Battery thermal event detection system

Abstract

Various systems and methods are presented that relate to determining whether a vehicle on-board battery has failed / failed. Rather than monitoring all variables / parameters associated with the battery, the operating pressure of the battery may be monitored by a pressure component to determine whether a change in pressure within the battery is a function of venting or a result of a battery failure. By limiting the monitoring of the battery to be only pressure, when the vehicle is stopped / powered off, an ECU that typically monitors a range of parameters may also be powered off (e.g., to reduce power consumption of the battery). If a pressure event is identified by the power component, the ECU may be energized to perform a wider range of analysis of the battery to determine whether the battery fails. In response to a determination of a battery failure, the vehicle may automatically relocate, evacuate a building, contact emergency services, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to monitoring a battery to identify a fault condition of the battery before the battery fails catastrophically. Background Art

[0002] The advantages of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have made them ubiquitous around the world, from single cells powering portable devices such as smart watches, mobile phones, cameras, etc., to multi-cell battery packs configured to power vehicles. Although sales of battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) continue to grow, public acceptance is still somewhat hampered by the limited range of EVs compared to fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

[0003] Furthermore, due to the nature of Li-ion battery chemistry, off-gassing due to electrolyte decomposition in the battery chemistry may occur at any time during the usable life of the battery, e.g., when the battery is powering an EV, when the EV is parked overnight in a garage, when the battery is charging, etc. Off-gassing may result in physical deformation / structural damage to the battery and further serve as a precursor to an uncontrolled exothermic reaction, aka "thermal runaway." If not quickly addressed / isolated, thermal runaway may result in catastrophic failure of the battery with potential loss of life and property.

[0004] Therefore, for continued adoption and implementation, it is beneficial to limit unnecessary power consumption of Li-ion batteries and further detect battery failure as quickly as possible, ideally before thermal runaway occurs.

[0005] The above background is intended only to provide an overview of the context of certain current issues and is not intended to be exhaustive. Additional background information may become more apparent after reading the following detailed description. Summary of the invention

[0006] An overview is presented below to provide a basic understanding of one or more embodiments described herein. This overview is not intended to identify key or important elements, or to describe any scope of different embodiments and / or any scope of the claims. The sole purpose of this overview is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description presented herein.

[0007] In one or more embodiments described herein, systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, methods, apparatuses, and / or computer program products are presented to determine if a battery pack has failed. In one embodiment, the battery pack may be located on a vehicle.

[0008] According to one or more embodiments, a system may be located on a vehicle, the system may include a memory storing a computer executable component, and a processor executing the computer executable component stored in the memory. The computer executable component may include a sensor component configured to monitor the operating pressure of a battery located on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is in a power-off operating mode and the high voltage battery module (HVBM) is powered off. The sensor component may be further configured to detect the occurrence of an event at the battery, and in response to the detection of the event at the battery, restart the operation of the high voltage battery module (HVBM). In one embodiment, the sensor component is a pressure component configured to determine a pressure, and the event is a change in pressure at the battery.

[0009] In another embodiment, the sensor component may be further configured to determine a difference between a current pressure value measured at the battery measured by the pressure sensor and a baseline pressure value previously measured by the pressure sensor, and in response to the difference being greater than a threshold, identify that an event has occurred.

[0010] In one embodiment, the HVBM may be configured to analyze signals from one or more systems onboard the vehicle to identify a source of signal interference generated at the one or more systems, wherein the signal interference causes a difference between a current pressure value measured by the pressure sensor and a baseline pressure value measured by the pressure sensor. In one embodiment, the one or more systems may include a motor system, a climate control system, a speed system, a navigation system, etc.

[0011] In another embodiment, the HVBM can be further configured to: (i) identify a first number of sensor signals presented in a first measurement set, (ii) identify a second number of sensor signals presented in a second measurement set, (iii) determine whether the first number of sensor signals is equal to the second number of sensor signals, and (iv) in response to determining that the first number of sensor signals is not equal to the second number of sensor signals, identify a faulty sensor.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the HVBM may be further configured to, prior to powering off, capture a first set of measurements regarding the operating condition of the battery when the HVBM is powered off, further, once operation of the HVBM is restarted by the sensor component, capture a second set of measurements regarding the current operating condition of the battery, compare the first set of measurements to the second set of measurements, and further, in response to a difference between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements, generate and send a fault notification that the battery is in a potential fault condition.

[0013] In one embodiment, the battery may be a lithium-ion battery, and the HVBM may be further configured to determine whether the event is a venting event at the battery based on a comparison between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements.

[0014] In one embodiment, the computer executable components may further include a warning component. The warning component may be configured to receive the fault notification, generate a warning notification indicating that the battery is in a potential fault condition, and further send the warning notification to a remotely located user device, wherein the warning notification includes instructions to evacuate a building in which the vehicle is located. In one embodiment, the warning component is further configured to send the warning notification to a navigation component onboard the vehicle, wherein the warning notification includes instructions for the navigation component to automatically drive the vehicle to a designated safe location.

[0015] In other embodiments, the elements described in conjunction with the disclosed system may be embodied in different forms, such as a computer-implemented method, a computer program product, or other forms. For example, in one embodiment, the computer-implemented method may be performed by a device operably coupled to a processor, wherein the device may be located on a vehicle. In one embodiment, the method may include monitoring, by a device, a current pressure condition at a battery pack, wherein the current pressure condition is monitored when a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is powered off, wherein the HVBM is configured to control the operation of the battery pack. The method may further include comparing, by the device, the current pressure condition with a baseline condition to identify the presence of a pressure event at the battery pack, and in response to identifying the presence of a pressure event, activating, by the device, the operation of the HVBM, wherein the HVBM is configured to determine whether the pressure event indicates a failure of the battery pack.

[0016] In another embodiment, the method may further include: (i) obtaining, by the HVBM, a set of operating conditions of the battery pack during HVBM power outage; (ii) obtaining, by the HVBM, a set of current operating conditions of the battery pack during HVBM activation; (iii) comparing, by the HVBM, the current set of operating conditions with the set of power-off operating conditions; (iv) determining, by the HVBM, a change in the current operating condition relative to the power-off operating condition; and (iv) generating an alarm indicating a battery pack failure in the event that the change indicates a current condition of a battery pack failure.

[0017] In one embodiment, the battery pack may include at least one lithium-ion battery cell. In addition, the pressure event is caused by venting at the battery pack. In addition, the pressure event may be caused by at least one of a physical failure or a chemical failure of at least one cell in the battery pack.

[0018] Further embodiments may include a computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therein to determine a failure of a battery pack located on a vehicle. The program instructions are executable by a processor and may cause the processor to monitor a current pressure condition at the battery pack, wherein the current pressure condition is monitored when the HVBM is powered off, wherein the HVBM is configured to control operation of the battery pack, compare the current pressure condition to a baseline pressure condition to identify the presence of a stress event at the battery pack, and further, in response to identifying the presence of the stress event, activate operation of the HVBM, the HVBM configured to determine whether the stress event indicates a failure of the battery pack.

[0019] In another embodiment, the program instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the processor to: (i) obtain a set of operating conditions of the battery pack during HVBM power failure; (ii) obtain a set of current operating conditions of the battery pack during HVBM activation; (iii) compare the current set of operating conditions with the power failure operating condition set; (iv) determine a change in the current operating condition relative to the power failure operating condition; and (v) generate an alarm indicating a battery pack failure if the change in the current condition indicates a battery pack failure.

[0020] The one or more systems, computer implemented methods and / or computer program products have the advantage of utilizing various systems and techniques to quickly determine whether a pressure event at a battery is due to venting or is indicative of an ongoing operational / structural failure of the battery. Once awakened, the current operational condition of the battery is compared to the previous condition of the battery as a function of the HVBM, and the determination of the battery operational condition can be quickly assessed, which is critical to preventing loss of life, property or injury. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] One or more embodiments are described below in the detailed description section with reference to the following figures.

[0022] Figure 1A A system including various components and devices configured to monitor the operating condition of a battery and based thereon determine whether the battery may be experiencing a physical / chemical failure is shown in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 1B Further illustrated is a system including various components and devices configured to monitor the operating condition of a battery and based thereon determine whether a physical / chemical failure of the battery may occur, in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0024] Figure 1CA system including various components and devices configured to monitor the operating condition of a battery and based thereon determine whether the battery may be experiencing a physical / chemical failure is shown in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Graphs 200A-200B present corresponding measurements and graphs over time as a function of how the operational health of a battery pack is determined, according to one embodiment.

[0026] Figure 3 A flow chart of a computer-implemented method for detecting whether a battery pack has failed is shown in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0027] Figure 4 A flow chart is shown of a computer-implemented method for issuing battery pack failure warnings to various devices and systems in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0028] Figure 5 A flow chart illustrating a computer-implemented method of a possible response to an indication of a potential battery pack failure in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0029] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example computing environment in which various embodiments described herein may be implemented.

[0030] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example computing environment with which the disclosed subject matter can interact, according to one embodiment.

[0031] Figure 8 A table summarizing SAE J3016 is presented, detailing the corresponding functions and features during driving automation levels 0-5 (as of June 2018). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following detailed description is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the application or use of the embodiments and / or embodiments. In addition, it is not intended to be bound by any explicit and / or implicit information presented in any of the aforementioned background technology parts, summary parts and / or detailed description parts.

[0033] One or more embodiments are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same elements throughout. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. However, it is apparent that in various circumstances, one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details.

[0034] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "coupled" to another element, one or more different types of couplings may be described, including but not limited to chemical coupling, communication coupling, electrical coupling, electromagnetic coupling, operational coupling, optical coupling, physical coupling, thermal coupling, and / or another type of coupling. Similarly, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it may describe one or more different types of connections, including but not limited to electrical connection, electromagnetic connection, operational connection, optical connection, physical connection, thermal connection, and / or another type of connection.

[0035] As used herein, "data" may include metadata. In addition, a range An is used herein to indicate a corresponding plurality of devices, components, signals, etc., where n is any positive integer.

[0036] In various embodiments presented herein, the disclosed subject matter can be directed to identifying pressure buildup during venting of a battery, wherein venting resulting from a potentially damaging chemical / physical breakdown of the battery can be determined compared to venting resulting from normal operation of the battery. In one embodiment, the battery can be a battery pack onboard a vehicle.

[0037] An analysis of the current operating condition of the battery may be compared to previous operating conditions, for example, the current pressure inside the battery pack relative to previously measured operating conditions. In the event that the pressure is above a threshold, an extensive analysis of the current operating condition may be performed (e.g., temperature, voltage, sensor failure, operating failure of another component onboard the vehicle, etc.). In the event that a battery failure is determined to be occurring or about to occur, a warning may be generated and sent to any of an onboard system, a remotely located device (e.g., a cell phone owned by the operator of the vehicle in which the battery is located), an emergency services system, a battery audit system operated by the battery manufacturer and / or vehicle manufacturer, and the like. In a further embodiment, in the event that the vehicle in which the battery pack is located is capable of operating in an automated manner, a navigation system onboard the vehicle may be configured to navigate the vehicle to a safe location (e.g., away from a building) where the battery failure may be resolved.

[0038] Typically, a central ECU or the like is used to monitor battery pack operation, but the central ECU may generate undesirable power consumption on the battery pack. Therefore, when the ECU is powered off, auxiliary circuits monitor the pressure at the battery pack. In the event of a pressure event (e.g., above a threshold) at the battery pack of concern, the ECU can be repowered and configured to compare the current operating condition of the battery pack with the condition of the battery pack when the ECU was powered off. Based on the analysis by the ECU, the battery pack can be marked as operating satisfactorily, or marked as having a problem that requires further action (e.g., building evacuation, vehicle repositioning, fire fighting, etc.).

