Apparatus and method for diagnosing battery pack

Abstract

The invention discloses an apparatus and method for diagnosing a battery pack. An apparatus for diagnosing a battery pack, according to an embodiment of the present invention, facilitates signal transmission and reception between the battery pack and a user terminal, and includes a control unit that generates a wake-up signal based on a user input for a third switch to transmit the wake-up signal to the battery pack, the communication connection is configured according to a first communication method in a case where the battery pack is turned on by the wake-up signal, and status information of the battery pack is received through the configured communication connection.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of January 30, 2018, the application number of 201880035252.4, and the title of "Device and Method for Diagnosing a Battery Pack". Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery pack diagnosis device and method. Background Art

[0003] Recently, with the development of electric vehicle and energy storage technologies, technologies related to battery packs have been developed. In particular, technologies for detecting the state of a battery pack have been developed to charge, discharge, and manage the battery pack.

[0004] Since these technologies are implemented by dedicated equipment arranged in separate facilities, there are the following inconveniences: In order to diagnose the battery pack, the battery pack must be disconnected from a device such as an electric vehicle or an energy storage device, and then the battery pack must be transferred to a separate facility (e.g., a service center) to analyze the cause of its abnormality, thereby causing incidental limitations such as an increase in service costs and an increase in the period during which the battery is unavailable. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical Problem

[0006] Provided is a battery pack diagnosis device and method that can allow a user to more quickly and easily detect the state of a battery pack at the location where the battery pack is installed and / or used.

[0007] Also provided is a battery pack diagnosis device and method that can allow a user to more quickly and easily detect the state of a battery pack at the location where the battery pack is installed and / or used, and immediately take an action on the battery pack according to the detected state.

[0008] Also provided is a battery pack diagnosis device and method that can perform a more in-depth diagnosis on the battery pack at the location of the battery pack.

[0009] Solution to the Problem

[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack diagnosis method includes: generating a wake-up signal for a battery pack based on a user input, and transmitting the wake-up signal to the battery pack; establishing a communication connection according to a first communication method in a case where the battery pack is turned on based on the wake-up signal; receiving state information of the battery pack through the established communication connection; and transmitting the received state information to a user terminal according to a second communication method.

[0011] The battery pack may include a switch for controlling the operation of the battery pack, and the switch may be turned on by the wake-up signal to turn on the battery pack.

[0012] The received status information may include a received signal through which the battery pack broadcasts the status information.

[0013] The battery pack diagnosis method may further include, after transmitting the received status information to the user terminal: receiving, according to a second communication method, at least one of a control signal for the battery pack and a detailed information request signal for the battery pack from the user terminal; when the received signal is the control signal for the battery pack, transmitting the control signal to the battery pack; and when the received signal is the detailed information request signal for the battery pack, receiving detailed information from the battery pack in response to the request and transmitting the received detailed information to the user terminal.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack diagnosis device that mediates signal communication between a battery pack and a user terminal includes: a first connection terminal electrically connected to at least one of the battery pack and a device equipped with the battery pack; a first switch for changing a communication mode with the device connected to the first connection terminal based on a user input; a second switch for applying power to the battery pack diagnosis device based on a user input; a second connection terminal for supplying power to the battery pack diagnosis device; a communication unit for exchanging signals with the user terminal; a third switch for obtaining a user input for transmitting a wake-up signal to the battery pack; and a controller electrically connected to the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the first connection terminal, the second connection terminal, and the communication unit.

[0015] The controller may generate a wake-up signal based on a user input to the third switch and transmit the generated wake-up signal to the battery pack through the first connection terminal, and establish a communication connection according to a first communication method when the battery pack is turned on based on the wake-up signal, and receive the status information of the battery pack through the established communication connection.

[0016] The battery pack diagnosis device may further include a display unit that displays at least one of an operation state of the battery pack diagnosis device, a communication state according to a first communication method with the battery pack, a communication state according to a second communication method with the user terminal, and the status information of the battery pack.

[0017] The controller may transmit the received status information of the battery pack to the user terminal through the communication unit according to a second communication method.

