Improved battery management system and monitoring device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a monitoring device operable to report sensor measurement data in a battery system. The monitoring device comprises: at least one sensor operable to obtain measurement data of one or more modules of the battery system; a receiver operable to receive, from the communications controller, a timing signal defining a transmission time of the report frame; and a transmitter operable to report the obtained measurement data to the communication controller; wherein the monitoring device is configured to: use the received timing signal to select a sampling time for the at least one sensor to obtain the measurement data of the one or more modules of the battery system; and transmitting the obtained measurement data to the communication controller at the transmission time defined in the received timing signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of battery technology and energy cells. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a battery management system and a monitoring device for monitoring a battery cell or a battery cell group and a communication controller used with such a monitoring device. Background Art

[0002] Battery systems comprising a plurality of battery cells are used in a wide range of modern power applications. For example, they are used to power electric vehicles, they are used in industrial power applications, transportation, and in commercial applications, such as powering modern electronic devices. In view of the relatively high power requirements of such applications, battery systems typically include a plurality of battery cells coupled together to achieve the required power output. Battery cells may be coupled together to form a battery pack, and a battery system may include one or more battery packs.

[0003] The battery system is typically connected to a battery management system that is configured to ensure that the battery system operates within its safe operating range. The safe operating area is typically defined as the voltage, temperature, and current conditions under which the battery system is expected to operate without self-destruction.

[0004] To achieve this, a cell monitoring device is typically used to monitor each battery cell in the battery system. The function of the cell monitoring device is to measure signals from the battery cell being monitored, such as the cell terminal voltage, cell current, cell temperature, cell pressure, etc., and then use these signals to determine whether the cell is in a safe state. In some systems, the measurements obtained by the cell monitoring device are collated and transmitted to the battery management system, which processes these measurements to determine the current state of the cell being monitored. Alternatively, the measurements can be collated and processed within each cell monitoring device and reported to the battery management system, so that the battery management system can maintain an overview of the current state of the battery system. Summary of the invention

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery management system, the battery management system comprising: a battery management unit; one or more monitoring devices; and a communication controller, the communication controller being operable to receive and process measurement values ​​of one or more battery cells of a battery system received from the one or more monitoring devices and providing the processed measurement values ​​to the battery management unit. The one or more monitoring devices may each include: one or more sensors, the one or more sensors being operable to obtain measurement values ​​of one or more battery cells of a battery system; a transmitter, the transmitter being operable to transmit the obtained measurement values ​​to the communication controller; and a processor, the processor being operable to process the measurement values ​​obtained from the one or more battery cells and causing the obtained measurement values ​​to be reported to the communication controller according to a predetermined schedule.

[0006] In some embodiments, the communication controller and the processor of the one or more monitoring devices are configured to cause measurements obtained from the one or more battery cells to be reported to the battery management unit in a deterministic manner that is independent of any interrupts, external memory access steps, or use of stacks triggered by the processor or the communication controller. By limiting the processing of the processors of the communication controller and the monitoring devices in this way, in such embodiments, the reliability of the battery management system can be improved because random errors caused by non-deterministic processing can be avoided.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery management system, wherein one or more monitoring devices are provided, wherein each of the monitoring devices includes: one or more sensors, the one or more sensors being operable to obtain measurement values ​​of one or more modules of the battery system; a receiver, the receiver being operable to receive a timing signal indicating the timing of a report frame from a communication controller; and a transmitter, the transmitter being operable to report the obtained measurement values ​​to the communication controller; wherein each of the monitoring devices is configured to: transmit previously obtained measurement values ​​to the communication controller at one or more transmission times relative to the timing indicated by the timing signal received from the communication controller; and utilize the received timing signal to select a sampling time for the measurement values ​​obtained by the one or more sensors so as to report to the communication controller in a later reporting cycle. In such a system, since the sampling times of the monitoring devices are coordinated by receiving the timing signal from the communication controller, the coordination of the acquisition of the sensor measurement values ​​can be enhanced.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a monitoring device is provided, which is operable to report sensor measurement data in a battery system. The monitoring device includes: at least one sensor, which is operable to obtain measurement data of one or more modules of the battery system; a receiver, which is operable to receive a timing signal defining a transmission time of the measurement data from a communication controller; and a transmitter, which is operable to report the obtained measurement data to the communication controller. The monitoring device is also configured to: use the received timing signal to select a sampling time for at least one sensor to obtain measurement data of one or more modules of the battery system; and transmit the obtained measurement data to the communication controller at the transmission time defined in the received timing signal. In this way, both the sensor sampling time and the transmission time for reporting the sensor measurement data are defined by the timing signal.

[0009] According to some embodiments, the timing signal defines a sampling time, and the at least one sensor is operable to perform measurements and generate measurement data at the sampling time defined in the received timing signal. The timing signal may define a shared sampling time for a plurality of different monitoring devices, and the at least one sensor may be operable to perform measurements and generate measurement data synchronously with the plurality of different monitoring devices at the sampling time defined for the plurality of different monitoring devices.

[0010] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a communication controller is provided, the communication controller being operable to receive sensor measurement data from one or more monitoring devices in a battery system. The communication controller may include: at least one processor, the at least one processor being operable to generate a timing signal; a transmitter, the transmitter being operable to transmit the timing signal to the one or more monitoring devices, the timing signal defining a transmission time for transmitting the sensor measurement data from at least one of the one or more monitoring devices to the communication controller; and a receiver, the receiver being operable to receive the sensor measurement data from the one or more monitoring devices. The communication controller is further configured to: select a sampling time for at least one of the one or more monitoring devices, the sampling time defining a time at which a sensor of the at least one monitoring device obtains sensor measurement data from one or more modules of the battery system; and to first incorporate the sampling time into the timing signal, and then transmit the timing signal to the one or more monitoring devices. Advantageously, such a controller is capable of providing a flexible but robust sensor measurement data reporting scheme. This is achieved by specifying in the timing signal generated by the communication controller the sampling time at which the sensor is to obtain the battery system measurement value and the transmission time at which the obtained measurement data is to be transmitted to the communication controller. Because both sampling times and transmission times are specified in the timing signal of the communication controller, the retroactive incorporation of additional monitoring devices in the battery system can be accommodated by modifying the timing signal and more specifically by modifying one or more transmission times and / or sampling times associated with the newly added monitoring device.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the communication controller can be configured to select a single sampling time for the multiple monitoring devices so that each of the multiple monitoring devices can obtain sensor measurement data at the same sampling time. In this way, the sampling of measurement data by the multiple monitoring devices is synchronized.

[0012] The monitoring device and communication controller disclosed herein improve the functional safety of the battery system and are particularly beneficial for use in battery systems that require a deterministic battery cell data reporting process.

[0013] Further aspects of the present disclosure provide monitoring devices and controllers for use in systems such as those described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The foregoing will be described in more detail by the following more particular description of example embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on illustrating the example embodiments.

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary wired battery management system architecture, in which a plurality of cell monitoring devices are connected to a communication controller via a wired harness in the form of a star network.

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary wired battery management system architecture, in which multiple cell monitoring devices are connected to a communication controller via a wired harness in the form of a daisy-chain network.

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary battery management system architecture, in which multiple battery cell monitoring devices and a communication controller are connected via a wireless communication network.

[0018] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of an exemplary battery cell monitoring device and a communication controller of a battery management system.

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Schematic block diagram of an alternative exemplary battery cell monitoring device and communication controller of a battery management system.

[0020] Figures 6 to 9 is a set of schematic data processing flow diagrams illustrating the timing and scheduling of data transmission within a battery management system.

[0021] Fig.10a is a schematic diagram illustrating the information content of a timing signal according to some embodiments.

[0022] Fig.10b is a diagram showing how to use the Fig.10a A schematic data processing flow chart of a timing signal to synchronize sensor measurements and define transmissions between a communication controller and at least one battery cell monitoring device.

[0023] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram that explains how data transmission from a communication controller may be used to synchronize sensor data acquisition within a battery management system according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations set forth in the following description of the exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present invention. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with the aspects related to the present invention recited in the appended claims. It should be noted that the terms "module" and "cell" are used interchangeably in this document and may therefore refer to the same components.

