Holding circuit diagnosis system and holding circuit diagnosis method

Abstract

The invention provides a holding circuit diagnostic system and a diagnostic method of a holding circuit. The holding circuit diagnostic system includes: a first holding circuit configured to output a holding signal for controlling a contactor; and a controller configured to transmit a first signal related to state control of the contactor and to transmit a second signal for activating the first holding circuit, and configured to diagnose the first holding circuit based on the holding signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for diagnosing a holding circuit. Background Art

[0002] Unlike primary batteries, which are not designed to be recharged, secondary (or rechargeable) batteries are designed to be discharged and recharged. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in portable small electronic devices such as smart phones, feature phones, notebook computers, digital cameras, and camcorders, while large-capacity secondary batteries are widely used as power sources for driving motors in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles and are widely used for storing electricity (e.g., home and / or utility-scale electricity storage).

[0003] The secondary battery is connected to the electronic device through a contactor, and if the electronic device performs an abnormal operation, the control signal for controlling the contactor cannot be maintained, which can cause a serious accident. For example, if the controller for controlling the contactor is reset due to an error of the controller in an electric vehicle driven by the secondary battery, the electrical connection between the secondary battery and the vehicle body may be inadvertently cut off. If the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, the cutoff of the electrical connection may cause a fatal accident.

[0004] The above information disclosed in this Background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute relevant (prior) art. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for diagnosing a holding circuit for holding an operating state of a contactor.

[0006] These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be described in and will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, a holding circuit diagnostic system includes: a first holding circuit, configured to output a holding signal for controlling a contactor; and a controller, configured to transmit a first signal related to the state control of the contactor and a second signal for activating the first holding circuit, and configured to diagnose the first holding circuit based on the holding signal.

[0008] The controller may be configured to determine that the first holding circuit operates normally based on the holding signal being within a predetermined level range.

[0009] The controller may be configured to determine whether the contactor is in an open state or a closed state, and configured to transmit a second signal to the first holding circuit based on the contactor being in the open state.

[0010] The controller may be configured to initialize the first holding circuit based on completion of the diagnosis of the first holding circuit.

[0011] The controller may be configured to output fault information based on the first holding circuit performing an abnormal operation.

[0012] The holding circuit diagnostic system may further include a second holding circuit, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the first signal and the second signal to the second holding circuit, and diagnose the second holding circuit based on the holding signal output from the second holding circuit.

[0013] The holding circuit diagnostic system may further include a contactor drive circuit configured to drive the contactor, wherein the holding signal output from the first holding circuit and the holding signal output from the second holding circuit are logically added together to generate an OR signal to be input to the contactor drive circuit.

[0014] The first holding circuit may be configured to receive at least one of the first signal and the second signal, wherein the second holding circuit is configured to receive at least one of the first signal and the second signal.

[0015] In order to solve the above technical problems, a holding circuit diagnostic system includes: a first holding circuit, configured to output a first holding signal for controlling a first contactor; a second holding circuit, configured to output a second holding signal for controlling a second contactor; and a controller, configured to generate a test signal for testing each of the first holding circuit and the second holding circuit, and configured to diagnose at least one of the first holding circuit and the second holding circuit based on at least one of the first holding signal and the second holding signal.

[0016] The controller may be configured to determine that the first holding circuit performs an abnormal operation based on the first holding signal exceeding a level range.

[0017] The controller may be configured to output fault information based on one of the first holding circuit and the second holding circuit performing an abnormal operation.

[0018] The holding circuit diagnostic system may further include a third holding circuit, wherein the controller is configured to diagnose the third holding circuit based on a third holding signal output from the third holding circuit based on the test signal.

[0019] The holding circuit diagnostic system may further include: a first contactor drive circuit configured to drive a first contactor; and a second contactor drive circuit configured to drive a second contactor, wherein the first holding signal and the third holding signal are logically added together to generate an OR signal input to the first contactor drive circuit, and wherein the second holding signal and the third holding signal are logically added together to generate another OR signal input to the second contactor drive circuit.

[0020] The test signal may include: a first signal related to the state control of the first contactor; a second signal for activating the first holding circuit, the second holding circuit and the third holding circuit; and a third signal related to the state control of the second contactor, wherein at least one of the first signal and the second signal is input to the first holding circuit, wherein at least one of the second signal and the third signal is input to the second holding circuit, and wherein at least one of the first signal, the second signal and the third signal is input to the third holding circuit.

[0021] The first contactor may be connected to the high potential terminal, and wherein the second contactor is connected to the low potential terminal.

[0022] In order to solve the above technical problems, a diagnostic method for a holding circuit executed by at least one processor includes: transmitting a first signal related to the state control of a contactor and a second signal for activating the holding circuit to the holding circuit; obtaining a holding signal output from the holding circuit; and diagnosing whether the holding circuit performs normal operation based on the holding signal.

[0023] The first signal may have a high level, wherein the method further includes determining that the holding circuit performs a normal operation based on the obtained holding signal being within a high level range.

