Battery diagnostic apparatus and method of operating same

Abstract

The battery diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed herein includes: a communication circuit configured to acquire an accumulated mileage of a diagnosis target vehicle and an accumulated discharge energy of a battery mounted on the diagnosis target vehicle, and acquire a reference energy efficiency of a plurality of vehicles of the same model as the diagnosis target vehicle; a first processor configured to calculate a threshold value as a criterion for replacing the battery based on the reference energy efficiency; and a second processor configured to calculate a cumulative energy efficiency based on the cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy, and diagnose whether the battery has been replaced based on the cumulative energy efficiency and a threshold value.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0127482, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on September 22, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to battery diagnostic devices and their operating methods. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, research and development of rechargeable batteries have been actively pursued. Here, rechargeable batteries are rechargeable / dischargeable batteries, including all traditional nickel (Ni) / cadmium (Cd) batteries, Ni / metal hydride (MH) batteries, and, more recently, lithium-ion batteries. Among rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries have a significantly higher energy density than traditional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured in a small and lightweight manner, making them suitable for use as power sources in mobile devices. In recent years, their application has expanded to power electric vehicles, and they are attracting considerable attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0004] Batteries in electric vehicles are consumables and replaceable. Battery life can vary depending on how the electric vehicle is driven, the number of charge / discharge cycles, and / or the battery manufacturer. Therefore, to determine battery life, it is necessary to ascertain whether the battery in the vehicle has been replaced, and drivers who have purchased used electric vehicles may find it difficult to identify whether the battery has been replaced. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical issues Typically, unless there is a large-scale recall of electric vehicles, owners of electric vehicles may not be able to identify whether the battery has been replaced.

[0006] When using data from vehicles whose batteries have not been replaced to calculate a threshold as a standard for battery replacement, it may not be possible to ensure that the parameters for that threshold are sufficient.

[0007] The technical problems addressed by the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to those described above. Other unmentioned technical problems can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0008] Technical solution The battery diagnostic device according to embodiments disclosed herein includes: a communication circuit configured to acquire the cumulative mileage of a target vehicle and the cumulative discharge energy of a battery mounted on the target vehicle, and to acquire a reference energy efficiency of multiple vehicles of the same model as the target vehicle; a first processor configured to calculate a threshold as a standard for battery replacement based on the reference energy efficiency; and a second processor configured to calculate cumulative energy efficiency based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy, and to diagnose whether the battery has been replaced based on the cumulative energy efficiency and the threshold.

[0009] In one embodiment, each reference energy efficiency can be calculated at the start and end of each of the multiple vehicles within a specified time period.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first processor may also be configured to calculate the threshold using the interquartile range (IQR) of reference energy efficiency.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second processor may also be configured to diagnose whether the battery has been replaced based on a comparison of cumulative energy efficiency with a threshold.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second processor may also be configured to diagnose the battery as a replaced battery when the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds a threshold.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first processor may also be configured to extract a representative energy efficiency that represents the energy efficiency of the target vehicle being diagnosed, based on the average value and standard deviation of the reference energy efficiency, and the second processor may also be configured to calculate the cumulative mileage since the battery was installed on the target vehicle being diagnosed, based on the representative energy efficiency and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery.

[0014] In one embodiment, the communication circuitry may also be configured to transmit diagnostic information, including whether the battery has been replaced, to the user terminal.

[0015] The operation method of the battery diagnostic device according to the embodiments disclosed herein includes: acquiring the cumulative mileage of the target vehicle and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery installed in the target vehicle; acquiring the reference energy efficiency of multiple vehicles of the same model as the target vehicle; calculating a threshold as a standard for battery replacement based on the reference energy efficiency; calculating the cumulative energy efficiency based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy; and diagnosing whether the battery has been replaced based on the cumulative energy efficiency and the threshold.

[0016] In one embodiment, each reference energy efficiency can be calculated at the start and end of each of the multiple vehicles within a specified time period.