[0025] Overview of Battery Management System Architecture

[0026] Figure 1 1 is a diagram of an exemplary wired battery management system architecture, in which a plurality of cell monitoring devices 10 - 1 . . . 10 -N are connected to a communication controller 15 via a wired harness 12 . Figure 1 In the exemplary architecture of FIG. 1 , the wire harness 12 connects the cell monitoring devices 10 - 1 . . . 10 -N to the communication controller 15 in the form of a star network, wherein the communication controller 15 is located at the center. The communication controller 15 is also connected to the battery management unit 20 .

[0027] exist Figure 1 In an example system, each cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N is configured to monitor one or more battery cells 22-1...22-N and obtain measurements of physical characteristics associated with one or more cells 22-1...22-N (such as voltage, current, temperature, pressure, strain, force, etc.) and / or derived measurements, such as state of charge (SoC). These measurements (which may include derived measurements in some examples) are then transmitted from each cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N to a communication controller 15 via a wired harness 12.

[0028] The communication controller 15 can be arranged to aggregate all messages from the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N and then pass them to the battery management unit 20, or alternatively, the communication controller 15 can be configured to pass the individual messages directly to the battery management unit 20, which then proceeds to process the received measurements to determine the current state of the battery system.

[0029] Typically, the communication controller 15 will be a separate hardware device from the battery management unit 20. Alternatively, the communication controller 15 and the battery management unit 20 may be integrated into a single hardware device, with the communication controller 15 responsible for coordinating the receipt of data via the wired harness 12 and the battery management unit 20 responsible for analyzing and processing the data.

[0030] Figure 1One disadvantage of the wired battery management system architecture shown is that in this architecture, the communication controller 15 and the wire harness 12 are configured to receive measurements from a predefined number of cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N. This makes expansion of the system difficult because adding additional cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N will generally require adding additional circuitry and connectors to the communication controller 15 to connect to the additional cell monitoring devices and modifying the wire harness 12.

[0031] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 An alternative approach to wired battery management system architecture. Figure 1 Compared with the wired battery management system architecture in which the wired harness 12 connects the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N to the communication controller 15 in the form of a star network, Figure 2 In the exemplary architecture of , the cell monitoring devices 10 - 1 . . . 10 -N are connected in a daisy chain network via wiring 25 , wherein consecutive cell monitoring devices 10 - 1 . . . 10 -N are connected in series.

[0032] Figure 2 The operation and Figure 1 The operation of the star network is very similar, except that instead of each cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N communicating directly with the communication controller 15, messages are transmitted to and from the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N by relaying up and down along the daisy chain line 25. This means that the operation of each cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N is no longer the same, because the cell monitoring device 10-N directly connected to the communication controller 15 must relay messages from all other cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N-1, while the cell monitoring device 10-1 at the end of the daisy chain has no message relay requirements. The message latency (how long it takes to travel from the source cell monitoring device to the communication controller 15) varies from cell monitoring device to cell monitoring device and increases as the number of cells / cell monitoring devices increases. In some embodiments, the daisy chain line 25 can be formed into a loop that terminates at the communication controller 15 at both ends. In this case, the delay between the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N may be different, depending on the direction in which the message travels around the loop. This variable delay is a disadvantage of daisy-chain wired battery networks.

[0033] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 A variation of the battery management system architecture of , but instead of using a wired harness 12, the communication is performed wirelessly via a radio network. To this end, each cell monitoring device 10-1 ... 10-N has an antenna 30, and the communication controller 15 also has an antenna. The radio network can use a far-field antenna or near-field coupling.

[0034] Figure 3 The wireless battery management system architecture has the advantages of a wired star network (all battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N are identical, constant latency, etc.). Additionally, when the number of battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N changes, the communication controller 15 and any wired harness 12 do not need to be modified.

[0035] Structure of communication controller and cell monitoring device

[0036] Now refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 Describe in more detail Figure 3 The structure of the communication controller 15 and the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N of the system.

[0037] First go to Figure 4 , in an embodiment, Figure 3 The battery cell monitoring device 10 of the battery management system may include one or more sensors 31, 32, 33. Figure 4 , three sensors are shown: a voltage sensor 31, a current sensor 32, and a temperature sensor 33. It should be understood that in other embodiments, more or fewer or different sensors may be included in the battery cell monitoring device 10. For example, these may include pressure, strain, force, sound, light, etc. Such sensors may be located within each battery cell module 10-1...10-N, or they may be placed in a module group or in a battery system housing.

[0038] In this embodiment, the sensors 31, 32, 33 are connected via an analog multiplexer 35 to an analog to digital converter (ADC) 37, which is also connected to a processor 39. In alternative embodiments, the analog multiplexer 35 may be omitted and instead a plurality of ADCs 37 may be provided, with each of the sensors being connected directly to the processor 39 via its own dedicated ADC 37. However, it will be appreciated that providing the analog multiplexer 35 enables duplication of ADCs 37 to be avoided.

[0039] The processor 39 is also connected to a memory 40, which may be a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) or a read-only memory (ROM) that stores a program including processing instructions for processing digital signals representing sensor measurements received from the ADC 37. Alternatively, the memory 40 may include a static random access memory (SRAM) so that the program can be stored and subsequently modified. Such an embodiment may facilitate the creation and debugging of a program for storage in the cell monitoring device 10 during development of a battery management system.

[0040] Additionally, processor 39 is also connected to antenna 30 via radio block 45. A clock 47 is provided within cell monitoring device 10 to coordinate the timing of sensor measurements and other processes performed by cell monitoring device 10. In some embodiments, clock 47 may take the form of an oscillator.

[0041] In use, the sensors 31, 32, 33 obtain measurements from one or more battery cells 22 ( Figure 4 Only one battery cell 22 is shown, but generally in embodiments, the monitoring device 10 may be arranged to obtain measurements from a plurality of battery cells (e.g., a group of 12 or more battery cells). The analog measurements from the sensors 31, 32, 33 are passed via an analog multiplexer 35 to an ADC 37, which sends the digitized measurements to a processor 39. The processor 39 then runs a program stored in a memory 40, which converts the received digital signals into physically meaningful measurements (such as volts, amperes, Kelvin, etc.) and packages the data ready for transmission. In embodiments, the packaged digitized measurements may be retained in internal registers within the processor 39 prior to transmission. The radio block 45 is periodically activated, which causes the stored packaged measurements stored internally in registers within the processor 39 to be wirelessly transmitted to the communications controller 15 via the antenna 30.

[0042] The structure of the communication controller 15 is similar to that of the cell monitoring device 10 in that the communication controller 15 also includes an antenna 30, a radio block 45, a processor 39, a memory 40, and a clock 48. However, instead of storing a program for coordinating the capture, packaging, and transmission of sensor measurements from sensors 31, 32, 33, the memory 40 in the communication controller 15 stores a program that enables the processor 39 of the communication controller 15 to coordinate the transmission of measurement data to the battery management unit 20. In some embodiments, the processor 39 of the communication controller 15 can detect errors in the transmission, reception, and / or packaging of sensor measurements before transmitting the measurement data to the battery management unit 20. Such processing can involve checking for error detection or error correction codes contained in the transmission received via the antenna 30. In addition, the communication controller 15 also provides a communication path so that control messages are sent from the battery management unit 20 to the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N via the antenna 30 and the wireless communication link. In some embodiments, the communication controller 15 can generate control messages and send the control messages to the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N via the antenna 30.

[0043] Figure 5 The alternative architecture shown is similar to Figure 4 provides a more robust architecture than the architecture of Figure 4architecture, a fault in the ADC 37 may not be detected. Alternatively, a fault in the software routine may not be detected. "Stuck-on" faults may occur in many locations where a value that should have changed is not updated. If the ADC 37 output value fails to update, the system may not notice that the value failed to change. At the same time, the battery cell may be over-voltage, which may cause a dangerous situation. The processor software may not update the value sent to the radio block 45, so the communication controller 15 receives a value that appears to be safe but is actually incorrect.

[0044] In view of these problems, in many applications, it is possible to use Figure 5 Alternative architecture shown.

[0045] and Figure 4 Compared with the architecture of Figure 5 In an alternative architecture, a diagnostic source block 50 is included in the cell monitoring device 10, which is arranged to apply a known signal to the analog multiplexer 35. If the processor of the monitoring device 10 or the communication controller 15 subsequently does not see a known value or a predicted value based on a known value, then this may be an indication that something is wrong and a fault will be detected.

