Method and device for setting identification of battery pack

Abstract

A method and apparatus for setting a battery pack identifier may be provided. The apparatus for setting a battery pack identifier of a battery pack includes: a first voltage supply section configured to supply a power supply voltage through a first pin; a second voltage supply section configured to supply a ground voltage through a second pin; a plurality of analog-to-digital converters configured to have an input pin and an output pin, and configured to transfer a voltage corresponding to a voltage input through the input pin to the output pin; a plurality of jumper wires configured to connect an input pin of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters with the first pin or the second pin, respectively; and a controller configured to set a battery pack identification of the battery pack based on the voltage received through the output pin of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for setting battery pack identification. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles (EVs) mainly use battery devices as a power source for driving electric motors. Since battery devices with high output and large charging capacity are required, battery devices in which multiple battery packs are connected in parallel are being used.

[0003] In this way, since multiple battery packs are used, it is necessary to identify the multiple battery packs.

[0004] In one method, different hardware may be provided for multiple battery packs to identify the multiple battery packs. However, in this method, producing different versions of the hardware may increase costs.

[0005] Another method is to assign an identification to each battery pack in software. However, in this method, the complexity of software development may increase. Summary of the Invention

[0006] At least one of the embodiments may provide a method and apparatus for setting battery pack identification, which may use the same hardware to set the identification of each of multiple battery packs.

[0007] According to one embodiment, there may be provided an apparatus for setting a battery pack identification of a battery pack. The apparatus for setting a battery pack identification of a battery pack may include: a first voltage supply unit configured to supply a power voltage through a first pin; a second voltage supply unit configured to supply a ground voltage through a second pin; a plurality of analog-to-digital converters configured to have an input pin and an output pin and configured to transmit a voltage corresponding to a voltage input through the input pin to the output pin; a plurality of jumper wires configured to connect the input pin of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters to the first pin or the second pin respectively; and a controller configured to set the battery pack identification of the battery pack based on the voltage received through the output pin of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

[0008] Each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters may include: a voltage divider circuit including a plurality of first resistors connected between the input pin and the ground and configured to provide a voltage divided by the plurality of first resistors to the output pin.

[0009] The voltage divider circuit may further include a second resistor connected between a power supply supplying the power voltage and the input pin.

[0010] The controller can be configured to detect disconnection of the plurality of jumper wires based on the voltage received through the output pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

[0011] The controller can be configured to determine the value of each bit of the battery pack identification based on the voltage received through the output pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

[0012] If the voltage received through the output pin is the ground voltage, the controller can be configured to set the value of the corresponding bit to a first value, and if the voltage received through the output pin is greater than the ground voltage, the controller can be configured to set the value of the corresponding bit to a second value different from the first value.

[0013] According to another embodiment, a method for setting the identification of a battery pack can be provided. The method for setting the identification of a battery pack can include: converting, by each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters, the voltage input through the input pin into a first voltage; and setting the identification of the battery pack based on the first voltage converted by each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

[0014] According to an external control, a power supply voltage or a ground voltage can be supplied to the input pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

[0015] The input pins of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters can be respectively connected to a first pin supplying a power supply voltage or a second pin supplying a ground voltage through a plurality of jumper wires.

[0016] The conversion can include: dividing the input voltage by a plurality of first resistors connected between the input pin and the ground.

[0017] Setting the identification of the battery pack can include: determining the value of each bit of the identification based on the first voltage converted by each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

[0018] Determining the value of each bit of the identification can include: setting the value of the corresponding bit to a first value if the first voltage is the ground voltage; and setting the value of the corresponding bit to a second value different from the first value if the first voltage is greater than the ground voltage. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a battery system according to an embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 is a diagram showing Figure 1 an example of the battery pack shown.

[0021] Figure 3It is a diagram showing a device for setting a battery pack identifier according to an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 is Figure 3 a circuit diagram of the pull-up voltage supply unit, ADC, and ground voltage supply unit shown in

[0023] Figures 5 to 8 It is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a battery pack identifier in a device for setting a battery pack identifier. Detailed Description

[0024] Example embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, they may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. In the flowcharts described with reference to the accompanying drawings in this specification, the order of operations may be changed, some operations may be combined, some operations may be divided, and specific operations may not be performed.

