within a battery pack, such as to maximize energy storage and / or extend battery module lifespan. As another example, a BMS can be used to monitor for abnormal operation of battery modules and, in response, shut down and / or bypass them. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In a first aspect, a multipoint communication system for a battery management system includes: (a) a distributed antenna, at least partially disposed within a battery pack; (b) a plurality of nodes, each wirelessly coupled to the distributed antenna and configured to acquire battery information; and (c) a radio frequency (RF) gateway electrically coupled to the distributed antenna.

[0006] In some embodiments of the first aspect, each of the plurality of nodes is electrically coupled to a corresponding battery module of the battery pack.

[0007] In some embodiments of the first aspect, each of the plurality of nodes is configured to transmit a first wireless communication containing corresponding battery information to the distributed antenna; the distributed antenna is configured to convert the first wireless communication into a first electrical communication; and the RF gateway is configured to receive the first electrical communication.

[0008] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the RF gateway is configured to electrically transmit a second electrical communication to the distributed antenna; the distributed antenna is configured to convert the second electrical communication into a second wireless communication; and the plurality of nodes are configured to receive the second wireless communication.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect, each of the plurality of nodes includes node transceiver circuitry and node processor circuitry. The node processor circuitry includes: (a) a node processor communicatively coupled to the node transceiver circuitry; and (b) a node memory communicatively coupled to the node processor and storing machine-readable instructions, which, when executed by the node processor, control the node to: (i) receive the second wireless communication from the node transceiver circuitry and (ii) control the node processor according to the content of the second wireless communication.

[0010] In some embodiments of the first aspect, each of the plurality of nodes further includes: a node sensor circuit communicatively coupled to the node processor circuit and configured to send a sensor circuit output indicative of the properties of the battery modules of the battery pack to the node processor circuit.

[0011] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the node sensor circuit of each of the plurality of nodes is electrically coupled to the corresponding battery module of the battery pack.

[0012] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the distributed antenna is physically wired as a harness close to the battery pack.

[0013] Some embodiments of the first aspect further include a plurality of distributed antennas, wherein (a) the RF gateway includes a plurality of basic transceiver circuits; and (b) each of the plurality of distributed antennas is uniquely electrically coupled to one of the plurality of basic transceiver circuits.

[0014] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the plurality of distributed antennas are arranged at least partially within the battery pack.

[0015] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the distributed antenna includes a coaxial cable having a plurality of gaps in the outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

[0016] In some embodiments of the first aspect, each of the plurality of nodes further includes a node antenna, the node antenna being physically positioned close to a corresponding one of the plurality of gaps.

[0017] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the coaxial cable is flexible.

[0018] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the distributed antenna includes a coaxial cable with an outer conductor of nominal thickness, the coaxial cable having multiple thinning regions in which the thickness of the outer conductor is less than the nominal thickness.

[0019] In some embodiments of the first aspect, each of the plurality of nodes further includes a node antenna, the node antenna being physically positioned close to a corresponding one of the plurality of thinning regions.

[0020] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the distributed antenna includes a waveguide formed by a plurality of conductive surfaces, at least one of which forms part of a battery in the battery pack.

[0021] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the RF gateway further includes a base station antenna for exciting the waveguide and receiving the transmitted signal from the waveguide.

[0022] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the RF gateway and the plurality of nodes are configured as a wireless personal area network.

[0023] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the wireless personal area network is based on either Bluetooth Low Energy or ZigBee.

[0024] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the wireless personal area network is based on Bluetooth Low Energy and configured to use a battery service profile.

[0025] In a second aspect, a method for managing a battery pack includes: (a) acquiring battery information at each of a plurality of nodes; (b) wirelessly transmitting a first wireless communication containing the battery information to a distributed antenna at least partially disposed within the battery pack at each of the plurality of nodes; (c) converting the first wireless communication into a first electrical communication via the distributed antenna; and (d) electrically receiving the first electrical communication from a radiated transmission line at a radio frequency (RF) gateway.

