Battery protection module, electronic equipment and battery protection method

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery protection module, electronic equipment and a battery protection method, the battery protection module provided by the invention comprises a battery, a battery protection module and a processor, the battery is connected with the battery protection module, and the battery protection module is connected with the processor; the battery protection module comprises a voltameter unit, a voltage protection unit and a switch unit; the voltameter unit and the voltage protection unit are respectively connected with the battery, and the battery is connected with the processor through the switch unit; the voltage protection unit is connected with the switch unit. The voltameter unit is connected with the voltage protection unit. Wherein a voltage protection threshold value in the voltage protection unit is updated based on feedback of the voltameter unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of electronic technology, and specifically relates to a battery protection module, an electronic device and a battery protection method. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of electronic devices (such as smart phones, etc.), electronic devices with chargeable and dischargeable batteries have been widely used. In order to ensure the safety of chargeable and dischargeable batteries, it is very common to use a battery protection module to implement overvoltage protection and undervoltage protection.

[0003] In the battery protection module of the electronic device in the related art, overvoltage protection and undervoltage protection are both implemented by the protection chip. However, the internal logic of the current protection chip is fixed in the chip in the form of burning at the factory. That is, the protection voltage thresholds such as overvoltage protection and undervoltage protection in the protection chip are fixed and cannot be modified. In this way, there is a risk of failure to protect the battery in the case of battery aging, which is not conducive to the battery life. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a battery protection module, an electronic device and a battery protection method, which at least solve the problem in the related art that the protection voltage threshold in the protection chip cannot be modified.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a battery protection module, comprising: a battery, a battery protection module and a processor, wherein the battery is connected to the battery protection module, and the battery protection module is connected to the processor; The battery protection module includes a fuel gauge unit, a voltage protection unit and a switch unit; the fuel gauge unit and the voltage protection unit are respectively connected to the battery, and the battery is connected to the processor via the switch unit; the voltage protection unit is connected to the switch unit, and the fuel gauge unit is connected to the voltage protection unit; Wherein, the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit is updated based on the feedback of the electricity meter unit.

[0006] In a second aspect, the present application provides an electronic device, comprising a battery protection module as provided in the first aspect.

[0007] In a third aspect, the present application provides a battery protection method, which is applied to the battery protection module as described in the first aspect, comprising: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; The voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present application, a battery protection module includes a battery, a battery protection module and a processor, wherein the battery is connected to the battery protection module, and the battery protection module is connected to the processor; the battery protection module includes a fuel meter unit, a voltage protection unit and a switch unit; the fuel meter unit and the voltage protection unit are respectively connected to the battery, and the battery is connected to the processor via the switch unit; the voltage protection unit is connected to the switch unit, and the fuel meter unit is connected to the voltage protection unit; wherein the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit is updated based on the feedback of the fuel meter unit. In this way, in the scenario of battery charging and discharging, during the process of the voltage protection unit protecting the battery, the fuel meter unit of the present application is connected to the voltage protection unit, and the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit can be updated based on the feedback of the fuel meter unit, thereby solving the problem that the protection voltage threshold in the protection chip cannot be modified in the related art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a battery protection module provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another battery protection module provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another battery protection module provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a battery protection solution provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5-1 A schematic diagram of another battery protection module provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5-2 A schematic diagram of another battery protection module provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 A schematic flow chart of a battery protection method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 A schematic flow chart of another battery protection method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 9-1 A schematic diagram of a battery protection solution provided for related technologies; Figure 9-2 A schematic diagram of a battery protection solution provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.10A schematic flow chart of another battery protection method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.11 A schematic flow chart of another battery protection method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.12 A schematic flow chart of another battery protection method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.13 A schematic flowchart of another battery protection method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0010] Description of reference numerals: 10-battery protection module; 100-battery; 200-battery protection module; 210-fuel meter unit; 220-voltage protection unit; 230-switch unit; 240-fuse unit; 250-detection resistor; 300-processor; V0-charge prohibition protection threshold; V1-first voltage threshold; V2-second voltage threshold; V3-undervoltage protection voltage threshold; V4-overvoltage protection voltage threshold; 600-electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limitations on the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0012] The term "first" or "second" in the specification and claims of this application may include one or more of the features explicitly or implicitly. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally means that the objects connected before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0013] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0014] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0015] Currently, the protection voltage thresholds in protection chips, such as those for overvoltage protection and undervoltage protection, are fixed and cannot be modified. This poses a risk of failure to provide protection when the battery is aging, which is detrimental to battery life.

[0016] For example, after a charge and discharge cycle, the battery ages and its capacity decreases. The full charge point voltage of a fresh battery (i.e., the overvoltage protection threshold) is too high for an aged battery. Batteries that are exposed to high voltage for a long time will have violent electrochemical reactions and be affected by their internal electrical stress, which is not conducive to battery life.

[0017] For example, the over-discharge point voltage (i.e., under-voltage protection threshold) of a fresh battery is too low for an aging battery. A battery that has been working in a low-power range for a long time will swell to a greater extent, thus bringing safety risks such as battery bulging and deformation of electronic equipment, which is not conducive to battery life.