[0018] The controller may receive at least one of a control signal for the battery pack and a detailed information request signal for the battery pack from the user terminal through the communication unit.

[0019] When the received signal is a control signal of the battery pack, the controller may transmit the control signal to the battery pack through the first connection terminal, receive the operation result according to the control signal from the battery pack through the first connection terminal, and transmit the received operation result to the user terminal through the communication unit according to the second communication method.

[0020] When the received signal is a detailed information request signal of the battery pack, the controller may receive the detailed information from the battery pack through the first connection terminal in response to the request, and transmit the received detailed information to the user terminal through the communication unit according to the second communication method.

[0021] The battery pack diagnostic device may further include a memory that stores at least one of the operation state of the battery pack diagnostic device, the communication state according to the first communication method with the battery pack, the communication state according to the second communication method with the user terminal, and the state information of the battery pack.

[0022] The state information of the battery pack may include the state information of the battery management system (BMS) of the battery pack.

[0023] The battery pack may include a switch for controlling the operation of the battery pack, and the switch may be turned on by a wake-up signal to turn on the battery pack.

[0024] Advantageous Effects of the Present Disclosure

[0025] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery pack diagnostic device and method can be implemented, which can allow a user to more quickly and easily detect the state of the battery pack at the location where the battery pack is installed and / or used.

[0026] A battery pack diagnostic device and method can also be implemented, which can allow a user to more quickly and easily detect the state of the battery pack at the location where the battery pack is installed and / or used, and immediately take an action on the battery pack according to the detected state.

[0027] A battery pack diagnostic device and method can also be implemented, which can perform a more in-depth diagnosis on the battery pack at the location of the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1a and Figure 1b Illustrates the configuration of a battery pack diagnostic system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 Illustrates the configuration of a battery pack diagnostic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 Illustrates an example of a battery pack diagnostic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4 FIG. is a diagram showing a process in which a battery pack diagnostic device receives status information from a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5a FIG. is a diagram showing a process in which a battery pack diagnostic device transmits a control signal of a battery pack received from a user terminal to the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 5b FIG. is a diagram showing a process in which a battery pack diagnostic device transmits a detailed information request signal of a battery pack received from a user terminal to the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 6 FIG. shows an example of a screen for displaying status information of a battery pack on a user terminal.

[0035] Figure 7 FIG. shows an example of a screen for displaying status information of a battery pack in a chat window on a user terminal.

[0036] BEST MODE

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack diagnosis method includes: generating a wake-up signal of a battery pack based on a user input and transmitting the wake-up signal to the battery pack; establishing a communication connection according to a first communication method when the battery pack is turned on based on the wake-up signal; receiving status information of the battery pack through the established communication connection; and transmitting the received status information to a user terminal according to a second communication method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods for implementing the same will become apparent from the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below, but can be embodied in various different forms and can include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The following-described embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. In the following description of the present disclosure, when certain detailed descriptions of the prior art may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure, these descriptions will be omitted.

[0039] For example, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the specific shapes, structures, and features described herein can be modified from some embodiments to other embodiments. It will also be understood that, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the positions or arrangements of the respective components in each embodiment can be modified. Therefore, the following detailed description should be considered only in a descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, and the scope of the present disclosure should be construed to include the appended claims and all their equivalents. In the figures, throughout the various aspects, like reference numerals will indicate like elements. That is, the specific details described herein are merely examples. A particular embodiment can differ from these example details and still be contemplated within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component.

[0041] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "the", and "said" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be understood that when used herein, terms such as "comprising" and "having" specify the presence of the stated features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof. Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component.

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in the following description, like reference numerals will be used to indicate like elements, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted for brevity.

[0043] Figure 1a and Figure 1b illustrates a configuration of a battery pack (200) diagnostic system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] First, referring to Figure 1a , a battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be directly connected to a battery pack 200. In this case, the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and the battery pack 200 can be electrically connected through a cable connecting the two to each other. Depending on the configurations of the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and the battery pack 200, the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and the battery pack 200 can be connected by a wireless communication method. However, this is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0045] The battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may exchange data with the user terminal 300 (or transmit data to / receive data from the user terminal 300). In this case, the battery pack diagnostic device 100 may be connected to the user terminal 300 according to various wired or wireless communication methods.