[0026] Some embodiments of the second aspect further include: (a) electrically transmitting a second electrical communication from the RF gateway to the distributed antenna; (b) converting the second electrical communication into a second wireless communication via the distributed antenna; and (c) wirelessly receiving the second wireless communication at each of the plurality of nodes.

[0027] Some embodiments of the second aspect further include: controlling each of the plurality of nodes according to the content of the second wireless communication.

[0028] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the distributed antenna is physically wired as a harness close to the battery pack.

[0029] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the distributed antenna includes a coaxial cable having a plurality of gaps in the outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

[0030] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the wireless transmission step includes: wirelessly transmitting the battery information from each of the plurality of nodes to the plurality of gaps.

[0031] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the wireless transmission step further includes wirelessly transmitting the battery information via a protocol for a wireless personal area network, and the electrical reception step includes electrically receiving the battery information via the protocol for the wireless personal area network.

[0032] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the electrical transmission step includes transmitting electrically via the protocol for the wireless personal area network, and the wireless reception step includes receiving wirelessly via the protocol for the wireless personal area network.

[0033] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the wireless personal area network is based on either Bluetooth Low Energy or ZigBee.

[0034] In a third aspect, an energy storage system includes a battery pack, a controller, and a multipoint communication system, the multipoint communication system comprising: (a) a distributed antenna, at least partially disposed within the battery pack; (b) a plurality of nodes, each wirelessly coupled to the distributed antenna and configured to acquire battery information; and (c) a radio frequency (RF) gateway electrically coupled to the distributed antenna and the controller.

[0035] In some embodiments of the third aspect, each of the plurality of nodes is electrically coupled to a corresponding battery module of the battery pack.

[0036] In some embodiments of the third aspect, each of the plurality of nodes is configured to transmit a first wireless communication containing corresponding battery information to the distributed antenna; the distributed antenna is configured to convert the first wireless communication into a first electrical communication; the RF gateway is configured to receive the first electrical communication; and the controller is configured to receive the first electrical communication from the RF gateway.

[0037] In some embodiments of the third aspect, the RF gateway is configured to receive a second electrical communication from the controller; the RF gateway is configured to electrically transmit the second electrical communication to the distributed antenna; the distributed antenna is configured to convert the second electrical communication into a second wireless communication; and the plurality of nodes are configured to receive the second wireless communication.

[0038] In some embodiments of the third aspect, the distributed antenna includes a coaxial cable having multiple gaps in its outer conductor.

[0039] In some embodiments of the third aspect, each of the plurality of nodes further includes a node antenna, the node antenna being physically positioned close to a corresponding one of the plurality of gaps.

[0040] In some embodiments of the third aspect, the distributed antenna includes a coaxial cable with an outer conductor of nominal thickness, the coaxial cable having multiple thinning regions in which the thickness of the outer conductor is less than the nominal thickness.

[0041] In some embodiments of the third aspect, each of the plurality of nodes further includes a node antenna, the node antenna being physically positioned close to a corresponding one of the plurality of thinning regions.

[0042] In some embodiments of the third aspect, the distributed antenna includes a waveguide formed by a plurality of conductive surfaces, at least one of which forms part of a battery in the battery pack.

[0043] In some embodiments of the third aspect, the base station further includes a base station antenna for exciting the waveguide and receiving transmitted signals from the waveguide. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 An energy storage system including a multi-point communication system is shown according to an embodiment.

[0045] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a distributed antenna embodied as a coaxial cable according to an embodiment.

[0046] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Side sectional front view of a distributed antenna.

[0047] Figure 4 This is a side sectional front view of another distributed antenna embodied as a coaxial cable according to an embodiment.

[0048] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a distributed antenna including a waveguide according to an embodiment.