[0017] In one embodiment, calculating the threshold may include using the interquartile range (IQR) of a reference energy efficiency.

[0018] In one embodiment, the diagnosis may include diagnosing whether the battery has been replaced based on a comparison of cumulative energy efficiency with a threshold.

[0019] In one embodiment, the diagnosis may include diagnosing the battery as a replaced battery when the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds a threshold.

[0020] In one embodiment, the operation method may further include: extracting a representative energy efficiency that represents the energy efficiency of the target vehicle being diagnosed, based on the average value and standard deviation of the reference energy efficiency; and calculating the cumulative mileage after replacement from the time point when the battery was installed on the target vehicle being diagnosed, based on the representative energy efficiency and the cumulative discharge energy.

[0021] In one embodiment, the operation method may further include transmitting diagnostic information, including whether the battery has been replaced, to a user terminal.

[0022] Beneficial effects The battery diagnostic apparatus and operating methods disclosed herein can diagnose whether a battery has been replaced based on the vehicle's cumulative mileage and the battery's cumulative discharge energy. Therefore, by using data about the vehicle and data about the battery mounted on the vehicle, it is possible to determine more accurately whether the battery has been replaced.

[0023] The battery diagnostic apparatus and its operating methods according to the various embodiments disclosed herein can use data about all vehicles and / or batteries, regardless of whether the batteries have been replaced, thereby ensuring a sufficient amount of data to calculate thresholds as criteria for determining battery replacement.

[0024] The technical effects of the battery diagnostic device and its operating method according to the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the effects described above. Other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure herein. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A battery diagnostic system according to an embodiment disclosed herein is shown.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a battery diagnostic apparatus according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a cumulative discharge energy-cumulative mileage chart based on the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0028] Figure 4a and Figure 4b A reference energy efficiency diagram and an analysis table based on the reference energy efficiency diagram are shown according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0029] Figure 5 A cumulative energy efficiency graph is shown according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a battery diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a detailed operation method of the battery diagnostic device 606 according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a battery diagnostic device to calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement, according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0033] In the description of the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used to refer to the same or related elements. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this description is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments, but should be understood to cover various modifications, equivalents, and alternatives to the embodiments according to this disclosure.

[0035] It should be understood that the embodiments and terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to a particular embodiment, but rather to encompass various changes, equivalents, or substitutions for corresponding embodiments. In the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It should be understood that the singular form of nouns corresponding to items may include one or more things, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0036] As used herein, each of the phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “at least one of A, B or C” can mean any one of the items listed in the corresponding phrase or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as “first,” “second,” “first,” “second,” “A,” “B,” “(a),” or “(b)” are used only to distinguish the corresponding component from other components and do not otherwise limit these components (e.g., in terms of importance or order) unless otherwise stated.

[0037] In this document, it should be understood that when an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, whether or not it carries the terms “operationally” or “communically”, as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “linked,” or “coupled to” or “connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), it means that the element can be directly (e.g., wired or wirelessly) or indirectly (e.g., via a third element) connected to the other element.

[0038] The methods according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be included in a computer program product to provide the method. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., an optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online through an app store (e.g., downloaded or uploaded), or distributed directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be stored at least temporarily in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an app store's server, or a relay server, or may be temporarily generated.

[0039] According to the various embodiments disclosed herein, each of the above-described elements (e.g., a module or program) may include a single entity or multiple entities, some of which may be individually disposed on other components. According to the embodiments disclosed herein, one or more of the above-described components or operations may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the corresponding components in the multiple components before integration. According to the embodiments disclosed herein, operations performed by modules, programs, or other components may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0040] Figure 1 A battery diagnostic system according to an embodiment disclosed herein is shown.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 The battery diagnostic system may include a target vehicle 10, multiple vehicles 11, 12 and 13, a battery diagnostic device 100, and a user terminal 150.