[0046] in addition, Figure 5 The architecture replaces ADC 37 with a multiplexer 51 connected to two ADCs 37-1, 37-2. It is unlikely that the two ADCs 37-1, 37-2 will show the same fault at the same time (i.e., the probability is very low). Therefore, the outputs from ADCs 37-1, 37-2 can be compared, and if they are not substantially consistent (i.e., the ADC conversions obtained are substantially corresponding), the fault can be marked. Typically, in this case, if there is an inconsistency between the results of ADCs 37-1, 37-2, it will usually only be possible to determine that one of ADCs 37-1, 37-2 is faulty, but it is impossible to determine which one. However, in some embodiments, a diagnostic source (e.g., a known value from a diagnostic source block 50 or a predicted value based on a known value) can be combined to identify which of ADCs 37-1, 37-2 is in error. Another potential benefit of having two ADCs 37-1, 37-2 is that the outputs of the ADCs 37-1, 37-2 that are substantially consistent (i.e., the values ​​obtained do not differ by more than a threshold amount) can be averaged to obtain an average value of the digitized sensor signal. This can improve the accuracy of the analog-to-digital conversion of the measured analog signal because it will reduce the effects of noise in the measurement and conversion process. In some embodiments, this may be preferred over simply truncating the measurement signal from a single ADC.

[0047] In addition to using a pair of ADCs 37-1, 37-2 and a multiplexer 51 instead of a single ADC 37, Figure 5In the architecture of , the processor 39 of the monitoring device 10 and the communication controller 15 is also replaced by a dual-core lockstep processor 52. A dual-core lockstep processor 52 (sometimes referred to as a safety processor) is a processor comprising two (or more) processor cores, each of which runs the same software program, but one core has a delay relative to the other core. Apart from this delay, the two cores run in lockstep. This enables the outputs of the cores to be compared (taking into account the delay). Since the cores run the same program on the same data, the results should be exactly the same. Therefore, if one of the software programs on one of the cores is corrupted and the results are inconsistent, a fault can be detected.

[0048] Although Figure 4 These modifications to the architecture improve the ability to confirm that no errors occurred during the conversion of sensor measurements from sensors 31, 32, 33 at the cell monitoring device 10 and their transmission to the battery management unit 20, but the reliability of the data received by the battery management unit 20 can be further enhanced by limiting the processing performed by the dual-core lockstep processor 52.

[0049] More specifically, Applicants have recognized that software processing of data within the communication path between the acquisition of analog measurements by sensors 31, 32, 33 at cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N and the receipt of the collected data at the battery management unit 20 is a significant potential source of error within the battery management system. Hard-wired data processing, such as that performed by multiplexer 35 and ADC 37-1, 37-2, is inherently deterministic. For example, as described above, because the results of hard-wired data processing are predictable within tolerances, faults or errors can be detected. However, software processing (particularly where it depends on factors external to the processor) is not (e.g., because such external factors can lead to a wide range of results, often leading to results from a variety of possibilities that, in fact, are unpredictable before the processing is actually performed). Examples of such external factors would include any processing based on an interrupt that would change the intended processing by causing a particular process to stop while a second process is being performed. Additionally, operations that rely on non-deterministic external memory access (rather than storing values ​​within the processor's registers) can result in non-deterministic errors, as can the use of a stack, as stack overflow errors can occur at unexpected times. In contrast, when processing is deterministic and does not involve interrupts, external memory access steps, etc., it can be expected that processing will run to completion within a set period of time, and the time required to run the program to completion can be expected to vary relatively little. This would not be the case if the program involved interrupt steps, as such interrupts would necessarily render the time required for the program to run to completion indeterminate, as any interruption would result in the processing being suspended for an unknown period of time and the time at which such an interrupt would be triggered could not be known in advance.

[0050] Although software can be analyzed to "prove" that errors will not occur, such analysis is difficult, time consuming, and expensive. Applicants have recognized that much of the potential unreliability of software processing in the data path between a set of sensors 31, 32, 33 and the battery management unit 20 can be reduced by applying a number of basic principles to the construction of the programs to be run by the processors 39, 52.

[0051] First, as a principle, processing measurements from a set of sensors 31, 32, 33 should be limited to converting the sensor measurements into meaningful digital data (e.g., converting the sensor measurements into digital codes that have physical meaning for measurements such as volts, amperes, kelvins, etc.) and packaging such data (including generating and checking any error detection or error correction codes within the data to be transmitted) so that it can be transmitted to the battery management unit 20 for analysis. Other processes (e.g., non-critical but potentially helpful processing such as generating histogram data representing the time that the cells 22-1...22-N remain in a particular state) should be performed via separate processing paths using separate processors that are not responsible for processing, packaging, and transmitting the sensor measurement data.

[0052] Secondly, the programs to be executed as part of the data transfer path should be designed to avoid the use of any interrupts, external memory access steps involving the storage or access of data in non-deterministic memory, or the use of stacks. The latter principle can be achieved if the programs within the data transfer path are arranged to store data in the internal registers of the processor 39 rather than utilizing external memory during the process of processing sensor data and transmitting it from the sensors 31, 32, 33 to the battery management unit 20, and the scope of the programs to be executed by the processor 39, 52 is such that they must run to completion in a time scale that is smaller than the time scale for obtaining sensor measurements and reporting them to the battery management unit 20.

[0053] The latter criterion can be achieved if the sensor measurements are sampled and reported to the battery management unit 20 according to a predetermined schedule, and the processing power and clock speed of any processor 39, 52 within the data transmission path between the sensors 31, 32, 33 and the battery management unit 20 are such that any program to be executed by such processor 39, 52 within the data path will run to completion in a time scale that is shorter than the time scale for sampling and reporting the data.

[0054] Thus, for example, when cell measurements are sampled and reported at a frequency of several hertz and the processor 39, 52 has a processing speed of the order of several megahertz, the programs to be executed by the processor 39, 52 need to be such that they must run to completion within a number of clock cycles that is less than the ratio between the sampling frequency and the processing speed of the processor 39, 52. While this means that the processing power of the processor 39, 52 will not be fully utilized, this will ensure that each program executed by the processor 39, 52 can be completed and packaged data can be transmitted when required. This, together with the absence of the use of interrupts, external memory accesses, or the use of stacks, causes the processor 39, 52 to operate as a deterministic state machine and will therefore make the processing reliability of the processor 39, 52 comparable to other hard-wired components of the cell monitors 10-1...10-N and the communication controller 15.

[0055] In some examples, the processors 39, 52 may be provided in a system (e.g., designed or manufactured to) not include at least one or all of the following functions: interrupts, external memory access, and / or use of a stack. Alternatively, the processors 39, 52 may be provided in a system having the above functions, but these functions are disabled. However, in other alternative embodiments, the processors 39, 52 are provided in a system having the above functions, but any program to be run thereon is designed to avoid using any of these functions.

[0056] In addition, preferably, the operations performed by the processor 39, 52 within the communication path between the ADC 37 or ADC 37-1, 37-2 and the battery management unit 20 are such that the processing is limited to converting the output of the ADC to data and packaging such data, including creating and attaching any error checking or error correction codes, without storing or modifying the data representing the sensor measurements. Preferably, the processing is limited to processing according to a single set of instructions corresponding to that task. This should help ensure that the processor 39, 52 operation is the same each time the process is performed.

[0057] Timing and synchronization of data sensor measurements

[0058] Now refer to Figures 6 to 11 The timing and synchronization of data related to sensor measurements and data transmission within a battery management system is described in more detail.

[0059] Figures 6 to 11 is a set of schematic diagrams explaining the timing and scheduling of data transmission within a battery management system.

[0060] Figure 6 An exemplary data reporting schedule is shown. In the exemplary reporting schedule, each battery cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N (e.g., Figures 6 to 9The cell monitoring devices associated with cell 1, cell 2, cell 3, cell 4, cell 5, cell 6, cell 7, and cell 8 are assigned to one group. Figure 6 In the case of, the battery cells / battery cell monitoring devices are shown as being divided into a first group (Group 1) corresponding to battery cells / battery cell monitoring devices 1 to 3 and a second group (Group 2) corresponding to battery cells / battery cell monitoring devices 4 to 6. It should be understood that Figure 6 The diagrams are exemplary, and in other embodiments, there may be more or fewer cells / cell monitoring devices, and such cells / cell monitoring devices may be grouped into more or fewer groups.

[0061] In this example, Figure 6 The first frame is shown in Figure 6 At the initial time of the start of frame 1 in the communication controller 15, the communication controller 15 broadcasts a request to all monitoring devices 10-1...10-N requesting the first group of battery cell monitoring devices - Group 1 (ie, the devices monitoring battery cells 1 to 3) to report their obtained measurement values ​​to the communication controller 15.