[0049] Figure 6 Showing Figure 1 An embodiment of an energy storage system, wherein the distributed antenna includes a waveguide.

[0050] Figure 7 Showing Figure 1 An example of a node in a multipoint communication system.

[0051] Figure 8 Demonstrates the embodiments Figure 7 The node processor circuit of the node.

[0052] Figure 9 Demonstrated based on Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy standard Figure 1 One possible packet configuration in an embodiment of a multipoint communication system.

[0053] Figure 10 An energy storage system comprising two distributed antenna instances is shown according to an embodiment.

[0054] Figure 11 A method for managing a battery pack according to an embodiment is shown.

[0055] Figure 12 Another method for managing a battery pack according to an embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0056] A conventional battery management system includes nodes at each battery module, wherein the nodes are configured to control and / or monitor the battery cells of the battery module. The nodes are typically communicatively coupled to a controller via communication cables to enable communication between the controller and the nodes. The controller, for example, sends charge / discharge commands to the nodes, and each node controls the charging and discharging of its corresponding battery module according to the commands. Each node can also send battery information to the controller, including but not limited to battery voltage, battery temperature, and / or battery current, and the controller can use this battery information to generate charge / discharge commands.

[0057] This conventional battery management system works well in applications with a relatively small number of battery modules. However, the applicant has found that conventional battery management systems are not easily scaled up for applications with a large number of battery modules, especially when the modules are densely packed within the battery pack chassis. For example, a conventional battery management system used with a large number of battery modules would require a significant amount of communication cabling; that is, at least one communication cable physically coupled to each battery module. Due to space constraints within the battery pack, wiring such a large number of communication cables within the battery pack chassis can be difficult or even impossible. Furthermore, a large number of communication cables may be relatively susceptible to failure and / or electromagnetic interference (EMI), thereby compromising the reliability of the battery management system.

[0058] Therefore, the applicant has developed a multipoint communication system for a battery management system that at least partially overcomes one or more of the disadvantages discussed above. The multipoint communication system includes multiple nodes, at least one distributed antenna, and a radio frequency (RF) gateway coupled to the distributed antenna. A controller is communicatively coupled to the RF gateway, for example. Each node is wirelessly coupled to the distributed antenna, enabling the node to communicate with the controller via the distributed antenna and the RF gateway. In some embodiments, each node is physically arranged close to the distributed antenna, such as within a few centimeters of the distributed antenna, to help minimize the wireless communication distance. In some embodiments, each node controls a corresponding battery module based on commands received from the controller via the distributed antenna, and in some embodiments, each node sends battery information to the controller via the distributed antenna, including but not limited to battery voltage, battery temperature, battery current, and / or battery module identification information. In these embodiments, the controller may optionally use the battery information to control the energy storage system.

[0059] In the new multipoint communication system, distributed antennas and RF gateways each serve as a shared communication medium, meaning they are shared by all nodes. Therefore, it is unnecessary to physically couple each node to a communication cable, potentially significantly reducing the number of cables required compared to conventional systems. Furthermore, the use of distributed antennas in the communication path between the RF gateway and the nodes offers significant advantages over either fully wireless or fully wired communication systems. For example, the use of distributed antennas includes a portion of the communication signal along the communication path while still enabling wireless communication at the nodes. This inclusion of the communication signal promotes reliable communication by shielding it from interference, while also improving electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) by helping to prevent the signal from entering other systems. Consequently, wireless communication at the nodes eliminates the need for physical communication cables coupled to the nodes, thus promoting reliability, lower system cost, and electrical isolation between the nodes and the RF gateway. Moreover, using distributed antennas instead of a fully wireless communication system helps ensure a good communication channel to each node, which is particularly advantageous in applications where fully wireless communication is not feasible (such as in battery packs containing objects that obstruct wireless signal transmission).

