Apparatus for managing a battery and method for controlling a battery

Abstract

A method for controlling a battery system by a battery management system according to one embodiment of the present application can include: performing a process for switching a state of at least one battery pack to a sleep mode as a low power state in response to not receiving a request for using the battery system from a superior system for a predetermined period of time; exiting the process for switching to the sleep mode in response to a request for activating the battery system received from the superior system during performing a plurality of operations included in the process for switching to the sleep mode; and switching the state of the at least one battery pack to a normal state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0157157, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 16, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This invention relates to a battery management device and a battery control method, and more specifically, to a battery management device and a battery control method thereof capable of rapidly responding to requests from a higher-level system. Background Technology

[0003] A rechargeable battery is a battery that can be repeatedly recharged and reused. Rechargeable batteries are typically manufactured as battery modules or packs formed by connecting multiple battery cells in series according to the output capacity required by the device to be used as a power source for various devices. Such batteries are being used in a wide range of applications, from small, high-tech electronic devices such as smartphones to electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems (ESS).

[0004] A battery module or battery pack is a structure that combines multiple battery cells. When overvoltage, overcurrent, or overheating occurs in some battery cells, the safety and operational efficiency of the entire battery module or battery pack will be compromised. Therefore, methods for detecting these problems are necessary. Thus, battery modules or battery packs are equipped with a battery management system (BMS), which measures the voltage value of each battery cell and monitors and controls the voltage state of the battery cells based on the measurements.

[0005] The battery management system (BMS) manages battery states, such as normal, low-power, and power-off states. The BMS initiates battery state transitions based on requests from higher-level systems (e.g., the vehicle). However, if the BMS receives a renewed request for usage during a switch to a low-power state initiated due to a lack of battery usage requests from the higher-level system, a considerable amount of time is required to complete the ongoing switch and return to the normal state. This results in the problem that it is impossible to respond normally to requests from the higher-level system within the given timeframe. Summary of the Invention

[0006] [Technical Issues]

[0007] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an apparatus for managing a battery system.

[0008] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a battery control method.

[0009] [Technical Solution]

[0010] To achieve the purposes of this disclosure, an apparatus for managing a battery system may include: at least one processor; and a memory configured to store at least one instruction executed by the at least one processor, wherein the at least one instruction includes: an instruction for performing a process for switching the state of at least one battery pack to a sleep mode as a low-power state in response to no request for use of the battery system received from an upper-level system within a predetermined time period; an instruction for exiting the process for switching to sleep mode in response to a request for activating the battery system received from an upper-level system during the execution of a plurality of operations including the process for switching to sleep mode; and an instruction for switching the state of at least one battery pack to a normal state.

[0011] The process for switching the state of at least one battery pack to a hibernation mode may include a process for checking whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated from a higher-level system each time an operation included in the process for switching to hibernation mode is performed.

[0012] The process for checking whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated may include: for operations that take longer than a threshold time period in multiple operations included in a program for switching to hibernation mode, checking multiple times while performing the corresponding operations to see if a request to activate the battery system has been generated.

[0013] Instructions for exiting the process of switching to hibernation mode may include instructions that execute one or more rollback operations corresponding to one or more operations previously performed during the process of switching to hibernation mode, in the reverse order of the order of the operations previously performed during the process of switching to hibernation mode.

[0014] The higher-level system can be the vehicle body.

[0015] The first operation included in the process of switching to hibernation mode may be an operation to terminate the device or control the device to a hibernation or off state, wherein the device is included in a battery management device, and the rollback operation for the first operation may be an operation to start the device to run or an operation to control the device to a normal or on state.

[0016] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a method for controlling a battery system via a battery management system may include: performing a process for switching the state of at least one battery pack to a sleep mode as a low-power state in response to no request for use of the battery system being received from an upper-level system within a predetermined time period; exiting the process for switching to sleep mode in response to a request for activating the battery system received from an upper-level system during the execution of a plurality of operations including the process for switching to sleep mode; and switching the state of at least one battery pack to a normal state.