[0042] The target vehicle 10 for diagnosis can be the vehicle for which the battery diagnostic device 100 intends to diagnose whether the battery pack has been replaced. Multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 can be vehicles of the same model as the target vehicle 10. According to one embodiment, the target vehicle 10 can be one of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13. Although Figure 1 The diagram shows multiple vehicles 11, 12 and 13, which are three vehicles, but this disclosure is not limited to this.

[0043] Figure 1All vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 shown may include battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131, respectively. Battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131 may include multiple battery cells. According to one embodiment, the multiple battery cells may include, but are not limited to, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, lithium-ion polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium (Ni / Cd) batteries, nickel-metal hydride (Ni / MH) batteries, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide (NCM) batteries, etc. Battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131 may supply power to vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13, respectively. For this purpose, battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131 may be electrically connected to vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13, respectively.

[0044] Figure 1 The connection between the battery diagnostic device 100 and all vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 and / or user terminal 150 can be a communication connection implemented via wired and / or wireless networks. The battery diagnostic device 100 can communicate with / from these wired and / or wireless networks. Figure 1 All vehicles 10, 11, 12 and 13 shown, and / or user terminal 150, send / receive data.

[0045] In one embodiment, Figure 1 The connection between the battery diagnostic device 100 shown and all vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 and / or user terminal 150 can be a communication connection implemented via wired and / or wireless networks. In one embodiment, the wired network may be based on local area network (LAN) communication or power line communication. In one embodiment, the wireless network may be based on a short-range communication network (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a long-range communication network (e.g., cellular network, fourth-generation (4G) network, fifth-generation (5G) network).

[0046] In one embodiment, Figure 1 The connection between the battery diagnostic device 100 shown and all vehicles 10, 11, 12 and 13 and / or user terminal 150 can be a connection using a device-to-device communication scheme (e.g., bus, general purpose input / output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

[0047] The following describes a method performed by the battery diagnostic device 100 to determine whether the battery pack 101 included in the target vehicle 10 has been replaced.

[0048] Furthermore, in the following description, the first vehicle 11 to the third vehicle 13 are referred to as multiple vehicles, and it is assumed that the diagnostic target vehicle 10 is not included in the multiple vehicles 11, 12 and 13.

[0049] The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 included in the target vehicle 10 has been replaced. The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on the reference energy efficiency of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 and the cumulative energy efficiency of the target vehicle 10. Here, the reference energy efficiency can be an energy efficiency calculated based on specific criteria (e.g., a specified time period or specified conditions). For example, the reference energy efficiency could be the average energy efficiency calculated at the beginning and end of each trip for each of the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 within a month. The cumulative energy efficiency can be used as an indicator to diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced. This is because when the battery pack 101 is replaced, the cumulative mileage of the target vehicle is not initialized, but the cumulative discharge energy may be initialized; therefore, the cumulative energy efficiency before and after the battery pack 101 replacement may be different.

[0050] The following describes a method performed by the battery diagnostic device 100 to diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced, based on the reference energy efficiency of multiple vehicles 11, 12 and 13 and the cumulative energy efficiency of the target vehicle 10.

[0051] The battery diagnostic device 100 can acquire reference energy efficiency calculated for multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 at specified times. According to one embodiment, the reference energy efficiency can be calculated based on cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy at at least two time points. The reference energy efficiency can be expressed as the slope between the cumulative discharge energy at a first time point and the cumulative mileage at the first time point, and the cumulative discharge energy at a second time point prior to the first time point and the cumulative mileage at the second time point, on a two-dimensional (2D) coordinate plane.

[0052] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate a threshold based on a reference energy efficiency as a standard for determining whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced. The threshold can represent a reference value, which can be used to calculate the vehicle's energy efficiency as a random value between a maximum and a minimum, based on the reference energy efficiency. The threshold can be calculated based on the average, standard deviation, maximum, and / or minimum values ​​of the reference energy efficiency.