[0024] The first signal may have a low level, wherein the method further includes determining that the holding circuit performs a normal operation based on the obtained holding signal being within a low level range.

[0025] The transmission of the first signal and the second signal to the holding circuit may include: obtaining a state of a contactor; and transmitting the second signal to the holding circuit based on the contactor being in an open state.

[0026] The diagnostic method may further include initializing a holding circuit.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the state of a holding circuit for reducing or preventing the possibility of abnormal opening of a contactor connecting a secondary battery to an external electronic device can be diagnosed. It is possible to reduce or prevent the possibility of a contactor opening due to abnormal operation of the holding circuit.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of holding circuits can be provided to reduce or prevent the possibility of abnormal opening of the contactor, and even if the corresponding holding circuit performs an abnormal operation, another spare holding circuit can transmit a holding signal to the contactor drive circuit. Even if the holding circuit performs an abnormal operation, the holding signal can be stably supplied to the contactor drive circuit.

[0029] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the possibility of opening of a contactor due to abnormal operation of a holding circuit can be reduced or prevented, and the possibility of an accident due to opening of the contactor can be reduced or prevented.

[0030] Aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects, and other aspects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and further describe aspects of the present disclosure together with the detailed description of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited to the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram showing a holding circuit diagnostic system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 2 The present invention illustrates one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 The structure of the retaining device;

[0034] Figure 3 A flow chart showing a diagnostic method of a holding circuit according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0035] Figure 4 The diagram shows in more detail one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 Flow chart of operation S330;

[0036] Figure 5 illustrates a schematic diagram showing a holding circuit diagnostic system according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 6 One or more other embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. Figure 5 The structure of the first retaining device;

[0038] Figure 7 A flow chart showing a diagnostic method of a holding circuit according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0039] Figure 8illustrates a schematic diagram showing a holding circuit diagnostic system according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0040] Fig. 9 The diagram illustrates a connection structure of a plurality of holding circuits according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Description of some reference numerals

[0042] 110: Power supply 120: Power converter

[0043] 130: Holding device 132: Holding circuit

[0044] 134: Contactor drive circuit 140: Contactor

[0045] 150: Hold Activator 160: Controller DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Based on the principle that the inventor can be his / her own lexicon compiler to appropriately define the concept of terms so as to explain his / her invention in the best way, the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to the usual or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical ideas of the present disclosure.

[0047] The embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that when submitting this application, there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace or modify the embodiments described herein.

[0048] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, the element or layer may be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may also be one or more intervening elements or layers. When an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers. For example, when a first element is described as being "coupled to" or "connected to" a second element, the first element may be directly coupled or connected to the second element, or the first element may be indirectly coupled or connected to the second element via one or more intervening elements.

[0049] In the accompanying drawings, for the clarity of the illustration, the sizes of various elements, layers, etc. may be exaggerated. The same reference numerals represent the same elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. In addition, when describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of the present disclosure". Expressions such as "at least one of" and "any of", when set after the element list, modify the entire element list without modifying the individual elements in the list. When phrases such as "at least one of A, B and C", "at least one selected from the group of A, B and C" or "at least one selected from A, B and C" are used to specify the list of elements A, B and C, the phrases may refer to any and all suitable combinations or subsets such as A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C or A and B and C, A, B and C. As used herein, the term "use" and its variants may be considered to be synonymous with the term "utilize" and its variants, respectively. As used herein, the terms "substantially," "approximately," and similar terms are used as terms of approximation rather than terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measurements or calculations that those of ordinary skill in the art would recognize.

[0050] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below can be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer or part.

[0051] In this document, spatially relative terms such as "below", "beneath", "lower", "above", and "higher" may be used to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another (multiple) elements or features as shown in the figures. It will be understood that in addition to the orientation shown in the figures, spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is turned over, the elements described as "below" or "below" relative to other elements or features will be oriented as "above" or "directly above" relative to the other elements or features. Therefore, the term "below" can include both above and below orientations. The device can be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptive terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0052] The terms used herein are used for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a" and "an" are intended to also include the plural forms. It will be further understood that when used in this specification, the term "comprising" specifies the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or combinations thereof.

[0053] Moreover, any numerical range disclosed and / or listed herein is intended to include all sub-ranges with the same numerical precision within the listed range. For example, the range of "1.0 to 10.0" is intended to include (including both) between the described minimum value 1.0 and the described maximum value 10.0, such as 2.4 to 7.6, that is, all sub-ranges with a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0. Any maximum numerical limit described herein is intended to include all smaller numerical limits, and any minimum numerical limit described in this specification is intended to include all larger numerical limits. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to modify this specification (including claims) to explicitly detail any sub-ranges contained within the scope explicitly recorded herein. All of these ranges are intended to be inherently described in this specification so that modifications for explicitly listing any such sub-ranges will meet the requirements of local patent law.

[0054] Reference to two compared elements, features, etc. being "the same" may mean that they are "substantially the same." Thus, the phrase "substantially the same" may include, for example, a deviation of 5% or less, with deviations that are considered low in the art. Additionally, when a parameter is referred to as being consistent in a given region, this may mean that it is consistent with respect to an average value.