[0046] Next, referring to Figure 1b , the battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be connected to the device 400 in which the battery pack 200 is installed. In other words, the battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be indirectly connected to the battery pack 200 through the device 400. In this case, depending on the configurations of the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and the device 400, the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and the device 400 may be connected according to a wired communication method or may be connected according to a wireless communication method. Also, as in the above example, the battery pack diagnostic device 100 may be connected to the user terminal 300 according to various wired or wireless communication methods.

[0047] Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the device 400 may refer to various devices in which the battery pack 200 is installed. For example, the device 400 may be a vehicle in which the battery pack 200 is installed as shown, and may be any one of an electric vehicle, a trolley, an electric bicycle, an electric scooter, and a two-wheeled vehicle. However, this is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0048] Figure 2 The configuration of the battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] The battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive the state information of the battery pack 200 from the battery pack 200 and transmit the state information to the user terminal 300, or may receive the control signal of the battery pack 200 from the user terminal 300 and transmit the control signal to the battery pack 200. To this end, the battery pack 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a communication unit 110, a controller 120, a first connection terminal 130, a second connection terminal 140, a memory 150, a first switch 160, a second switch 170, a third switch 180, and a display unit 190.

[0050] First, the communication unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may establish a communication connection between the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and another device, and exchange data through the established communication connection. For example, the communication unit 110 may establish a communication connection with the above-described user terminal 300 according to the second communication method and exchange data with the user terminal 300. In this case, the data may include the state information of the battery pack 200 and the control signal of the battery pack 200.

[0051] Meanwhile, the "second communication method" may refer to the various communication methods described above. For example, when the user terminal 300 and the battery pack diagnostic device 100 are connected by a wireless communication method, the second communication method may be any one of a Bluetooth communication method, a Wi-Fi communication method, a Zigbee communication method, and an NFC communication method. However, this is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0052] Meanwhile, the communication unit 110 may establish a communication connection with the battery pack 200 according to the first communication method, and exchange data between the battery pack 200 and the battery pack diagnostic device 100 through the established communication connection. In this case, like the second communication method described above, the "first communication method" may refer to various communication methods. For example, the first communication method may be any one of a controller area network (CAN) communication method, an RS485 communication method, an RS232 communication method, and an RS422 communication method. However, this is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0053] The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be electrically connected to the communication unit 110, the first connection terminal 130, the second connection terminal 140, the memory 150, the first switch 160, the second switch 170, the third switch 180, and the display unit 190. The controller 120 may perform various operations, such as initiating communication with the battery pack 200 and / or the user terminal 300, data transmission / reception (or communication), data calculation (or operation), data processing, and data display. For example, the controller 120 may generate a wake-up signal based on a user input to the third switch 180, which will be described below, and transmit the generated wake-up signal to the battery pack 200 through the first connection terminal 130. A detailed description of the operations of the controller 120 will be given below.

[0054] The controller 120 may include any type of device that can process data, such as a processor. Here, the "processor" may refer to, for example, a data processing device that is embedded in hardware and has a physically constructed circuit for executing functions represented by commands or codes in a program. As an example, the data processing device embedded in hardware may include any processing device, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multi-processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA); however, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0055] The first connection terminal 130 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be electrically connected to at least one of the battery pack 200 and the device 400 equipped with the battery pack 200. In other words, the first connection terminal 130 may be a terminal to which a communication cable connecting at least one of the battery pack 200 and the device 400 is connected. In this case, the type of the first connection terminal 130 may be determined according to the communication method between the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and another device. For example, when the first communication method is the CAN communication method as in the above example, the first connection terminal 130 may be a terminal to which a CAN communication cable is connected.

[0056] The first switch 160 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change the communication mode between the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and another device connected to the first connection terminal 130 based on a user input. As described above, the first connection terminal 130 may be electrically connected to at least one of the battery pack 200 and the device 400 equipped with the battery pack 200. Therefore, a tool for switching the communication mode such as the first switch 160 may be required to prepare for connecting two devices having different communication modes to one connection terminal (e.g., the first connection terminal 130).