[0053] The battery diagnostic device 100 can acquire the cumulative mileage of the target vehicle 10 and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101. Here, the cumulative mileage can be the cumulative distance traveled by the target vehicle 10 up to a specific point in time, and the cumulative discharge energy can be the total energy released since the battery pack 101 was installed on the target vehicle 10.

[0054] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy efficiency of the target vehicle 10 based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy. In this document, the cumulative energy efficiency can be calculated based on the value obtained by dividing the cumulative mileage by the cumulative discharge energy. According to one embodiment, the cumulative energy efficiency can be represented as a slope value on a 2D coordinate plane based on the cumulative discharge energy relative to the cumulative mileage.

[0055] The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on cumulative energy efficiency and threshold values.

[0056] If the battery pack 101 is diagnosed as a replaced battery pack, the battery diagnostic device 100 can extract a representative energy efficiency for the target vehicle 10 based on the average and standard deviation of the reference energy efficiency. For example, the representative energy efficiency could be the average or median of the reference energy efficiency of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13.

[0057] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement based on representative performance efficiency and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101, that is, the cumulative mileage from the time when the battery pack 101 was installed on the target vehicle for diagnosis.

[0058] The battery diagnostic device 100 can send diagnostic results, including whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced, to the user terminal 150. Here, the user terminal 150 can be a device that controls the battery diagnostic device 100 and / or receives diagnostic results from the battery diagnostic device 100, and can be a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone, laptop, smartphone, tablet) or a personal computer (PC). In one embodiment, the user terminal 150 may be included in the battery diagnostic device 100.

[0059] In one embodiment, the battery diagnostic device 100 may be included in a battery management system (BMS) capable of diagnosing the battery pack 101, and the operations performed in the battery diagnostic device 100 may be performed in the BMS. Furthermore, the following operations of the battery diagnostic device 100 may also be performed in various devices, such as not only in a vehicle's BMS, but also in servers, the cloud, chargers, chargers, dischargers, etc.

[0060] The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on the vehicle's cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101, thus enabling owners of used vehicles to easily identify whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced.

[0061] When it is diagnosed that the battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the mileage since the time the battery pack 101 was replaced, thereby more clearly diagnosing the cause of the problem in the vehicle.

[0062] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a battery diagnostic apparatus according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0063] Reference Figure 2 The battery diagnostic device 100 may include a memory 102, a communication circuit 104, a first processor 106, and a second processor 108. According to one embodiment, besides… Figure 2 In addition to the components shown, Figure 2 The battery diagnostic device 100 shown may also include at least one component (e.g., a sensor, a display, an input device, or an output device).

[0064] The memory 102 may include volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory.

[0065] In one embodiment, memory 102 may include one or more software programs.

[0066] In one embodiment, memory 102 may store data used by at least one component of battery diagnostic device 100 (e.g., processors 106 and 108). For example, the data may include software (or associated instructions), input data, or output data. In one embodiment, when executed by each of processors 106 and 108, the instructions may cause battery diagnostic device 100 to perform the operations defined by those instructions.

[0067] The communication circuit 104 can obtain reference energy efficiency calculated for multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 respectively. The communication circuit 104 can obtain reference energy efficiency calculated for multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 respectively for a specified time.

[0068] The first processor 106 can calculate a threshold based on a reference energy efficiency as a standard for determining whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced. The threshold can represent a reference value that allows the vehicle's energy efficiency to be calculated as a random value between a maximum and a minimum based on the reference energy efficiency. In one embodiment, the interquartile range (IQR) of the reference energy efficiency can be used to calculate the threshold. In one embodiment, the first processor 106 can calculate the threshold based on the maximum value remaining after removing outliers from the reference energy efficiency calculated for a specified time. In one embodiment, the first processor 106 can calculate the threshold based on the third quartile Q3. For example, the first processor 106 can calculate the IQR based on the first quartile Q1 and the third quartile Q3, and use Formula 1 to calculate the threshold.