[0055] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specified, each element may be in the singular or in the plural.

[0056] Arranging an arbitrary element “on (or below)” or “upper (lower)” of another element may mean that the arbitrary element may be disposed in contact with the upper (or lower) surface of the element, and another element may also be interposed between the element and the arbitrary element located above (or below) the element.

[0057] In addition, it will be understood that when one component is referred to as being “linked,” “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the components may be directly “coupled,” “linked” or “connected” to each other or the other component may be “interposed” between the components.

[0058] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specified, when "A and / or B" is stated, it means A, B, or A and B. That is, "and / or" includes any or all combinations of the enumerated multiple items. Unless otherwise specified, when "C to D" is stated, it means C or greater and D or less.

[0059] In some embodiments, known structures and devices related to one or more functional blocks (e.g., block diagrams), units and / or modules may be described in the accompanying drawings to avoid unnecessary blurring of various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such blocks, units and / or modules are physically implemented by logic circuits, separate components, microprocessors, hard-wired circuits, storage elements, line connections and other electronic circuits. This can be formed using semiconductor-based manufacturing techniques or other manufacturing techniques. Blocks, units and / or modules implemented by microprocessors or other similar hardware can be programmed and controlled using software to perform various functions discussed herein, and can be optionally driven by firmware and / or software. In addition, each block, unit and / or module can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware or dedicated hardware that performs some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and related circuits) that performs functions different from the functions of the dedicated hardware. In addition, in some embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, blocks, units and / or modules can be physically separated into two or more interactive, separate blocks, units and / or modules. Additionally, in some embodiments, blocks, units and / or modules may be physically combined into more complex blocks, units and / or modules without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0060] In addition, the term "module", "unit" or "part" used in the specification refers to software or hardware components, and "module", "unit" or "part" performs a specific function. However, "module", "unit" or "part" is not limited to software or hardware. "Module", "unit" or "part" can also be configured to be included in an addressable storage medium, and can also be configured to operate one or more processors. Accordingly, for example, "module", "unit" or "part" can include at least one of a component, process, function, attribute, process, subroutine, program code segment, driver, firmware, microcode, circuit, data, database, data structure, table, array and variable such as a software component, an object-oriented software component, a class component or a task component. Components and "modules", "units" or "parts" can be combined into smaller numbers of components and "modules", "units" or "parts", or can be further divided into additional components and "modules", "units" or "parts".

[0061] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a holding circuit diagnostic system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 1 In the diagram, the dotted lines can be power lines or control lines.

[0063] refer to Figure 1 The holding circuit diagnostic system may include a power supply 110 , a power converter 120 , a holding device 130 , a contactor 140 , a holding activator 150 , and a controller 160 .

[0064] The power supply 110 can supply power to each component. In addition, the power supply 110 can include multiple power supplies of different standards. For example, the power supply 110 can include a first power supply, a second power supply, a third power supply, etc., and the power capacity can gradually increase from the first power supply to the third power supply.

[0065] The power converter 120 may receive power from the power source 110, may convert the supplied power into power of a level (e.g., a predetermined level), and may supply the converted power to the holding device 130. For example, the power converter 120 may convert direct current (DC) power supplied from the power source 110 into DC power of a corresponding level, and may supply the DC power to the holding device 130. According to one or more embodiments, the power converter 120 may convert the DC power into DC power of multiple levels, and may supply the converted DC power to the holding device 130.

[0066] The contactor 140 can be connected to a high potential terminal (e.g., a positive terminal) or a low potential terminal (e.g., a negative terminal) to form a path for supplying power to the corresponding terminal. In one or more embodiments, the contactor 140 may include various types of switch devices that control the electrical connection between two nodes. For example, the contactor 140 may include a relay (a switch operated at a relatively low speed) and a field effect transistor (FET) or a transistor (a switch operated at a relatively high speed). In addition, in the present disclosure, the contactor 140 may be in an open state or in a closed state. The open state may mean a state in which the two contacts connected to the contactor 140 are electrically disconnected from each other, for example, an OFF state. In addition, the closed state may mean that the two contacts connected to the contactor 140 are electrically connected to each other, for example, an ON state (or a conducting state or a short circuit state). The two nodes connected to the contactor 140 may be a power node of an electronic device and a load node of an electronic device, respectively. For example, the contactor 140 may be located on a high current path of an electronic device and may be used to control a high current.

[0067] The holding device 130 may be operated by receiving power from the power converter 120. The holding device 130 may include a holding circuit 132 and a contactor driving circuit 134 for stably controlling the contactor 140.

[0068] According to one or more embodiments, if the first signal for controlling the contactor 140 from the controller 160 is not received due to abnormal operation of the controller 160, etc., the holding circuit 132 may operate for a certain time (e.g., a predetermined time) and may transmit the holding signal to the contactor drive circuit 134. According to one or more embodiments, when the second signal for activating the holding circuit 132 is received from the holding activator 150, the holding circuit 132 may operate for a certain time (e.g., a predetermined time). In one or more embodiments, the holding signal may be a signal for controlling the contactor drive circuit 134. For example, the holding signal may be a signal for opening the contactor 140 or a signal for closing the contactor 140.