[0062] In response, the monitoring devices 10-1...10-N associated with the cells in group 1 (i.e., cells 1 to 3) continue to report the most recently obtained and processed measurements from the sensors 31, 32, 33. These will correspond to data that has been processed and packaged by the processors 39, 52 in the monitoring devices 10-1...10-N and stored internally in registers within the processors 39, 52. In order to report the measurements over a period of time rather than simultaneously, each of the monitoring devices 10-1...10-N associated with cells 1 to 3 in group 1 is arranged to report the measurements in a predefined time slot within the frame. That is, each of the monitoring devices 10-1...10-N associated with cells 1 to 3 is configured to transmit data with a different predefined delay after receiving a message broadcast by the communication controller 15.

[0063] When the time period for all the cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N monitoring cells in group 1 to report their measurements to the communication controller 15 has passed, the communication controller 15 then proceeds to request measurements from the next group (in this example, group 2 including the cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N monitoring cells 4, 5 and 6). As with the first group, each cell monitoring device 10-1 ... 10-N associated with the cells in group 2 (i.e., cells 4, 5, 6) is pre-configured to report the obtained sensor measurements in a specific time slot after receiving a request broadcast from the communication controller 15.

[0064] At the end of the frame reporting measurements from the second group of cells, the communication controller 15 then evaluates whether data measurements have been received from all of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N. The communication controller 15 will also check to determine whether any received data has been corrupted during transmission. This can be achieved by including an error detection code or other similar error checking code in the message sent from the cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N and the communication controller 15 using the included error checking code to determine whether the message was transmitted and received without changing the content of the message. If the communication controller 15 determines that all expected data has been received and the data has not been corrupted during transmission, then in the next two time periods (frames 3 and 4), the communication controller 15 transmits a signal to the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N that does not instruct any cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N to transmit any additional data.

[0065] In some embodiments, rather than instructing the cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N not to transmit any additional data, the communication controller 15 may instead transmit a request to one or more of the cell control devices 10-1 ... 10-N to transmit auxiliary data (e.g., historical data, histogram or traceability data, summary data, etc.) to the communication controller 15 using a frame that does not require additional transmission of sensor measurement data. In embodiments where additional data (i.e., data other than sensor measurement data) is reported to the communication controller 15, it is preferred that the communication controller 15 be provided by an auxiliary processor ( Figure 4 and Figure 5 ) to handle the organization and transmission of such additional data, as the management and creation of such data may involve the use of external memory access steps.

[0066] After a time period including, for example, 4 frames (ie, twice the number of cell groups) is complete, the process repeats.In some embodiments, reporting measurements may occur within the same time period as sampling the data.

[0067] It should be understood that in other embodiments using a different number of cell groups, the process may be repeated after twice that different number. It should also be understood that in still other embodiments, the process may be repeated after an integer multiple of the number of cell groups used in the process. In still other embodiments, the process may be repeated after a time period that includes an integer number of frames, the integer number of frames including two or more additional frames. This ensures that the process provides at least one additional frame for the central controller 15 to request a retransmission of any lost or received data, and gives each of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N at least one additional opportunity to perform such a retransmission, while maintaining the above-mentioned Figure 6The process described above is within the framework of the predetermined schedule for transmitting the measurement data described above. Furthermore, the process described enables each of the cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N to detect from the absence of such a retransmission request that their previous transmission of the measurement data has been safely received. Each cell monitoring device 10-1 ... 10-N can then delete the last stored measurement data and start sampling the measurement values ​​for the measurement data to be transmitted next to the central controller 15.

[0068] Figure 7 and Figure 8 A transmission error occurred Figure 6 Diagram of the process.

[0069] exist Figure 7 In the case of , in the first frame, the response from the monitoring device 10 associated with cell 2 is shown as being lost or corrupted. If this is the case, then when the communication controller 15 evaluates whether responses have been received from all cells at the end of frame 2, the communication controller 15 will determine that the measurement value from cell 2 is missing or has been received but corrupted during transmission, and therefore, instead of broadcasting a signal that does not instruct any of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N to transmit any further data, at the beginning of frame 3, the communication controller 15 broadcasts a signal requesting the cell monitoring device 10 associated with cell 2 to retransmit its measurement data. The cell monitoring device 10 then responds by sending a request in the same time slot (e.g., as in Figure 7 The sensor controller 15 responds by retransmitting previously obtained sensor measurements in frame 3 (depicted in frame 4 of FIG. 1 ) (ie, with the same fixed delay relative to the previous attempt to receive the signal from the communication controller 15 in an earlier frame).

[0070] Since no other errors were detected, Figure 7 As in the example of , in the final frame (frame 4), the communication controller 15 broadcasts a signal indicating that no additional data transmission is required.

[0071] Figure 8 is an example of a group of data transmissions in which a data request broadcast by the communication controller 15 in frame 2 requesting the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N associated with group 2 to report data is lost or corrupted. In such an example, at the end of frame 2, when the communication controller 15 evaluates whether data has been received from all the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N, the communication controller 15 will recognize that none of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N associated with group 2 has reported any data and will therefore continue to request the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N associated with group 2 to retransmit their data in the message broadcast at the beginning of frame 3, and the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N in group 2 respond by sending a response in their allocated time slots within frame 3 in response to receiving the data transmission request from the communication controller 15.

[0072] It will be appreciated that, according to the signaling system outlined above, each of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N is requested to transmit data, and if the communication controller 15 does not receive the data within a set time period from the request, a retransmission is requested. In addition, it will be appreciated that the scheduling of responses is achieved by the communication controller 15 periodically broadcasting a data request signal and the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N responding to such data requests, wherein the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N within the same group are arranged to transmit responses within a pre-allocated time slot within a frame. In some embodiments, the time slot is variable and can be changed upon receipt of a timing signal from the communication controller 15.

[0073] Providing the possibility to request retransmission of data in case of a transmission interruption will typically provide a reasonable guarantee that data will be received from the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N during most reporting periods and that data measurements will only be lost if both a transmission request (or response) and a subsequent retransmission request (or response) are lost or corrupted.

[0074] Although requesting data in the event of a lost or corrupted data transmission is described above, it should be understood that in an embodiment, the entire data packet may be requested to be retransmitted in the event of a loss or corruption, or only a portion of the data packet may be requested to be retransmitted in the event of a loss or corruption, or only a portion of the data packet may be requested to be retransmitted in the event of a loss or corruption (e.g., data corresponding to one or more measurements from sensors 31, 32, 33) being corrupted or lost.

[0075] Since data needs to be reported to the communication controller 15 at least once within the time period set for requesting and transmitting (and possibly retransmitting) data, the time period for obtaining and reporting data can be known in advance, and therefore any programs stored in the memory 40 of the battery monitoring devices 10-1...10-N and the communication controller 15 and the processing power of the processors 39, 52 of the battery monitoring devices 10-1...10-N and the communication controller 15 can be selected so that all processed results are processed to completion before any new data needs to be reported.

[0076] In order to identify whether a data packet has been corrupted during transmission, the processor 39, 52 of the cell monitoring device 10-1 ... 10-N may be arranged to append an error detection or error correction code to the data packet, and the processor 39, 52 of the communication controller 15 or alternatively the battery management unit 20 may be arranged to process the appended code to determine whether the data packet has been corrupted during transmission. Including an error detection code and processing such code by the battery management unit 20 may be preferred because processing and checking of such code by the battery management unit 20 will enable the battery management unit 20 to identify whether the communication controller 15 has received or corrupted data.

[0077] In some embodiments, the processors 39, 52 of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N may be arranged to include a code identifying a data source in the data transmission. In some embodiments, such code may include a code identifying the cell 22 associated with a particular data measurement. In other embodiments, the code may include a code corresponding to an identifier of a particular cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N.

[0078] In some embodiments, the processors 39, 52 of the cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N may include timestamp data in the data to be transmitted to the communication controller 15. Such timestamp data may identify the local time associated with the data transmission and / or sensor measurement value as identified by the clock 47. Additionally or alternatively, the processors 39, 52 of the cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N may include a counter value in the data transmission from the monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N to the communication controller 15, wherein the counter value is incremented each time new data is sent to the communication controller 15. Including the cell or cell monitoring ID data, timestamp data, and / or counter data may be used by the communication controller 15 to detect data received that is not corrupted but is received out of sequence, data duplication, and / or data received from an incorrect source.