[0025] Throughout the specification and claims, unless otherwise expressly stated, when a component is referred to as "comprising" a particular element, this may mean that it may also include other elements without excluding other elements.

[0026] In addition, unless an explicit expression such as "one" or "single" is used, an expression described in the singular form may be interpreted as the singular form or the plural form.

[0027] In addition, ordinal terms including such as "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are only for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element.

[0028] In addition, when a component is referred to as "connected" to another component, it includes not only the case where the two components are "directly connected", but also the case where the two components are "indirectly or non-contactingly connected" with another component intervening therebetween, or the case where the two components are "electrically connected". On the other hand, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there is no intermediate element.

[0029] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an example of a battery system according to an embodiment.

[0030] Referring to Figure 1, the battery system 100 may include a plurality of battery packs 110, 120, and 130 and a main battery management system (MBMS) 140. Although three battery packs 110, 120, and 130 are shown for convenience in Figure 1 , the number of battery packs is not limited thereto.

[0031] The plurality of battery packs 110, 120, and 130 may be connected to the MBMS 140. The plurality of battery packs 110, 120, and 130 may be connected to the MBMS 140 by wiring.

[0032] Each of the plurality of battery packs 110, 120, and 130 may set a battery pack identifier based on a control signal input from the outside, and may provide the set battery pack identifier to the MBMS 140.

[0033] The MBMS 140 may use the battery pack identifiers of the battery packs 110, 120, and 130 to control the battery packs 110, 120, and 130. As an example, the MBMS 140 may use the battery pack identifiers of the battery packs 110, 120, and 130 to control the charging or discharging of the battery packs 110, 120, and 130.

[0034] In some embodiments, the battery system 100 may have a structure connectable to an external device. If the external device is a load, the battery system 100 may discharge by operating as a power source that supplies power to the load. The external device that operates as a load may be, for example, an electronic device, a transportation device, an energy storage system (ESS), and the transportation device may be a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0035] Figure 2 is a diagram showing Figure 1 an example of the battery pack shown.

[0036] Referring to Figure 2 , the battery pack 200 may include at least one battery module 210, a battery management system (BMS) 220, a switch 230, and a device 240 for setting a battery pack identifier. In Figure 2 , the battery pack 200 may be Figure 1 the battery pack 110, 120, or 130 shown.

[0037] The battery pack 200 may be connected to an external device through terminals T+ and T-. If the external device is a charging device, the battery pack 200 may be charged through the charging device. If the external device is a load, the battery pack 200 may discharge through the load.

[0038] The at least one battery module 210 may include a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in series and / or in parallel with each other. The battery module 210 may include a positive terminal PV+ and a negative terminal PV-.

[0039] The switch 230 can be connected between the positive terminal PV+ of the battery module 210 and the terminal T+ of the battery pack 200, and can control the current path during charging and discharging of the battery module 210. The closing and opening of the switch 230 can be controlled according to the switch control signal supplied from the BMS 220.

[0040] The BMS 220 can control and manage the overall operation of the battery pack 200. The BMS 220 can collect the overall state information of the battery module 210 and the battery cells included in the battery module 210, and monitor the overall state of the battery module 210 and the battery cells included in the battery module 210. In some embodiments, the BMS 220 can measure or collect the battery cell data sensed by each battery cell. For example, the battery cell data can include the voltage data of the battery cell. In some embodiments, the BMS 220 can collect the data sensed by the battery module 210. For example, such data can include data on the current or temperature of the battery module 210.

[0041] The BMS 220 can perform various control functions to adjust the state of the battery module 210 and the battery cells included in the battery module 210 based on the state information of the battery module 210 and the battery cells included in the battery module 210. As an example, the BMS 220 can control the charging current and discharging current of the battery module 210 based on information such as the voltages and currents of multiple battery cells, and can perform a battery cell equalization operation on the multiple battery cells.

[0042] The BMS 220 can send the collected data to the MBMS ( Figure 1 in 140).

[0043] The MBMS ( Figure 1 in 140) can store and manage the data collected from the BMS 220 of the battery pack 200, and can control the battery pack 200 based on the collected data.