[0018] Based on this, in order to solve the problem that the protection voltage threshold in the protection chip in the related art cannot be modified, since the fuel gauge unit has the function of recording the number of battery cycles and reading the battery voltage, the embodiment of the present application uses the fuel gauge unit to interact with the voltage protection unit to control the voltage protection unit and update the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit. As a fresh battery gradually ages after use, the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit is adjusted accordingly, realizing a dynamic voltage raising and voltage lowering strategy, avoiding the problem that the fixed voltage protection threshold cannot correctly respond to protection or over-protection.

[0019] The battery protection module, electronic device and battery protection method provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides a battery protection module 10, which may include: a battery 100, a battery protection module 200 and a processor 300, wherein the battery 100 is connected to the battery protection module 200, and the battery protection module 200 is connected to the processor 300; The battery protection module 200 may include a fuel gauge unit 210, a voltage protection unit 220 and a switch unit 230; the fuel gauge unit 210 and the voltage protection unit 220 are respectively connected to the battery 100, and the battery 100 is connected to the processor 300 via the switch unit 230; the voltage protection unit 220 is connected to the switch unit 230, and the fuel gauge unit 210 is connected to the voltage protection unit 220; The voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit 220 is updated based on the feedback of the electricity meter unit 220 .

[0021] In the embodiment of the present application, the battery 100 is a battery with charging and discharging functions, and may include at least one battery cell. The present application does not limit the specific type of the battery.

[0022] In the embodiment of the present application, the battery protection module 200 can protect the battery 100 and improve the safety and stability of the battery.

[0023] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor 300 has a processing function and may be an AP (Application Processor), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. The present application does not limit the specific type of the processor 300.

[0024] In the embodiment of the present application, the battery protection module 200 includes a fuel meter unit 210 , a voltage protection unit 220 and a switch unit 230 .

[0025] The fuel gauge unit 210 is used to detect the battery voltage, record the battery cycle times and the battery internal resistance, etc.

[0026] The voltage protection unit 220 is used for overcharge protection and / or over-discharge protection of the battery. For example, the voltage protection unit 220 can detect the battery voltage, and when it is detected that the battery voltage reaches a preset voltage protection threshold, the switch unit 230 is controlled to disconnect to prevent the battery from being overcharged or over-discharged. However, the voltage protection threshold preset in the voltage protection unit 220 is fixed (cannot be modified), and there is a risk of failure to protect the battery in the case of battery aging, which is not conducive to the battery life.

[0027] Based on this, in the embodiment of the present application, the fuel gauge unit 210 can determine the degree of battery aging by detecting the battery voltage, recording the number of battery cycles and the internal resistance of the battery, and determine the target voltage protection threshold value that is suitable for the current degree of battery aging. Since the fuel gauge unit 210 is connected to the voltage protection unit 220, the fuel gauge unit 210 can communicate and interact with the voltage protection unit 220 to transmit the target voltage protection threshold value to the voltage protection unit 220, so that the voltage protection unit 220 updates the voltage protection threshold value. Specifically, the voltage protection threshold value in the voltage protection unit 220 can be updated to the target voltage protection threshold value fed back by the fuel gauge unit 210, thereby solving the problem that the protection voltage threshold value in the protection chip in the related art cannot be modified.

[0028] The battery protection module provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a battery, a battery protection module and a processor, the battery is connected to the battery protection module, and the battery protection module is connected to the processor; the battery protection module includes a fuel meter unit, a voltage protection unit and a switch unit; the fuel meter unit and the voltage protection unit are respectively connected to the battery, and the battery is connected to the processor via the switch unit; the voltage protection unit is connected to the switch unit, and the fuel meter unit is connected to the voltage protection unit; wherein the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit is updated based on the feedback of the fuel meter unit. In this way, in the scenario of battery charging and discharging, during the process of the voltage protection unit protecting the battery, the fuel meter unit of the present application is connected to the voltage protection unit, and the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit can be updated based on the feedback of the fuel meter unit, thereby solving the problem that the protection voltage threshold in the protection chip in the related art cannot be modified.

[0029] In actual applications, as the battery ages, the available capacity of the battery becomes smaller, while the voltage protection threshold pre-set in the voltage protection unit is fixed (cannot be modified). There is a risk of failure to provide protection in the event of battery aging, which is not conducive to battery life.

[0030] In a specific embodiment, in a scenario where the battery aging degree deepens with the use process, in order to timely adjust the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit 220, such as Figure 2 As shown, in the battery protection module provided in the embodiment of the present application, the power meter unit 210 is the master device end (Master), and the voltage protection unit 220 is the slave device end (Slave). The power meter unit 210 can communicate and interact with the voltage protection unit 220 to adjust the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit 220.

[0031] Among them, the fuel meter unit 210 can be connected to the voltage protection unit 220 through communication interfaces such as IIC (Inter-Integrated Circuit) interface, SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), SPMI (Serial Peripheral Management Interface), etc., and can be used to transmit to the voltage protection unit 220 the target voltage protection threshold determined by the fuel meter unit 210 based on the battery aging parameters.

[0032] The present application does not limit the specific communication protocol of the communication interface between the electricity meter unit 210 and the voltage protection unit 220 .

[0033] In this way, in a scenario where the degree of battery aging increases with the use process, the fuel meter unit 210, as the master device, can communicate and interact with the slave device (voltage protection unit 220) to update the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit and adjust the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit 220 in a timely manner.