[0079] In some embodiments, the scheduling of data transmission in the above manner can also be used to improve the accuracy of the timing of the sensor measurements obtained by the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N to coordinate, as will now be referred to. Figures 9 to 11 explain.

[0080] When scheduled in the manner described above, each reporting period from the battery management system includes a respective corresponding Figures 6 to 8 In each cycle, the communication controller 15 initially broadcasts a data request to the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N, and then there is a period of time ( Fig. 992 in Rx 92), wherein each of the individual cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N associated with a specific group receives a data transmission request within a set period of time ( Fig. 9 And data is transmitted in the time slot Tx 90) of each battery cell in Figure 10.

[0081] Fig. 9 Such scheduling of data transmission and the division of frames into transmission and reception periods are shown in FIG. More specifically, Fig. 9 Such a division is shown in relation to an exemplary system comprising eight cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N, in this example into three groups, wherein individual cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N associated with cells assigned to a particular group respond to a data transmission request in a frame associated with reporting a measurement value for a particular cell group ( Fig. 9 A specific pre-assigned time slot ( Fig. 9 and Tx 90 in Figure 10) transmits data.

[0082] In some embodiments, the scheduling of data transmissions may be arranged such that a specific time period is allocated for transmission by one of the directly communicating devices. Fig. 9 The scheduling in is such that during the total time period allocated for the three frames (cycle 1, cycle 2, and cycle 3), there is no overlap between the transmission time periods. In other words, during a particular time period, Figure 3 Only one of the central controller 15 and one or more cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N in the system is assigned to transmit. In such a system, this can enable the system (or the central controller 15 or the battery management unit 20) to more reliably detect faulty components or errors, for example, by identifying which device may be experiencing a fault or error based on the received data and its transmission timing.

[0083] In another embodiment, the scheduling of data transmissions may be managed such that a response period (Rx 92) of the communication controller 15 may result in receipt of measurement data (Meas IV / Rx 94) from all cells 10-1 ... 10-N within a single time frame.

[0084] Although the primary purpose of the broadcast data transmission request transmitted by the communication controller 15 may be to coordinate the timing of reporting sensor measurements (Meas IV / Rx 94) by the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N according to a predetermined schedule, the applicant has recognized that the signal can also be used to improve the coordination of the timing of sensor measurements on the battery management system.

[0085] Fig.10aAn exemplary diagram depicting the information content of a timing signal 99 generated by a communication controller 15 and relayed to a cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N to coordinate the acquisition of sensor measurements (Meas IV / Rx94) according to an embodiment is shown. The timing signal 99 may include a plurality of different information. For example, the timing signal 99 may include a preamble and a synchronization slot 100, the preamble and the synchronization slot including a synchronization mark that enables two or more different cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N to synchronize their behavior. For example, this may enable two or more different cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N to acquire sensor measurement data substantially synchronously. Similarly, it may include coordinating the internal clocks of the cell monitoring devices, which may help ensure that each cell monitoring device transmits its measurement data at the correct transmission time. In some embodiments, this may include two or more different cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N synchronizing their internal clocks.

[0086] In some embodiments, the timing signal 99 may also include a specified measurement time slot 102. The specified measurement time slot 102 effectively establishes a sampling time for at least one sensor 31, 32, 33 associated with each of the one or more monitoring devices 10-1...10-N to collectively acquire measurement data. In some embodiments, the measurement time slot 102 may be defined based on a time delay measured from the one or more monitoring devices 10-1...10-N receiving the timing signal 99. The timing signal 99 may also include information specifying one or more measurement result transmission time slots 104, 106, 108, each time slot specifying a time when a particular monitoring device 10-1...10-N transmits its sensor measurement data via the measurement signal 134. In this regard, the measurement result transmission time slot 104, 106, 108 may specify a specific time slot in which a particular monitoring device is to report measurement data for its corresponding battery cell 10-1...10-N. When each battery cell monitoring device 10 is associated with a different battery cell, then each transmission time slot 104, 106, 108 may also be associated with a different battery cell. Monitoring devices 10-1, 10-2, 10-N and their associated battery cells transmit their measurement data in the order specified by transmission slots 104, 106, 108 defined in timing signal 99. Transmission slots 104, 106, 108 may be interchangeably referred to as time slots, transmission slots / channels, and result slots.

[0087] According to some embodiments, the timing signal 99 may also include an additional payload slot 110. The payload slot 110 may define a slot in which additional information may be provided, depending on the context in which the present embodiment is implemented. Thus, it allows for customizability. Finally, the timing signal 99 may include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for performing error detection, which in some embodiments may be part of the payload slot 110. The CRC enables the cell monitoring device to detect any errors in the received timing signal.

[0088] According to some embodiments, the measurement slots 102 may define when sensor measurements associated with different battery cells are to be performed. In some embodiments, the measurement slots 102 may effectively instruct each cell to perform sensor measurements substantially simultaneously—that is, the measurement slots 102 may cause the cells 10-1 ... 10-N to synchronize their measurements, thereby resulting in substantially simultaneous measurements being performed at all requested cells 10-1 ... 10-N ( Fig. 9 Meas IV / Rx 94 in ). In some embodiments, the timing signal 99 may also indicate which battery cells 10-1...10-N are to be performed, and more specifically, which measurements are to be performed by one or more sensors associated with the battery cells 10-1...10-N. This information may also be included in the measurement time slot 102. In yet another embodiment, the timing signal 99 may also selectively instruct a specific measurement battery cell to perform a specific measurement. For example, the measurement time slot 102 may also identify which of the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N will perform the measurement and when to report according to the transmission battery cell time slots 104, 106, 108. Therefore, the behavior of all battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N can be controlled by the communication controller 15 via the timing signal 99, and embodiments are envisioned in which different battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N obtain sensor measurement data at different times.

[0089] Once the required sensor measurements have been made according to the timing signal 99 , the obtained measurement data is packaged into signals and reported to the communication controller 15 at the time slots 104 , 106 , 108 specified in the timing signal 99 for a given cell 10 - 1 . . . 10 -N.

[0090] Fig.10b10-N. 10-1 10-N ... In some embodiments, this may also include synchronizing their internal clocks with the clock of the communication controller 15. In this way, the communication controller 15 and each cell monitoring device 10-1 ... 10-N include synchronized clocks, which helps to achieve a deterministic communication system because the communication controller 15 knows when to expect to receive sensor measurement data from each cell monitoring device 10-1 ... 10-N, and the failure to receive expected data may indicate a fault in the system.

[0091] return Fig.10b, once the internal clocks are synchronized at step 120, at step 122, each battery cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N uses the information provided in the measurement time slot 102 of the received timing signal 99 to obtain measurement data from one or more sensors associated therewith. As previously mentioned, this can result in sensor measurements being performed approximately simultaneously. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is also contemplated that the timing signal 99 can specify which type of measurement data is to be obtained. For example, it can be related to the battery cell voltage, temperature, pressure, or any other physical characteristic of the battery cell. At step 124, these sensor measurement signals 132 can be stored in a memory 40 local to the battery cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N. Each battery cell 10-1...10-N can generate a transmission signal 134 including the stored sensor measurement signal 132. The transmission signal 134 can also include a CRC for error detection. At steps 126, 128, 130, the transmission signal 134 is transmitted to the communication controller 15 at the appropriate time slot 104, 106, 108 specified in the timing signal 99, depending on which battery cell 10-1...10-N is transmitting the transmission signal. After the transmission signal 134 is transmitted to the communication controller 15, the memory 40 can be cleared to prepare for subsequent sensor measurement data in a subsequent reporting cycle. Storing sensor measurements in this manner reduces the chance of memory-related errors (such as stack overflow or information loss).

[0092] like Fig.10b As shown, at step 126, the cell monitoring device 10-1 transmits its transmission signal 134 to the communication controller 15, which is associated with the time slot 104 in the timing signal 99. Similarly, at step 128, the cell monitoring device 10-2 transmits its transmission signal 134 to the communication controller 15, which is associated with the time slot 106 in the timing signal 99. At step 130, the cell monitoring device 10-N transmits its transmission signal 134 to the communication controller 15, which is associated with the time slot 108 in the timing signal 99.

[0093] In some embodiments, cell monitoring devices 10 - 1 . . . 10 -N may send obtained sensor measurement signals 132 directly to communication controller 15 without preparing transmission signals 134 including additional payloads such as CRC. Such embodiments are also contemplated.