[0060] Figure 1An energy storage system 100 is shown, comprising a battery pack 102, a multipoint communication system 104, and a controller 106. Possible applications of the energy storage system 100 include, but are not limited to, electric vehicle applications and renewable energy storage applications. The battery pack 102 includes one or more battery modules 108. Each battery module 108 includes one or more battery cells (not shown) capable of storing energy chemically. The battery cells are electrically coupled, for example, in series and / or parallel. Without departing from the scope of this document, the battery module 108 may include additional elements (not shown). For example, in some embodiments, each battery module 108 includes one or more sensors for obtaining battery information, including but not limited to battery temperature, battery voltage, battery current, and / or battery charge. As another example, in some embodiments, each battery module 108 includes one or more switching devices configured to disconnect the constituent battery cells of the battery module from an external circuitry. The number of battery modules 108 in the battery pack 102 may vary without departing from the scope of this document.

[0061] A multipoint communication system 104 and a controller 106 together form at least a portion of a battery management system. The multipoint communication system 104 communicatively couples the controller 106 to the battery module 108. This multipoint communication system is one embodiment of a novel multipoint communication system developed by the applicant. The multipoint communication system 104 includes a distributed antenna 110, a corresponding node 112 for each battery module 108, and an RF gateway 114. The RF gateway 114 is electrically coupled to the distributed antenna 110, and the distributed antenna 110 is at least partially arranged within the battery pack 102 and routed close to the node 112. In some embodiments, such as in embodiments where the distributed antenna 110 is a coaxial cable, the end 122 of the distributed antenna 110 terminates with an impedance matching device 124. The impedance matching device 124 includes, for example, a resistive device. Each node 112 is electrically coupled to its corresponding battery module 108, and each node 112 includes an antenna 116 configured for wireless communication 118 with the distributed antenna 110. Each node 112 is configured to: (a) transmit signals to the distributed antenna 110 via wireless communication 118; and / or (b) receive signals from the distributed antenna 110 via wireless communication 118. In some embodiments, each node 112 is physically arranged close to the distributed antenna 110, such as within a few centimeters of the distributed antenna 110, to help minimize the wireless communication 118 distance between the node 112 and the distributed antenna 110. Although the node 112 is shown as separate from the battery module 108, the node 112 may be co-packaged with the battery module 108 without departing from the scope of this document.

[0062] In some embodiments, the multipoint communication system 104 is configured for bidirectional communication between nodes 112 and controller 106. For example, in a specific embodiment, each node 112 is configured to transmit a first wireless communication 118 to a distributed antenna 110 containing corresponding battery information, such as information representing one or more operating parameters of its corresponding battery module 108, operating parameters of one or more cells (not shown) of battery module 108, and / or battery module 108 identification information. Examples of operating parameters for battery module 108 and battery cells include, but are not limited to, voltage, current, charge, and / or temperature information. Examples of battery module 108 identification information include, but are not limited to, the manufacturer of battery module 108, the model of battery module 108, the serial number of battery module 108, the number of battery cells within battery module 108, and / or the type of battery cells within battery module 108. The distributed antenna 110 is configured to convert the first wireless communication 118 into a first electrical communication received by RF gateway 114. Controller 106 receives the first electrical communication from RF gateway 114. Therefore, the multipoint communication system 104 is configured to transmit battery information from node 112 to controller 106. In some embodiments, controller 106 controls the operation of energy storage system 100 based at least in part on the battery information received via multipoint communication system 104.

[0063] In these embodiments, RF gateway 114 is further configured to receive second electrical communications from controller 106, such as commands for one or more nodes 112. RF gateway 114 is configured to electrically transmit the second electrical communications to distributed antenna 110, and distributed antenna 110 is configured to convert the second electrical communications into second wireless communications. Each node 112 is configured to receive the second wireless communications from distributed antenna 110. Therefore, in these embodiments, multipoint communication system 104 is also configured to transmit information from controller 106 to nodes 112. Examples of commands transmitted from controller 106 to nodes 112 include, but are not limited to, commands for one or more nodes 112 to transmit battery information to controller 106, and / or commands for one or more nodes 112 to disconnect their corresponding battery modules 108 from energy storage system 100.