[0069] According to one or more embodiments, the hold circuit 132 may receive a test signal from the controller 160 or the hold activator 150. For example, the test signal may include a first signal and a second signal. Upon receiving the test signal, the hold circuit 132 may be activated for a certain time (e.g., a period of time or a predetermined time) and may output a hold signal.

[0070] The contactor drive circuit 134 may receive a signal from at least one of the controller 160, the holding circuit 132, and the holding activator 150, and may output a signal for opening or closing the contactor 140 based on the received signal. Figure 2 The connection structure of the holding circuit 132 and the contactor driving circuit 134 is described.

[0071] The retention activator 150 may monitor the state of the controller 160, and if the controller 160 does not operate normally (e.g., performs an abnormal operation), the retention activator 150 may transmit a second signal for activating the retention circuit 132 to the retention circuit 132. For example, the retention activator 150 may transmit the second signal to the retention circuit 132 for a certain time (e.g., a predetermined time).

[0072] The controller 160 may include at least one of a general purpose processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a controller, a microcontroller, or a state machine. In some embodiments, the controller 160 may include at least one of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). For example, the controller 160 may also be configured to include a combination of processing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or a combination of any other configuration.

[0073] The controller 160 may be connected to a memory device, or may include a memory device. In one or more embodiments, the memory device may be broadly interpreted as including any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. The memory device may include various types of processor-readable media such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage, registers, etc. According to one or more embodiments, the memory device may store algorithms and / or data for diagnosing the holding circuit according to the present disclosure.

[0074] The controller 160 may control various components included in the holding circuit diagnostic system. The controller 160 may control the contactor 140, switches, etc. included in the holding circuit diagnostic system. According to one or more embodiments, the controller 160 may transmit a test signal including a first signal related to the state of the control contactor 140 and a second signal for activating the holding circuit 132. Thereafter, the controller 160 may obtain a holding signal output from the holding circuit 132, and may diagnose whether the holding circuit 132 is normal based on the obtained holding signal.

[0075] Figure 2 The present invention illustrates one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 The structure of the holding device 130. Figure 2 , the output of the holding circuit 132 can be input to the contactor driving circuit 134.

[0076] The retention circuit 132 may receive at least one of the first signal and the second signal. In one or more embodiments, the retention circuit 132 may receive the first signal from the controller 160, and may receive the second signal from the controller 160 or the retention activator 150. For example, the retention circuit 132 may include various circuit components such as switches, flip-flops, registers, and resistors.

[0077] According to one or more embodiments, the holding circuit 132 may be activated and operable when receiving the second signal. The holding circuit 132 may not operate at normal times, but may be activated when receiving the second signal, and may transmit the holding signal to the contactor drive circuit 134. For example, upon receiving a second signal of a level (e.g., a predetermined level that may be a high level), the holding circuit 132 may be activated and operable. If the holding circuit 132 is activated, the holding circuit 132 may output a holding signal for a certain time (e.g., a predetermined time) based on the first signal. For example, if the first signal is a high signal, the holding circuit 132 may output a high-level holding signal for a certain time (e.g., a predetermined time), and if the first signal is a low signal, the holding circuit 132 may output a low-level holding signal for a certain time (e.g., a predetermined time).

[0078] The contactor drive circuit 134 may receive at least one of the first signal and the hold signal. In one or more embodiments, the contactor drive circuit 134 may receive the first signal from the controller 160 and may receive the hold signal from the hold circuit 132. The contactor drive circuit 134 may include various circuit components such as switches, triggers, registers, and resistors.

[0079] According to one or more embodiments, upon receiving the first signal, the contactor drive circuit 134 may output a contactor control signal for controlling the state of the contactor 140 based on the first signal. For example, if the first signal is a high signal, the contactor drive circuit 134 may output a contactor control signal to close the contactor 140. In another example, if the first signal is a low signal, the contactor drive circuit 134 may output a contactor control signal to open the contactor 140.

[0080] In addition, if the contactor drive circuit 134 does not receive the first signal from the controller 160 (due to abnormal operation of the controller 160), it can receive a holding signal from the holding circuit 132 for a certain time (e.g., a predetermined time). In one or more embodiments, the contactor drive circuit 134 can output a contactor control signal for controlling the state of the contactor 140 based on the holding signal. For example, if the holding signal is a high signal, the contactor drive circuit 134 can output a contactor control signal to close the contactor 140. In another example, if the holding signal is a low signal, the contactor drive circuit 134 can output a contactor control signal to open the contactor 140.

[0081] Figure 3 A flow chart is illustrated showing a diagnostic method 300 of a holding circuit according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The diagnostic method 300 shown in FIG. Figure 1At a time point (e.g., a predetermined time point), the controller 160 may start executing the diagnostic method 300 of the holding circuit 132. In one or more embodiments, the time (e.g., the predetermined time) may be a time determined in advance or a time when power is stopped to the load (e.g., the vehicle ignition is turned off).