[0039] It should be understood that although the various embodiments and concepts are presented as directed to lithium-ion battery technology, the various embodiments and concepts can be equally applied to any battery technology, including lithium-ion (Li-ion), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA), lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), lithium manganese spinel (LMO), lithium titanate (LTO), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium metal polymer (LMP), nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium sulfur (Li-S), lead-acid batteries, as well as ultracapacitors, super capacitors, chemical batteries, solid-state batteries, fuel cells, etc.

[0040] With respect to the phrase "automated" operation, in order to enable the definition of levels of complexity of the operation of a vehicle by both suppliers and policy makers across the industry, standards may be used to define levels of automated operation. For example, International Standard J3016, Classification and Definitions of Terms Relating to Driving Automation Systems for Road Motor Vehicles, has been developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and defines six levels of operation of (one or more) driving automation systems that perform some or all of a dynamic driving task (DDT) on an ongoing basis. The definitions of the six levels provided in SAE J3016 range from no driving automation (Level 0) to full driving automation (Level 5) in the context of the vehicle and its operation on the road. Levels 0-5 of SAE J3016 are summarized below and are further presented in Figure 8 Table 800.

[0041] Level 0 (No Driving Automation): At Level 0, the vehicle is manually controlled by an automated control system (ACS) with no system capabilities, and the driver provides DDT regarding steering, braking, acceleration, negotiating traffic, etc. There may be one or more systems in place to assist the driver, such as an emergency braking system (EBS), but since EBS does not technically drive the vehicle, it does not meet the requirements of automation. Most vehicles in operation today are at Level 0 automation.

[0042] Level 1 (Driver Assistance / Driver Assisted Operation): This is the lowest level of automation. The car features an automated system for driver assistance, such as steering or acceleration (cruise control), but not both at the same time. An example of a Level 1 system is Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), where the vehicle can be maintained at a safe distance behind a lead vehicle (e.g., operating in front of an operational vehicle with Level 1 automation), with the driver performing all other aspects of driving and having full responsibility for monitoring the road and taking over if the assistance systems fail to act appropriately.

[0043] Level 2 (Partial Driving Automation / Partially Automated Operation): The vehicle can steer, accelerate, and brake in certain situations (e.g., via an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS)), however, the automation falls short of automated driving because tactical maneuvers such as responding to traffic signals or changing lanes can be primarily controlled by the driver, as can scanning for hazards, who has the ability to take control of the vehicle at all times.

[0044] Level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation / Conditionally Automated Operation): The vehicle can control aspects of operation (e.g., steering, acceleration, etc.), for example, by monitoring the operating environment, but the vehicle's operation has manual override. For example, the automated system can prompt the driver to intervene when encountering a situation that the onboard system cannot navigate (e.g., with an acceptable level of operational safety), so the driver must be available to take over the operation of the vehicle at any time.

[0045] Level 4 (High Driving Automation / High Driving Operation): Moving forward from Level 3 operation, where a human driver must be available, in Level 4 the vehicle can operate without human input or supervision, but only under selected conditions defined by factors such as road type, geographic area, environments with limited maximum speeds (e.g., urban environments), where such limited operation is also referred to as "geofencing." Below Level 4 operation, a human (e.g., driver) still has the option of manually controlling the automated operation of the vehicle.

[0046] Level 5 (Full Driving Automation / Full Driving Operation): Level 5 vehicles require no human attention to operate and can operate on any road and / or any road conditions that a human driver can navigate (or even beyond human navigation / driving capabilities). In addition, operations below Level 5 are not subject to the geo-fencing restrictions of operations below Level 4. In one embodiment, a Level 5 vehicle may not even have a steering wheel or acceleration / brake pedals. In one use example, a destination for the vehicle is input (e.g., by a passenger, by a supply manager if the vehicle is a delivery vehicle, etc.), where the vehicle autonomously controls navigation and operation of the vehicle to the destination.

[0047] For clarity, operations below Levels 0-2 may require human interaction at all or some stages of the vehicle's journey to a destination. Operations below Levels 3-5 do not require human interaction to navigate the vehicle (except below Level 3, where the driver is required to take control of the vehicle for road conditions that the vehicle is not capable of safely navigating).

[0048] As described herein, DDT involves various functions of operating a vehicle. DDT is related to the operational function(s) and tactical function(s) of the vehicle operation, but may not be related to the strategic function. The operational function is related to controlling the vehicle movement, such as steering (lateral movement) and braking / acceleration (longitudinal movement). Tactical functions (also known as object and event detection and response (OEDR)) involve navigation choices made during the journey to reach the destination, about detecting and responding to events and / or objects as needed, such as overtaking the vehicle in front, taking the next exit, taking a detour, etc. Strategic functions are related to the vehicle destination and the best way to reach the destination, such as destination and waypoint planning. Regarding operational functions, the Level 1 vehicle specified in SAE J3016 controls steering or braking / acceleration, while the Level 2 vehicle must control both steering and braking / acceleration. The automated operation of the vehicle at Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5 specified in SAE J3016 involves the vehicle having full control of the operational functions and tactical functions. Level 2 operation may involve full control of the operational functions and tactical functions, but the driver can control the tactical functions.

[0049] Thus, the term "automation" as used herein may refer to any of Levels 1-5 with respect to the operation of a vehicle that may or may not be assisted by a human in navigating to a destination. For example, in one embodiment, the term "automatic operation" or "automatically" may refer to a vehicle that has at least Level 2 operation, e.g., the lowest level of operation is Level 2: partially automated operation, according to SAE J3016. Thus, while Level 2 (partially automated operation) may be the lowest level of operation, higher levels of operation, e.g., Levels 3-5, are included in the operation of a vehicle operating at Level 2. Similarly, a minimum Level 3 operation includes Levels 4-5 operation, and a minimum Level 4 operation includes operation below Level 5 as specified by SAE J3016.

[0050] It should be understood that while the various embodiments presented herein are directed to one or more vehicles (e.g., vehicle 102) operating in an automated manner (e.g., as an automated vehicle, AV), the various embodiments presented herein are not limited thereto and may be implemented with a group of vehicles operating in any of an automated manner (e.g., Level 5 of SAE J3016), a partially automated manner (e.g., Level 1 or higher of SAE J3016), or a non-automated manner (e.g., Level 0 of SAE J3016). For example, a first vehicle may operate in an automated manner (e.g., any of Levels 3-5), a partially automated manner (e.g., any of Levels 1-2), or a non-automated manner (e.g., Level 0), and a second vehicle may also operate in any of an automated manner, a partially automated manner, or a non-automated manner.

[0051] Now turning to the attached figure, Figure 1A A system 100 is shown that includes various components and devices configured to monitor the operating condition of a battery and determine whether a physical / chemical failure of the battery may occur based on the operating condition of the battery according to at least one embodiment. As shown, the system 100 includes a battery pack 105 connected to a battery management system 120, having a series of operations. The battery management system 120 can be configured to monitor the operation of the battery pack 105 via sensors 130A-n. As further described, Figure 1A The corresponding systems and components presented in can be located on a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102, as further described). In conventional systems, the operation of the battery pack 105 is monitored by a high voltage battery module (HVBM) 127 / main electronic control unit (ECU) 128. However, maintaining the operation of the HVBM 127 may be an undesirable power drain on the battery pack 105, which may limit the operating range of the vehicle between battery charges. In one embodiment, the HVBM 127 can be placed in a sleep / hibernation mode while maintaining supervision of the operating status of the battery pack 105, for example, to detect potential operating events at the battery pack 105 in a timely manner, which event may potentially cause a failure of the battery pack 105 if not resolved. Therefore, the battery control ECU 122 may include a pressure component 125 configured to monitor the operation of the battery pack 105 while the HVBM 127 is dormant.

[0052] In (1), a series of sensors 130A-n are connected to the battery pack 105, wherein the sensors 130A-n are configured to monitor various parameters / outputs (e.g., pressure, temperature, voltage, gas particle sensing from off-gassing, etc.) at the battery pack 105. The pressure sensor 130A1 can provide a first pressure signal 135A1 to the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125, while the other sensors 135A-n provide measurements 136A-n including temperature signals, voltage signals, etc., including a second pressure signal, to the HVBM 127. Before the HVBM 127 is shut down as part of the shutdown sequence, the various measurements 136A-n can be stored in, for example, an onboard storage device 184.

[0053] In (2), the HVBM 127 is in sleep mode and the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 maintains monitoring of the pressure at the battery pack 105. In one embodiment, the supervision of the pressure maintained at the battery pack 105 enables detection of any venting events, as well as increases in pressure caused by failures of the battery pack 105. As further described, the pressure component 125 can be configured to monitor the pressure signal 135A1 to detect changes in the sensor signal 135A1 relative to a baseline value. In response to detecting a change in the amplitude of the sensor signal 135A1, for example, a spike signal of 105 kilopascals (KPa) relative to a baseline signal of 100 KPa, the pressure component 125 can be configured to wake up the HVBM 127.

[0054] In (3), once awake, the HVBM 127 can be configured to capture the current operating condition of the battery pack 105 based on the measurements 137A-n. The HVBM 127 can be further configured to compare the measurements 136A-n recorded when the HVBM 127 was shut down with the measurements 137A-n recorded when the HVBM 127 was awake. Therefore, as further described, the use of the pressure component 125 to monitor the pressure 135A1, combined with the HVBM 127 being configured to compare the shutdown measurements 136A-n with the awake measurements 137A-n, enables monitoring of the battery pack 105 to quickly detect potential abnormalities in the pressure state at the battery pack 105, as well as the effective operation of the HVBM 127.

[0055] Figure 1BFurther shown is a system 100 including various components and devices according to at least one embodiment, which are configured to monitor the operating condition of the battery and determine whether the battery may have a physical / chemical failure based thereon. As shown, the system 100 includes a vehicle 102 on which a battery pack 105 is located, wherein the battery pack 105 can be configured to provide power to propel the vehicle 102, provide power to an onboard system 160, etc. In one embodiment, the battery pack 105 can be formed of one or more battery cells, wherein one or more battery cells can be Li-ion battery cells.

[0056] As described above, in one embodiment, the system 100 may further include a battery management system 120 configured to monitor, control, analyze, and / or diagnose the operation of the battery pack 105. In addition, the system 100 may include various sensors 130A-n configured to monitor one or more variables / parameters / conditions (e.g., sensor signals / measurements 135A-n, 136A-n, 137A-n) pertaining to the operation of the battery pack 105. With respect to the variables / parameters to be measured, any suitable sensors 130A-n may be utilized, such as analog sensors, digital sensors, etc. The one or more parameters / conditions monitored by the sensors 130A-n may include (in a non-limiting list) at least one of the following: (a) pressure within the battery pack, (b) temperature of the battery pack, (c) output voltage / current / capacitance of the battery pack, (d) operating / fault conditions of one or more sensors connected to the battery, (e) inter-system communications, such as (one or more) battery voltage temperature node (CVTN) communications, (f) operating / fault conditions of one or more systems, components and / or devices on the vehicle 102 co-located with the battery pack 105 and the battery management system 120 (f) and other related issues / sources of concern. As further described herein, the battery management system 120 and the corresponding components included therein may be configured to monitor one or more sensors 130A-n, from which the battery management system 120 may further determine the operating health of the battery pack 105. As further described, the battery management system 120 may include a battery control electronic control unit (ECU) 122, in which a pressure component 125 (also known as a sensor component) is incorporated, as well as a high voltage battery module (HVBM) 127 and an associated master ECU 128. The battery management system 120 may further include various processes 129A-n (e.g., functions, operations, algorithms, etc.) configured to assist in the operation of various components included in the battery management system 120 and further for application / utilization across the vehicle 102. The battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 may be configured to communicate with the battery management system 120 via interfaces 121A and 121B (according to Figure 1B) communicates with the HVBM 127 / ECU 128.