[0057] For example, when the first communication method is the CAN communication method as in the above example, the first switch 160 may change the communication mode by connecting and / or disconnecting a terminal resistor for the high-speed CAN mode between the CAN H line and the CAN L line. However, this is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0058] Meanwhile, the first switch 160 may include any one of a toggle switch, a selector switch, a push-button switch, a slide switch, and a flip switch. However, this is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0059] The second switch 170 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may apply power to the battery pack diagnostic device 100 based on a user input. In other words, the second switch 170 may be a power switch of the battery pack diagnostic device 100.

[0060] The battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include an internal battery (not shown). The internal battery (not shown) may receive power from an external power source through a second connection terminal 140 described below, store the power, and then supply the power when the battery pack diagnostic device 100 operates. Therefore, the second switch 170 may supply or block power from the internal battery to the battery pack diagnostic device 100 based on a user input.

[0061] The second switch 170 may include any one of a toggle switch, a selector switch, a push-button switch, a slide switch, and a flip switch. However, this is only an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0062] The second connection terminal 140 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be connected to an external power source for supplying power to the battery pack diagnostic device 100. As described above, when the battery pack diagnostic device 100 is driven by an internal battery (not shown), the second connection terminal 140 may supply power to the internal battery (not shown). In addition, differently, when the battery pack diagnostic device 100 does not include an internal battery (not shown), the second connection terminal 140 may directly supply power to each component of the battery pack diagnostic device 100. However, this is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0063] The third switch 180 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may obtain a user input for transmitting a wake-up signal to the battery pack 200 connected to the battery pack diagnostic device 100.

[0064] In this case, the "wake-up signal" may be a signal for operating the battery pack 200 and may be a signal for turning on the battery pack 200. When the battery pack 200 is in an idle state, since the internal switch (relay) of the battery pack 200 is turned off, a control signal may be transmitted to the battery pack 200 or status information may be received from the battery pack 200.

[0065] Therefore, in order to diagnose the battery pack 200, that is, to exchange signals with the battery pack 200, it may be necessary to turn on the internal switch (relay). The third switch 180 may turn on the battery pack 200 by transmitting a wake-up signal to the battery pack 200 based on a user input so that diagnosis can be performed by the battery pack diagnostic device 100.

[0066] The third switch 180 may include any one of a toggle switch, a selector switch, a push-button switch, a slide switch, and a flip switch. However, this is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0067] The display unit 190 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may display at least one of an operation state of the battery pack diagnostic device 100, a communication state according to a first communication method with the battery pack 200, a communication state according to a second communication method with the user terminal 300, and status information of the battery pack 200.

[0068] In this case, the display unit 190 may include a display unit for displaying the above information in letters or numbers. In this case, the display unit may include any one of a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an organic light emitting diode (OLED).

[0069] Meanwhile, the display unit 190 may include a display unit for displaying the above information by color or blink frequency. In this case, the display unit may include, for example, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

[0070] The information displayed by the display unit 190 may be generated by the controller 120 according to the operating state of the battery pack diagnostic device 100, or may be obtained by the controller 120 from the battery pack 200 or the user terminal 300.

[0071] The memory 150 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may store at least one of the operating state of the battery pack diagnostic device 100, the communication state according to the first communication method with the battery pack 200, the communication state according to the second communication method with the user terminal 300, and the state information of the battery pack 200. The information stored in the memory 150 may be used later to detect the failure history of the battery pack 200.

[0072] Meanwhile, in addition to the above information, the memory 150 may temporarily or permanently store data, instructions, programs, program codes, or combinations thereof processed by the controller 120. The memory 150 may include a magnetic storage medium or a flash storage medium; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0073] Figure 3 An example of the battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0074] Reference Figure 3 , the battery pack diagnostic device 100 may include: a first connection terminal 130 electrically connected to at least one of the battery pack 200 and the device 400 equipped with the battery pack 200; a first switch 160 for changing the communication mode with another device connected to the first connection terminal 130 based on a user input; a second switch 170 for applying power to the battery pack diagnostic device 100 based on a user input; a second connection terminal 140 connected to an external power source for supplying power to the battery pack diagnostic device 100; a third switch 180 for obtaining a user input for transmitting a wake-up signal to the battery pack 200 connected to the battery pack diagnostic device 100; a display unit 190 for displaying various information; and other switches 191.