[0094] It should be understood that, according to the disclosed embodiments, a single cell monitoring device 10-1, 10-2, 10-N can be directly fixed to a separate battery cell module, which can include a separate battery cell. This arrangement allows individual battery cells to be monitored as requested by the timing signal 99 sent by the communication controller 15.

[0095] As previously mentioned, according to some embodiments, the transmission signal 134 intended to be transmitted from the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1, 10-2, 10-N to the communication controller 15 may include different types of information, such as CRC. In addition, the transmission signal 134 may include a preamble code time slot, a measurement data result time slot, and a CRC time slot. Using the CRC, the communication controller 15 can perform error detection on the measurement data included in the received signal to ensure the correct transmission of the measurement results. Once all indicated (as defined by the timing signal 99) battery cell monitoring devices 10-1, 10-2, 10-N have completed transmitting their transmission signals 134 or measurement signals 132 (as the case may be) to the communication controller 15, the method is completed and the method can be repeated after the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1, 10-2, 10-N receive a new timing signal.

[0096] According to some embodiments, the timing signal 99 may specify a sensor sampling frequency for each of the cells 10 - 1 . . . 10 -N. The sampling frequency may specify the frequency at which sensor measurements are obtained for subsequent transmission to the communication controller 15 .

[0097] It should be understood that the information content of the timing signal 99 can be changed as needed. For example, the measurement time slot 102 can be changed to accommodate a newly added cell in the battery system. Similarly, any other information can also be changed to accommodate the newly introduced cell. Therefore, the timing signal 99 provides a certain degree of flexibility because it can be adjusted and changed as needed, depending on the requirements of the battery management system 20. In fact, this flexibility allows additional battery cell modules 10-1...10-N to be retrofitted to the battery system as needed without compromising the integrity of the system.

[0098] When the communication controller 15 detects an error in the measurement data received via the transmission signal 134, a retransmission request signal may be sent to the cells 10-1 ... 10-N requesting the cell associated with the detected error to retransmit its sensor measurement data (i.e., retransmit the transmission signal 134 including the sensor measurement data). This may occur, for example, when the measurement data received by the communication controller 15 is corrupted. Similarly, if the communication controller 15 does not receive the transmission signal 134 from a particular cell within its time slot as defined by the timing signal 99, the communication controller 15 may send a retransmission request.

[0099] Fig.1110-N can coordinate the acquisition of sensor measurements (e.g., by sampling the measurement data) from the sensors 31, 32, 33 of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N using signals received from the communication controller 15. In some embodiments, the sensors 31, 32, 33 of the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N are synchronized to acquire the measurements simultaneously.

[0100] like Fig.11 As shown in the upper portion of , since the communication controller 15 is configured to broadcast data transmission request signals at the beginning of each reporting frame, these signals will be regularly received by the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N, which can process the signals to identify whether they are signals that require a response. This produces a deterministic system involving well-coordinated timing and reporting between the individual battery cells, their sensors, and the communication controller.

[0101] Additionally, however, a specific portion of the signal is received from the communication controller 15 (in Fig.11 ) can also be used to coordinate the timing of sensor measurements by the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N (e.g., when to obtain outputs from a particular sensor or a group of sensors or to perform sampling, such as Fig.11 (indicated by Meas IV / Rx in the ).

[0102] In some embodiments, a specific time period with frames is allocated for all cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N to acquire or sample. For example, the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N may be configured to receive signals during a time period (e.g., Fig. 9 and Fig.11 The output from the sensor is obtained or sampled during the MeasIV / Rx in the group, wherein each of the individual cell monitoring devices 10-1 ... 10-N associated with a specific group receives a data transmission request within a set period of time (e.g., within a set period of time) after receiving the data transmission request. Fig. 9 and Fig.1110-N) transmits data at the time slot Tx of each battery cell in the communication system. In this way, each battery cell monitoring device 10-1...10-N does not have to perform acquisition or sampling at the same time as it must transmit. In an example, the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N may be configured to acquire output from the sensor or perform sampling during a time period allocated for the central controller 15 to broadcast data requests to the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N. Alternatively, the battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N may be configured to acquire output from the sensor or perform sampling during a time period not allocated for transmission by any of the devices for direct communication (e.g., the central controller 15 and any battery cell (battery cell 1...battery cell 8)), so that all battery cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N do not have to perform acquisition or sampling at the same time as it must transmit or receive. Such a method may be preferred because having data acquisition and data transmission and / or reception occur at different times reduces the possibility that the acquired data may be adversely affected by interference caused by data transmission or reception.

[0103] In some embodiments, receiving and identifying a specific portion of the signal from the communication controller 15 can directly trigger the acquisition of sensor measurements by the cell monitoring device 10. Alternatively, the timing of the acquisition (e.g., capture or sampling) of sensor measurements by the cell monitoring device 10 can be triggered by the clock 47, where the acquisition of sensor measurements by the cell monitoring device 10 is periodically reset based on a comparison between the timing indicated by the clock 47 and a predefined portion of the signal received from the communication controller 15.

[0104] Alternatively, the timing of the acquisition (e.g., sampling) of sensor measurements by the cell monitoring device 10 can be triggered after a predefined period from receiving and identifying a specific portion of the signal from the central controller 15, wherein the predefined period is determined using the clock 47, wherein the acquisition (e.g., sampling) of sensor measurements by the cell monitoring device 10 is actually reset periodically because the predefined period restarts each time the predefined portion of the signal from the central controller 15 is received.

[0105] Such an arrangement can reduce timing differences that may arise due to differences between clocks 47 within different cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N. Additionally or alternatively, to improve coordination of the timing of measurement of sensor measurements, in some embodiments, identifying the timing of receiving a signal broadcast from the communication controller 15 can be used for other purposes. Thus, for example, in a system where the cell monitoring devices 10-1...10-N trigger or actuate remedial measures within the battery system, the timing of receiving a signal broadcast from the communication controller 15 can be used to facilitate coordination of the actuation of such remedial measures.

[0106] Although in the above-described embodiments, a description has been described in which the processor 39, 52 in the battery monitoring device 10 processes the digitized signal to convert the signal into a measurement value having physical meaning, it should be understood that other alternative arrangements may be used. Thus, for example, in other embodiments, the battery monitoring device 10 may be configured to transmit the raw digitized signal data to the communication controller 15. In such embodiments, the communication controller may be configured to store conversion function parameters for converting the raw data into a measurement value having physical meaning. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the battery monitoring device 10 may be configured to transmit the conversion function parameters together with the raw digitized signal data to the communication controller 15.

[0107] Although in the aforementioned embodiment, the timing signal 99 includes a measurement time slot 102 that effectively defines when the sensor measurement occurs and a time slot 104, 106, 108 that defines the time slot in which each battery cell monitoring device will transmit its measurement results, in an alternative embodiment, the timing signal may not include any of the information. Instead, the measurement value sampling time and the transmission time slot can be predefined and stored in a memory local to each battery cell monitoring device. For example, an instruction defining the measurement value sampling time can be provided to each battery cell monitoring device. In other words, an instruction defining when one or more sensors associated with the battery cell obtain sensor measurements can be provided to each battery cell monitoring device. The timing signal sent by the communication controller 15 can simply provide a prompt for initiating a predefined process. The predefined measurement value sampling time can be defined relative to the receipt of the timing signal. For example, the predefined instruction can specify that the measurement is performed n seconds after the timing signal is received. Similarly, the transmission time slot can also be defined in a similar manner, for example, x seconds after the timing signal is received. In other words, both the measurement value sampling time and the transmission time slot can be defined based on a time delay or the time lapse since the battery cell monitoring device receives the timing signal from the communication controller 15. This reduces the information size of the timing signal. Since the timing signal can still be broadcast to multiple different battery cell monitoring devices, the sensor measurements can still be synchronized between multiple battery cell monitoring devices as long as each battery cell monitoring device includes a predefined measurement value sampling time. The content of the transmission signal including the measurement data transmitted by the battery cell monitoring device to the communication controller 15 can have the same structure as previously described with respect to the aforementioned embodiment. For example, it can include a CRC so that the communication controller 15 can perform error detection.