[0069] Formula 1: Threshold = Q3 + 1.5 × IQR The communication circuit 104 can obtain the cumulative mileage of the target vehicle 10 from the target vehicle 10. Here, the cumulative mileage can be a value obtained by accumulating the mileage of the vehicle up to a specific point in time. The cumulative mileage can be stored in the memory of the target vehicle 10.

[0070] The communication circuit 104 can acquire the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101. Here, the cumulative discharge energy can be the total amount of energy released from the time when the battery pack 101 is installed on the target vehicle 10 for diagnosis until a specific time point. The cumulative discharge energy can be stored in the memory 102.

[0071] The second processor 108 can calculate the cumulative energy efficiency of the target vehicle 10 based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy. Here, the cumulative energy efficiency can be the value obtained by dividing the cumulative mileage by the cumulative discharge energy, regardless of whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced. Depending on whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced, the cumulative energy efficiency before and after the replacement may be different. That is, once the battery pack 101 is replaced, the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101 will be initialized, so that the calculated cumulative energy efficiency may be higher than the cumulative energy efficiency when the battery pack 101 has not been replaced.

[0072] The second processor 108 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on cumulative energy efficiency and a threshold. The second processor 108 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on a comparison of cumulative energy efficiency and a threshold.

[0073] In one embodiment, the second processor 108 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on whether the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds a threshold. When the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds the threshold, the second processor 108 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 has been replaced. When the cumulative energy efficiency is less than or equal to the threshold, the second processor 108 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 has not been replaced.

[0074] So far, the replacement of battery pack 101 has been determined based on whether the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds a threshold. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and various embodiments may exist, such as situations where the cumulative energy efficiency is less than or equal to and / or below a minimum threshold or outside the threshold range. However, for ease of description, it will be assumed below that the diagnosis of whether battery pack 101 has been replaced is based on whether the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds the threshold.

[0075] The first processor 106 can extract representative energy efficiency based on a reference energy efficiency. The first processor 106 can extract representative energy efficiency based on the average and standard deviation of the reference energy efficiency. For example, representative energy efficiency can be extracted based on the average or median of the reference energy efficiency of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13. In one embodiment, for vehicle models that typically have high reference energy efficiency, representative energy efficiency can be extracted based on the value obtained by adding the standard deviation to the average reference energy efficiency. On the other hand, for vehicle models that typically have low reference energy efficiency, representative energy efficiency can be extracted based on the value obtained by subtracting the standard deviation from the average reference energy efficiency.

[0076] When the battery pack 101 is diagnosed as a replaced battery pack, the second processor 108 can calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement, which represents the mileage since the replacement time. Here, the cumulative mileage after replacement can be the cumulative mileage from the replacement time to a specific time point (e.g., the current time). The second processor 108 can use Formula 2 to calculate the mileage after replacement.

[0077] Formula 2: Cumulative mileage after replacement = Representative performance efficiency × Cumulative discharge energy In one embodiment, the first processor 106 and the second processor 108 may include a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a neural network processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor.

[0078] In one embodiment, the first processor 106 and the second processor 108 may execute software to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the battery diagnostic device 100 connected to the first processor 106 and the second processor 108, or to perform various data processing or operations.

[0079] The operations described above, performed by the first processor 106 and the second processor 108, can also be performed by a single processor.

[0080] The communication circuit 104 can transmit the diagnostic results to the user terminal 150. Here, the user terminal 150 can be a device that controls the battery diagnostic device 100 and / or receives the diagnostic results from the battery diagnostic device 100.

[0081] In one embodiment, the communication circuit 104 can be connected to the battery diagnostic device 100. Figure 1 A wired and / or wireless communication channel is established between all vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 shown, and communication is transmitted / received to / from these established channels. Figure 1 All vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 shown are sending / receiving data.

[0082] In one embodiment, the communication circuit 104 of the battery diagnostic device 100 can establish a wired communication channel and / or a wireless communication channel between the battery diagnostic device 100 and the user terminal 150 and / or vehicles 10, 11, 12 and 13, and send / receive data to / from the user terminal 150 and / or vehicles 10, 11, 12 and 13 through the established communication channel.