[0017] The process for switching the state of at least one battery pack to a hibernation mode may include a process for checking whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated from a higher-level system each time an operation included in the process for switching to hibernation mode is performed.

[0018] The process for checking whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated may include: for operations that take longer than a threshold time period in multiple operations included in the process of switching to hibernation mode, checking multiple times while performing the corresponding operation whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated.

[0019] Exiting the process for switching to hibernation mode may include performing one or more rollback operations corresponding to one or more operations previously performed during the process for switching to hibernation mode, in the reverse order of one or more operations previously performed during the process for switching to hibernation mode.

[0020] The higher-level system can be the vehicle body.

[0021] The first operation included in the process of switching to hibernation mode may be an operation for terminating the device or controlling the device to hibernation or OFF state, wherein the device is included in a battery management device, and the rollback operation for the first operation may be an operation for starting the device to run or an operation for controlling the device to normal or ON state.

[0022] [Beneficial Effects]

[0023] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the processing delay required to return a battery activation request generated while the battery pack is transitioning to a low-power state to a normal state can be minimized. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 The structure of a battery system to which the present invention can be applied is shown.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the states of a battery system and examples of state transitions within the battery system.

[0026] Figure 3 A table showing the operation flowchart of the BMS during the sleep mode process according to a typical battery control method is presented.

[0027] Figure 4 This is an operation flowchart related to the hibernation mode entry process in the battery control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a numbered diagram illustrating the operation sequence of entering and exiting the hibernation mode in a battery control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 This is an operation flowchart of the battery control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Therefore, while the present invention can be modified and substituted in various ways, its specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but rather, the invention encompasses all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. Throughout the description of the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0031] It will be understood that while the terms first, second, A, B, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element without departing from the scope of the invention, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0032] What will be understood is that when an element is referred to as “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intermediate elements. Other terms used to describe the relationship between elements (i.e., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.) should be interpreted in a similar manner.

[0033] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” and / or “including” as used herein specify the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

[0035] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 The structure of a battery system to which the present invention can be applied is shown.

[0037] exist Figure 1 In a battery pack or module, multiple battery cells can be connected in series. The battery pack or module can be connected to a load via positive and negative terminals to perform charging or discharging. The most commonly used battery cell is the lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery cell.

[0038] The Battery Management System (BMS) 100 can be installed in a battery module or battery pack. The BMS can monitor the current, voltage, and temperature of each battery pack to be managed, and calculate the battery's State of Charge (SOC) based on the monitoring results to control charging and discharging. Here, State of Charge (SOC) refers to the battery's current state of charge, expressed as a percentage (%), and State of Health (SOH) can be the battery's current condition compared to its ideal state, expressed as a percentage (%).

[0039] A Battery Management System (BMS) can monitor battery cells, read cell voltages, and send this information to other systems connected to the battery. The BMS also balances the charge of battery cells equally to extend the lifespan of the battery system.

[0040] The BMS 100 may include various components such as fuses, current sensing elements, thermistors, switches, and balancers to perform such operations. In most cases, the BMS also includes a microcontroller unit (MCU) or battery monitoring integrated chip (BMIC) for interacting with and controlling these components. Here, the BMIC may be located inside the BMS and may be an integrated circuit (IC) type component that measures information such as the voltage, temperature, and current of the battery cells / modules.

[0041] In addition, the battery management system monitors the battery cells, reads the cell voltage, and transmits it to other systems connected to the battery. For this purpose, the BMS includes a communication module for communicating with other systems in the device that includes the battery system. The BMS's communication module can communicate with other systems in the device using CAN (Controller Area Network). Here, components, modules, or systems in the BMS are connected to each other via a CAN bus.