[0044] The MBMS ( Figure 1 in 140) can collect data from multiple battery packs 110, 120, and 130 as shown in Figure 1 , and can control the multiple battery packs 110, 120, and 130 based on the collected data. Therefore, a battery pack identifier is required to distinguish each of the battery packs 110, 120, and 130.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the battery pack identifier of the battery pack 200 can be set by a device 240 for setting the battery pack identifier within the battery pack 200.

[0046] The device 240 for setting the battery pack identification can set the battery pack identification according to an external control. The device 240 for setting the battery pack identification can send the battery pack identification to the BMS 220.

[0047] The BMS 220 can send the collected data together with the battery pack identification to the MBMS ( Figure 1 140 in).

[0048] The MBMS ( Figure 1 140 in) can store and manage the received data in response to the battery pack identification, and use the battery pack identification to control the battery pack 200.

[0049] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a device for setting a battery pack identification according to an embodiment, and Figure 4 is Figure 3 a circuit diagram of the pull-up voltage supply unit, the ADC, and the ground voltage supply unit shown in.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3 , the device 240 for setting the battery pack identification may include a pull-up voltage supply unit 241, a plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) 242 and 243, a ground voltage supply unit 244, and a controller 245. Additionally, the device 240 for setting the battery pack identification may further include jumper wires 246 and 247.

[0051] Referring to Figure 4 , the pull-up voltage supply unit 241 may supply a pull-up voltage Vpu1 from a pull-up power supply. The pull-up power supply may refer to a power supply that supplies a power supply voltage. The pull-up voltage supply unit 241 may include a pull-up power supply pin 2411 and a resistor R1. The resistor R1 may be connected between the pull-up power supply and the pull-up power supply pin 2411, and the pull-up power supply pin 2411 may supply the pull-up voltage Vpu1 to the outside.

[0052] The ground voltage supply unit 244 may supply a ground voltage. The ground voltage supply unit 244 may include a ground pin 2441 for outputting the ground voltage to the outside. The ground pin 2441 may be connected to the ground.

[0053] The ADC 242 may include an input pin 2421, an output pin 2422, and resistors R2, R3, and R4. The resistor R2 may be connected between the input pin 2421 and the output pin 2422. The output pin 2422 may be connected to the controller 245 through a wire. The resistor R3 may be connected between the output pin 2422 and the ground. The resistor R4 may be connected between the input pin 2421 and the pull-up power supply that supplies the pull-up voltage Vpu1. The resistors R2, R3, and R4 may divide the voltage of the input pin 2421 and supply the divided voltage to the output pin 2422. That is, the resistors R2, R3, and R4 may be a voltage divider circuit.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the input pin 2421 can be connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411 or the ground pin 2441 through a jumper wire 246. If the input pin 2421 is connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411, the pull-up voltage Vpu1 can be supplied to the input pin 2421 through the pull-up voltage supply unit 241. The pull-up voltage Vpu1 supplied from the pull-up voltage supply unit 241 can be divided by resistors R1, R2, R3, and R4, and the divided voltage can be transmitted to the output pin 2422. At this time, the divided voltage can be a voltage greater than 0V. If the input pin 2421 is connected to the ground pin 2441, the voltage of the input pin 2421 can be 0V, and 0V can be transmitted to the output pin 2422.

[0055] The ADC 243 can include an input pin 2431, an output pin 2432, and resistors R5, R6, and R7. The resistance values of the resistors R5, R6, and R7 can be the same as the resistance values of the resistors R2, R3, and R4, respectively. The resistor R5 can be connected between the input pin 2431 and the output pin 2432. The output pin 2432 can be connected to the controller 245 through a wire. The resistor R6 can be connected between the output pin 2432 and the ground. The resistor R7 can be connected between the input pin 2431 and the pull-up power supply that supplies the pull-up voltage Vpu1. The resistors R5, R6, and R7 can divide the voltage on the input pin 2431 and provide the divided voltage to the output pin 2432. The resistors R5, R6, and R7 can be a voltage divider circuit.

[0056] In some embodiments, the resistance values of the resistors R5, R6, and R7 can be different from the resistance values of the resistors R2, R3, and R4, respectively. In this case, the voltage output through the output pin 2422 and the voltage output through the output pin 2432 will be different.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the input pin 2431 can be connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411 or the ground pin 2441 through a jumper wire 247.