[0057] The system 100 may further include various onboard systems 160 (e.g., motor system 162, climate control system 164, speed system 168, navigation system 169, etc.), to which the battery pack 105 is configured to provide power. The motor system 162 may be configured to control operation, such as start / stop of a motor configured to propel the vehicle 102. The climate control system 164 may be configured to control operation of air conditioning, heating, etc., to control the operating climate of the onboard passenger compartment of the vehicle 102. The speed system 148 may be configured to brake / decelerate or stop the vehicle 102 (e.g., when parking / and parking, etc.). The speed system 148 may also be configured to control the acceleration of the vehicle 102, wherein as previously described, the braking and acceleration of the vehicle 102 may form part of the DDT operating function. The speed system 148 may further be configured to receive data related to the movement of the vehicle 102, the data being about at least one of speed, deceleration, stationary, braking, acceleration, etc. (e.g., generated by a motion / speed sensor). The navigation system 169 may be configured to navigate the vehicle 102 along a road and control the steering of the vehicle 102. It should be understood that although described herein as the motor system 162, the climate control system 164, the speed system 168, and the navigation system 169, respectively, the term "system" may also be used herein to describe the computer executable components (which may be stored in a memory and executable by a processor) located in the corresponding system to control the operation of the corresponding system and further interact with other systems.

[0058] As further described herein, failure of a component (e.g., sensors 130A-n) as well as failure in any of the various onboard systems 160 may impact the determination of the operating health of the battery pack 105 , and component / system failures are determined and isolated as part of the analysis of the operating health of the battery pack 105 .

[0059] The system 100 may further include an alert component 170. In the event that a failure in operation is being experienced by the battery pack 105, the alert component 170 may be further configured to generate and transmit a series of alerts to alert one or more entities regarding a potential / ongoing failure of the battery pack 105. As further described, alerts may occur to various onboard systems / components, as well as remotely located devices 192A-n and external system(s) 199.

[0060] In further embodiments, the system 100 may further include an onboard computer system (OCS) 180 including a processor 182 and a memory 184, wherein the processor 182 may perform various computer-executable components, functions, operations, etc. as presented herein. The memory 184 may be utilized to store various computer-executable components, functions, codes, etc., as well as battery measurements 135A-n / 136A-n / 137A-n in the database 139, content of notifications / alerts 166A-n, processes 129A-n, thresholds 126A-n, externally shared information 198, etc. (as further described herein).

[0061] As further shown, OCS 180 may include an input / output (I / O) component 186, wherein I / O component 186 may be a transceiver configured to enable the transmission / reception of information and data (e.g., notifications 166A-n in packets of information 198) between vehicle 102 and other systems and devices present in system 100 (e.g., user devices 192A-n, external systems 199, etc.). I / O component 186 may be communicatively coupled to remotely located devices and systems via antenna 187. Transmission of data and information between vehicle 102 (e.g., via antenna 187 and I / O component 186) and further between any remotely located devices 192A-n and systems 199 may be via signals 190A-n. Any suitable technology may be utilized to enable the various embodiments presented herein regarding the transmission and reception of signals 190A-n. Suitable technologies include Bluetooth®, Cellular technology (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G), Internet technology, Ethernet technology, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Technologies based on the IEEE 802.15.4a standard, Wi-Fi technology, radio frequency identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC) radio technology, etc.

[0062] In one embodiment, OCS 180 may further include a human machine interface (HMI) 188 (e.g., display, graphical user interface (GUI)) that may be configured to present various information including any notifications 166A-n, information received from onboard and external systems and devices, etc., in accordance with various embodiments presented herein. HMI 188 may include an interactive display 189 to present various information (e.g., in notifications 166A-n) via various screens presented thereon, and is further configured to facilitate input of information / settings, etc., regarding operation of vehicle 102.

[0063] Various systems / components onboard the vehicle 102 (e.g., battery pack 105, e.g., via a wiring harness / sensor harness; battery monitoring system 120; onboard systems 160; warning components 170; OCS 180, etc.) may be communicatively coupled via an onboard computer network / communication bus 134. The network / bus 134 may be any suitable onboard embedded system, such as FLEXRAY, a controller area network (CAN), Ethernet, a local interconnect network (LIN), etc.

[0064] Although one or more devices and / or systems are described below with reference to an EV (such as an automobile), one or more embodiments described herein are not limited to such use. For example, one or more embodiments presented herein may be utilized to monitor / control the operation of a battery, where the battery may be located on a military vehicle, a rail vehicle, a marine vehicle such as a boat, a ship, a submarine, or a marine drone, a winged vehicle such as an airplane or a drone, and / or a rotored vehicle such as a helicopter or a drone. Likewise, one or more embodiments presented herein may be extended to monitoring the operation of a battery located on a robot and / or any suitable mobile or stationary device. Other suitable applications include scooters, Electric bikes, E-rickshaws, etc. Additionally, one or more embodiments presented herein may be utilized to control the charging of a battery, where the battery is a standalone device, eg, the battery is not located on a vehicle, device, etc.

[0065] In addition, embodiments may be applied to any vehicle that utilizes a battery charging system, such as, for example, a battery electric vehicle (BEV), in which the powerplant is solely an electric motor powered by a battery, and the battery is recharged via an external charging station; a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), which has a gasoline / petrol engine and fuel tank and an electric motor powered by a battery, wherein operation of the HEV recharges the battery (e.g., via a regenerative braking system that captures kinetic energy); a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which has a gasoline / petrol engine and fuel tank and an electric motor powered by a battery, wherein the battery can be recharged via an external charging station, etc.

[0066] In order to enable a further understanding of the various components and possible sequences of actions utilized in the various embodiments presented herein, various systems, components, operations, etc., are presented in a step-by-step manner.

[0067] At (1), a battery pack 105 is located on the vehicle 102 to provide power to various systems and components located on the vehicle 102. As previously described, the battery pack 105 can be a Li-ion battery, however, the various embodiments presented herein can be directed to any battery pack / device that can exhibit a failure through a single parameter / measurement. For example, the various embodiments presented herein relate to detecting a failure of the battery pack 105 based on a function that determines a change in pressure within the battery pack 105. In another embodiment, the single parameter can be temperature, voltage, etc.

[0068] At (2), during operation of the battery pack 105, for example, during powering of the drive motor 162 by the battery pack 105, various sensors 130A-n connected to the battery pack 105 and / or monitoring the operation of the battery pack 105 may generate measurements 135A-n regarding any of the following: (a) pressure within the battery pack, (b) temperature of the battery pack, (c) output voltage / current / capacitance of the battery pack, (d) operating / fault conditions of one or more sensors connected to the battery, (f) operating / fault conditions of one or more systems / components / devices co-located with the battery pack 105 and the battery management system 120, etc., as previously described. The corresponding measurements 135A-n may be stored / captured in a battery measurement database 139, which may be located in the memory 184 and updated as necessary. Depending on the particular moment, the measurements 135A-n are labeled herein as 136A-n (e.g., when the HVBM 127 is shut down) and 137A-n (e.g., when the HVBM 127 is awake). Furthermore, the pressure sensor connected to the pressure member 125 is labeled herein as sensor 130A1 , while the pressure sensor connected to the HVBM is labeled as sensor 130A.

[0069] At (3), the battery management system 120 may include various components, such as a battery control ECU 122, which may be configured to monitor the operating conditions of the battery pack 105 (e.g., receive and process measurements 135A-n from sensors 130A-n) and monitor inputs and outputs of the battery pack 105. In one embodiment, when the vehicle 102 is powered, the pressure component / module 125 in the battery control ECU 122 may be configured to monitor only the pressure 135A1 at the battery pack 105, while other variables / measurements 135A-n (e.g., temperature, voltage, etc.) are not measured by the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component / module 125.

[0070] As described above, the battery management system 120 may further include an HVBM 127, which may be configured to control power flowing into and out of the battery pack 105 and further maintain power levels across the battery pack 105. As part of controlling the power operation(s) at the battery pack 105, the HVBM 127 analyzes the operating conditions of the battery pack 105 (e.g., according to analyses 151A-n) based on various measurements 135A-n (e.g., including pressure 135A). However, in order for the HVBM 127 to monitor the operating conditions of the battery pack 105, the main electronic control unit (ECU) 128 of the vehicle 102 for the entire vehicle 102 needs to remain powered and operational, for example as a function of enabling the HVBM 127 to monitor / determine the power requirements of the corresponding onboard systems 160 and the corresponding power consumption of the battery pack 105.

[0071] Powering the HVBM 127 / main ECU 128 by the battery pack 105 when the vehicle 102 is stopped may waste power resources provided by the battery pack 105, thereby further limiting the operating range of the vehicle 105. However, according to various embodiments presented herein, the battery control ECU 122 may require much less power than the HVBM 127 / ECU 128 to remain operational because the battery control ECU 122 only performs measurements / analysis of the pressure measurement 135A1 (e.g., according to analyses 151A-n) compared to the wide range of analyses and measurements performed by the HVBM 127 / ECU 128 across the onboard systems 160.

[0072] As part of the vehicle 105 shutdown process (e.g., during parking), the final battery measurements 136A-n (e.g., received by the battery control ECU 122) can be stored in the measurement database 139. As further described, upon restarting / waking up the HVBM 127, the final battery measurements 136A-n can be compared to the new / current battery measurements 137A-n.

[0073] Thus, as further described, a review of previously stored battery measurements 136A-n and current battery measurements 137A-n may be initiated based on a trigger (e.g., pressure measurement 135A1 being of interest), expediting the review of the operating condition of the battery pack 105 compared to conventional systems.

[0074] At (4), when the vehicle 102 is powered off, the HVBM 127 may also be powered off. However, operation of the battery control ECU 122 may remain operational with the pressure component 125 monitoring the pressure signal 135A1 (and 136A, 137A) via the sensor 130A1 at the battery pack 105. By measuring the pressure 135A1 while the vehicle 105 is powered off, the pressure component 125 may generate a baseline operating condition over time from which deviations in pressure may be determined (ascertained), e.g., with respect to magnitude, slope of a curve of value, etc., according to thresholds 126A-n.

[0075] At (5), in the event that the currently received pressure measurement 135A1 is of concern (e.g., the measurement deviates too far from the baseline condition according to the thresholds 126A-n), the pressure component 125 / battery control ECU 122 can be configured to wake up the HVBM 127. Once awake, the HVBM 127 can be configured to obtain the current measurement 137A-n and compare the current measurement 137A-n to previously stored measurements 136A-n (e.g., measurements stored in the database 139 when the HVBM 127 was powered off).

[0076] As previously described, at (6), when the HVBM 127 is powered off, the pressure component 125 / battery control ECU 122 monitors only the pressure measurement 135A1. However, once awake, the HVBM 127 can be configured to re-source measurements from all sensors 130A-n, as well as determine the current operating condition of any sensor 130A-n, and further determine conditions at any onboard system 160 (e.g., as communicated via bus 134) that may cause false signals in the measurements 135A-n / 136A-n / 137A-n.