[0082] In one or more embodiments, when the time for diagnosing the holding circuit 132 arrives, the controller 160 may obtain the state of the contactor 140 ( S310 ).

[0083] Thereafter, the controller 160 may determine whether the contactor 140 is in an open state based on the obtained state of the contactor 140 ( S320 ). In one or more embodiments, the controller 160 may determine whether to supply power to the load based on the state of the contactor 140 .

[0084] Subsequently, if it is determined that the contactor 140 is in the open state, the controller 160 may perform a test on the holding circuit 132 (S330). Figure 4 A method of testing the holding circuit 132 is described.

[0085] Thereafter, if the test is completed, the controller 160 may determine whether the holding circuit 132 is normal based on the test result ( S340 ).

[0086] If it is determined that the holding circuit 132 is normal, the controller 160 may perform initialization of the holding circuit 132 (S350). In addition, the controller 160 may initialize relays, switches, etc. (S350). If initialization is performed, the holding circuit 132, relays, switches, etc. may be changed to a state (e.g., a predetermined state) or a previous state.

[0087] In addition, if the holding circuit 132 is determined to be abnormal, the controller 160 may output fault information including a fault code about the holding circuit 132 (S360). If the fault information including the fault code is output, an action for resolving the fault (such as replacing the holding circuit 132 or replacing a board including the holding circuit 132) may be performed.

[0088] The diagnostic method of one or more embodiments may be a method corresponding to one cycle for performing a test, and may be repeatedly performed each time a diagnostic cycle arrives. Figure 3 Diagnostic method 300 is illustrated in FIG.

[0089] Figure 4 The diagram shows in more detail one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 Flow chart of operation S330. Figure 4, if the test of the holding circuit 132 is performed, the controller 160 can control the relay, switch, contactor, etc. so that the holding device 130 and the controller 160 as the test target can be connected to each other, and the remaining components can be disconnected from each other (S410). In one or more embodiments, the controller 160 can turn off the relay, switch, etc., and can cause the contactor drive circuit 134 to operate without responding to the holding signal output by the test of the holding circuit 132. According to some embodiments, a switch can be provided on the connection line between the holding circuit 132 and the contactor drive circuit 134, and the switch can be turned off during the test. During the test, the possibility of the holding signal output from the holding circuit 132 being input to the contactor drive circuit 134 can be reduced or prevented.

[0090] Next, the controller 160 may transmit the second signal to the holding circuit 132 to test the holding circuit 132 (S420). Thereafter, the controller 160 may transmit the first signal of a high level to the holding circuit 132 (S430). Subsequently, in response to the first signal and the second signal of the high level, a first holding signal may be output from the holding circuit 132, and the controller 160 may obtain the first holding signal output from the holding circuit 132 (S440).

[0091] Then, the controller 160 may transmit the low-level first signal to the holding circuit 132 (S450). Then, in response to the low-level first signal and the second signal, a second holding signal may be output from the holding circuit 132, and the controller 160 may obtain the second holding signal output from the holding circuit 132 (S460).

[0092] The first holding signal and the second holding signal may be output during the test, and if the first holding signal is included in a high level range (e.g., a predetermined high level range) and the second holding signal is included in a low level range (e.g., a predetermined low level range), it may be determined that the holding circuit 132 performs a normal operation. If the first holding signal is not within the high level range or if the second holding signal is not within the low level range, it may be determined that the holding circuit 132 performs an abnormal operation.

[0093] Furthermore, according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure, even if one holding circuit among a plurality of holding circuits performs an abnormal operation, a normal holding signal may be output from another holding circuit among the holding circuits.

[0094] Reference below Figures 5 to 7 In one or more other embodiments described, the previously referenced Figures 1 to 4 Description of the process.

[0095] Figure 5A schematic diagram illustrating a holding circuit diagnostic system according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the first contactor 552 can be connected to a high potential terminal (eg, a positive terminal), and the second contactor 554 can be connected to a low potential terminal (eg, a negative terminal).

[0096] refer to Figure 5 The holding circuit diagnostic system may include a power supply 510 , a first power converter 522 and a second power converter 524 , a first holding device 530 and a second holding device 540 , a first contactor 552 and a second contactor 554 , a holding activator 560 , and a controller 570 .

[0097] The power supply 510 can supply power to each component. In addition, the power supply 510 can include multiple power supplies of different standards. For example, the power supply 510 can include a first power supply, a second power supply, a third power supply, etc., and the power capacity can gradually increase from the first power supply to the third power supply.

[0098] The first power converter 522 and the second power converter 524 may receive power from the power supply 510. The supplied power may be converted into power of a desired level, and the converted power may be supplied to the first holding device 530 and the second holding device 540. For example, the first power converter 522 may convert the DC power supplied by the power supply 510 into DC power of a corresponding level, and may supply the converted DC power to the first holding device 530. The second power converter 524 may convert the DC power supplied by the power supply 510 into DC power of a corresponding level, and may supply the converted DC power to the second holding device 540. The value of the DC power converted by the first power converter 522 may be different from the value of the DC power converted by the second power converter 524.