[0083] In one embodiment, when the operation of the battery diagnostic device 100 is performed by the BMS included in the battery pack 101 of the target vehicle 10, the battery diagnostic device 100 may not include the first processor 106. In this case, the operation of the first processor 106 may be performed by an external device, and the battery diagnostic device 100 may obtain thresholds and / or representative performance values ​​from the external device via the communication circuit 104.

[0084] Figure 3 This is a cumulative discharge energy-cumulative mileage chart based on the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0085] Reference Figure 3 The battery diagnostic device 100 can generate a cumulative discharge energy-cumulative mileage chart to identify changes in cumulative discharge energy and cumulative mileage.

[0086] The battery diagnostic device 100 can determine whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on the graph. For example, when the battery pack 101 has not been replaced, a first graph 30 is generated; while when the battery pack 101 has been replaced, the accumulated discharge energy is initialized, thereby generating a first graph 30 and a second graph 32. For example, the first graph 30 and the second graph 32 can be distinguished based on the accumulated mileage 300 at the time when the battery pack 101 was replaced.

[0087] In one embodiment, when battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack, the graph may include cumulative mileage relative to the cumulative discharge energy of both the original and replaced battery packs. The first graph 30 may be based on data from the original battery pack, and the second graph 32 may be based on data from the replaced battery pack. That is, it can be determined that when battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack, the cumulative discharge energy is initialized, while the cumulative mileage is not initialized.

[0088] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy efficiency of the replaced battery pack. Assuming both the initial cumulative mileage and initial cumulative discharge energy are 0, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy efficiency of the replaced battery pack to be 143.2 based on the slope value between the point (0, 0) and the coordinates (424.5, 60790) of the first cumulative discharge energy and the first cumulative mileage. Simultaneously, when calculating the cumulative energy efficiency of the original battery pack in the same way as calculating the replaced battery pack, the cumulative energy efficiency of the original battery pack can be calculated as 10.09, which is the slope value between (0, 0) and (5773, 58248). For example, when the threshold is 11 km / kWh, since the cumulative energy efficiency (143.2 km / kWh) exceeds the threshold (11 km / kWh), the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack is a replaced battery pack.

[0089] Figure 4a and Figure 4b A reference energy efficiency diagram and an analysis table based on the reference energy efficiency diagram are shown according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0090] Reference Figure 4a and Figure 4b The reference energy efficiency diagram 40 may include reference energy efficiency calculated for the first to fifth vehicle models at a specified time. Here, the first to fifth vehicle models can be different vehicle models, and each of the first to fifth vehicle models may include a single vehicle or multiple vehicles of the same model. Figure 5 In this context, assuming that each of the first to fifth models includes multiple vehicles of the same model, a reference energy efficiency map 40 can be generated based on the data of the multiple vehicles included in each of the first to fifth models.

[0091] The specified time period can be, for example, one month, and the reference energy efficiency can be calculated periodically within that month. In one embodiment, the reference energy efficiency can be calculated every 10 km driven within a specified month. In one embodiment, if the reference energy efficiency is calculated monthly within a specified year, 12 reference energy efficiencies for the vehicle can be calculated. In one embodiment, if the reference energy efficiency is calculated weekly within a specified year, 54 reference energy efficiencies for the vehicle can be calculated.

[0092] The battery diagnostic device 100 can generate an analysis table 42 based on the reference energy efficiency diagram 40. The analysis table 42 may include the average value, standard deviation, minimum value, maximum value, and threshold of the reference energy efficiency for each of the first to fifth vehicle models. Here, the threshold can be calculated based on the interquartile range (IQR) scheme described above.