[0075] Meanwhile, although not shown in the figure, in addition to the above components, the battery pack diagnostic device 100 may further include a communication unit 110, a controller 120, a memory 150, and an internal battery (not shown); however, since each component has been described in detail with reference to Figure 1a and Figure 2 the redundant description thereof will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0076] Hereinafter, reference is made to Figures 4 to 5b, the operation of the battery pack diagnostic device 100 will be described focusing on the operation of the controller 120.

[0077] Figure 4 FIG. is a diagram showing a process in which the battery pack diagnostic device 100 receives status information from the battery pack 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 120 may generate a wake-up signal for the battery pack 200 based on a user input to the third switch 180 (operation S51), and generate and transmit the generated wake-up signal to the battery pack 200 (operation S52). As described above, when the battery pack 200 is in an idle state, since the internal switch (relay) of the battery pack 200 is turned off, a control signal can be transmitted to the battery pack 200 or status information can be received from the battery pack 200. Therefore, in order to diagnose the battery pack 200, that is, to exchange signals with the battery pack 200, it may be necessary to turn on the internal switch (relay).

[0079] In the related art, when a failure occurs in the battery pack 200, it may be necessary to transfer the battery pack 200 to a separate facility to wake up and diagnose the battery pack 200. The transfer of the battery may cause secondary limitations, such as an increase in service costs and an increase in the unavailable period of the device 400 equipped with the battery pack 200.

[0080] By performing the wake-up and diagnosis of the battery pack 200 by the battery pack diagnostic device 100 and / or the user terminal 300 when a failure occurs in the battery pack 200, the present disclosure can solve the above limitations caused by the transfer of the battery pack 200.

[0081] In the case where the battery pack 200 is turned on based on the wake-up signal, the controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may establish a communication connection according to the first communication method (operation S53). In the present disclosure, "establishing a communication connection" between two devices may mean assigning identification information to the two devices on the network and identifying these devices with each other. In other words, establishing a communication connection may mean performing various operations as a prerequisite for exchanging signals between two devices. For example, when the first communication method is a CAN communication method, establishing a communication connection may mean performing initialization for CAN communication.

[0082] Subsequently, the controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive the status information of the battery pack 200 from the battery pack 200 through the communication connection established in operation S53 (operation S54).

[0083] When a communication connection is established, the battery pack 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may broadcast its own status information through the established communication connection. In other words, the battery pack 200 may transmit its own status information to another device on the network without a specific request. In this way, the controller 120 may identify the battery status information by receiving the broadcast signal.

[0084] Meanwhile, the status information of the battery pack 200 may include the status information of the battery management system (BMS) in the battery pack 200. Therefore, the status information of the battery pack 200 may include the voltage, current, charge level, number of batteries, identification information, and temperature of the battery pack 200.

[0085] The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit the status information received from the battery pack 200 to the user terminal 300 according to the second communication method (operation S55). Moreover, the controller 120 may display the received status information on the display unit 190, or store it in the memory 150.

[0086] Thus, the present disclosure may enable a user to more quickly and easily detect the status of the battery pack 200 at the location where the battery pack 200 is installed and / or used.

[0087] Figure 5a FIG. is a diagram illustrating a process in which the battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure transmits a control signal of the battery pack 200 received from the user terminal 300 to the battery pack 200.

[0088] The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive a control signal of the battery pack 200 from the user terminal 300 through the communication unit 110 (operation S61). In this case, the control signal may be a signal for managing the battery pack 200, and may be, for example, an initialization signal of the battery pack 200, an error code (message) deletion signal of the battery pack 200, and a firmware upgrade signal of the battery pack 200.

[0089] The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit the received control signal to the battery pack 200 through the first connection terminal 130 (operation S62). When the control signal is received, the battery pack 200 may perform an operation corresponding to the control signal (operation S63), or may generate a message indicating the impossibility of execution when the execution of the operation is impossible.