[0042] Controller Area Network (CAN) is a communication standard designed for microcontrollers or devices to communicate with each other in a vehicle without a host computer. CAN communication is a non-host bus type message-based network protocol primarily used for communication between controllers and is mainly used in vehicles.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the states of a battery system and examples of state transitions within the battery system.

[0044] The battery management system can manage the battery state into normal mode, sleep mode, or power-off mode. Normal mode 21 can be the typical operating mode in which the battery pack performs charging or discharging. Sleep mode 22 can indicate that the battery pack is in standby mode at low power. Furthermore, power-off mode 23 can indicate that the operation of the battery pack has been stopped.

[0045] according to Figure 2 As shown in the example, if the battery system is off (e.g., in the case of a vehicle, the engine is off), the system state is default (A), no other anomalies occur in the system (no diagnostic counts), and a 2-second wait time has elapsed, a transition from normal mode to sleep mode can occur. Furthermore, when the battery system is off, the system state is default (A), and the minimum cell voltage (MinCellV) has dropped below a threshold, a transition from normal mode to power-off mode can occur after a 2-second standby time. Conversely, when the battery system is on (e.g., when the vehicle's ignition switch is on), a transition from sleep mode or power-off mode to normal mode can occur.

[0046] Here, if a new request for battery usage from the upper system occurs during the operation of switching to hibernation mode due to the absence of a request from the upper system, the BMS will complete the previously ongoing switching process and return to normal, which takes a considerable amount of time.

[0047] Figure 3 A table showing the operation flowchart of the BMS during the sleep mode process according to a typical battery control method is presented.

[0048] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the step-by-step program code executed by the BMS's controller or processor (e.g., a microcontroller unit (MCU)) when the battery enters sleep mode. Each device in the BMS executes an operation corresponding to each program code or command under the control of the MCU.

[0049] Reference Figure 3 During the hibernation mode entry process, the battery management application is deinitialized (application deinitialization), and the device deinitialization process is executed (device deinitialization) (S31). During device deinitialization, it checks whether the battery system is in an ON state, and if the battery system is ON, a transition to the normal state is executed, i.e., the application initialization process. Conversely, when the battery system is off, the operation deinitialization process for the device or component in the BMS is executed.

[0050] The device or component deinitialization process in a BMS may include analog front-end (AFE) sleep mode, FET shutdown, historical data deinitialization (stored data), sensor deinitialization, data flash shutdown, LDO (linear and low dropout regulator) shutdown, charge pump shutdown, SCP (self-control protector) shutdown, and EEPROM (electrically erasable PROM) shutdown, and finally, MCU deinitialization. Figure 3 The table shows the time required to complete the operation of each device on the right side of each operation item.

[0051] On the other hand, the BMS operation initialization process (S32) based on the battery activation request can be executed in the reverse order of the operation deinitialization process. The operation initialization process starts with MCU initialization, followed by data flash memory opening, LDO opening, charge pump opening, SCP opening, EEPROM opening, AFE normal operation, historical data initialization, and sensor initialization.

[0052] However, even if a renewed request for battery use, i.e., a request for battery activation, occurs while the BMS is executing the process for entering sleep mode (e.g., in the case of a vehicle, when the ignition switch is turned on or the activation is turned on), it will not be interrupted. Figure 3The device deinitialization process is defined in the table, and all internal operations within this process are executed until completion. Therefore, if a battery activation request occurs while the BMS is executing the hibernation mode entry process, it is only possible to exit the hibernation mode entry process after the ongoing process has finished. The delay in this process can reach a maximum of approximately 940ms.

[0053] For electric vehicles that require rapid response, such latency can have a significant impact on system performance, as they need to be able to respond to requests within a few hundred milliseconds after activation.

[0054] Figure 4 This is an operation flowchart related to the hibernation mode entry process in the battery control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the BMS records operations during the hibernation mode entry and hibernation mode exit processes, such as... Figure 4 As shown. Here, an activation-on check is performed for each operational step in the hibernation mode entry process. In other words, an activation-on check is performed whenever each step such as AFE hibernation, FET shutdown, historical data deinitialization, sensor deinitialization, data flash shutdown, LDO shutdown, charge pump shutdown, SCP shutdown, or EEPROM shutdown is executed.