[0099] The first contactor 552 and the second contactor 554 can be connected to a high potential terminal (e.g., a positive terminal) or a low potential terminal (e.g., a negative terminal) to form a path for supplying power to the corresponding terminal. For example, the first contactor 552 can be connected to the high potential terminal, and the second contactor 554 can be connected to the low potential terminal.

[0100] The first holding device 530 and the second holding device 540 may include a first holding circuit 532, a second holding circuit 534, a third holding circuit 542, a fourth holding circuit 544, and a first contactor driving circuit 536 and a second contactor driving circuit 546 for stably controlling the first contactor 552 and the second contactor 554. Figure 6Respective connection structures of the first holding circuit 532 , the second holding circuit 534 , the third holding circuit 542 , and the fourth holding circuit 544 , and the first contactor driving circuit 536 and the second contactor driving circuit 546 are described.

[0101] The controller 570 may perform diagnosis on the first holding circuit 532, the second holding circuit 534, the third holding circuit 542, and the fourth holding circuit 544. Figure 7 A method for the controller 570 to diagnose the first holding circuit 532 , the second holding circuit 534 , the third holding circuit 542 , and the fourth holding circuit 544 is described.

[0102] Figure 6 One or more other embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. Figure 5 Since the second holding device 540 is configured substantially similarly or identically to the first holding device 530, only the first holding device 530 will be described.

[0103] refer to Figure 6 , the output signal of the first holding circuit 532 and the output signal of the second holding circuit 534 may be “ORed” (e.g., logically added) together, and the OR signal may be input to the first contactor drive circuit 536. In one or more embodiments, if the holding signal output from the first holding circuit 532 or the holding signal output from the second holding circuit 534 is at a high level, the holding signal associated with the high level may be input to the first contactor drive circuit 536.

[0104] The first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534 may receive at least one of the first signal and the second signal. In one or more embodiments, the first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534 may receive the first signal from the controller 570 and may receive the second signal from the controller 570 or the holding activator 560.

[0105] According to one or more embodiments, the first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534 may be activated and may operate when receiving the second signal. The first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534 do not operate at normal times, and if the second signal is received, the first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534 may be activated and may each transmit a holding signal to the first contactor drive circuit 536.

[0106] According to the construction of the first holding device 530, even though the first holding circuit 532 does not perform normal operation, the second holding circuit 534 can output a holding signal of a level substantially equal to the level of the holding signal output from the first holding circuit 532, and can transmit the normal holding signal to the first contactor drive circuit 536.

[0107] Figure 7 A flow chart showing a diagnostic method 700 of a holding circuit is illustrated according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The diagnostic method shown in the figure can be Figure 5 At a time point (e.g., a predetermined time point), the controller 570 may start to execute the diagnostic method 700 for multiple holding circuits. In one or more embodiments, the time (e.g., the predetermined time) may be a time determined in advance or a time when power is stopped to the load (e.g., the vehicle ignition is turned off).

[0108] In one or more embodiments, when the time for diagnosing the holding circuit 132 arrives, the controller 570 may obtain the state of the first contactor 552 and the state of the second contactor 554 ( S710 ).

[0109] Thereafter, the controller 570 may determine whether both the first contactor 552 and the second contactor 554 are in the open state based on the obtained states of the first contactor 552 and the second contactor 554 ( S720 ).

[0110] Subsequently, if it is determined that both the first contactor 552 and the second contactor 554 are in the open state, the controller 570 can transmit the second signal to multiple holding circuits to test the holding circuits (S730). According to one or more embodiments, the controller 570 can perform tests on multiple holding circuits by generating a test signal. The test signal may include a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal. In one or more embodiments, the first signal may be associated with the state control of the first contactor 552, the second signal may be associated with the activation of the holding circuit, and the third signal may be associated with the state control of the second contactor 554.

[0111] Thereafter, the controller 570 may obtain a plurality of holding signals output from the first holding circuit 532, the second holding circuit 534, the third holding circuit 542, and the fourth holding circuit 544 (S740). For example, the controller 570 may transmit a high-level first signal to the first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534, and then may obtain a plurality of first holding signals output from each of the first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534. In addition, the controller 570 may transmit a low-level first signal to each of the first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534, and then may obtain a second holding signal output from each of the first holding circuit 532 and the second holding circuit 534.

[0112] In addition, the controller 570 may transmit a third signal of a high level to each of the third holding circuit 542 and the fourth holding circuit 544, and then may obtain a plurality of third holding signals output from each of the third holding circuit 542 and the fourth holding circuit 544. In addition, the controller 570 may transmit a third signal of a low level to each of the third holding circuit 542 and the fourth holding circuit 544, and then may obtain a fourth holding signal output from each of the third holding circuit 542 and the fourth holding circuit 544.