[0058] If the input pin 2431 is connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411, the voltage of the input pin 2431 can be the pull-up voltage Vpu1. The pull-up voltage Vpu1 can be divided by resistors R1, R7, R5, and R6, and the divided voltage can be transmitted to the output pin 2432. At this time, the divided voltage can be a voltage greater than 0V.

[0059] If the input pin 2431 is connected to the ground pin 2441, the voltage of the input pin 2431 can be 0V, and 0V can be transmitted to the output pin 2432.

[0060] The controller 245 can set the battery pack identification of the battery pack 200 based on the information transmitted through the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242 and the output pin 2432 of the ADC 243.

[0061] In some embodiments, the controller 245 can detect the disconnection of the jumper wires 246 and 247 to the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 and the input pin 2431 of the ADC 243 based on the information transmitted through the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242 and the output pin 2432 of the ADC 243. That is, the controller 245 can detect whether the jumper wires 246 and 247 are not connected to the input pins 2421 and 2431. The disconnection of the jumper wires 246 and 247 can indicate that no voltage is input to the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 and the input pin 2431 of the ADC 243. For example, if the jumper wire 246 is not connected to the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242, no voltage may be input to the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242. In this case, the pull-up voltage Vpu1 supplied inside the ADC 242 can be divided by the resistors R2, R3, and R4. Additionally, if the pull-up voltage Vpu1 is input to the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 through the connection of the jumper wire 246, the pull-up voltage Vpu1 can be divided by the resistors R1, R4, R2, and R3. The voltage divided by the resistors R1, R4, R2, and R3 is different from the voltage divided by the resistors R2, R3, and R4.

[0062] For example, if the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 and the pull-up power supply pin 2411 are connected through the jumper wire 246, the voltage VOUT1 output through the output pin 2422 can be expressed as Equation 1.

[0063] (Equation 1)

[0064] In Equation 1, (R1 / / R4) can represent the total resistance value of the resistor R1 and the resistor R4 connected in parallel.

[0065] If the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 and the pull-up power supply pin 2411 are not connected through the jumper wire 246, the voltage VOUT2 output through the output pin 2422 can be expressed as Equation 2.

[0066] (Equation 2)

[0067] Therefore, the controller 245 can detect defects such as the disconnection or non-connection of the jumper wire 246 through the voltage received via the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242.

[0068] Next, reference will be made to Figures 5 to 8 an example of a method for determining a battery pack identification in an apparatus for setting a battery pack identification.

[0069] Figures 5 to 8 FIG. is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a battery pack identification in an apparatus for setting a battery pack identification.

[0070] Referring to Figure 5 , the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 can be connected to the ground pin 2441 through the jumper wire 246, and the input pin 2431 of the ADC 243 can be connected to the ground pin 2441 through the jumper wire 247. As a result, the controller 245 can receive 0V from the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242, and can receive 0V from the output pin 2432 of the ADC 243, and can determine the battery pack identification of the battery pack 200 as "00".

[0071] Referring to Figure 6 , the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 can be connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411 through the jumper wire 246, and the input pin 2431 of the ADC 243 can be connected to the ground pin 2441 through the jumper wire 247. As a result, the controller 245 can receive the V1 voltage from the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242, and can receive 0V from the output pin 2432 of the ADC 243, and can determine the battery pack identification of the battery pack 200 as "10". Here, the V1 voltage can represent the voltage division of the resistors R1, R4, R2, and R3 with respect to the pull-up voltage Vpu1.

[0072] Referring to Figure 7 , the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 can be connected to the ground pin 2441 through the jumper wire 246, and the input pin 2431 of the ADC 243 can be connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2441 through the jumper wire 247. As a result, the controller 245 can receive 0V from the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242, and can receive the V1 voltage from the output pin 2432 of the ADC 243, and can determine the battery pack identification of the battery pack 200 as "01".

[0073] Referring to Figure 8 , the input pin 2421 of the ADC 242 can be connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411 through the jumper wire 246, and the input pin 2431 of the ADC 243 can be connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411 through the jumper wire 247. As a result, the controller 245 can receive the V1 voltage from the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242, and can receive the V1 voltage from the output pin 2432 of the ADC 243, and can determine the battery pack identification of the battery pack 200 as "11".

[0074] In some embodiments, such as Figures 5 to 8 shown in Figures 5 to 8 , the controller 245 can determine the battery pack identification by assigning a bit value of 1 in response to the V1 voltage and a bit value of 0 in response to 0V.