[0034] In actual applications, when electronic products are temporarily idle, the battery is still in place and consumes power. The battery's own power will gradually decrease due to long-term storage. When the battery voltage Vbat drops below the undervoltage protection point V1, the protection chip can start the undervoltage protection. However, if the battery voltage Vbat drops further and falls below the charging ban protection point V0, the battery can no longer be used by activation. The low voltage causes the battery to have the risk of gas production and bulging. There is a problem in the related technology that it is impossible to determine whether the over-discharged battery can be activated, because the protection chip can only burn a fixed undervoltage protection point V1 (i.e., over-discharge protection voltage) at the factory, and it is impossible to confirm that the battery voltage has dropped below the undervoltage protection point V1. If V0 is directly increased and protected according to V1, the battery that can be reactivated will be discarded, avoiding risks but wasting costs excessively. If V1 is reduced to V0, charging is not prohibited, and there is a risk of gas production and bulging.

[0035] In order to solve the above problems, in the embodiment of the present application, the fuel meter unit 210 can monitor the battery voltage at any time, determine whether the low-power battery voltage below the undervoltage protection point V1 drops below the charging ban protection point V0, and when the battery voltage drops below the charging ban protection point V0, burn out the fuse unit connected in series with the switch unit to achieve charging ban protection of the battery, avoid further leakage of battery power, and thus avoid the risk of battery gas bulging.

[0036] For example, in a specific embodiment, in order to achieve the battery charging protection, Figure 3As shown, the battery protection module 200 may further include a fuse unit 240, and the fuse unit 240 is connected in series with the switch unit 230; the control end of the fuse unit 240 is connected to the voltage protection unit 220; When the battery voltage is lower than the preset prohibited charging protection threshold V0, the fuse unit 240 is in a blown state.

[0037] Reference Figure 4 As shown, the preset prohibited charging protection threshold V0 is generally lower than the first voltage threshold V1 for undervoltage protection.

[0038] Reference Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present application, the coulomb meter unit 210 may detect the battery voltage at a certain period, evaluate the battery condition, and set the prohibited charging protection point V0 (i.e., the preset prohibited charging protection threshold) of the battery.

[0039] When the battery voltage Vbat drops to the undervoltage protection point V1, the voltage protection unit 220 starts the primary protection, and limits the discharge of the battery 100 by disconnecting the switch unit 230. At this time, the coulomb meter unit 210 can judge that V1 > Vbat > V0, and the battery can be reactivated and enabled without further prohibited charging protection.

[0040] When the battery power further dissipates and the battery voltage Vbat further drops, the coulomb meter unit 210 detects that the battery voltage Vbat < V0, and through interaction and communication with the voltage protection unit 220, issues an instruction to the voltage protection unit 220 to completely blow the fuse unit 240 to achieve prohibited charging protection and avoid the risk of battery gas production and bulging.

[0041] In addition, in the related art, there is a possibility that the voltage protection unit 220 fails to operate and the protection fails. To further protect the battery, the coulomb meter unit 210 can monitor the state of the voltage protection unit 220 through the communication interface. If the voltage protection unit 220 fails to respond multiple times after communication with the coulomb meter unit, it is judged that the voltage protection unit 220 fails. The coulomb meter unit 210 can directly blow the fuse unit 240 to provide protection, avoid the battery being in an unprotected state, and record it in the processor 300 to further improve the safety of battery use.

[0042] For example, as Figure 3 shown, the control end of the fuse unit 240 can be connected to the coulomb meter unit 210; when the voltage protection unit 220 is in a failure state, the fuse unit 240 is in a blown state.

[0043] In this way, when the voltage protection unit 220 is in a failure state, the coulomb meter unit 210 blows the fuse unit 240 to provide protection, avoid the battery being in an unprotected state, and further improve the safety of battery use.

[0044] In addition, the fuel gauge unit 210 is also used to detect the battery current. Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-2 As shown, the battery protection module 200 may further include a detection resistor 250; the battery 100 is connected to the processor 300 via the detection resistor 250; the fuel gauge unit 210 is connected in parallel with the detection resistor 250; Thus, since the fuel gauge unit 210 is connected in parallel with the detection resistor 250 , the fuel gauge unit 210 is also used to detect the battery current through the detection resistor 250 .

[0045] In addition, if Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-2 As shown, the switch unit 230 has a first end, a second end and a third end, the first end of the switch unit 230 is connected to the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the battery 100, the second end of the switch unit 230 is connected to the processor 300, and the third end of the switch unit 230 is connected to the voltage protection unit 220; The fuel meter unit 210 has a first end, a second end, a third end, a fourth end and a fifth end. The first end of the fuel meter unit 210 is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 100, the second end of the fuel meter unit 210 is connected to the negative electrode of the battery 100, and the second end of the fuel meter unit 210 is connected to one end of the detection resistor 250, the third end of the fuel meter unit 210 is connected to the other end of the detection resistor 250, the fourth end of the fuel meter unit 210 is connected to the processor 300, and the fifth end of the fuel meter unit 210 is connected to the voltage protection unit 220.