[0077] At (7), one of the measurements 135A-n of interest is (e) an isolated fault, where the HVBM 127 can be configured to review the operation of other onboard systems 160 to determine whether the potential event of interest is caused by an effect elsewhere on the onboard system 160 that is unrelated to the operating state of the battery pack 105. For example, a temporary electrical effect may occur at any of the onboard systems 160, and due to the interconnection of the various onboard systems 160 (e.g., wiring harness, bus 134, etc.), a temporary electrical effect originating at, for example, the motor 162 may cause an electrical event at the battery pack 105, the sensor 130A-n, and / or the measurement 135A-n. Thus, it may initially appear that the spike in pressure 135A1 is the result of an effect from elsewhere, such as a short circuit elsewhere in the high voltage circuit. As part of the analysis 151A-n of the various measurements 135A-n, 136A-n, and / or 137A-n, the HVBM 127 may be configured to isolate effects / faults caused by the onboard system 160 that are unrelated to the operating condition of the battery pack 105 (e.g., as (e)(one or more) isolated faults).

[0078] At (8), where the HVBM 127 determines, through analysis 151A-n of any of the measurements 135A-n, 136A-n, 137A-n, sensors 130A-n, etc., in a non-limiting list, that (a) the circumstances of the stress event indicate that the stress event may be explained (e.g., as a result of an unrelated event at the onboard system 160), (b) its magnitude / duration is insufficient to be of concern, (c) other parameters / measurements 135B-n indicate that the battery pack 105 is operating properly, (d) and the like, the HVBM 127 may be configured to power itself down, while the battery control ECU 122 is configured to remain operational to continue monitoring future stress signals 135A1 received from the sensor 130A. In one embodiment, the HVBM 127 may update the measurement database 139 with an entry (e.g., in a notification 166M) detailing the circumstances of the HVBM 127 determining the stress event (e.g., based on the stress event). Figure 2A-2B In one embodiment, the notification 166M, the analysis / review 151A-n of the HVBM 127 and any associated measurements 135A-n, 136A-n and / or 137A-n may be sent to an external system 199 for further review, as described in (9) below.

[0079] In another embodiment, in the event that the HVBM 127 analyzes 151A-n that the battery pack 105 appears / is failing, the HVBM 127 may be configured to generate and send warning / alert notifications 166A-n (e.g., "thermal event occurred" at the battery pack 105), indicating that the operating condition of the battery pack 105 is of concern. The warning notifications 166A-n may be received and processed by the warning component 170. The warning component 170 may be configured to generate further notifications to the corresponding components / systems / entities.

[0080] At (9), in one embodiment, the warning component 170 can be configured to send a warning notification 166A-n to a remotely located entity / system. For example, the warning component 170 can be configured to send (e.g., via I / O 186, antenna 187, and signal 190A-n) a warning notification to a device 192A-n, where the device 192A-n can be a mobile phone, a tablet, an alarm system incorporated into a building where the vehicle 102 is currently located, such as a home alarm system where the vehicle 102 is parked, etc. In response to receiving the warning notification 166A-n, the device 192A-n can be configured to issue an alert to the owner of the device 192A-n, where the alert can be an audible alarm such as a ringtone, a digital message "vehicle battery failure", a visual notification presented on the device 192A-n (on a screen), etc. In response to the generation of the alert, one or more people near the vehicle can take appropriate actions, such as attempting to resolve the failure of the battery pack 105 (e.g., extinguishing a fire, relocating the vehicle, alerting emergency services, etc.). In further embodiments, the home alarm system (or any closed-circuit video / television system) may be configured to operate / direct the field of view of one or more cameras in the direction of the vehicle 102 and obtain video of the vehicle, e.g., to determine whether the vehicle 102 or the battery pack 105 is on fire as a function of a malfunction of the battery pack 105. The video / digital images captured by the home alarm system may be processed and sent to the owner of the vehicle / property (e.g., via devices 192A-n) to enable a determination of whether the vehicle 102 is on fire and an appropriate response (e.g., vacate the premises, extinguish the fire, cool the battery pack 105, etc.). Additionally, the video / digital images captured by the home alarm system may be processed and sent to an entity operating the external system 199, e.g., where the external system 199 is operated by one or more emergency services, the manufacturer of the battery pack 105, the manufacturer of the vehicle 102, etc.

[0081] In another embodiment, the warning component 170 can be configured to send warning notifications 166A-n to an external system 199, where the external system 199 can be operated by an emergency service (e.g., a fire service) that can deploy one or more entities to the location of the vehicle 102 to address the faulty battery pack 105 (e.g., to put out a fire). In a further embodiment, the external system 199 can be operated by an entity involved in the operation of the battery pack 105 (e.g., the manufacturer of the battery pack 105) and / or the operation of the vehicle 102 (e.g., the manufacturer of the vehicle 102). The respective entity operating the external system 199 can utilize the notifications 166A-n, the analysis / review 151A-n of the HVBM 127, and any associated measurements 135A-n, 136A-n, and / or 137A-n to gain further insight into the operation and use of the battery pack 105. For example, notifications 166A-n may include information that increases understanding (eg, of a battery manufacturer or a vehicle manufacturer) of conditions that may cause battery pack 105 to fail, such as with respect to issues regarding a potential battery recall.

[0082] In another embodiment, the external system 199 can be located on a second vehicle operating in proximity to the first vehicle (vehicle 102), wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle can engage in inter-vehicle communication (e.g., via I / O 186, antenna 187, information 198, etc.). In one embodiment, the first vehicle and / or the second vehicle can operate in an at least partially automated manner. The warning component 170 can be configured to send warning notifications 166A-n from the first vehicle to the external system 199 located on the second vehicle. In one embodiment, the warning notifications 166A-n can be instructions for the second vehicle to avoid the first vehicle, for example, in view of the battery pack 105 potentially experiencing a failure. In another embodiment, the warning notifications 166A-n can be instructions to the second vehicle requesting that the second vehicle assist the first vehicle, for example, to enable the transfer of a person originally transferred by the first vehicle.

[0083] In further embodiments, the warning component 170 may be configured to generate and send warning notifications 166A-n to one or more of the onboard systems 160. For example, the notifications 166A-n may be sent to the navigation system 169. The navigation system 169 may be further configured to, upon receiving the notifications 166A-n, interact with the motor system 162 and the speed system 168 (e.g., via an onboard ECU, such as the OCS 180) to initiate and cause the vehicle 102 to automatically reposition itself to a safer location (e.g., the OCS 180 is configured to interact with a home security system to open the garage door of a home garage where the vehicle 102 is currently parked, and reposition the vehicle 102 on the driveway / street to reduce the possibility of a fire initiated by a failure of the battery pack 105 that causes loss of life and / or property. For example, by automatically repositioning the vehicle 102, time is gained for one or more residents at the house where the vehicle 102 is located to leave the house, resolve the battery failure 105, etc.

[0084] In another embodiment, the warning component 170 may be configured to send the warning notifications 166A-n to the HVBM 127. In response to receipt of the warning notifications 166A-n, the HVBM 127 may be configured to disable the ability to recharge the battery. In a further embodiment, the warning component 170 may be configured to send the warning notifications 166A-n to the climate control system 164. In response to receipt of the warning notifications 166A-n, the climate control system 164 may be configured to disable any further climate control operation, thereby reducing power consumption from the battery pack 105 and not stressing the battery pack 105 in operation. In another embodiment, the warning component 170 may be configured to send the warning notifications 166A-n to any one of the speed system 168, the motor system 162, the navigation system 169, etc., to limit the operation of the vehicle 102 to an operation that does not stress the battery pack 105 in operation. For example, operation of the vehicle 102 may be limited to speeds that do not place operating stress on the battery pack 105, such that the vehicle 102 is restricted to a "limphome" operating mode.

[0085] In further embodiments, the warning component 170 can be configured to present the warning notifications 166A-n on an HMI 188 / screen 189 located in the vehicle 102, such as in a dashboard cluster in a passenger compartment. The warning notifications 166A-n can be configured to present various options to the driver / passenger of the vehicle 102, such as "stop and exit the vehicle", "drive the vehicle to the nearest dealer / repair station", etc.

[0086] In one embodiment, any of the devices 192A-n and / or the external system 199 may be configured to receive input / feedback (e.g., by an owner of the vehicle 102, an operator of the external system 199) indicating that upon review (e.g., by a human and / or remotely located process), one or more warning notifications 166A-n received at the devices 192A-n / external system 199, respectively, are false and that no fault has occurred with the battery pack 105. Thus, the feedback may be utilized to improve the ability of the processes 129A-n and the application of the thresholds 126A-n to determine / identify operating conditions at the battery pack 105 that may or may not result in a correct / accurate determination that an operating fault has or has not occurred or will occur or is occurring with the battery pack 105.

[0087] In another embodiment, in the event that the HVBM 127 diagnoses that a sensor 130A-n may have a fault / operating inconsistently, a warning notification 166A-n may be generated indicating that the sensor 130A-n has a problem and may be directed to the owner of the vehicle 102 (e.g., via 192A-n) to have the sensor 130A-n / battery pack 105 inspected as soon as possible (e.g., by a manufacturer service station / dealer) to correct the potential fault. Additionally, a warning notification 166A-n may be generated instructing the owner of the vehicle 102 not to charge the battery pack 105 until the potential problem has been resolved (e.g., by replacing the faulty sensor 130A1).

[0088] Figure 1CFurther shown is a system 100 including various components and devices according to at least one embodiment, which are configured to monitor the operating condition of the battery and determine whether the battery may have a physical / chemical failure based thereon. In one embodiment, a first pressure sensor 130A1 can monitor the pressure (e.g., pressure (a1)) at the battery pack 105, wherein the pressure sensor 130A1 can be connected to the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 and provide a first pressure value 135A1. In addition, as shown, a second pressure sensor 130A can be included in the sensor bundle 130A-n, generating measurements 135A-n for analysis by the HVBM 127 / main ECU 128, wherein the measurements 135A-n (and measurements 136A-n / 137A-n) can include a second pressure measurement 135A comparable to the first pressure value 135A1 (e.g., both are received from the pressure sensors 130A1, 130A monitoring the operating pressure of the battery pack 105). Thus, when the HVBM 127 / ECU 128 is powered off, the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 is still running, receiving and performing analysis of the pressure measurement 135A1. In one embodiment, as a fail-safe, the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 can be configured so that if the sensor 130A1 or the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 itself fails, the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 can be configured to send a notification 166A-n to the HVBM 127 to wake up and monitor the battery pack 105 when any of the sensor 130A1, the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component has failed.

[0089] like Figure 1CAs shown, the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 can be communicatively connected to the HVBM 127 / ECU 128 via the interface components 121A and 121B, and notifications 166A-n are sent therebetween. For example, as previously described, in the event that the pressure component 125 determines that a pressure event is occurring and the HVBM 127 needs to wake up and monitor the sensors 130A-n, a notification 166W can be generated and sent from the interface component 121A. In one embodiment, the interface 121B can be configured to remain operational when the HVBM 127 / ECU 128 is powered off, so that the interface 121B can monitor the operation of the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125. In the event that the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 fails (e.g., a communication failure), the interface 121B can detect the failure, and in addition, in response to detecting the failure, the interface 121B can be configured to wake up the HVBM 127 / ECU 128 so that the HVBM 127 / ECU 128 can monitor the operation of the battery 105 when the failure of any one of the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 / pressure sensor 130A1 is resolved. In one embodiment, the interface 121A can be configured to generate and send a notification 166C to the interface 121B at a predefined interval, such as every 5 seconds, 10 seconds, etc. The interface 121B can be configured to receive the communication notification 166C, and in response to the interface 121B not receiving the notification 166C within the predefined time, the interface 121B can be further configured to wake up the HVBM 127 to monitor the battery pack 105 in the event that the battery control ECU 122 / pressure component 125 has a potential failure.