[0056] Furthermore, for operations with long execution times, such as historical data deinitialization and data flash deinitialization, activation open checks can be performed during the corresponding operation, and these checks can be performed multiple times during the corresponding operation. In other words, for operations that take more than a threshold time in multiple operations included in the process of switching to hibernation mode, activation open checks (whether a battery system activation request has been generated) can be performed multiple times while the corresponding operation is being executed.

[0057] Figure 5 This is a numbered diagram illustrating the operation sequence of entering and exiting the hibernation mode in a battery control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 5 In the diagram, each operation included in the process is represented by a number. The activity number indicates the operation number in the hibernation mode entry process. Furthermore, the rollback activity number indicates the rollback activity number in the hibernation mode exit process. Here, each rollback activity number is positioned as associated with a corresponding activity number.

[0059] For example, Figure 5 Activity number 1 indicates that the application is to initialize the operation, and the corresponding rollback activity is the application initialization operation and can be represented by number 24.

[0060] Figure 5 Two examples are shown, including an example where there is no battery activation request during the BMS entering hibernation mode (Case 1) and an example where a battery activation request occurs at the point where Activity 7 is executed during the BMS entering hibernation mode (Case 2).

[0061] If no battery activation is requested during the process of entering hibernation mode, the BMS performs all operations during the hibernation mode entry process, and then, if necessary, performs all operations during the corresponding hibernation mode exit process in sequence.

[0062] On the other hand, if a battery activation request occurs at the point where activity 7 is executed while the BMS is entering hibernation mode, activity 16 is executed as the next operation. Here, activities 8 to 13 and the corresponding rollback activities (activities 15 to 17) are not executed. (See also...) Figure 4 Operation 7 is a data flash memory deinitialization operation, and operation 16 is a data flash memory initialization operation. Afterwards, the BMS executes activities 23, 22, 21, and 24 sequentially.

[0063] In other words, one or more rollback operations corresponding to one or more previously executed operations are performed in the reverse order of one or more operations performed during the process of switching to hibernation mode.

[0064] In summary, when a battery activation request occurs during the hibernation mode entry process, the BMS according to the present invention can perform at least one rollback operation corresponding to the operation previously performed during the hibernation mode entry process, thereby switching to the normal state and immediately responding to requests from the upper-level system.

[0065] Figure 6 This is an operation flowchart of the battery control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] The battery control method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be executed by a controller in a BMS, such as an MCU, but the operation of the method according to the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0067] The controller (MCU) can check whether no request to use the battery system has been received from the upper-level system within a predetermined time period (S610). When there is no battery usage request within the specific time period, the controller can begin the process of switching the battery pack to a sleep mode as a low-power state (S620).

[0068] Here, whenever each operation (S621, S622, S623, S624) included in the process of switching to hibernation mode is executed, it is checked whether a battery system activation request has occurred from the upper system (S630).

[0069] Here, the process for checking whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated may include: for operations that take longer than a threshold time period in multiple operations included in the process of switching to hibernation mode, checking multiple times while performing the corresponding operation whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated.

[0070] If a battery system activation request is received from the upper-level system (Yes in S630) while performing multiple operations including those for switching to hibernation mode, the process for switching to hibernation mode can be exited in response to the request (S640). The process of exiting the hibernation mode switching process can be performed by executing one or more rollback operations corresponding to one or more operations previously performed during the hibernation state switching process. Here, the rollback operations can be performed in the reverse order of the one or more operations that have already been performed.

[0071] After this, the controller can change the state of the battery pack back to normal (S650).

[0072] On the other hand, the process terminates when no activation request for the battery system is received during the hibernation mode switching process and all operations during the hibernation mode switching process are completed (yes in S623). Figure 6 In this context, N represents the total number of operations included in the hibernation mode switching process.