[0093] Referring to reference energy efficiency chart 40 and analysis table 42, battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate thresholds based on the reference energy efficiency of all vehicles, regardless of whether the battery has been replaced. This allows for the calculation of thresholds from reference energy efficiency data of all vehicles of a specific model, even in the event of a large-scale recall, regardless of battery replacement status. Therefore, by using reference energy efficiency data from both vehicles with and without battery replacements, battery diagnostic device 100 ensures a sufficient amount of data.

[0094] Figure 5 A cumulative energy efficiency graph is shown according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0095] Reference Figure 5 The cumulative energy efficiency map can include the most recently calculated cumulative energy efficiency for each of the multiple vehicle models.

[0096] The battery diagnostic device 100 can generate a cumulative energy efficiency map. The cumulative energy efficiency map can include cumulative energy efficiency for the first through fifth vehicle models. Here, the first through fifth vehicle models can be different models, and each model can include a single vehicle or multiple vehicles of the same model. Figure 5 In this study, it is assumed that each of the first to fifth vehicle models includes a single vehicle, and a cumulative energy efficiency map is generated based on the data of each single vehicle.

[0097] The battery diagnostic device 100 can be based on Figure 5 The cumulative energy efficiency shown is Figure 4b The results of the threshold comparisons included in the analysis table 42 shown are used to diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced.

[0098] Reference Figure 4b Analysis Table 42 and Figure 5 Based on the cumulative energy efficiency graph, when the target vehicle 10 corresponds to the first vehicle model, the threshold for the first vehicle model is 6.2 km / kWh, and the cumulative energy efficiency of the target vehicle 10 does not exceed this threshold of 6.2 km / kWh. Therefore, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 is an unreplaced battery pack. On the other hand, when the target vehicle 10 corresponds to the fourth vehicle model, the threshold for the fourth vehicle model is 6.8 km / kWh, and the cumulative energy efficiency of the target vehicle 10 exceeds this threshold of 6.8 km / kWh. Therefore, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack.

[0099] In conclusion, for vehicle models whose batteries have not been replaced, Figure 5 The cumulative energy efficiency shown is Figure 4b The deviations between the thresholds included in the analysis table 42 shown are small, but for models whose batteries have been replaced, Figure 5 The cumulative energy efficiency shown is Figure 4b The deviations between the thresholds included in the analysis table 42 shown are greater than those for other vehicle models. This means that when the battery has not been replaced, the reference energy efficiency and cumulative energy efficiency may be calculated as similar values. Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a battery diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0100] See Figure 6 In operation 600, the battery diagnostic device 100 can obtain a threshold based on the reference energy efficiency of multiple vehicles 11, 12 and 13.

[0101] In one embodiment, the battery diagnostic device 100 operates as follows: In operation 602, the battery diagnostic device 100 can acquire the cumulative mileage of the target vehicle 10 and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101.

[0102] In operation 604, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy efficiency of the target vehicle 10 based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy.

[0103] In operation 604, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 has been replaced based on cumulative energy efficiency and threshold values.

[0104] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a detailed operation method of the battery diagnostic device 606 according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0105] See Figure 7 , Figure 6 The operation 606 shown may include Figure 7 Operations 700 to 704 are shown in the diagram.

[0106] In operation 700, the battery diagnostic device 100 can compare the cumulative energy efficiency with a threshold. The battery diagnostic device 100 can determine whether the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds the threshold.

[0107] In operation 702, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose the battery pack 101 as a replaced battery pack when the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds the threshold, based on the comparison result of the cumulative energy efficiency and the threshold.

[0108] In operation 704, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose the battery pack 101 as an unreplaced battery pack when the cumulative energy efficiency is less than or equal to the threshold, based on the comparison result of the cumulative energy efficiency and the threshold.

[0109] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a battery diagnostic device to calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement, according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0110] See Figure 8 , can Figure 7 Following operation 704, operation 800 is executed. In operation 800, when battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack, battery diagnostic device 100 can extract representative performance efficiency based on reference energy efficiency. Here, representative performance efficiency can be the average or median of the reference energy efficiency.