[0046] The switch unit 230 may include a pair of reversely connected MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors), and the directions of the body diodes inside the two MOSFETs are also opposite, so there is no risk of leakage, which avoids battery current leakage and improves the safety of the battery. The pair of reversely connected MOSFETs may be a pair of reversely connected NMOS tubes, or a pair of reversely connected PMOS tubes, and so on. The present application does not impose any specific restrictions on the specific type of the switch unit 230.

[0047] in, Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-2 The differences between the battery protection modules shown are: Figure 5-1 In the battery protection module shown, the first end of the switch unit 230 is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 100, that is, the switch unit 230 is arranged between the positive electrode of the battery 100 and the processor 300; Figure 5-2In the battery protection module shown, the first end of the switch unit 230 is connected to the negative electrode of the battery 100 , that is, the switch unit 230 is arranged between the negative electrode of the battery 100 and the processor 300 .

[0048] The electricity meter unit 210 and the voltage protection unit 220 may both be connected to the processor 300 and used to transmit information to the processor.

[0049] In the battery protection module provided in the embodiment of the present application, the fuel meter unit 210 can communicate and interact with the voltage protection unit 220 to update the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit, thereby solving the problem that the protection voltage threshold in the protection chip in the related art cannot be modified.

[0050] Moreover, in the battery protection module provided in the embodiment of the present application, the fuel meter unit 210 can also send a target control instruction to the voltage protection unit to control the fuse unit to blow, thereby realizing charging prohibition protection and avoiding the risk of battery gasification and bulging, when it detects that the battery voltage is lower than a preset charging prohibition protection threshold.

[0051] Based on the same concept as the battery protection module provided in any of the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device.

[0052] like Figure 6 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device 600 including a battery protection module 10 .

[0053] It should be pointed out that the electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application includes the battery protection module provided in any of the above embodiments, and can realize all the functions of the battery protection module. To avoid repetition, they will not be described here.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, the electronic device may be a terminal or other device other than a terminal. For example, the electronic device may be a smart watch, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a vehicle-mounted electronic device, a mobile Internet device (MID), an augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) device, a robot, a wearable device, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook or a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. It may also be a server, a network attached storage (NAS), a personal computer (PC), etc., which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0055] Based on a concept similar to that of the battery protection module provided in any of the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further provides a battery protection method, which is applied to the battery protection module provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0056] For example, Figure 7 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery protection method, which is applied to the battery protection module provided in any of the above embodiments. The battery protection method may include: Step 710: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; Step 720: The voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold.

[0057] The target voltage protection threshold includes at least one of an undervoltage protection voltage threshold and an overvoltage protection voltage threshold.

[0058] According to the battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the target voltage protection threshold is determined based on the battery aging parameters by the fuel gauge unit, and the target voltage protection threshold is transmitted to the voltage protection unit; the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold; wherein the target voltage protection threshold includes at least one of the undervoltage protection voltage threshold and the overvoltage protection voltage threshold. In this way, in the scenario of battery charging and discharging, when the voltage protection unit protects the battery, the fuel gauge unit of the present application determines the target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameters, and updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold, thereby solving the problem that the protection voltage threshold in the protection chip in the related art cannot be modified.

[0059] In a specific embodiment, the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit may include at least one of a first voltage threshold V1 for undervoltage protection and a second voltage threshold V2 for overvoltage protection; the target voltage protection threshold may include at least one of an undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 and an overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4, as illustrated below.

[0060] like Figure 8 As shown, the battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include: Step 810: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; Step 820: When the voltage protection threshold includes the first voltage threshold, updating the first voltage threshold in the voltage protection unit to the undervoltage protection voltage threshold; Step 830: When the voltage protection threshold includes the second voltage threshold, update the second voltage threshold in the voltage protection unit to the overvoltage protection voltage threshold.

[0061] Among them, step 810 may refer to the specific content of step 710.

[0062] Among them, step 820 and step 830 can be sub-steps of step 720.

[0063] In step 820, reference Figure 9-1 , when the voltage protection threshold includes the first voltage threshold V1, the first voltage threshold is suitable for undervoltage protection of fresh batteries. As the battery is used repeatedly, the number of battery cycles increases, the battery aging degree deepens, and the available capacity of the battery decreases. The previous first voltage threshold V1 is too low for the gradually aging battery. If the first voltage threshold V1 is still used for undervoltage protection, there is a risk that the battery cannot be protected. Based on this, reference Figure 9-2 In the embodiment of the present application, the fuel gauge unit determines the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 based on the battery aging parameter, wherein the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 is greater than the first voltage threshold V1. The fuel gauge unit updates the first voltage threshold V1 in the voltage protection unit to the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3, so that the voltage protection unit performs undervoltage protection based on the updated undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3, thereby realizing dynamic protection of the battery and improving the safety of the battery.

[0064] In step 830, reference Figure 9-1 , when the voltage protection threshold includes the second voltage threshold V2, the second voltage threshold V2 is suitable for overvoltage protection of fresh batteries. As the battery is used repeatedly, the number of battery cycles increases, the battery aging degree deepens, and the available capacity of the battery decreases. The previous second voltage threshold V2 is too high for the gradually aging battery. If the second voltage threshold V2 is still used for overvoltage protection, there is a risk that the battery cannot be protected. Based on this, reference Figure 9-2 In the embodiment of the present application, the fuel gauge unit determines the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 based on the battery aging parameter, wherein the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 is less than the second voltage threshold V2. The fuel gauge unit updates the second voltage threshold V2 in the voltage protection unit to the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4, so that the voltage protection unit performs overvoltage protection based on the updated overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4, thereby realizing dynamic protection of the battery and improving the safety of the battery.