[0064] In some alternative embodiments, the multipoint communication system 104 is configured for unidirectional communication only. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the multipoint communication system 104 is configured to transmit information only from node 112 to controller 106, and in some other alternative embodiments, the multipoint communication system 104 is configured to transmit information only from controller 106 to node 112.

[0065] In some embodiments, controller 106 is configured to control the charging and / or discharging of battery cells within battery module 108 by controlling the operation of one or more power converters electrically coupled to battery module 108. Controller 106 controls the operation of the one or more power converters, for example, based at least in part on battery information received from node 112 via multipoint communication system 104. For example, in some embodiments, controller 106 uses one or more of voltage, current, charge, temperature, and / or battery identification information received from node 112 via multipoint communication system 104 to control the charging and / or discharging of battery cells within battery module 108. In some embodiments, controller 106 controls the charging and discharging of battery cells to achieve objectives including, but not limited to, (a) long battery cell life; (b) fast battery cell charging; and / or (c) safe battery cell operation.

[0066] In a specific embodiment, controller 106 is configured to determine one or more attributes of battery module 108 based at least in part on battery information received from node 112 via multipoint communication system 104. For example, in some embodiments, controller 106 is configured to determine the state of charge of battery module 108, the health status of battery module 108, and / or the remaining operating time of energy storage system 100 based at least in part on one or more of voltage, current, charge, temperature, and battery identification information received from node 112 via multipoint communication system 104.

[0067] Additionally, in some embodiments, controller 106 is configured to perform one or more security functions based at least in part on battery information received from node 112 via multipoint communication system 104. For example, in some embodiments, controller 106 is configured to detect anomalies within one or more battery modules 108 based at least in part on one or more of voltage, current, charge, temperature, and / or battery identification information received from node 112 via multipoint communication system 104. Examples of anomalies include, but are not limited to: battery cell overcharging, battery cell over-discharging, abnormal battery cell temperature, abnormal battery module 108 temperature, abnormal battery cell load, abnormal battery module 108 load, presence of defective battery cells, presence of defective battery module 108, and / or indication of tampering with battery module 108. In these embodiments, controller 106 may optionally be configured to take actions in response to detecting an anomaly, such as shutting down energy storage system 100, sending a shutdown command to node 112 via multipoint communication system 104, and / or sending an anomaly event indication signal to an external system.

[0068] In some embodiments, the distributed antenna 110 includes coaxial cable and / or waveguide. In specific embodiments, the distributed antenna 100 is a monolithic element, for example to promote reliability and / or low cost, while in some other embodiments, the distributed antenna 110 is formed of two or more elements connected together, for example to facilitate the removal of the energy storage system 100. In some embodiments, the distributed antenna 110 is flexible to facilitate wiring of the distributed antenna 110 through the battery pack 102, and the distributed antenna 110 may optionally be physically wired as a harness 120 close to the battery pack 102 to facilitate the fabrication of the energy storage system 100.

[0069] Figure 2 and Figure 3 A distributed antenna 200 is shown, which is one possible embodiment of a distributed antenna 110 embodied as a coaxial cable. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the distributed antenna 200, and Figure 3 This is a side sectional front view of the distributed antenna 200. The distributed antenna 200 includes a center conductor 202, an inner insulating layer 204, an outer conductor 206, and an outer insulating layer 208. The inner insulating layer 204 is disposed on the center conductor 202, the outer conductor 206 is disposed on the inner insulating layer 204, and the outer insulating layer 208 is disposed on the outer conductor 206. The outer conductor 206 forms a plurality of gaps 210 to provide a path for wireless transmission 212 between the antenna 116 and the distributed antenna 200. In one embodiment, each antenna 116 is arranged close to an instance of the gap 210 to minimize the distance of wireless transmission 212. The number, size, and shape of the gaps 210 may vary without departing from the scope of this document.