[0113] Subsequently, the controller 570 may determine whether each of the holding circuits performs a normal operation based on the obtained holding signal (S750). According to one or more embodiments, if each of the holding signals is within a level (e.g., a predetermined level) range, the controller 570 may determine that the holding circuit that outputs the relevant holding signal performs a normal operation.

[0114] If it is determined that all the holding circuits perform normal operations, the controller 570 may initialize the holding circuits, relays, switches, etc., for example, by transmitting an initialization signal to one or more holding circuits (S760).

[0115] In addition, if it is determined that at least one of the first holding circuit 532, the second holding circuit 534, the third holding circuit 542, and the fourth holding circuit 544 performs an abnormal operation, the controller 570 may output fault information including a fault code of the holding circuit (S770). In one or more embodiments, the controller 570 may include a fault code indicating the holding circuit performing an abnormal operation in the fault information. If the fault information including the fault code is output, an action for resolving the fault (such as replacing the holding circuit 132 or replacing the board including the holding circuit 132) may be performed.

[0116] The diagnostic method of one or more embodiments may be a method corresponding to one cycle for performing a test, and may be repeatedly performed each time a diagnostic cycle arrives. Figure 7 Diagnostic method 700 is illustrated in FIG.

[0117] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a holding circuit diagnostic system according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 The number of hold circuits in the hold circuit diagnostic system illustrated in the figure is less than that included in Figure 5 The number of hold circuits in the hold circuit diagnostic system shown in FIG. Figure 8 Among the components shown in the figure, Figure 5 Components having the same reference numerals as those illustrated in the drawings perform the same or similar functions, and components having different reference numerals will be mainly described.

[0118] refer to Figure 8 The holding circuit diagnostic system may include a power supply 510, a first power converter 522 and a second power converter 524, a first holding device 830 and a second holding device 840, a first contactor 552 and a second contactor 554, a holding activator 560, a third holding circuit 880, and a controller 870.

[0119] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, even if the first holding circuit 832 included in the first holding device 830 or the second holding circuit 842 included in the second holding device 840 performs an abnormal operation, a normal holding signal may be output by the third holding circuit 880 .

[0120] The first holding device 830 and the second holding device 840 may include a first holding circuit 832 and a second holding circuit 842, respectively, and a first contactor driving circuit 834 and a second contactor driving circuit 844 for stably controlling the first contactor 552 and the second contactor 554. In addition, the first holding circuit 832 and the second holding circuit 842 may be connected to the third holding circuit 880. Fig. 9 The connection structure of the first holding circuit 832, the second holding circuit 842, and the third holding circuit 880 is described.

[0121] The controller 870 may perform diagnosis on the first holding circuit 832 and the second holding circuit 842. Figure 7As described above, the controller 870 may perform diagnosis on each of the first holding circuit 832, the second holding circuit 842, and the third holding circuit 880, and if it is determined as a result of the diagnosis that at least one of the first holding circuit 832, the second holding circuit 842, and the third holding circuit 880 performs an abnormal operation, the controller 870 may generate and output fault information. In one or more embodiments, the controller 870 may generate a test signal including a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal, and may perform diagnosis on each of the first holding circuit 832, the second holding circuit 842, and the third holding circuit 880 in response to the holding signal output from the first holding circuit 832, the second holding circuit 842, and the third holding circuit 880.

[0122] Fig. 9 The diagram illustrates a connection structure of a plurality of holding circuits according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0123] refer to Fig. 9 , the first holding circuit 832 and the third holding circuit 880 may receive at least one of the first signal and the second signal. In one or more embodiments, the first holding circuit 832 and the third holding circuit 880 may receive the first signal from the controller 870, and may receive the second signal from the controller 870 or the holding activator 560. In one or more embodiments, the first signal may be a signal for controlling the first contactor 552, and the second signal may be a signal related to activation of the first holding circuit 832, the second holding circuit 842, and the third holding circuit 880.

[0124] In addition, the second holding circuit 842 and the third holding circuit 880 may receive at least one of the second signal and the third signal. In one or more embodiments, the second holding circuit 842 and the third holding circuit 880 may receive the third signal from the controller 870, and may receive the second signal from the controller 870 or the holding activator 560. In one or more embodiments, the third signal may be a signal for controlling the second contactor 554.

[0125] The output signal of the first holding circuit 832 and the output signal of the third holding circuit 880 may be “ORed” (e.g., logically added) together, and the “OR” signal may be input to the first contactor drive circuit 834. In one or more embodiments, if the holding signal output from the first holding circuit 832 or the holding signal output from the third holding circuit 880 is at a high level, the holding signal associated with the high level may be input to the first contactor drive circuit 834.

[0126] In addition, the output signal of the second holding circuit 842 and the output signal of the third holding circuit 880 may be “ORed” (e.g., logically added) together, and the “OR” signal may be input to the second contactor drive circuit 844. In one or more embodiments, if the holding signal output from the second holding circuit 842 or the holding signal output from the third holding circuit 880 is at a high level, the holding signal associated with the high level may be input to the second contactor drive circuit 844.