[0065] The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application can determine the target voltage protection threshold value based on the battery aging parameters through the fuel gauge unit, and transmit the target voltage protection threshold value to the voltage protection unit; when the voltage protection threshold value includes the first voltage threshold value, the first voltage threshold value in the voltage protection unit is updated to the undervoltage protection voltage threshold value; when the voltage protection threshold value includes the second voltage threshold value, the second voltage threshold value in the voltage protection unit is updated to the overvoltage protection voltage threshold value. In this way, the problem that the overvoltage protection voltage threshold value and / or the undervoltage protection threshold value in the protection chip in the related art cannot be modified is solved.

[0066] To improve battery safety, refer to Figure 8 After step 820 or step 830, the battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may further include: Step 840: when the target voltage protection threshold includes an undervoltage protection voltage threshold, during the battery discharge process, when the battery voltage is lower than the undervoltage protection voltage threshold, the voltage protection unit outputs an undervoltage protection instruction to the switch unit; wherein the undervoltage protection instruction is used to control the switch unit to disconnect; Step 850: When the target voltage protection threshold includes an overvoltage protection voltage threshold, during battery charging, when the battery voltage reaches the overvoltage protection voltage threshold, the voltage protection unit outputs an overvoltage protection instruction to the switch unit; wherein the overvoltage protection instruction is used to control the switch unit to disconnect.

[0067] Among them, step 840 can be executed after step 820 , and step 850 can be executed after step 830 .

[0068] In step 840, reference Figure 9-2 In an embodiment of the present application, after the fuel meter unit updates the first voltage threshold V1 in the voltage protection unit to the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3, the voltage protection unit can perform undervoltage protection based on the updated undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3, thereby realizing dynamic protection of the battery and improving the safety of the battery.

[0069] In step 850, reference Figure 9-2 In an embodiment of the present application, after the fuel meter unit updates the second voltage threshold V2 in the voltage protection unit to the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4, the voltage protection unit can perform overvoltage protection based on the updated overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4, thereby realizing dynamic protection of the battery and improving the safety of the battery.

[0070] In this way, the battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application can perform undervoltage protection by using the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 updated based on the battery aging parameters, and perform overvoltage protection by using the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 updated based on the battery aging parameters, thereby realizing dynamic protection of the battery and improving the safety of the battery.

[0071] It should be pointed out that the protection chip in the related technology only supports a fixed voltage protection threshold and cannot adapt to changes in the battery. In actual applications, there are products with fast charging scenarios. In order to prevent abnormal shutdown and product performance, the protection chip usually configures a very high threshold, such as Figure 9-1 The voltage protection thresholds V1 and V2 shown cannot avoid battery abuse in scenarios such as fast charging, that is, unprotected areas appear after the battery is used for a certain number of cycles.

[0072] In a specific embodiment, in order to avoid the risk of an aged battery failing to protect, reference Fig.10 The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include: Step 1010: The fuel gauge unit determines the battery aging degree based on the battery aging parameter; wherein the battery aging parameter includes at least one of the battery cycle number, battery impedance and battery health status; Step 1020: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging degree, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; Wherein, when the target voltage protection threshold includes an undervoltage protection voltage threshold, the undervoltage protection voltage threshold is positively correlated with the degree of battery aging; In the case where the target voltage protection threshold includes an overvoltage protection voltage threshold, the overvoltage protection voltage threshold is negatively correlated with the battery aging degree; Step 1030: The voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold.

[0073] Among them, step 1010 and step 1020 can be sub-steps of step 710; step 1030 can refer to the specific content of step 720.

[0074] In step 1010 , the battery aging parameter includes at least one of battery cycle count, battery impedance, and battery health status.

[0075] The fuel gauge unit can record the battery cycle number and battery impedance. The battery cycle number refers to the number of times the battery is cyclically charged and discharged, which can be obtained based on the number of times the battery has been charged.

[0076] Furthermore, the fuel gauge unit can determine the battery state of health (SOH) based on the number of battery cycles, changes in battery impedance, changes in battery available capacity, etc.

[0077] Among them, as the number of battery cycles increases and the battery impedance increases, the battery aging degree increases; as the battery health state decreases, the battery aging degree increases.

[0078] In step 1020, reference Figure 9-2 As the battery aging degree increases, the available capacity of the battery decreases, the voltage threshold for undervoltage protection increases, and the voltage threshold for overvoltage protection decreases. That is, the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 determined by the fuel gauge unit is positively correlated with the battery aging degree, and the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 determined by the fuel gauge unit is negatively correlated with the battery aging degree.

[0079] The undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 is greater than the initial first voltage threshold V1, and the greater the degree of battery aging, the greater the difference between the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 and the first voltage threshold V1.

[0080] The overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 is smaller than the initial second voltage threshold V2, and the greater the battery aging degree is, the greater the difference between the second voltage threshold V2 and the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 is.