[0108] The description of the example embodiments provided herein has been presented for illustrative purposes. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the example embodiments to the precise form disclosed, and in view of the above teachings, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations can be obtained by practicing various alternatives to the embodiments provided. The examples discussed herein are selected and described in order to explain the principles and essence of the various example embodiments and their practical applications, so that those skilled in the art can utilize the example embodiments in various ways and utilize the example embodiments with various modifications suitable for the specific purposes envisioned. The features of the embodiments described herein can be combined in all possible combinations of methods, devices, modules, systems, and computer program products. It should be understood that the example embodiments presented herein can be practiced in any combination with each other.

[0109] It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not necessarily exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed, and the word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. It should also be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims, that example embodiments may be implemented at least in part by means of both hardware and software, and that several "components", "units" or "means" may be represented by the same item of hardware.

[0110] Various example embodiments described herein are described in the general context of method steps or processes, which in one aspect can be implemented by a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium, which includes computer-executable instructions, such as program code, executed by a computer in a networked environment. Computer-readable media may include removable and non-removable storage devices, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), etc. In general, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. Computer executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program codes for performing the steps of the methods disclosed herein. A specific sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents an example of corresponding actions for implementing the functions described in such steps or processes.

[0111] It should be understood that the processors 39, 52 described herein can be implemented using at least one processing unit (or at least one core) and one or more internal registers. It should also be understood that the processors 39, 52 described herein can be implemented using a circuit system configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0112] Various embodiments are described herein with reference to systems, methods, processes, devices, or computer-readable media. The disclosure of one is intended to be a disclosure of all. For example, it should be understood that the disclosure of the computer-readable medium described herein also constitutes a disclosure of the method implemented using the computer-readable medium and a system and device for implementing these methods, for example, via at least one processor or a circuit system configured to implement these methods. It should be understood that within the intended scope of the present disclosure, this form of disclosure is only for the convenience of discussion, and one or more aspects of one embodiment of this article can be combined with one or more aspects of other embodiments of this article.

[0113] In the drawings and description, exemplary embodiments have been disclosed. However, many variations and modifications may be made to these embodiments. Therefore, although specific terms are employed, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for the purpose of limitation, and the scope of the embodiments is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A monitoring device operable to report sensor measurement data in a battery system, the monitoring device comprising: at least one sensor operable to obtain measurement data of one or more modules of the battery system; a receiver operable to receive a timing signal from a communications controller defining a transmission time of the measurement data; as well as a transmitter operable to report the obtained measurement data to the communications controller; The monitoring device is configured as follows: using the received timing signal to select a sampling time for the at least one sensor to obtain the measurement data of the one or more modules of the battery system; as well as The obtained measurement data is transmitted to the communication controller at the transmission time defined in the received timing signal.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the timing signal defines a plurality of different transmission times, each transmission time being associated with a different monitoring device of the plurality of monitoring devices, and wherein the monitoring device is configured to: The obtained measurement data is transmitted to the communication controller at the transmission time associated with the monitoring device.

3. A monitoring apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the timing signal defines the sampling times and the at least one sensor is operable to perform measurements and generate the measurement data at the sampling times defined in the received timing signal.

4. A monitoring device as described in claim 3, wherein the timing signal defines a shared sampling time for multiple different monitoring devices, and the at least one sensor is capable of operating to measure and generate measurement data synchronously with the multiple different monitoring devices at the sampling time defined for the multiple different monitoring devices.

5. A monitoring device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the monitoring device comprises a clock and selecting the sampling times of the measurement data of the at least one sensor is performed at corresponding time periods as measured by the clock relative to the received timing signal.

6. A monitoring device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the monitoring device comprises a clock and the clock is synchronised with the clock of at least one other monitoring device based on the received timing signal.

7. A monitoring device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure any one or more of the following: voltage, current, temperature, pressure, strain or force associated with the one or more modules of the battery system.

8. A monitoring device as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a memory configured to store the obtained measurement data.

9. The monitoring device of claim 8, the monitoring device being configured to clear any measurement data stored in the memory after transmitting the measurement data to the communication controller.

10. A monitoring apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, configured to generate an error detection code enabling errors in the obtained measurement data to be detected; and The error detection code is transmitted to the communication controller.

11. The monitoring device of claim 10, wherein the monitoring device is configured to first append the error detection code to the measurement data and then transmit the appended error detection code and the measurement data to the communication controller.

12. A monitoring device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the monitoring device is secured to a module of the battery system.

13. The monitoring device of claim 12, wherein the modules of the battery system include battery cells and the monitoring device is secured to the battery cells.

14. A communication controller operable to receive sensor measurement data from one or more monitoring devices in a battery system, the communication controller comprising: at least one processor operable to generate a timing signal; a transmitter operable to transmit the timing signal to the one or more monitoring devices, the timing signal defining a transmission time for transmitting sensor measurement data from at least one of the one or more monitoring devices to the communications controller; as well as a receiver operable to receive the sensor measurement data from the one or more monitoring devices; and The communication controller is further configured to: selecting a sampling time for at least one of the one or more monitoring devices, the sampling time defining a time at which a sensor of the at least one monitoring device is to obtain sensor measurement data from one or more modules of the battery system; as well as The sampling time is first incorporated into the timing signal, and then the timing signal is transmitted to the one or more monitoring devices.

15. The communication controller of claim 14, the communication controller being configured to determine whether sensor measurement data has been received from the at least one monitoring device of the one or more monitoring devices within a time interval consistent with a transmission time of a reporting frame associated with the at least one monitoring device defined in the transmitted timing signal; and When the sensor measurement data is not received within the time interval consistent with the transmission time of the report frame, a retransmission request for retransmitting the sensor measurement data is transmitted to the at least one monitoring device among the one or more monitoring devices.

16. A communication controller as claimed in claim 15, wherein the time interval consistent with the transmission time of the report frame defines a time interval after the transmission time of the report frame, in which time interval, when the sensor measurement data has been transmitted according to the transmission time defined in the transmission signal, the communication controller is expected to receive the sensor measurement data.

17. A communication controller as described in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the one or more monitoring devices include one or more sensors configured to obtain measurement data of one or more modules of the battery system, and the sampling time defines the time when measurement data will be obtained by at least one of the one or more sensors.

18. A communication controller as described in any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate a modified timing signal relative to a previously transmitted timing signal, the modified timing signal defining at least one additional transmission time for transmitting sensor measurement data from at least one newly added monitoring device incorporated into the battery system since the transmission of the previous timing signal.

19. The communication controller according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the communication controller is configured to select different sampling times for different monitoring devices; and The different sampling times are first incorporated into the timing signal, and then the timing signal is transmitted to the different monitoring devices. The different sampling times enable the different monitoring devices to obtain sensor measurement data at different sampling times.

20. The communication controller of any one of claims 14 to 18, the communication controller being configured to select a single sampling time for a plurality of monitoring devices such that each of the plurality of monitoring devices can obtain sensor measurement data at the same sampling time.

21. A communications controller as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the timing signal includes a synchronization mark, the synchronization mark enabling two or more different monitoring devices to coordinate their internal clocks.

22. The communication controller of claim 21, wherein the synchronization flag enables two or more different monitoring devices to synchronize their internal clocks.

23. A communications controller as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the sensor measurement data comprises an error detection code appended to the sensor measurement data, and the communications controller is configured to: receiving the sensor measurement data and the appended error detection code; and The error detection code is used to determine whether an error exists in the received sensor measurement data.

24. A battery system, the battery system comprising a plurality of monitoring devices, each monitoring device being associated with one or more modules of the battery system, wherein each monitoring device comprises: at least one sensor operable to obtain measurement data of one or more associated modules of the battery system; a receiver operable to receive a timing signal from a communications controller defining a transmission time of the measurement data; as well as a transmitter operable to report the obtained measurement data to the communications controller; Each monitoring device is configured as: using the received timing signal to select a shared sampling time for the at least one sensor of each monitoring device to obtain the measurement data of the one or more modules of the battery system associated with the at least one sensor of each monitoring device; as well as The obtained measurement data is transmitted to the communication controller at the transmission time defined in the received timing signal.

25. The battery system of claim 24, wherein the timing signal defines the shared sampling time, and the at least one sensor of each of the plurality of monitoring devices obtains the measurement data at substantially the same sampling time.

26. A monitoring device operable to report sensor measurements in a battery system, the monitoring device comprising: one or more sensors operable to obtain measurements of one or more modules of the battery system; a receiver operable to receive a timing signal from the communications controller indicating the timing of a report frame; as well as a transmitter operable to report the obtained measurements to the communications controller; The monitoring device is configured as follows: transmitting previously obtained measurement values ​​to the communications controller at one or more transmission times relative to the timing indicated by a timing signal received from the communications controller; as well as The received timing signal is utilized to select a sampling time for the measurements obtained by the one or more sensors for reporting to the communication controller in a later reporting period.