[0070] Figure 4This is a cross-sectional view showing a distributed antenna 400, which is another possible embodiment of a distributed antenna 110 embodied as a coaxial cable. The distributed antenna 400 includes a center conductor 402, an inner insulating layer 404, an outer conductor 406, and an outer insulating layer 408. The inner insulating layer 404 is disposed on the center conductor 402, the outer conductor 406 is disposed on the inner insulating layer 404, and the outer insulating layer 408 is disposed on the outer conductor 406. The outer conductor 406 has a nominal thickness 410 and a plurality of thinning regions 412, each thinning region having a thickness 414 smaller than the nominal thickness 410. The thickness 414 is, for example, less than the skin depth of the material forming the outer conductor 406 at the design frequency of the radiating emission line 400. The thinning regions 412 provide a path for wireless transmission 416 between the antenna 116 and the distributed antenna 400. In one embodiment, each antenna 116 is arranged close to the thinned region 412 instance in order to minimize the distance of the wireless transmission 416. The number, size, and shape of the thinned regions 412 may vary without departing from the scope of this document.

[0071] Figure 5 A distributed antenna 500 is shown, which is one possible embodiment of a distributed antenna 110 including a waveguide. The distributed antenna 500 includes a base station antenna 502 and a waveguide 504. The waveguide 504 is formed of a plurality of conductive surfaces and configured to guide a wireless signal between the base station antenna 502 and antenna 116. The base station antenna 502 is electrically coupled to an RF gateway 114 and is configured to excite the waveguide 504 in response to an electrical signal from a controller 106, thereby generating a wireless signal. The base station antenna 502 is further configured to generate an electrical signal in response to receiving a transmission (such as a wireless signal from antenna 116). In some embodiments, the base station antenna 502 is a coaxial feed line or a short dipole antenna. In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, waveguide 504 is a slotted waveguide antenna that forms one or more holes 506 to allow current to flow through waveguide 502, thereby promoting radiation from waveguide 504 and generating a wireless transmission 508 between antenna 116 and waveguide 504. The number, size, and shape of the holes 506 can vary without departing from the scope of this document. Furthermore, although waveguide 504 is shown as having a rectangular cross-section, waveguide 504 can alternatively have cross-sections of different shapes (such as circular shapes).

[0072] In some embodiments, waveguide 504 is formed at least partially from one or more conductive surfaces forming a portion of battery pack 102. In these embodiments, waveguide 504 may optionally be loaded with an insulator (not shown) having a medium or high dielectric constant to reduce a portion of the cross section of waveguide 504 dedicated to wireless signal transmission, while also contributing to the mechanical stability of battery pack 102.

[0073] Figure 6 An energy storage system 600 is illustrated, which is an embodiment of energy storage system 100, wherein a distributed antenna 110 is embodied by a base station antenna 602 and a waveguide 604. Base station antenna 602 and waveguide 604 are embodiments of base station antenna 502 and waveguide 504, respectively. Waveguide 604 is partially formed by conductive surfaces 622 and 624 of a battery pack 626, which is an embodiment of battery pack 102. Waveguide 604 is optionally loaded with an insulator (not shown) having a medium or high dielectric constant to reduce a portion of the cross section of waveguide 604 dedicated to wireless signal transmission, while also contributing to the mechanical stability of battery pack 626. Waveguide 604 forms a plurality of apertures 606, and each antenna 116 is arranged close to instances of aperture 606 to minimize the wireless transmission distance. Only some instances of aperture 606 are labeled to facilitate clarity of illustration. The spacing 628 of the apertures 606 is, for example, half the wavelength of the waveguide 604 at its intended operating frequency or an odd multiple thereof. Waveguide 604 further includes a metal end member 632 configured to electrically short-circuit conductive surfaces 622 and 624. End member 632 is arranged at a distance 634 from the last aperture 606. Distance 634 is, for example, a quarter of the wavelength at the desired operating frequency of waveguide 604 or an odd multiple thereof. The lateral width 630 between conductive surfaces 622 and 624 is selected, for example, to achieve the desired cutoff frequency of waveguide 604.