[0075] Optionally, in some embodiments, the controller 245 can determine the battery pack identification by assigning a bit value of 0 in response to the V1 voltage and a bit value of 1 in response to 0V. For example, if the controller 245 receives the V1 voltage from the output pin 2422 of the ADC 242 and receives 0V from the output pin 2432 of the ADC 243, the battery pack identification of this battery pack 200 can be determined as "01".

[0076] Thus, the input pins of the ADCs 242 and 243 can be selectively connected to the pull-up power supply pin 2411 or the ground pin 2441 using the jumper wires 246 and 247, such that the battery pack identification of the battery pack 200 can be set by the device 240 for setting the battery pack identification according to the embodiment. Therefore, the device 240 for setting the battery pack identification does not need to provide different hardware for each battery pack to set the battery pack identification, and software processing may not be required.

[0077] In addition, in the above embodiment, the battery pack identification of the battery pack 200 consists of 2 bits. That is, battery pack identifications can be assigned to 4 battery packs in the battery system 100. As the number of battery packs in the battery system 100 increases, it is feasible to assign battery pack identifications to the battery packs by increasing the number of ADCs.

[0078] In addition, in some embodiments, the device 240 for setting the battery pack identification may include a plurality of ADCs. At this time, some of the plurality of ADCs can be used to assign battery pack identifications, and the remaining ADCs can be used in combination with at least one sensor. Here, the sensor can be, for example, a temperature sensor or a current sensor.

[0079] According to at least one embodiment, it is feasible to set the battery pack identification without providing different hardware for each battery pack to set the battery pack identification.

[0080] In addition, according to at least one embodiment, software processing for setting the battery pack identification may not be necessary.

[0081] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various variations and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present disclosure defined in the appended claims are also included in the present disclosure.

[0082] <Explanation of Reference Numerals> 100: Battery system 110, 120, 130, 200: Battery pack 140: MBMS 210: Battery module 220: BMS 230: Switch 240: Device for setting battery pack identification 241: Pull-up voltage supply unit 242, 243: ADC 244: Ground voltage supply unit 245: Controller 246, 247: Jumper wire.

Claims

1. A device for setting a battery pack identification of a battery pack, the device comprising: A first voltage supply unit configured to supply a power supply voltage through a first pin; A second voltage supply unit configured to supply a ground voltage through a second pin; A plurality of analog-to-digital converters configured to have an input pin and an output pin, and configured to transmit a voltage corresponding to a voltage input through the input pin to the output pin; A plurality of jumper wires configured to connect the input pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters to the first pin or the second pin respectively; And A controller configured to set the battery pack identification of the battery pack based on the voltage received through the output pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein Each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters includes: A voltage divider circuit including a plurality of first resistors connected between the input pin and the ground, and configured to provide a voltage divided by the plurality of first resistors to the output pin.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein The voltage divider circuit further includes a second resistor connected between a power supply supplying the power supply voltage and the input pin.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to detect a disconnection of the plurality of jumper wires based on the voltage received through the output pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to determine a value of each bit of the battery pack identification based on the voltage received through the output pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein If the voltage received through the output pin is the ground voltage, the controller is configured to set the value of the corresponding bit to a first value, and if the voltage received through the output pin is greater than the ground voltage, the controller is configured to set the value of the corresponding bit to a second value different from the first value.

7. A method for setting an identification of a battery pack, the method comprising: Converting, by each of a plurality of analog-to-digital converters, a voltage input through an input pin into a first voltage; And Setting the identification of the battery pack based on the first voltage converted by each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein According to an external control, a power supply voltage or a ground voltage is supplied to the input pins of each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The input pins of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters are respectively connected to a first pin supplying a power supply voltage or a second pin supplying a ground voltage through a plurality of jumper wires.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein The conversion includes: dividing the input voltage by a plurality of first resistors connected between the input pin and the ground.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein The identification of the battery pack is set to include: determining the value of each bit of the identification based on the first voltage converted by each of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining the value of each bit of the identification includes: if the first voltage is a ground voltage, setting the value of the corresponding bit to a first value; and if the first voltage is greater than the ground voltage, setting the value of the corresponding bit to a second value different from the first value.

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