27. The monitoring device of claim 26, wherein the monitoring device is configured to transmit previously obtained measurement values ​​to the communication controller within a predetermined time period relative to the timing of receiving a message from the communication controller requesting transmission of the obtained measurement values ​​to the communication controller.

28. A monitoring device as claimed in claim 26 or 27, wherein reception of the received timing signal triggers the monitoring device to select measurements obtained by the one or more sensors when the timing signal is received as measurements to be reported to the communication controller in a subsequent reporting period.

29. A monitoring device as claimed in claim 26 or 27, wherein the monitoring device includes a clock, and wherein the sampling time for the measurement values ​​obtained by the one or more sensors to be reported to the communication controller is selected at a time corresponding to a time period measured by the clock relative to a timing signal received from the communication controller.

30. The monitoring device of claim 29, wherein the one or more transmission times correspond to a time period measured by the clock relative to a timing signal received from the communication controller.

31. The monitoring device of any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein the monitoring device is further configured to actuate one or more actuators, and is configured to use the received timing signal to select an actuation time for actuating the one or more actuators.

32. The monitoring device of any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more sensors operable to measure any of voltage, current, temperature, pressure, strain or force associated with one or more modules of the battery system.

33. A monitoring system for monitoring the status of one or more modules of a battery system, the monitoring system comprising: One or more monitoring devices according to any preceding claim; as well as A communications controller operable to: transmitting a timing signal indicative of the timing of the reporting frame to the one or more monitoring devices, and Reported measurements of one or more modules of the battery system reported by the one or more monitoring devices are received.

34. The monitoring system of claim 33, wherein each of the one or more monitoring devices is assigned to a group and associated with a time slot within a reporting frame for reporting measurements to the communication controller; The communication controller is capable of transmitting to the one or more monitoring devices a request for a specified group of the monitoring devices to report measurement values ​​obtained by the one or more sensors within a reporting period, and the monitoring devices associated with the specified group respond to receiving the request to report the obtained measurement values ​​in corresponding time slots relative to the timing indicated by the timing signal received from the communication controller.

35. A monitoring system as described in claim 33 or 34, wherein the communication controller is configured to transmit a series of requests to the one or more monitoring devices for the monitoring devices of each group in the specified group to report the measurement values ​​obtained by the one or more sensors within a reporting period.

36. A monitoring system as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein: Each of the one or more monitoring devices is operable to package the obtained measurement values ​​prior to transmission and to append an error detection code to the packaged obtained measurement values; and The communications controller is operable to detect errors in the packetized obtained measurements using the error detection code.

37. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 36, wherein the error detection code comprises a cyclic redundancy check and the communication controller is operable to detect corrupted packets.

38. A monitoring system as claimed in claim 36 or 37, wherein the communications controller is operable to transmit a retransmission request requesting retransmission of the obtained measurement values ​​when an erroneous or damaged packet is detected.

39. A monitoring system as described in any one of claims 33 to 38, wherein the communication controller is capable of operating to determine whether measurement values ​​have been received from all of the one or more monitoring devices within the corresponding time slots of the monitoring devices after requesting data to be reported from all of the one or more monitoring devices, and if not, to send a retransmission request requesting retransmission of the measurement values ​​determined to be missing or determined to be corrupted.

40. A monitoring device as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 32, or a monitoring system as claimed in any one of claims 30 to 36, wherein the communications controller and the monitoring device are operable to transmit and receive obtained measurements via a radio communications link.

41. A battery management system, comprising: Battery management unit; a communications controller operable to receive and process measurements of one or more battery cells of the battery system received from one or more monitoring devices and to provide the processed measurements to the battery management unit; and The one or more monitoring devices each include: one or more sensors operable to obtain measurements of one or more battery cells of the battery system; a transmitter operable to transmit the obtained measurements to the communications controller; and a processor operable to process measurements obtained from the one or more battery cells and cause the obtained measurements to be reported to the communication controller according to a predetermined schedule; Wherein the communication controller and the processor of the one or more monitoring devices are configured to cause measurements obtained from the one or more battery cells to be reported to the battery management unit in a deterministic manner, which is independent of any interrupt, external memory access step or use of the stack triggered by the processor or the communication controller.

42. A battery management system as described in claim 41, wherein the processor of the one or more monitoring devices is configured to process the measurement values ​​from the one or more battery cells according to a predefined procedure, and the processing power and clock speed of the processor and the frequency of reporting the measurement values ​​to the communication controller according to a predetermined schedule enable the processing of the measurement values ​​according to the predefined procedure to be completed before the measurement values ​​need to be reported according to the predetermined schedule.

43. A battery management system as described in claim 42, wherein the processor of the one or more monitoring devices is configured to process measurements from the one or more battery cells so that data used to report the measurements can be reported according to the predetermined schedule.

44. A battery management system as described in any one of claims 41 to 43, wherein the processor includes registers for internal data storage, and the data for transmission for reporting the obtained measurement values ​​is internally stored in the registers of the processor before being transmitted by the transmitter according to the predetermined schedule.

45. A battery management system as described in any one of claims 41 to 44, wherein the processor of the one or more monitoring devices is configured to first package the obtained measurement values ​​from the one or more battery cells for transmission, and then transmit them by the transmitter according to the predetermined schedule.

46. ​​The battery management system of claim 45, wherein the processor of the one or more monitoring devices is further configured to append an error detection code to the packaged obtained measurements from the one or more battery cells for transmission by the transmitter.

47. The battery management system of claim 46, wherein the error detection code comprises a cyclic redundancy check.

48. A battery management system as claimed in claim 46 or 47, wherein the communication controller is operable to process received measurements to identify whether the received measurements have been corrupted during transmission using an attached error detection code.

49. A battery management system as described in any one of claims 41 to 48, wherein the processor of the one or more monitoring devices is capable of being operated to include in the report any of the following: timestamp data identifying a local time associated with data transmission and / or a timing for acquiring sensor measurement values, and / or a counter value indicating the order of the timing of data transmission or the timing of acquiring sensor measurement values ​​in the data transmission to the communication controller.

50. A battery management system as described in any one of claims 41 to 49, wherein the communication controller is capable of operating to determine whether measurement values ​​of one or more battery cells of the battery system received from one or more monitoring devices have not been received within a predefined time period after a data transmission request or have been corrupted during transmission, and when the measurement value is identified as not being received within a predefined time period or as being corrupted during reception and / or transmission, requesting retransmission of the requested measurement value.

51. A battery management system as claimed in any one of claims 41 to 50, wherein the communications controller and the one or more monitoring devices are operable to send and receive measurements of one or more battery cells of the battery system via a radio communications link.

52. A battery management system as described in claim 51, wherein the communication controller includes a radio manager, which is capable of operating to receive measurement values ​​of one or more battery cells of the battery system from the one or more monitoring devices and provide the processed measurement values ​​to the battery management unit of the battery management system.

53. The battery management system of any one of claims 41 to 52, wherein the processors of the one or more monitoring devices each comprise a multi-core processor, wherein multiple cores are configured to run the same program in lockstep with each other.

54. A monitoring device for use in a battery management system as claimed in any one of claims 41 to 53, the monitoring device comprising: one or more sensors operable to obtain measurements of one or more battery cells of the battery system; a transmitter operable to transmit the obtained measurements to a communications controller; as well as a processor operable to process measurements obtained from the one or more battery cells to a battery management unit and cause the obtained measurements to be reported to the communication controller according to a predetermined schedule; Wherein the processor is configured to cause measurements obtained from the one or more battery cells to be reported to the battery management unit in a deterministic manner, the deterministic manner being independent of the processor triggering any interrupts, external memory access steps or use of a stack.

55. A communication controller for use in a battery management system as claimed in any one of claims 41 to 53 and / or for use with a monitoring device as claimed in claim 51, the communication controller comprising: a receiver operable to receive measurements of one or more battery cells of the battery system from one or more monitoring devices; as well as a processor operable to process the received measurements and provide the processed measurements to a battery management unit; Wherein the processor is configured to cause measurements obtained from the one or more battery cells to be reported to the battery management unit in a deterministic manner that is independent of triggering any interrupts, external memory access steps or use of a stack.

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