[0111] In operation 802, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement based on representative performance efficiency and cumulative discharge energy. The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate this cumulative mileage based on the product of representative performance efficiency and cumulative discharge energy.

[0112] The terms "comprising," "constituting," or "having" used above, unless otherwise stated, may indicate that the corresponding element may be inherent and should therefore be understood to include other components without excluding them. All terms, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein pertain, unless otherwise defined. General terms, such as those defined in dictionaries, should be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless expressly defined herein.

[0113] The above description is merely an exemplary description of the technical concept disclosed herein. Various modifications and variations can be conceived by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein pertain without departing from the basic characteristics of the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are intended to describe, not limit, the technical spirit of the disclosed embodiments, and the scope of the technical spirit of this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical spirit disclosed herein should be interpreted through the appended claims, and all technical spirit within the same scope should be understood to be included within the scope of this document.

Claims

1. A battery diagnostic device, comprising: The communication circuit is configured as follows: Obtain the cumulative mileage of the target vehicle and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery mounted on the target vehicle. Obtain reference energy efficiency for multiple vehicles of the same model as the target vehicle for diagnosis; The first processor is configured to calculate a threshold as a standard for battery replacement based on the reference energy efficiency. as well as The second processor is configured as follows: The cumulative energy efficiency is calculated based on the cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy. The cumulative energy efficiency and the threshold are used to diagnose whether the battery has been replaced.

2. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the aforementioned reference energy efficiency values ​​is calculated at the start and end of each of the plurality of vehicles within a specified time period.

3. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein, The first processor is also configured to use the interquartile range (IQR) of the reference energy efficiency to calculate the threshold.

4. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein, The second processor is also configured to diagnose whether the battery has been replaced based on a comparison of the cumulative energy efficiency with the threshold.

5. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 4, wherein, The second processor is also configured to diagnose the battery as a replaced battery when the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds the threshold.

6. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 5, wherein, The first processor is further configured to: extract a representative energy efficiency that represents the energy efficiency of the target vehicle for diagnosis, based on the average value and standard deviation of the reference energy efficiency; and The second processor is further configured to calculate, based on the representative performance efficiency and the battery's cumulative discharge energy, the cumulative mileage since the battery was installed on the target vehicle for diagnosis.

7. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein, The communication circuit is also configured to transmit diagnostic information, including whether the battery has been replaced, to the user terminal.

8. A method for operating a battery diagnostic device, the method comprising: Obtain the cumulative mileage of the target vehicle and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery installed in the target vehicle; Obtain reference energy efficiency for multiple vehicles of the same model as the target vehicle for diagnosis; Based on the reference energy efficiency, a threshold is calculated as a standard for battery replacement; The cumulative energy efficiency is calculated based on the cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy. as well as Based on the cumulative energy efficiency and the threshold, it is determined whether the battery has been replaced.

9. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, Each of the aforementioned reference energy efficiency values ​​is calculated at the start and end of each of the plurality of vehicles within a specified time period.

10. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, Calculating the threshold includes using the interquartile range (IQR) of the reference energy efficiency to calculate the threshold.

11. The operating method according to claim 8, wherein, The diagnosis includes: diagnosing whether the battery has been replaced based on a comparison between the cumulative energy efficiency and the threshold.

12. The operating method according to claim 11, wherein, The diagnosis includes diagnosing the battery as a replaced battery when the cumulative energy efficiency exceeds the threshold.

13. The operating method according to claim 12, further comprising: Based on the average value and standard deviation of the reference energy efficiency, a representative energy efficiency that represents the energy efficiency of the target vehicle for diagnosis is extracted. and Based on the representative performance efficiency and the cumulative discharge energy, the cumulative mileage after replacement is calculated from the time the battery was installed on the target vehicle for diagnosis.

14. The operating method according to claim 8, further comprising: Diagnostic information, including whether the battery has been replaced, is transmitted to the user terminal.

Images