[0081] For example, refer to Figure 9-2 When using fresh batteries, a lower first voltage threshold V1 and a higher second voltage threshold V2 can be set based on fresh battery parameters, and set in the voltage protection unit through the communication interface of the fuel gauge unit to achieve the first-level protection of the voltage protection unit (i.e., overvoltage protection and undervoltage protection). The fuel gauge unit also records the number of battery cycles, battery impedance, or battery health status.

[0082] As the battery gradually ages, the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit is adjusted in time according to the number of battery cycles, battery impedance or battery health status (SOH) recorded by the fuel meter unit, and the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 and overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 that are adapted to the current status of the battery are set. The voltage protection unit is updated through the communication interface of the fuel meter unit, and the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit is adjusted in time.

[0083] In this way, users can be given a full battery life experience when purchasing a new product, and appropriate and sufficient protection can be provided after using it for a period of time to improve product performance and safety.

[0084] The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application can determine the degree of battery aging based on the battery aging parameters through the fuel gauge unit; wherein the battery aging parameters include at least one of the number of battery cycles, battery impedance and battery health status; the fuel gauge unit determines the target voltage protection threshold based on the degree of battery aging, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; wherein, in the case where the target voltage protection threshold includes an undervoltage protection voltage threshold, the undervoltage protection voltage threshold is positively correlated with the degree of battery aging; in the case where the target voltage protection threshold includes an overvoltage protection voltage threshold, the overvoltage protection voltage threshold is negatively correlated with the degree of battery aging. In this way, the undervoltage protection voltage threshold V3 greater than the first voltage threshold V1 is determined based on the degree of battery aging, and the overvoltage protection voltage threshold V4 greater than the second voltage threshold V2 is determined based on the degree of battery aging, so as to avoid the risk of the aging battery failing to be protected.

[0085] In actual applications, the available capacity of fresh batteries and aged batteries is different, and their overvoltage protection thresholds and undervoltage protection thresholds will change. Similarly, the maximum charging current of the battery is related to the available capacity of the battery. When charging with the maximum charging current, since the available capacity of the battery will decrease after aging, the charging current should also be reduced synchronously to protect the battery safety and extend the battery life.

[0086] In a specific embodiment, in order to extend the battery life, the embodiment of the present application can also update the maximum charging current of the battery based on the battery aging degree. Fig.10 After step 1010, the battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may further include: Step 1040: The fuel gauge unit updates the maximum charging current of the battery based on the battery aging degree.

[0087] Among them, the maximum charging current decreases as the battery ages. Specifically, the maximum charging current of the battery can be obtained by multiplying the battery's available capacity by the battery's charging rate. In other words, the maximum charging current of the battery is proportional to the battery's available capacity. As the battery ages, the battery's available capacity decreases, and correspondingly reducing the maximum charging current can protect the battery's safety and extend the battery's life.

[0088] The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application can update the maximum charging current of the battery based on the degree of battery aging through the fuel gauge unit. In this way, when the battery is aged, as the available capacity of the battery decreases, the maximum charging current when the battery is charged is correspondingly reduced, which can protect the battery safety and extend the battery life.

[0089] In actual applications, when electronic products are temporarily idle, the battery is still in place and consumes power. The battery's own power will gradually decrease due to long-term placement. When the battery voltage Vbat drops below the undervoltage protection point V1, the protection chip can start the undervoltage protection. However, if the battery voltage Vbat is further reduced and falls below the charging ban protection point V0, the battery can no longer be used by activation. The excessively low voltage causes the battery to have the risk of gas production and bulging. In order to solve the above problems, in the embodiment of the present application, the fuel meter unit can monitor the battery voltage at any time, determine whether the low-power battery voltage below the undervoltage protection point drops below the charging ban protection point V0, and burn out the fuse unit in series with the switch unit when the battery voltage drops below the charging ban protection point V0, so as to realize the charging ban protection of the battery and avoid further leakage of the battery power, thereby avoiding the risk of battery gas production and bulging.

[0090] For example, in another specific embodiment, in order to achieve the battery charging protection, refer to Fig.11 The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include: Step 1110: the fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; Step 1120: the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold; Step 1130: When the fuel meter unit detects that the battery voltage is lower than a preset charging prohibition protection threshold, the fuel meter unit sends a target control instruction to the voltage protection unit; Step 1140: The voltage protection unit controls the fuse unit to be in a blown state based on the target control instruction sent by the electricity meter unit.

[0091] For step 1110, reference may be made to the specific content of step 710. For step 1120, reference may be made to the specific content of step 720.

[0092] In step 1130, when the battery power is further dissipated and the battery voltage Vbat further drops, the fuel meter unit detects that the battery voltage Vbat is less than the preset charging prohibition protection threshold V0, and sends a target control instruction to the voltage protection unit through interactive communication with the voltage protection unit.

[0093] In step 1140, the voltage protection unit completely burns out the fuse unit connected in series with the switch unit based on the target control instruction sent by the power meter unit, thereby implementing charge prohibition protection and avoiding the risk of battery gassing and swelling.

[0094] In this way, the battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application can send a target control instruction to the voltage protection unit through the fuel meter unit when it detects that the battery voltage is lower than the preset charging prohibition protection threshold, thereby controlling the fuse unit to be in a blown state, realizing charging prohibition protection, and avoiding the risk of battery gasification and bulging.