[0090] The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive an operation result according to the control signal of the battery pack 200 from the battery pack 200 (operation S64), and transmit the received operation result to the user terminal 300 through the communication unit 110 (operation S65).

[0091] Thus, the present disclosure enables a user to more quickly and easily detect the state of the battery pack 200 at the location where the battery pack 200 is installed and / or used, and immediately take actions on the battery pack 200 based on the detected state.

[0092] Figure 5b FIG. is a diagram showing a process in which a battery pack diagnostic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure transmits a detailed information request signal of a battery pack 200 received from a user terminal 300 to the battery pack 200.

[0093] As described above, the battery pack 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can broadcast its own status information through an established communication connection. In this case, the broadcast status information may not include all information of the battery pack 200. Therefore, when the user needs more detailed status information not included in the broadcast status information, the detailed status information can be received from the battery pack 200 through a separate request.

[0094] To this end, a controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can receive a detailed information request signal from a user terminal 300 through a communication unit 110 (operation S66).

[0095] The controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can transmit the received detailed information request signal to the battery pack 200 through a first connection terminal 130 (operation S67). When receiving the detailed information request signal, the battery pack 200 can transmit the detailed information to the battery pack diagnostic device 100. In other words, the controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can receive the detailed information from the battery pack 200 (operation S68), and transmit the received detailed information to the user terminal 300 through the communication unit 110 (operation S69).

[0096] Thus, the present disclosure can achieve a more in-depth diagnosis of the battery pack 200 at the location of the battery pack 200.

[0097] Figure 6 Examples of screens 610 and 620 on which the status information of the battery pack 200 is displayed on the user terminal 300 are shown.

[0098] Reference Figure 6 , screen 610 may include a region 611 in which basic information of the battery pack 200 is displayed and a region 612 in which buttons are displayed to identify more detailed information of the battery pack 200 or perform control on the battery pack 200.

[0099] As shown, connection information of the battery pack 200, identification information of the battery pack 200, voltage of the battery pack 200, the number of warning messages of the battery pack 200, etc. can be displayed in the area 611 where basic information is shown. The basic information can be the information included in the signal broadcast by the battery pack 200 as described above.

[0100] Meanwhile, when the user presses the button 613 to identify more detailed information of the battery pack 200, the detailed information of the battery pack 200 can be further displayed as in the screen 620. The detailed information can be the information included in the signal broadcast by the battery pack 200, or can be the information additionally obtained according to Figure 5b the process shown in.

[0101] Figure 7 Examples of the screens 630 and 640 in which the status information of the battery pack 200 is displayed in the chat window on the user terminal 300 are shown.

[0102] As described above, the controller 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can receive the status information of the battery pack 200 from the battery pack 200, and transmit the received status information to the user terminal 300 through the communication unit 110. In this case, as Figure 7 shown, the user terminal 300 can display the status of the battery pack 200 in a chat format.

[0103] For example, as in the screen 630, the user terminal 300 can display the status of the battery pack 200 and the corresponding solution in the form of dialog boxes 631 and 632 based on the received status information. Thus, the present disclosure can provide information about the diagnosis and action of the battery pack 200 to the user through a more familiar interface.

[0104] Meanwhile, the user terminal 300 can further provide a button 633 for enabling chatting with an expert about the status of the battery pack 200. When the user performs an input on the button 633, a chat window like the screen 640 can be displayed. In this case, the chat partner can be a person corresponding to the provider of the technical support service for the battery pack 200.

[0105] The user can transmit the status information of the battery pack 200 received from the battery pack diagnostic device 100 through a chat window like the screen 640. In addition, the chat partner (for example, a person corresponding to the provider of the above-mentioned technical support service) can transmit a suitable action command for the battery pack 200 through the chat window. In other words, the user terminal 300 can generate a control signal for the battery pack 200, a detailed information request signal for the battery pack 200, etc. based on the input of the conversation partner on the chat window, and transmit these signals to the battery pack diagnostic device 100.

[0106] Thus, the present disclosure can enable real-time consultation with an expert regarding the battery pack 200 at a remote location and can enable the battery pack 200 to operate by reflecting appropriate actions of the expert.