[0127] Even if the first holding circuit 832 or the second holding circuit 842 does not perform normal operation, the third holding circuit 880 can output a holding signal of a level equal to the level of the holding signal output from the first holding circuit 832 or the second holding circuit 842, and can transmit the normal holding signal to the first contactor drive circuit 834 or the second contactor drive circuit 844.

[0128] The above method can be provided as a computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a memory device, etc.) to be executed by a computer. The computer-readable recording medium can continuously store a program that can be executed by a computer, or can temporarily store a program for execution or downloading. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium can be a variety of recording devices or storages in which a single or several hardware are combined with each other, and can be distributed on a network, without being limited to a medium directly connected to a computer system. The computer-readable recording medium can be configured to store program instructions by including, for example, a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a tape, an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a digital video disk (DVD), a magneto-optical medium such as an optical magnetic floppy disk, a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, etc. In addition, in another example, the computer-readable recording medium may include a record or storage medium managed by an application store that distributes applications, a site that supplies or distributes various types of software, a server, etc.

[0129] Although the present disclosure has been described above with respect to its embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art within the equivalent scope of the appended claims, in which the spirit of the present disclosure and its functional equivalents should be included.

Claims

1. A holding circuit diagnostic system, comprising: A first holding circuit configured to output a holding signal for controlling the contactor; as well as A controller is configured to transmit a first signal related to the state control of the contactor and a second signal for activating the first holding circuit, and is configured to diagnose the first holding circuit based on the holding signal.

2. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to determine that the first holding circuit operates normally based on the holding signal being within a predetermined level range.

3. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to determine whether the contactor is in an open state or a closed state, and is configured to transmit the second signal to the first holding circuit based on the contactor being in the open state.

4. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The controller is configured to initialize the first holding circuit based on completion of a diagnosis of the first holding circuit.

5. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The controller is configured to output failure information based on the first holding circuit performing an abnormal operation.

6. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a second holding circuit, in, The controller is configured to transmit the first signal and the second signal to the second holding circuit, and diagnose the second holding circuit based on the holding signal output from the second holding circuit.

7. The holding circuit diagnostic system of claim 6, further comprising a contactor drive circuit configured to drive the contactor, in, The holding signal output from the first holding circuit and the holding signal output from the second holding circuit are logically added together to generate an OR signal to be input to the contactor drive circuit.

8. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to claim 6, wherein: The first holding circuit is configured to receive at least one of the first signal and the second signal, and The second holding circuit is configured to receive at least one of the first signal and the second signal.

9. A holding circuit diagnostic system comprising: A first holding circuit configured to output a first holding signal for controlling the first contactor; a second holding circuit configured to output a second holding signal for controlling a second contactor; as well as A controller is configured to generate a test signal for testing each of the first holding circuit and the second holding circuit, and is configured to diagnose at least one of the first holding circuit and the second holding circuit based on at least one of the first holding signal and the second holding signal.

10. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is configured to determine that the first holding circuit performs an abnormal operation based on the first holding signal exceeding a level range.

11. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is configured to output failure information based on one of the first holding circuit and the second holding circuit performing an abnormal operation.

12. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising a third holding circuit, in, The controller is configured to diagnose the third holding circuit based on a third holding signal output from the third holding circuit based on the test signal.

13. The holding circuit diagnostic system of claim 12, further comprising: A first contactor driving circuit configured to drive the first contactor; as well as a second contactor driving circuit configured to drive the second contactor, wherein the first holding signal and the third holding signal are logically added together to generate an OR signal input to the first contactor drive circuit, and The second hold signal and the third hold signal are logically added together to generate another OR signal input to the second contactor drive circuit.

14. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein: The test signal includes: a first signal related to the state control of the first contactor; a second signal for activating the first holding circuit, the second holding circuit and the third holding circuit; and a third signal related to the state control of the second contactor, wherein at least one of the first signal and the second signal is input to the first holding circuit, wherein at least one of the second signal and the third signal is input to the second holding circuit, and At least one of the first signal, the second signal and the third signal is input to the third holding circuit.

15. The holding circuit diagnostic system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The first contactor is connected to a high potential terminal, and wherein the second contactor is connected to a low potential terminal.

16. A method for diagnosing a holding circuit, the method comprising: transmitting a first signal related to the state control of the contactor and a second signal for activating the holding circuit to the holding circuit; obtaining a hold signal output from the hold circuit; and Whether the holding circuit performs a normal operation is diagnosed based on the holding signal.

17. The diagnostic method according to claim 16, wherein: The first signal has a high level, and The method further includes determining that the holding circuit performs normal operation based on the obtained holding signal being within a high level range.

18. The diagnostic method according to claim 16, wherein: The first signal has a low level, and The method further includes determining that the holding circuit performs normal operation based on the obtained holding signal being within a low level range.

19. The diagnostic method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein: The transmitting of the first signal and the second signal to the holding circuit comprises: obtaining a state of the contactor; and Based on the contactor being in an open state, the second signal is transmitted to the holding circuit.

20. The diagnostic method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising: Initialize the holding circuit.

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