[0090] Go to Figure 2A and Figure 2B , Figure 2A and Figure 2B , graphs 200A-200B present corresponding measurements and graphs over time as a function of how the operating health of a battery pack is determined, according to one embodiment. Figure 2A The corresponding operating components and the corresponding measured parameters are shown, and Figure 2B Determination of a pressure measurement that triggers further monitoring is presented.

[0091] like Figure 2AAs shown, initially, the HVBM 127 monitors the plethora of parameters (e.g., via sensors 130A-n, measurements 136A-n). At time 210, with the associated shutdown of the HVBM 127, operation of the vehicle 102 is shut down (e.g., parked). As part of the shutdown, the HVBM 127 may be configured to store / identify the sensor measurement set 136A-n in the measurement database 139 as the pre-shutdown values. At time 210, as previously described, the pressure component 125 may be configured to further monitor the pressure 136A1 (or 135A1), comparing the baseline value to the threshold value 126A-n. At a subsequent time 220, in response to the pressure 136A1 being equal to or exceeding the threshold value 126A-n (e.g., at the pressure spike 240), operation of the HVBM 127 may be restarted. Once operation of the HVBM 127 is restarted, the plethora of parameters may again be monitored (e.g., as measurements 137A-n). HVBM 127 may be configured to compare measurements 136A-n (before shutdown) to measurements 137A-n (after shutdown) and determine whether battery pack 105 is experiencing or potentially experiencing a fault.

[0092] like Figure 2B As shown, curve 230 is a plot of pressure (KPa, y-axis) versus time (x-axis). As previously mentioned, any number of methods / techniques may be utilized to identify a pressure event of interest 240. As further mentioned, the battery control ECU 122 (e.g., via the pressure component 125) may maintain monitoring of the pressure sensor 130A1, while the other sensors 130A-n are not monitored because the HVBM 127 is currently powered off / sleep at time 210. Therefore, the battery control ECU 122 may generate a pressure baseline 230.

[0093] The baseline pressure 230 may be affected by the environmental conditions in which the vehicle 102 is currently located. For example, at sea level, the pressure measurement 135A1 / 136A1 / 137A1 of the battery pack 105 may be approximately 100 KPa, while at an altitude of 1000 meters, the pressure measurement 135A1 / 136A1 / 137A1 of the battery pack 105 may be approximately 90 KPa, and further, at an altitude of 3000 meters, the pressure measurement 135A1 / 136A1 / 137A1 of the battery pack 105 may be approximately 70 KPa. In addition, weather conditions at the current location of the vehicle 102 may cause a change in the pressure at the battery pack 105. For example, a transition in weather conditions from low pressure to high pressure may cause a corresponding change in the pressure measurement 135A1 / 136A1 / 137A1 at the battery pack 105 of approximately 10 KPa. However, compared to the typical rapid increase in pressure 135A1 at the battery pack 105 when the battery pack 105 is vented and / or experiences a fault / breakdown, such pressure differentials caused by environmental influences, etc. may take a perceptible / extended amount of time for a pressure transition (e.g., a gradual increase / decrease in the baseline) to occur. According to the example pressure measurement 135A1 presented in chart 200B, the measured pressure (e.g., baseline pressure) is approximately 100 KPa. As shown, at point 260 (e.g., 301 seconds), the measured pressure 135A begins to rise, and further, at point 220 (e.g., at 303 seconds), the measured pressure 135A is 105 KPa. Figure 2B In the example presented in , thresholds 126A-n can be defined and applied to the analysis of measured pressure 135A1 / 136A1. In this example, thresholds 126A-n have been set to a pre-configured pressure alarm value of 5KPa. As shown, a change in pressure value from a baseline of 100KPa to 105KPa can be detected within 2 seconds. As previously described, as the battery control ECU 122 detects a change in pressure 135A1 (e.g., between points 260 and 220), the battery control ECU 122 can be configured to wake up the HVBM 127 (e.g., at time 220). Depending on the specific HVBM 127 located on the vehicle 102, waking up the HVBM 127 may take 3-10 seconds.

[0094] As previously described, upon awakening, the HVBM 127 can immediately obtain current parameter measurements 137A-n, access previously stored measurements 136A-n (e.g., stored in the measurement database 139), and compare / analyze / review 151A-n the measurements 136A-n and 137A-n. Thus, even if the wake-up delay at the HVBM 127 is 10 seconds, Figure 2BIn the example presented in , HVBM 127 determines whether battery pack 105 is experiencing a failure / breakdown within 13 seconds of a potential failure in pressure measurements 137A-n. Thus, according to various embodiments presented herein, a failure of battery pack 105 can be detected quickly, which is critical in enabling the battery pack 105 failure to be resolved, people to evacuate the building housing vehicle 102, etc.

[0095] As described above, any suitable technique may be utilized to determine the change in pressure at the battery pack 105, such as, in a non-limiting list: a) an average of pressure measurements 135A1 / 136A1 over a first duration (e.g., the last 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, baseline conditions, etc.) may be compared to an average of pressure measurements 135A1 / 136A1 over a second duration (e.g., the last 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 1 minute, duration from baseline to change, etc.), b) a maximum pressure value of pressure measurements 135A1 / 136A1 over the first duration and a maximum pressure value of pressure measurements 135A1 / 136A1 over the second duration, c) a slope of a first portion of a curve derived from pressure measurements recorded over the first time period (e.g., before point 260 of curve 230) and a slope of a second portion of the curve derived from pressure measurements recorded over the second time period (e.g., between points 260 and 220 of curve 230), d) a percentage shift from a baseline value, e) and the like. Figure 2A and 2B In the example scenario presented in , the pressure component 125 is configured with a detection value / threshold 126A-n of 5 KPa, and a change in pressure is detected at 220. However, it should be understood that the detection value of 5 KPa presented is arbitrary, and the pressure component 125 can be configured with any suitable / applicable value, for example, based on detecting a change in pressure amplitude relative to a baseline value.

[0096] In the event that a sensor 130A-n fails between the recording of previously stored measurements 136A-n and current parameter measurements 137A-n, the HVBM 127 may determine that the sensor has failed due to the absence of parameter measurements in the measurements 137A-n of the failed sensor 130A-n. The HVBM 127 may perform further analysis 151A-n to determine whether the sensor 130A-n is an isolated event (e.g., other measurements 137A-n and 136A-n indicate that the battery pack 105 is not faulty) or indicates that the battery pack 105 is faulty.

[0097] As used herein, the terms "infer," "inference," "determine," and the like generally refer to the process of inferring or reasoning about the state of a system, environment, and / or user based on a set of observations captured via events and / or data. For example, inference can be employed to identify a particular context or action, or can produce a probability distribution over states. Inference can be probabilistic—that is, a probability distribution over states of interest is computed based on a consideration of data and events. Inference can also refer to techniques employed to compose higher-level events from a set of events and / or a set of data. Such inference results in the construction of new events or actions from a set of observed events and / or a set of stored event data, whether or not the events are closely related in time, and whether or not the events and data come from one or several event and data sources.

[0098] Processes 129A-n may include computer-based machine learning, artificial intelligence, and reasoning techniques and technologies that employ probability and / or statistical-based analysis to predict or infer actions that a user wishes to automate. The various embodiments presented herein may utilize various machine learning-based schemes to perform various aspects thereof. For example, a process for determining whether a stress event 240 indicates that a battery pack 105 is experiencing a fault may be facilitated via an automatic classifier system and process.

[0099] A classifier is a function that maps an input attribute vector x = (x1, x2, x3, x4, xn) to a class label class(x). A classifier can also output the confidence that the input belongs to a certain class, i.e., f(x) = confidence(class(x)). This classification can use probabilistic and / or statistical analysis (e.g., considering analytical utility and cost) to predict or infer actions that a user wishes to automate (e.g., identifying a failure of a battery pack 105 based on a stress event 240).

[0100] Support vector machine (SVM) is an example of a classifier that can be used. SVM runs by finding a hypersurface in the space of possible inputs that separates triggering input events from non-triggering events in the best way. Intuitively, this makes classification correct for test data that is close to but different from training data. Other directed and non-directed model classification methods include, for example, naive Bayes, Bayesian networks, decision trees, neural networks, fuzzy logic models, and probabilistic classification models that provide different independent patterns can be used. The classification used in this article includes statistical regression for developing priority models.

[0101] As can be readily appreciated from the subject specification, various embodiments may employ classifiers that are explicitly trained (e.g., via generic training data) and implicitly trained (e.g., via observation of one or more stress measurements 135A1 / 136A1 / 137A1, measurements 135A-n, 136A-n, 137A-n, and other measurements related to the battery pack 105, received external information, etc.). For example, an SVM is configured via a learning or training phase within a classifier constructor and feature selection module. Thus, the classifier(s) may be used to automatically learn and perform a variety of functions, including but not limited to determining stress events (e.g., stress event 240), such as those associated with a failure of the battery pack 105, according to predetermined criteria.

[0102] As described above, reasoning and operations may be performed based on multiple pieces of information. For example, measurements 135A1, 136A1, 135A-n, 136A-n, 137A-n are compiled using information / data generated by corresponding components included in or in communication with the battery pack 105, and information / data about the operating conditions of the battery pack 105 is accumulated (e.g., in the memory 114, the measurement database 139), and the corresponding information can be analyzed to determine a convergence pattern, so that reasoning about the operating conditions of the battery pack 105 and the probability of failure can be made.

[0103] Figure 3 A flow chart 300 is shown of a computer-implemented method for detecting whether a battery pack has failed, according to at least one embodiment.

[0104] At 310, current operating conditions (e.g., measurements 135A-n) of a battery pack (e.g., battery pack 105) are captured by an HVBM (e.g., by HVBM 127), where the conditions may be stored in a database (e.g., measurement database 139). In one embodiment, the current operating conditions may be captured when a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102) on which the battery pack is operating is parked and turned off (e.g., in a garage, overnight on the street, parked in a shopping mall parking lot, etc.).

[0105] To conserve power available to the battery pack, the HVBM may be shut down as part of a vehicle power down at 320. However, a battery control ECU (e.g., battery control ECU 122) may remain powered, where the battery control ECU may be configured to operate at a fraction of the power required to maintain operation of the HVBM.

[0106] At 330 , the battery control ECU may include a pressure component (eg, pressure component 125 ) configured to monitor the operating pressure of the battery pack (eg, pressures 135A1 , 136A1 , 137A1 ). Figure 1A and Figure 2A-2B, when the HVBM is not currently activated, continuous monitoring of the battery pack pressure enables generation of an operating baseline (e.g., pressure baseline 230) from continuously received pressure measurements (e.g., from pressure sensor 130A1). In one embodiment, at the moment the HVBM is powered off, a pressure baseline can be created from pressure measurements (e.g., the last 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.) stored in a measurement database (e.g., measurement database 139). After the HVBM is powered off, a pressure baseline can be generated based on pressure measurements received after the HVBM is powered off. In addition, threshold pressure values ​​(e.g., thresholds 126A-n) can be defined (e.g., via input from pressure component 125) and applied to the pressure baseline to identify significant deviations from the pressure baseline (e.g., pressure events 240). As Figure 2A-2B As mentioned, the threshold condition / measurement can be related to any suitable measurement, such as average, slope, etc.