[0073] Implementations of this disclosure can be performed as program instructions executable by various computers and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, or combinations thereof. The program instructions recorded on the computer-readable medium may be specifically designed and configured for this disclosure, or may be publicly known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software.

[0074] Some aspects of the invention have been described above in the context of an apparatus, but these aspects can also be described using methods corresponding to an apparatus. Here, a block or device corresponds to an operation of a method or a feature of the operation of a method. Similarly, the above-described aspects of the invention in the context of a method can be described using corresponding blocks or items or features of corresponding devices. Some or all of the operations of the method can be performed, for example, by (or using) hardware devices such as microprocessors, programmable computers, or electronic circuits. In some embodiments, one or more of the most important operations of the method can be performed by such devices.

[0075] While exemplary embodiments of the invention and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations may be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing a battery system, the apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as The memory is configured to store instructions executed by the at least one processor. The instructions include: Instructions for performing a process of switching the state of at least one battery pack to a sleep mode as a low-power state in response to the absence of a request to use the battery system from a higher-level system within a predetermined time period; An instruction to exit the process of switching to the hibernation mode in response to a request to activate the battery system received from the upper-level system during the execution of multiple operations including the process of switching to the hibernation mode; and Instructions for switching the state of at least one battery pack to a normal state. The instruction for exiting the process of switching to the hibernation mode includes the following instruction: the instruction is used to perform one or more rollback operations corresponding to the one or more operations previously performed during the process of switching to the hibernation mode, in the reverse order of the one or more operations previously performed during the process of switching to the hibernation mode.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process for switching the state of the at least one battery pack to a hibernation mode includes the following procedure: whenever each operation included in the process for switching to the hibernation mode is performed, the process checks whether a request for activating the battery system has been generated from the parent system.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The process for checking whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated includes: for operations that take longer than a threshold time period in a plurality of operations included in the process of switching to the hibernation mode, checking multiple times while performing the corresponding operation whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The higher-level system includes the vehicle body.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first operation included in the process of switching to the hibernation mode is an operation to terminate the device or to control the device to a hibernation or off state, wherein the device is included in the means for managing the battery system, and the rollback operation for the first operation is an operation to start the device to run or to control the device to a normal or on state.

6. A battery control method executed by a battery management system for managing a battery system, the battery control method comprising: In response to the absence of a request to use the battery system from the upper-level system within a predetermined time period, a process is performed to switch the state of at least one battery pack to a sleep mode as a low-power state. The process of switching to the hibernation mode is terminated in response to a request for activating the battery system received from the upper system during the execution of multiple operations, including the process of switching to the hibernation mode. as well as Switch the state of at least one battery pack to the normal state. The process of exiting the process for switching to the hibernation mode includes: performing one or more rollback operations corresponding to the one or more operations previously performed during the process for switching to the hibernation mode, in the reverse order of the one or more operations previously performed during the process for switching to the hibernation mode.

7. The battery control method according to claim 6, wherein, The process for switching the state of at least one battery pack to a hibernation mode includes the following procedure: whenever each operation included in the process for switching to the hibernation mode is performed, the process checks whether a request for activating the battery system has been generated from the parent system.

8. The battery control method according to claim 7, wherein, The process for checking whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated includes: for operations that take longer than a threshold time period in a plurality of operations included in the process of switching to the hibernation mode, checking multiple times while performing the corresponding operation whether a request to activate the battery system has been generated.

9. The battery control method according to claim 6, wherein, The higher-level system includes the vehicle body.

10. The battery control method according to claim 6, wherein, The first operation included in the process of switching to the hibernation mode is an operation to terminate the device or control the device to a hibernation or off state, wherein the device is included in the battery management system, and the rollback operation for the first operation is an operation to start the device to run or an operation to control the device to a normal or on state.

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