[0095] In addition, there is a possibility that the voltage protection unit fails to operate and thus fails to protect the battery. Fig.12 The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include: Step 1210: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; Step 1220: the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold; Step 1230: when the voltage protection unit does not respond during the communication and interaction between the electricity meter unit and the voltage protection unit, the voltage protection unit is determined to be in a failed state, and the fuse unit connected in series with the switch unit is controlled to be in a blown state.

[0096] For step 1210, reference may be made to the specific content of step 710. For step 1220, reference may be made to the specific content of step 720.

[0097] Among them, in step 1230, the power meter unit 210 can monitor the status of the voltage protection unit 220 through the communication interface. If the voltage protection unit does not respond for many times after the power meter unit communicates, it is determined that the voltage protection unit is invalid. The power meter unit can directly burn out the fuse unit to provide protection and record it in the processor to prevent the battery from being in an unprotected state, further improving the safety of battery use.

[0098] Among them, the condition for the electricity meter unit to judge that the voltage protection unit has failed is that the voltage protection unit has not responded. In actual applications, considering that there is a certain error probability in communication that leads to no response, if it is further judged that the voltage protection unit has not responded for multiple times or for a long time, it can be more accurately determined that the voltage protection unit is in a failed state.

[0099] For example, in step 1230, if it is determined that the number of times the voltage protection unit does not respond reaches a preset number of times, it is determined that the voltage protection unit is in a failed state. Alternatively, if it is determined that the voltage protection unit does not respond within a preset time period, it is determined that the voltage protection unit is in a failed state. In this way, the battery can be protected more accurately to prevent the battery from being in an unprotected state. Among them, the preset number of times and the preset time period can be set according to actual needs, and this application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0100] The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application can determine that the voltage protection unit is in a failed state when the voltage protection unit does not respond during the communication and interaction between the fuel meter unit and the voltage protection unit, and control the fuse unit connected in series with the switch unit to be in a fused state. In this way, when the voltage protection unit fails, the battery can be protected from charging and discharging, avoiding the battery from being in an unprotected state, and further improving the safety of battery use.

[0101] In addition, taking the silicon negative electrode battery as an example, when the silicon negative electrode battery is used too much in the low battery state, its gas production risk is much higher than that of ordinary graphite batteries. The existing fuel gauge integrated protection function requires the fuel gauge to be in a continuous working state, which has high power consumption and may increase the risk of gas production of the battery in the low battery state.

[0102] In order to avoid the risk of gassing of the battery in a low battery state, the embodiment of the present application can reduce the power consumption of the fuel gauge unit in a low battery state by reducing the voltage detection frequency of the fuel gauge unit, and further slow down the speed of battery power dissipation. Fig.13 The battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application may also include: Step 1310: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; Step 1320: the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold; Step 1330: When the fuel gauge unit detects that the battery voltage is lower than a preset threshold, the fuel gauge unit reduces the frequency of detecting the battery voltage.

[0103] For step 1310, reference may be made to the specific content of step 710. For step 1320, reference may be made to the specific content of step 720.

[0104] Among them, in step 1330, when it is detected that the battery voltage is lower than the preset threshold, it indicates that the battery has entered a low battery state. At this time, if the fuel meter unit still detects the battery voltage condition at a relatively high frequency, the power consumption of the fuel meter unit is relatively large, which increases the speed at which the battery power is dissipated, and aggravates the risk of gas production of the battery in a low battery state. At this time, reducing the frequency at which the fuel meter unit detects the battery voltage, and the fuel meter unit detects the battery voltage at a lower frequency, can reduce the power consumption of the fuel meter unit in a low battery state, further slow down the speed at which the battery power is dissipated, and avoid the risk of gas production of the battery in a low battery state.

[0105] The preset threshold value may be determined based on the available capacity of the battery. For example, the preset threshold value may be a voltage value corresponding to 20% of the available capacity of the battery, and the preset threshold value is generally greater than the first voltage threshold value. The preset threshold value may be set according to actual needs, and this application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0106] For example, if during the battery discharge process, the battery is set to enter a low battery state when the available capacity of the battery is reduced to 20%, the frequency of the fuel gauge unit detecting the battery voltage can be reduced at this time, reducing the power consumption of the fuel gauge unit in the low battery state, further slowing down the rate of battery power dissipation and avoiding the risk of gas production in the low battery state.

[0107] In this way, the battery protection method provided in the embodiment of the present application can reduce the frequency of battery voltage detection when the fuel meter unit detects that the battery voltage is lower than a preset threshold, reduce the power consumption of the fuel meter unit in a low battery power state, further slow down the rate of battery power dissipation, ensure the low-power storage safety of the battery, and avoid the risk of gas production of the battery in a low battery power state.

[0108] Furthermore, when the fuel meter unit detects that the battery voltage is lower than a preset threshold, the embodiment of the present application can also control the battery protection module to enter the ship mode through software. The ship mode is also called the storage mode, which can be understood as the lowest static current mode of the battery protection module. During long-term transportation and storage, the battery power loss is reduced and the storage life is maximized. It is equivalent to a low-power mode, which can further slow down the rate of battery power dissipation when the battery is in a low-battery power state, ensure the low-power storage safety of the battery, and avoid the risk of gas production when the battery is in a low-battery power state.