[0107] At 340, a determination may be made (e.g., by pressure component 125) as to whether the current pressure event occurring at the battery pack is of concern (e.g., above a threshold). In response to a "yes" determination, the current operating pressure is as expected (e.g., below a threshold), and method 300 may return to 330 to further monitor the current pressure condition.

[0108] At 340 , in response to a determination of NO, the current operating pressure is not as expected (eg, equal to or above thresholds 126A-n), method 300 may proceed to 350 .

[0109] At 350 , the pressure component (eg, via interfaces 121A and 121B) may be configured to generate notifications 166A-n to wake up the HVBM.

[0110] At 360 , once reinitialized, the HVBM may be configured to a) monitor all corresponding variables / parameters 137A-n, b) obtain signals from all sensors 130A-n, c) obtain operating data from other systems (e.g., components / devices operating in other systems 160 on the vehicle 102 ), etc.

[0111] At 370, the HVBM may further compare corresponding measurements stored in the measurement database before the HVBM was powered off (e.g., measurements 136A-n in the measurement database 139) with measurements obtained by the HVBM after the HVBM was awakened (e.g., measurements 137A-n). The HVBM's comparison may include a) comparing all corresponding variables / parameters before the HVBM was powered off and after the HVBM was awakened, b) reviewing the operation of all sensors 130A-n, c) performing fault analysis 151A-n to isolate other causes of changes that may have caused the stress event (e.g., causes in components and devices in other systems 160), d) and the like to identify whether the stress event is i) an actual stress-based event and not the result of some unrelated event elsewhere on the vehicle, ii) other variables / parameters indicate that the battery pack is failing?

[0112] At 380, in response to a determination that the HVBM's corresponding variables, sensors, other systems (e.g., 136A-n / 137A-n, sensors 130A-n, other systems 160, etc.) all have expected magnitudes or are operating as expected (e.g., analysis 151A-n), the battery pack may be deemed to be operating as expected, and the method 300 may return to 320, whereupon the HVBM may be powered down, and further monitoring of the pressure values ​​(e.g., pressure values) 135A / 136A / 137A may be performed (e.g., by pressure component 125). As part of the review, any identified sensor defects (e.g., defects in sensors 130A-n) may be addressed (e.g., the sensors may be replaced), false signals caused by other causes (e.g., other systems 160) may be isolated, and further analysis may be performed to mitigate future effects of the false signals, etc.

[0113] At 380, in response to a determination that the magnitude or operation of a corresponding variable, sensor, other system, etc. is not as expected, method 300 may proceed to 390, where a further review may be performed to determine whether the battery pack has failed. In response to a determination (e.g., by HVBM 127) that the battery pack has not failed, although a difference between the operating conditions before / at the time of HVBM shutdown and after HVBM restart may exist, method 300 may return to 320, whereupon the HVBM may be powered off and further monitoring of the pressure values ​​(e.g., pressure values ​​135A1 / 136A1 / 137A1) may be performed (e.g., by pressure component 125).

[0114] At 390, in response to a determination (e.g., by the HVBM 127) that the difference between the operating conditions before / at the time of the HVBM shutdown and after the HVBM restart indicates that the battery pack is malfunctioning / failing, the HVBM may generate instructions (e.g., in notifications 166A-n) and send them to a warning component (e.g., warning component 170) indicating that the battery pack may be malfunctioning and that appropriate action should be taken. As previously described, the warning component may generate a warning / alert (e.g., in notifications 166A-n) and send it to external devices and systems to take appropriate action, such as leaving the building, emergency services to be handled, etc. In addition, as previously described, the warning component may further generate and send a warning to the vehicle's navigation system to automatically relocate the vehicle.

[0115] Figure 4 A flowchart 400 is shown of a computer-implemented method for issuing battery pack failure warnings to various devices and systems in accordance with at least one embodiment.

[0116] At 410, in response to a determination that a battery pack (e.g., battery pack 105) is potentially faulty (e.g., a thermal fault) (e.g., by an HVBM 127 located onboard vehicle 105), a warning component (e.g., warning component 170) may receive instructions to generate and transmit one or more warnings / alerts (e.g., notifications 166A-n).

[0117] At 420, the warning component can be configured to send a warning (e.g., notification 166A-n) to an external system (e.g., system 199) or device (e.g., devices 192A-n). As previously described, the external system can be operated by any of the manufacturer of the battery pack, the manufacturer of the vehicle in which the battery pack is located, (one or more) emergency services, etc.

[0118] At 430, in another embodiment, the warning component can be configured to generate and send a warning / alert to a navigation system (e.g., navigation system 169) located onboard the vehicle. In response to receiving the warning, the navigation component can be pre-configured with a location to relocate the vehicle, for example, to minimize the possibility of a fire at the battery pack spreading to surrounding buildings, etc. Thus, the navigation component can automatically relocate the vehicle. In another embodiment, the navigation component can be configured with parameters regarding what constitutes a safe location for the vehicle to be parked. When a battery failure occurs, the navigation component can review nearby locations (e.g., based on GPS data, maps, instructions received from an external system / device - e.g., instructions generated by emergency services) and automatically relocate the vehicle to a suitable nearby location.

[0119] Figure 5Flowchart 500 illustrates a computer-implemented method of a possible response to an indication of a potential battery pack failure, according to at least one embodiment.

[0120] At 510, the operating condition of a battery pack (e.g., battery pack 105) located on a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102) is monitored. When the vehicle is powered off (e.g., parked), the monitoring of the battery pack can be based on a pressure component (e.g., pressure component 125 in battery control ECU 122) monitoring the pressure (e.g., pressure 135A1 / 136A1 / 137A1) at the battery pack via a pressure sensor (e.g., pressure sensor 130A1). In the event that the pressure exceeds a threshold (e.g., threshold 126A-n relative to a baseline value with respect to amplitude, slope, percentage, etc.), the pressure component can be configured to wake up the HVBM (e.g., HVBM 127) to determine whether the battery pack has failed. Fault analysis of the HVBM can be based on a comparison of the current operating condition of the battery pack with the operating condition that existed when the HVBM was powered off (e.g., as part of a vehicle power outage). In response to the HVBM's determination that the battery pack has failed, the HVBM may be further configured to instruct a warning component (eg, warning component 170 ) to generate and send a warning (eg, in notifications 166A-n) that the battery pack appears to have failed / is failing.

[0121] At 520 , a user device (eg, devices 192A-n) or an external system (eg, external system 199 ) may receive and present the alert.

[0122] At 530, input from a user device or external system may be received regarding a determination of whether the battery pack has failed. In one embodiment, the determination may be made by the owner of the vehicle, emergency service personnel, the manufacturer of the battery pack, or an engineer employed by the manufacturer of the vehicle, etc.

[0123] At 540, in response to the input of the determination indicating no, the battery pack has not failed, the method 500 can proceed to 550, so that the stress component or HVBM can be reconfigured / updated with the characteristics of the determination result to further train the stress component or HVBM (e.g., process 129A-n). The method 500 can further return to 510, so that the HVBM can be powered off again and further monitoring can be performed by the stress component.

[0124] At 540 , in response to a determination that the battery pack appears to be or is failing, method 500 may proceed to 560 so that the effects of the failure may be mitigated, such as evacuating the building in which the vehicle is parked, extinguishing a fire, automatically relocating the vehicle, and the like.

[0125] Example operating environment and scenarios

[0126] Next go to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , which provides the Figure 1A-Figure 5 Detailed description of additional context for one or more embodiments described

[0127] To provide additional context for the various embodiments described herein, Figure 6 The following discussion is intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment 600 in which the various embodiments described herein may be implemented. Although the embodiments are described above in the general context of computer-executable instructions that may be executed on one or more computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may also be implemented in conjunction with other program modules and / or as a combination of hardware and software.

[0128] Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these methods can be practiced with other computer system configurations, including single-processor or multi-processor computer systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, IoT devices, distributed computing systems, as well as personal computers, handheld computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, etc., each of which can be operably coupled to one or more associated devices.

[0129] The embodiments shown herein may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

[0130] Computing devices typically include various media, which may include computer-readable storage media, machine-readable storage media, and / or communication media, the two terms being used differently herein as follows. Computer-readable storage media or machine-readable storage media may be any available storage media that can be accessed by a computer, and include both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable storage media or machine-readable storage media may be implemented in conjunction with any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable or machine-readable instructions, program modules, structured data, or unstructured data.

[0131] Computer readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other storage technology, compact disk read-only memory (CDROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disk (BD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, solid-state drives or other solid-state storage devices, or other tangible and / or non-transitory media that can be used to store the desired information. In this regard, the terms "tangible" or "non-transitory" as applied to storage, memory, or computer-readable media herein should be understood as excluding only the propagation of transitory signals per se as a modifier, and without disclaiming the right to all standard storage, memory, or computer-readable media that propagate more than transitory signals per se.

[0132] Computer-readable storage media may be accessed by one or more local or remote computing devices, eg, via access requests, queries, or other data retrieval protocols, for various operations regarding information stored by the media.

[0133] Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other structured or unstructured data in a data signal (such as a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery or transmission media). The term "modulated data signal" or signal refers to a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in a manner that encodes information in one or more signals. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.

[0134] Reference again Figure 6 , an example environment 600 for implementing various embodiments of aspects described herein includes a computer 602, which includes a processing unit 604, a system memory 606, and a system bus 608. The system bus 608 couples system components including, but not limited to, the system memory 606 to the processing unit 604. The processing unit 604 can be any of a variety of commercially available processors and can include a cache memory. Dual microprocessors and other multi-processor architectures can also be used as the processing unit 604.

[0135] The system bus 608 may be any of a number of types of bus structures that may further interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures. The system memory 606 includes ROM 610 and RAM 612. A basic input / output system (BIOS) containing the basic routines that help transfer information between elements within the computer 602, such as at startup, may be stored in a nonvolatile memory such as ROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an EEPROM, or the like. RAM 612 may also include a high-speed RAM, such as a static RAM for caching data.

[0136] The computer 602 further includes an internal hard disk drive (HDD) 614 (e.g., EIDE, SATA), one or more external storage devices 616 (e.g., a magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 616, a memory stick or flash drive reader, a memory card reader, etc.), and an optical drive 620 (e.g., which can read or write from a CD-ROM disk, a DVD, a BD, etc.). Although the internal HDD 614 is shown as being located within the computer 602, the internal HDD 614 can also be configured for external use in a suitable chassis (not shown). In addition, although not shown in the environment 600, a solid state drive (SSD) can be used in addition to or in place of the HDD 614. The HDD 614, (one or more) external storage devices 616, and the optical drive 620 can be connected to the system bus 608 by a HDD interface 624, an external storage interface 626, and an optical drive interface 628, respectively. The interface 624 for external drive implementations may include at least one or both of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1094 interface technologies. Other external drive connection technologies are also contemplated within the scope of the embodiments described herein.