[0074] Figure 7A node 700 is shown as one embodiment of node 112. Node 700 includes an antenna 116, a node transceiver circuit 702, a node processor circuit 704, a node sensor 706, and a node regulator circuit 708. The antenna 116 is configured to convert electrical signals received from the node transceiver circuit 702 into wireless signals for transmission to the distributed antenna 110, and the antenna 116 is further configured to convert wireless signals received from the distributed antenna 110 into electrical signals for transmission to the node transceiver circuit 702. The node transceiver circuit 702 is electrically coupled to each of the antenna 116 and the node processor circuit 704, and is configured to interface the antenna 116 with the node processor circuit 704. The node regulator circuit 708 is electrically coupled to a battery module 108, and is configured to power each of the node transceiver circuit 702, the node processor circuit 704, and the node sensor 706 via a power bus 710. In some embodiments, the node regulator circuit 708 includes a switching power converter and / or a linear regulator.

[0075] Node sensor 706 is communicatively coupled to battery module 108 and node processor circuitry 704. Node sensor 706 is configured to send a sensor circuit output to node processor circuitry 704, wherein the sensor circuit output indicates one or more attributes of battery module 108. For example, in some embodiments, the sensor circuit output indicates one or more of the following: temperature of battery module 108, voltage of battery module 108, current through battery module 108, charging or discharging power of battery module 108, and battery module 108 identification information. In some embodiments, node sensor 706 cooperates with one or more devices within battery module 108 to generate the sensor circuit output, said one or more devices including, but not limited to, a temperature sensor, a current sensor, or other circuitry, system, or sensor within battery module 108. In some other embodiments, node sensor 706 uses only elements within node sensor 706 to determine the sensor circuit output.

[0076] Node processor circuitry 704 is communicatively coupled to each of node transceiver circuitry 702 and node sensor 706. Node processor circuitry 704 executes machine-readable instructions to control node 700. For example, in some embodiments, node processor circuitry 704 controls node sensor 706 to generate sensor circuit output, and node processor circuitry 704 controls node transceiver circuitry 702 to transmit sensor circuit output to antenna 116. Figure 8The node processor circuitry 704 is shown in more detail. The node processor circuitry 704 includes a node processor 802 and a node memory 804 communicatively coupled to the node processor 802. The node memory 804 includes an instruction storage device 806 and a data storage device 808. The instruction storage device 806 includes an algorithm 810, and the data storage device 808 includes configuration data 812, input data 814, and processed data 816. The algorithm 810 specifies how the microprocessor circuitry 704 controls the node 700, and the configuration data 812 includes parameters used in the algorithm 810, such as characteristics of the battery module 108. The input data 814 is data received by the microprocessor circuitry 704 from one or more of the node transceiver circuitry 702 and the node sensor 706 for processing. The processed data 816 is data processed by the microprocessor circuitry 704 for transmission to one or more of the node transceiver circuitry 702 and the node sensor 706.

[0077] In some embodiments, RF gateway 114 and node 112 are configured as a wireless personal area network (WLAN). Examples of possible WLAN protocols include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth Low Energy and ZigBee protocols. For example, in a specific embodiment, the WLAN is based on the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol and configured to use a battery service profile. Figure 9 This illustration demonstrates a possible packet configuration based on an embodiment of the Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy protocol. The packet includes a preamble, access address, data protocol unit (PDU), and cyclic redundancy check (CRC). In this embodiment, the PDU includes a payload of up to 251 bytes.