[0109] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0110] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery protection module, characterized in that: include: A battery, a battery protection module and a processor, wherein the battery is connected to the battery protection module, and the battery protection module is connected to the processor; The battery protection module includes a fuel gauge unit, a voltage protection unit and a switch unit; the fuel gauge unit and the voltage protection unit are respectively connected to the battery, and the battery is connected to the processor via the switch unit; The voltage protection unit is connected to the switch unit, and the electricity meter unit is connected to the voltage protection unit; Wherein, the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit is updated based on the feedback of the electricity meter unit.

2. The battery protection module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electricity meter unit is a master device, and the voltage protection unit is a slave device.

3. The battery protection module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The battery protection module further comprises a fuse unit, wherein the fuse unit is connected in series with the switch unit; a control end of the fuse unit is connected with the voltage protection unit; When the battery voltage is lower than a preset charging prohibition protection threshold, the fuse unit is in a blown state.

4. The battery protection module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control end of the fuse unit is connected to the electricity meter unit; when the voltage protection unit is in a failure state, the fuse unit is in a blown state.

5. The battery protection module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The battery protection module further includes a detection resistor; the battery is connected to the processor via the detection resistor; the fuel gauge unit is connected in parallel with the detection resistor; The switch unit has a first end, a second end and a third end, the first end of the switch unit is connected to the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the battery, the second end of the switch unit is connected to the processor, and the third end of the switch unit is connected to the voltage protection unit; The fuel meter unit has a first end, a second end, a third end, a fourth end and a fifth end. The first end of the fuel meter unit is connected to the positive electrode of the battery, the second end of the fuel meter unit is connected to the negative electrode of the battery, and the second end of the fuel meter unit is connected to one end of the detection resistor, the third end of the fuel meter unit is connected to the other end of the detection resistor, the fourth end of the fuel meter unit is connected to the processor, and the fifth end of the fuel meter unit is connected to the voltage protection unit.

6. An electronic device, characterized in that: It comprises a battery protection module as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A battery protection method, applied to the battery protection module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The battery protection method comprises: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, and transmits the target voltage protection threshold to the voltage protection unit; The voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold.

8. The battery protection method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit includes at least one of a first voltage threshold for undervoltage protection and a second voltage threshold for overvoltage protection; The target voltage protection threshold includes at least one of an undervoltage protection voltage threshold and an overvoltage protection voltage threshold; The voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold, including: In a case where the voltage protection threshold includes a first voltage threshold, updating the first voltage threshold in the voltage protection unit to the undervoltage protection voltage threshold; In a case where the voltage protection threshold includes a second voltage threshold, the second voltage threshold in the voltage protection unit is updated to the overvoltage protection voltage threshold.

9. The battery protection method according to claim 8, characterized in that: After the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold, the method further includes: In the case where the target voltage protection threshold includes an undervoltage protection voltage threshold, during the battery discharge process, when the battery voltage is lower than the undervoltage protection voltage threshold, the voltage protection unit outputs an undervoltage protection instruction to the switch unit; wherein the undervoltage protection instruction is used to control the switch unit to disconnect; When the target voltage protection threshold includes an overvoltage protection voltage threshold, during battery charging, when the battery voltage reaches the overvoltage protection voltage threshold, the voltage protection unit outputs an overvoltage protection instruction to the switch unit; wherein the overvoltage protection instruction is used to control the switch unit to disconnect.

10. The battery protection method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fuel gauge unit determines a target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging parameter, including: The fuel gauge unit determines the battery aging degree based on the battery aging parameter; wherein the battery aging parameter includes at least one of the battery cycle number, battery impedance and battery health status; The fuel gauge unit determines the target voltage protection threshold based on the battery aging degree; Wherein, when the target voltage protection threshold includes an undervoltage protection voltage threshold, the undervoltage protection voltage threshold is positively correlated with the battery aging degree; In the case where the target voltage protection threshold includes an overvoltage protection voltage threshold, the overvoltage protection voltage threshold is negatively correlated with the battery aging degree.

11. The battery protection method according to claim 10, characterized in that: After the fuel gauge unit determines the battery aging degree based on the battery aging parameter, the method further includes: The fuel gauge unit updates the maximum charging current of the battery based on the aging degree of the battery.

12. The battery protection method according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold, the method further includes: The fuel gauge unit sends a target control instruction to the voltage protection unit when detecting that the battery voltage is lower than a preset charging prohibition protection threshold; The voltage protection unit controls the fuse unit to be in a blown state based on the target control instruction sent by the electricity meter unit.

13. The battery protection method according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold, the method further includes: When the voltage protection unit does not respond during the communication interaction between the electricity meter unit and the voltage protection unit, the electricity meter unit determines that the voltage protection unit is in a failed state and controls the fuse unit connected in series with the switch unit to be in a blown state.

14. The battery protection method according to claim 8, characterized in that: After the voltage protection unit updates the voltage protection threshold in the voltage protection unit to the target voltage protection threshold, the method further includes: When the fuel gauge unit detects that the battery voltage is lower than a preset threshold, the fuel gauge unit reduces the frequency of detecting the battery voltage.

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