[0107] The present disclosure has been specifically shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various changes may be made herein in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the described embodiments should be considered only as descriptive and not for purposes of limitation. Thus, the scope of the present disclosure may not be limited by the above detailed description, but may be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within their equivalent scope will be construed as being included in the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery pack diagnosis method, comprising: Generate a wake-up signal for the battery pack based on a user input, and transmit the wake-up signal to the battery pack; When the battery pack is turned on based on the wake-up signal, establish a communication connection according to a first communication method; Receive the status information of the battery pack through the established communication connection; Transmit the received status information to the user terminal according to a second communication method; Receive at least one of the control signal of the battery pack and the detailed information request signal of the battery pack from the user terminal according to the second communication method; And Distinguish whether the received signal is the control signal or the detailed information request signal.

2. The battery pack diagnosis method according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack includes a switch for controlling the operation of the battery pack, and the switch is turned on by the wake-up signal to turn on the battery pack.

3. The battery pack diagnosis method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the status information includes receiving a signal by which the battery pack broadcasts the status information.

4. The battery pack diagnosis method according to claim 1, further comprising, after distinguishing whether the received signal is the control signal or the detailed information request signal: when the received signal is the control signal of the battery pack, transmitting the control signal to the battery pack; and when the received signal is the detailed information request signal of the battery pack, receiving detailed information from the battery pack in response to the request, and transmitting the received detailed information to the user terminal.

5. A battery pack diagnosis device that intermediates signal communication between a battery pack and a user terminal, the battery pack diagnosis device includes: A first connection terminal electrically connected to at least one of the battery pack and the device equipped with the battery pack; A first switch for changing the communication mode with the device connected to the first connection terminal based on a user input; A second switch for applying power to the battery pack diagnostic device based on a user input; A second connection terminal for supplying power to the battery pack diagnostic device; A communication unit for exchanging signals with the user terminal; A third switch for obtaining a user input for transmitting a wake-up signal to the battery pack; And A controller electrically connected to the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the first connection terminal, the second connection terminal, and the communication unit, wherein the controller: Generates the wake-up signal based on a user input to the third switch and transmits the generated wake-up signal to the battery pack through the first connection terminal, Establishes a communication connection according to the first communication method when the battery pack is turned on based on the wake-up signal, and receives the status information of the battery pack through the established communication connection, Transmits the received status information of the battery pack to the user terminal through the communication unit according to the second communication method, Receives at least one of the control signal of the battery pack and the detailed information request signal of the battery pack from the user terminal according to the second communication method; And Distinguish whether the received signal is the control signal or the detailed information request signal.

6. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 5, further comprising: A display unit that displays at least one of the operation status of the battery pack diagnostic device, the communication status according to the first communication method with the battery pack, the communication status according to the second communication method with the user terminal, and the status information of the battery pack.

7. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 5, wherein when the received signal is the control signal of the battery pack: transmit the control signal to the battery pack through the first connection terminal, receive, through the first connection terminal, the operation result according to the control signal from the battery pack, and transmit the received operation result to the user terminal through the communication unit according to the second communication method.

8. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 5, wherein when the received signal is the detailed information request signal of the battery pack: receive detailed information from the battery pack through the first connection terminal in response to the request, and transmit the received detailed information to the user terminal through the communication unit according to the second communication method.

9. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 5, wherein the status information of the battery pack transmitted to the user terminal according to the second communication method is displayed in the chat window of the user terminal, and at least one of the control signal of the battery pack and the detailed information request signal of the battery pack is generated based on an input from a chat partner to the chat window.

10. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 9, wherein the chat partner includes a provider of technical support services for the battery pack.

11. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 5, further comprising: A memory that stores at least one of the operation status of the battery pack diagnostic device, the communication status according to the first communication method with the battery pack, the communication status according to the second communication method with the user terminal, and the status information of the battery pack.

12. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 5, wherein the status information of the battery pack includes the status information of the battery management system of the battery pack.

13. The battery pack diagnosis device according to claim 5, wherein the battery pack includes a switch for controlling the operation of the battery pack, and the switch is turned on by the wake-up signal to turn on the battery pack.

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