[0078] The multipoint communication system 104 may include additional distributed antennas. For example, Figure 10 An energy storage system 1000 is illustrated, comprising embodiments of a battery pack 1002, a multipoint communication system 1004, and a controller 1006, respectively. The battery pack 1002 includes a plurality of battery modules 108. The multipoint communication system 1004 includes distributed antennas 110, a corresponding node 112 for each battery module 108, and two instances of an RF gateway 1014. The RF gateway 1014 includes a corresponding basic transceiver circuit 1026 electrically coupled to each instance of the distributed antennas 110. The multipoint communication system 1004 is configured to communicate with... Figure 1 It operates in a similar manner to the multi-point communication system 104.

[0079] Figure 11A method 1100 for managing a battery pack is illustrated. In step 1102, battery information is acquired at each of a plurality of nodes. In one example of step 1102, node sensor 706 acquires battery information at each instance of node 700. In step 1104, a first wireless communication containing the battery information is transmitted to a distributed antenna at each of the plurality of nodes. In one example of step 1104, antenna 116 of each node 700 transmits the battery information to a distributed antenna 110 via a first wireless communication 118. In step 1106, the first wireless communication is converted into a first electrical communication via the distributed antenna. In one example of step 1106, the distributed antenna 110 converts the first wireless communication into a first electrical communication. In step 1108, the first electrical communication from the distributed antenna is received at an RF gateway. In one example of step 1108, the first electrical communication is received at an RF gateway 114.

[0080] Figure 12 Another method 1200 for managing a battery pack is illustrated. In step 1202, a second electrical communication is electrically transmitted from an RF gateway to a distributed antenna. In one example of step 1202, the second electrical communication is transmitted from an RF gateway 114 to a distributed antenna 110. In step 1204, the second electrical communication is converted into a second wireless communication via the distributed antenna. In one example of step 1204, the second electrical communication is converted into a second wireless communication via the distributed antenna 110. In step 1206, the second wireless communication is wirelessly received at each of a plurality of nodes. In one example of step 1206, the second wireless communication is wirelessly received at each node 700.

[0081] Modifications to the methods and systems described above may be made without departing from the scope of this document. For example, although a multi-point communication system has been discussed above with respect to battery management systems, such systems can be used in other applications. Therefore, it should be noted that the contents contained in the above specification or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted illustratively rather than restrictively. The following claims are intended to cover all general and specific features described herein, and all statements regarding the scope of the methods and systems may be said to fall within them.

Claims

1. An energy storage system, comprising: Battery pack; as well as A multi-point communication system for a battery management system, the multi-point communication system comprising: Distributed antennas, at least partially arranged within the battery pack; Multiple nodes, each wirelessly coupled to the distributed antenna and configured to acquire battery information; and A radio frequency (RF) gateway, electrically coupled to the distributed antenna; The distributed antenna includes a waveguide, and the battery pack includes opposing first and second conductive surfaces. The waveguide is partially formed by the first and second conductive surfaces and includes a metal end component configured to electrically short-circuit the first and second conductive surfaces.

2. The energy storage system as described in claim 1, wherein, Each of the plurality of nodes is electrically coupled to the corresponding battery module of the battery pack.

3. The energy storage system as described in claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of nodes is configured to transmit a first wireless communication containing corresponding battery information to the distributed antenna. The distributed antenna is configured to convert the first wireless communication into a first electrical communication. and The RF gateway is configured to receive the first electrical communication.

4. The energy storage system as described in claim 3, wherein: The RF gateway is configured to electrically transmit a second electrical communication to the distributed antenna; The distributed antenna is configured to convert the second electrical communication into a second wireless communication; and The plurality of nodes are configured to receive the second wireless communication.

5. The energy storage system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The distributed antenna is physically wired into a harness close to the battery pack.

6. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the RF gateway further comprises a base station antenna for exciting the waveguide and receiving the transmitted signal from the waveguide.

Images