[0137] The drive and its associated computer-readable storage media provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc. For the computer 602, the drive and storage media accommodate the storage of any data in a suitable digital format. Although the above description of computer-readable storage media refers to corresponding types of storage devices, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that other types of computer-readable storage media, whether currently existing or developed in the future, can also be used in the example operating environment. In addition, any such storage media can contain computer-executable instructions for performing the methods described herein.

[0138] A number of program modules may be stored in the drives and RAM 612, including an operating system 630, one or more application programs 632, other program modules 634, and program data 636. All or portions of the operating system, applications, modules, and / or data may also be cached in RAM 612. The systems and methods described herein may be implemented using various commercially available operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0139] Computer 602 may optionally include emulation technology. For example, a hypervisor (not shown) or other intermediary may emulate the hardware environment used to run system 630, and the emulated hardware may optionally be different from the hardware of the computer 602. Figure 6 The hardware shown. In such an embodiment, the operating system 630 may include one of a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) hosted at the computer 602. In addition, the operating system 630 may provide a runtime environment for the application 632, such as a Java runtime environment or a .NET framework. The runtime environment is a consistent execution environment that allows the application 632 to run on any operating system that includes a runtime environment. Similarly, the operating system 630 may support containers, and the application 632 may be in the form of a container, which is a lightweight, independent, executable software package that includes, for example, code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings for the application.

[0140] In addition, the computer 602 may include a security module, such as a trusted processing module (TPM). For example, with a TPM, before loading the next boot component, the boot component hashes the next boot component and waits for the result to match the security value. This process may occur at any layer in the code execution stack of the computer 602, such as at the application execution level or at the operating system (OS) kernel level, thereby enabling security at any code execution level.

[0141] A user may enter commands and information into the computer 602 through one or more wired / wireless input devices, such as a keyboard 638, a touch screen 640, and a pointing device such as a mouse 642. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, an infrared (IR) remote control, a radio frequency (RF) remote control or other remote control, a joystick, a virtual reality controller and / or a virtual reality headset, a game pad, a stylus, an image input device (e.g., (one or more) cameras), a gesture sensor input device, a visual motion sensor input device, an emotion or facial detection device, a biometric input device (e.g., a fingerprint or iris scanner), etc. These and other input devices are typically connected to the processing unit 604 through an input device interface 644, which may be coupled to the system bus 608, but may also be provided by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE 1094 serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR interface, a Bluetooth® port, or the like. interface, etc.) connection.

[0142] A monitor 646 or other type of display device may also be connected to the system bus 608 via an interface, such as a video adapter 648. In addition to the monitor 646, computers typically include other peripheral output devices (not shown) such as speakers, printers, and the like.

[0143] The computer 602 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections with one or more remote computers, such as (one or more) remote computers 650, via wired and / or wireless communications. The (one or more) remote computers 650 can be workstations, server computers, routers, personal computers, portable computers, microprocessor-based entertainment devices (appliances), peer devices, or other common network nodes, and typically include many or all of the elements described with respect to the computer 602, although only a memory / storage device 652 is shown for simplicity. The depicted logical connections include wired / wireless connections to a local area network (LAN) 654 and / or a larger network, such as a wide area network (WAN) 656. Such LAN and WAN network environments are common in offices and companies and facilitate enterprise-wide computer networks, such as intranets, all of which can be connected to a global communication network, such as the Internet.

[0144] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 602 can be connected to the local area network 654 through a wired and / or wireless communication network interface or adapter 658. The adapter 658 can facilitate wired or wireless communication with the LAN 654, which can also include a wireless access point (AP) provided thereon for communicating with the adapter 658 in a wireless mode.

[0145] When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 602 may include a modem 660, or may be connected to a communication server on the WAN 656 via other components for establishing communications on the WAN 656, such as through the Internet. The modem 660 may be an internal or external wired or wireless device that may be connected to the system bus 608 via the input device interface 644. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 602, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory / storage device 652. It should be appreciated that the network connections shown are examples and other components for establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.

[0146] When used in a LAN or WAN networking environment, the computer 602 can access a cloud storage system or other network-based storage system in addition to or in lieu of the external storage devices 616 described above. Typically, the connection between the computer 602 and the cloud storage system can be established through the LAN 654 or WAN 656, for example, by an adapter 658 or a modem 660, respectively. Once the computer 602 is connected to the associated cloud storage system, the external storage interface 626 can manage the storage provided by the cloud storage system like other types of external storage with the help of the adapter 658 and / or the modem 660. For example, the external storage interface 626 can be configured to provide access to cloud storage sources as if those sources were physically connected to the computer 602.

[0147] Computer 602 may be operable to communicate with any wireless device or entity operatively configured for wireless communication, such as printers, scanners, desktop and / or portable computers, portable data assistants, communication satellites, any device or location associated with a wirelessly detectable tag (e.g., a kiosk, newsstand, shelf, etc.), and telephones. This may include Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth Wireless technology. Therefore, the communication can be a predefined structure like traditional networks, or just ad hoc communication between at least two devices.

[0148] The above description includes non-limiting examples of various embodiments. Of course, it is not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methods for the purpose of describing the disclosed subject matter, and those skilled in the art will recognize that further combinations and permutations of the various embodiments are possible. The disclosed subject matter is intended to encompass all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0149] Reference now Figure 7 Detail of one or more elements shown depicts illustrative cloud computing environment 700 . Figure 77 is a schematic block diagram of a computing environment 700 with which the disclosed subject matter can interact. System 700 includes one or more remote components 710. (One or more) remote components 710 can be hardware and / or software (e.g., threads, processes, computing devices). In some embodiments, (one or more) remote components 710 can be distributed computer systems, connected to local automatic scaling components and / or programs that use resources of the distributed computer system via a communication framework 740. The communication framework 740 can include wired network devices, wireless network devices, mobile devices, wearable devices, radio access network devices, gateway devices, femtocell devices, servers, etc.

[0150] The system 700 also includes one or more local components 720. The local component(s) 720 may be hardware and / or software (e.g., threads, processes, computing devices). In some embodiments, the local component(s) 720 may include an automatic scaling component connected to a remotely located distributed computing system via a communication framework 740 and / or a program that communicates / uses remote resources 710 and 720, etc.

[0151] One possible communication between the remote component(s) 710 and the local component(s) 720 may be in the form of data packets suitable for transmission between two or more computer processes. Another possible communication between the remote component(s) 710 and the local component(s) 720 may be in the form of circuit switched data suitable for transmission between two or more computer processes in a radio time slot. The system 700 includes a communication framework 740, which may be used to facilitate communication between the remote component(s) 710 and the local component(s) 720, and may include an air interface via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network or the like, such as a Uu interface of a UMTS network. The remote component(s) 710 may be operably connected to one or more remote data stores 750, such as a hard drive, solid state drive, SIM card, device memory, etc., which may be used to store information on the remote component(s) 710 side of the communication framework 740. Similarly, the local component(s) 720 may be operably connected to one or more local data stores 730 , which may be used to store information on the local component(s) 720 side of the communication framework 740 .

[0152] With respect to the various functions performed by the above-described components, devices, circuits, systems, etc., unless otherwise specified, the terms used to describe these components (including references to "components") are also intended to include any (one or more) structures (e.g., functional equivalents) that perform the specific functions of the described components, even if they are not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structures. In addition, although a particular feature of the disclosed subject matter may be disclosed with respect to only one of multiple embodiments, such a feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, which may be desirable and advantageous for any given or specific application.

[0153] The terms "exemplary" and / or "illustrative" as used herein are intended to mean used as examples, instances, or illustrations. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited to these examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" and / or "illustrative" is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to exclude equivalent structures and techniques known to those skilled in the art. In addition, to the extent that the terms "includes," "having," "contain," and other similar words are used in the detailed description or claims, these terms are intended to be included in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as an open transition word, without excluding any additional or other elements.

[0154] As used herein, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." For example, the phrase "A or B" is intended to include instances of A, B, and both A and B. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless otherwise specified or clear from context as indicating a singular form.

[0155] The term "set" as used herein does not include an empty set, i.e., a set in which there are no elements. Thus, a "set" in the subject disclosure includes one or more elements or entities. Likewise, the term "group" as used herein refers to a collection of one or more entities.

[0156] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. used in the claims are for clarity only and do not indicate or imply any temporal order. For example, "a first determination", "a second determination", and "a third determination" do not indicate or imply that the first determination will be performed before the second determination, or vice versa, etc.

[0157] As used herein, in some embodiments, the terms "component", "system", etc. are intended to refer to or include a computer-related entity or an entity associated with an operating device having one or more specific functions, where the entity can be hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. As an example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, an execution thread, a computer-executable instruction, a program, and / or a computer. By way of illustration and not limitation, both an application running on a server and a server can be a component.

[0158] One or more components may be located within a process and / or execution thread, and components may be located on a computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components may be executed from various computer-readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The component may communicate via local and / or remote processes, such as according to a signal with one or more data packets (e.g., data from a component interacts with another component in a local system, a distributed system via the signal, and / or interacts with other systems via a network such as the Internet). As another example, a component may be a device with a specific function provided by a mechanical component operated by an electrical or electronic circuit, the device being operated by a software application or firmware application executed by a processor, wherein the processor may be inside or outside the device, and executing at least a portion of the software or firmware application. As another example, a component may be a device providing a specific function by an electronic component rather than a mechanical component, and the electronic component may include a processor therein to execute software or firmware that at least partially assigns the function of the electronic component. Although various components have been shown as separate components, it will be understood that, without departing from the exemplary embodiments, multiple components may be implemented as a single component, or a single component may be implemented as multiple components.

[0159] The term "facilitate" as used herein is in the context of a system, device or component "facilitating" one or more actions or operations, with respect to the nature of complex computing environments, in which multiple components and / or multiple devices can participate in some computing operations. Non-limiting examples of actions that may or may not involve multiple components and / or multiple devices include sending or receiving data, establishing connections between devices, determining intermediate results toward obtaining results, etc. In this regard, a computing device or component can facilitate operation by playing any part in completing the operation. Therefore, in the operation of the components described herein, it should be understood that when the operation is described as being facilitated by a component, the operation can be optionally completed in cooperation with one or more other computing devices or components, such as but not limited to sensors, antennas, audio and / or visual output devices, other devices, etc.

[0160] In addition, various embodiments can be implemented as methods, devices, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a computer to implement the disclosed subject matter. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein is intended to include a computer program accessible from any computer-readable (or machine-readable) device or computer-readable (or machine-readable) storage / communication medium. For example, a computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, a magnetic storage device (e.g., a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic strip), an optical disk (e.g., a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD)), a smart card, and a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive). Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made to this configuration without departing from the scope or spirit of the various embodiments.

[0161] In addition, terms such as "mobile device equipment", "mobile station", "mobile", "user station", "access terminal", "terminal", "handset", "communication device", "mobile device", etc. (and / or terms representing similar terms) may refer to a wireless device used by a subscriber or mobile device of a wireless communication service to receive or transmit data, control, voice, video, sound, game, or substantially any data stream or signaling stream. The aforementioned terms may be used interchangeably herein and with reference to the associated drawings. Similarly, the terms "access point (AP)", "base station (BS)", "BS transceiver", "BS device", "cell site", "cell site device", "gNode B (gNB)", "evolved Node B (eNode B, eNB)", "home node B (HNB)", etc. refer to wireless network components or devices that send and / or receive data, control, voice, video, sound, game, or substantially any data stream or signaling stream from one or more subscriber stations. The data and signaling streams may be packetized or frame-based streams.

[0162] Furthermore, the terms "device," "communication device," "mobile device," "subscriber," "customer entity," "consumer," "customer entity," "entity," and the like are used interchangeably throughout, unless the context warrants a specific distinction between the terms. It should be understood that these terms may refer to human entities or automated components supported by artificial intelligence (e.g., the ability to reason based on complex mathematical forms) that may provide simulated vision, voice recognition, and the like.

[0163] It should be noted that although various aspects and embodiments are described herein in the context of 5G or other next generation networks, the disclosed aspects are not limited to 5G implementations and may be applied to other next generation implementation networks, such as the sixth generation (6G) or other wireless systems. In this regard, aspects or features of the disclosed embodiments may be exploited in substantially any wireless communication technology. Such wireless communication technologies may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WC MDA), CDMA2000, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Multi-Carrier CDMA (MC-CDMA), Single Carrier CDMA (SC-CDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFT-spread OFDM), Filter Bank-Based Multi-Carrier (FBMC), Zero Tail Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (ZT DFT-s-OFDM), Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM), Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC), Universal Fixed Mobile Convergence (UFMC), Unique Word Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (UW-OFDM), Unique Word Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (UW-OFDM), , Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced GPRS, Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Evolved High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA+), High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Zigbee, or another Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE 802.12 technology.

[0164] The description of the illustrated embodiments disclosed in the subject matter provided herein (including the description in the abstract) is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Although specific embodiments and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications considered within the scope of these embodiments and examples are possible. In this regard, although the subject matter has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments and corresponding drawings, it should be understood that other similar embodiments may be used, or the described embodiments may be modified and added, where applicable, to perform the same, similar, alternative or replacement functions of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but should be interpreted according to the breadth and scope of the appended claims.

[0165] Various non-limiting aspects of the various embodiments described herein are presented in the following clauses.

[0166] Item 1: A system located on a vehicle, comprising: a memory storing computer executable components; and a processor executing the computer executable components stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable components include: a sensor component configured to: monitor an operating pressure of a battery located on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is in a power-off operating mode and a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is powered off, detect the occurrence of an event at the battery, and restart the operation of the high voltage battery module (HVBM) in response to the detection of the event at the battery.

[0167] Clause 2: A system according to any preceding clause, wherein the sensor component is a pressure component configured to determine pressure, and the event is a change in pressure at the battery.

[0168] Clause 3: A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the sensor component is further configured to: determine a difference between a current pressure value measured at the battery measured by the pressure sensor and a baseline pressure value previously measured by the pressure sensor; and in response to the difference being greater than a threshold, identify that the event has occurred.

[0169] Clause 4: A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the HVBM is further configured to: analyze signals from one or more systems onboard the vehicle to identify sources of signal interference generated at the one or more systems, wherein the signal interference causes the difference between the current pressure value measured by the pressure sensor and the baseline pressure value measured by the pressure sensor.

[0170] Clause 5: A system as described in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the one or more systems include a motor system, a climate control system, a speed system, or a navigation system.

[0171] Clause 6: A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the HVBM is further configured to: identify a first number of sensor signals presented in a first measurement set, identify a second number of sensor signals presented in a second measurement set, determine whether the first number of sensor signals is equal to the second number of sensor signals, and in response to determining that the first number of sensor signals is not equal to the second number of sensor signals, identify a faulty sensor.

[0172] Clause 7: A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the HVBM is configured to: before power is cut off, capture a first set of measurements about the operating condition of the battery when the HVBM is powered off, once the operation of the HVBM is restarted by the sensor component, capture a second set of measurements about the current operating condition of the battery, compare the first set of measurements with the second set of measurements, and in response to the difference between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements, generate and send a fault notification that the battery is in a potential fault condition.

[0173] Clause 8: The system of any preceding clause, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion battery and the HVBM is further configured to determine whether the event is a venting event at the battery based on the comparison between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements.

[0174] Clause 9: The system according to any of the preceding clauses further comprises a warning component configured to: receive the fault notification, generate a warning notification indicating that the battery is in a potential fault condition, and send the warning notification to a remotely located user device, wherein the warning notification includes instructions to evacuate the building in which the vehicle is located.

[0175] Clause 10: A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the warning component is further configured to send the warning notification to a navigation component onboard the vehicle, wherein the warning notification includes instructions for the navigation component to automatically drive the vehicle to a designated safe location.

[0176] Clause 11: A computer-implemented method comprising: monitoring, by a device comprising a processor located on a vehicle, a current pressure condition at a battery pack, wherein the current pressure condition is monitored when a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is powered off, wherein the HVBM is configured to control operation of the battery pack, comparing, by the device, the current pressure condition with a baseline condition to identify the presence of a pressure event at the battery pack, and activating, by the device in response to identifying the presence of the pressure event, operation of the HVBM, wherein the HVBM is configured to determine whether the pressure event indicates a failure of the battery pack.

[0177] Clause 12: The computer-implemented method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising: obtaining, by the HVBM, a set of operating conditions of the battery pack during power failure of the HVBM, obtaining, by the HVBM, a set of current operating conditions of the battery pack during activation of the HVBM, comparing by the HVBM the set of current operating conditions with the set of power failure operating conditions, determining by the HVBM a change in the current operating condition relative to the power failure operating condition, and generating an alarm indicating a failure of the battery pack when the change indicates that the current condition of the battery pack has failed.

[0178] Clause 13: The computer-implemented method of any preceding clause, wherein the battery pack comprises at least one lithium-ion battery cell.

[0179] Clause 14: The computer-implemented method of any preceding clause, wherein the pressure event is due to venting at the battery pack.

[0180] Clause 15: The computer-implemented method of any preceding clause, wherein the stress event is caused by at least one of a physical failure or a chemical failure of at least one cell in the battery pack.

[0181] Clause 16: A computer program product for determining a fault in a battery pack located on a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to: monitor a current pressure condition at the battery pack, wherein the current pressure condition is monitored when a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is powered off, wherein the HVBM is configured to control operation of the battery pack, compare the current pressure condition with a baseline pressure condition to identify the presence of a pressure event at the battery pack, and in response to identifying the presence of the pressure event, activate operation of the HVBM, wherein the HVBM is configured to determine whether the pressure event indicates a fault in the battery pack.

[0182] Clause 17: A computer program product according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the processor to obtain a set of operating conditions of the battery pack during power failure of the HVBM, obtain a set of current operating conditions of the battery pack during activation of the HVBM, compare the current set of operating conditions with the power failure operating condition set, determine a change in the current operating condition relative to the power failure operating condition, and generate an alarm indicating a failure of the battery pack if the change indicates that the current condition of the battery pack has failed.

[0183] Clause 18: A computer program product as described in any preceding clause, wherein the battery pack comprises at least one lithium-ion battery cell.

[0184] Clause 19: A computer program product as recited in any preceding clause, wherein the pressure event is due to venting at the battery pack.

[0185] Clause 20: The computer program product of any preceding clause, wherein the stress event is due to at least one of a physical failure or a chemical failure of at least one cell in the battery pack.

[0186] In various cases, any suitable combination of clauses 1-10 may be implemented.

[0187] In each case, any suitable combination of clauses 11-15 may be implemented.

[0188] In each case, any suitable combination of clauses 16-20 may be implemented.

Claims

1. A system located on a vehicle, comprising: a memory storing computer executable components; as well as a processor executing the computer executable components stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable components include: A sensor component configured to: monitoring an operating pressure of a battery located on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is in a power-off operating mode and a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is powered off; detecting an occurrence of an event at the battery; and In response to detection of the event at the battery, operation of a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is restarted. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor component is a pressure component configured to determine pressure, and the event is a change in pressure at the battery.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor component is further configured to: determining a difference between a current pressure value measured at the battery as measured by a pressure sensor and a baseline pressure value previously measured by the pressure sensor; and In response to the difference being greater than a threshold, it is identified that the event has occurred.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the HVBM is further configured to: Signals from one or more systems onboard the vehicle are analyzed to identify sources of signal interference generated at the one or more systems, wherein the signal interference causes the difference between the current pressure value measured by the pressure sensor and the baseline pressure value measured by the pressure sensor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more systems include a motor system, a climate control system, a speed system, or a navigation system.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the HVBM is further configured to: identifying a first number of sensor signals present in a first measurement set; identifying a second number of sensor signals present in the second measurement set; determining whether the first number of sensor signals is equal to the second number of sensor signals; and In response to determining that the first number of sensor signals is not equal to the second number of sensor signals, a faulty sensor is identified.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the HVBM is configured to: Prior to powering off, capturing a first set of measurements regarding the operating condition of the battery when the HVBM is powered off; If operation of the HVBM is restarted by the sensor component, capturing a second set of measurements regarding the current operating condition of the battery; comparing the first set of measurements to the second set of measurements; as well as In response to a difference between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements, a fault notification is generated and sent that the battery is in a potential fault condition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion battery and the HVBM is further configured to determine whether the event is a venting event at the battery based on the comparison between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements.

9. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a warning component configured to: receiving the fault notification; generating a warning notification indicating that the battery is in a potential failure condition; and The warning notification is sent to a remotely located user device, wherein the warning notification includes instructions to evacuate a building in which the vehicle is located.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the warning component is further configured to send the warning notification to a navigation component onboard the vehicle, wherein the warning notification includes instructions for the navigation component to automatically drive the vehicle to a designated safe location.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising: monitoring, by a device including a processor located on a vehicle, current pressure conditions at a battery pack, wherein the current pressure conditions are monitored while a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is de-energized, wherein the HVBM is configured to control operation of the battery pack; comparing, by the device, the current stress condition to a baseline condition to identify the presence of a stress event at the battery pack; as well as In response to identifying the presence of the stress event, operation of the HVBM is activated by the device, the HVBM being configured to determine whether the stress event indicates a malfunction of the battery pack.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: During the power-off period of the HVBM, the HVBM obtains a set of operating conditions of the battery pack; During activation of the HVBM, obtaining, by the HVBM, a current operating status set of the battery pack; comparing, by the HVBM, the current operating condition set with the power-off operating condition set; determining, by the HVBM, a change in the current operating condition relative to the power-off operating condition; as well as In the event that the change indicates the current condition of the battery pack malfunctioning, an alarm is generated indicating that the battery pack malfunctioning.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the battery pack comprises at least one lithium-ion battery cell.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the pressure event is due to venting at the battery pack.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the stress event is due to at least one of a physical failure or a chemical failure of at least one cell in the battery pack.

16. A computer program product for determining a fault in a battery pack located on a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to: monitoring current pressure conditions at a battery pack, wherein the current pressure conditions are monitored when a high voltage battery module (HVBM) is powered off, wherein the HVBM is configured to control operation of the battery pack; comparing the current stress condition to a baseline stress condition to identify the presence of a stress event at the battery pack; and In response to identifying the presence of the stress event, operation of the HVBM is activated, the HVBM being configured to determine whether the stress event indicates a malfunction of the battery pack.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the processor to: During the power-off period of the HVBM, obtaining a set of operating conditions of the battery pack; During activation of the HVBM, obtaining a current set of operating conditions of the battery pack; comparing the current operating condition set with the power-off operating condition set; determining a change in the current operating condition relative to the power-off operating condition; as well as In the event that the change indicates the current condition of the battery pack malfunctioning, an alarm is generated indicating that the battery pack malfunctioning.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the battery pack comprises at least one lithium-ion battery cell.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the pressure event is due to venting at the battery pack.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the stress event is due to at least one of a physical failure or a chemical failure of at least one cell in the battery pack.

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