Battery device, method of operating the same, and battery pack

Abstract

This disclosure provides a battery device, a method of operating the battery device, and a battery pack. The battery device includes: a charging path through which charging current is supplied to a battery pack comprising one or more individual battery cells; a charging control switch located on the charging path and configured to selectively allow or block the flow of the charging current; and a processor configured to be activated when the charging current is supplied through the charging path, to disconnect the charging control switch, and to monitor the individual cell voltages of the one or more individual battery cells to detect abnormal individual cells among the one or more individual battery cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a battery device, a method of operating the battery device, and a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] Unlike primary batteries, which cannot be recharged, secondary batteries are rechargeable and dischargeable. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small portable electronic devices such as smartphones, feature phones, laptops, digital cameras, and camcorders, while high-capacity batteries are widely used as power sources for driving motors and as energy storage batteries in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and other similar applications. Such secondary batteries include electrode assemblies, a housing that encloses the electrode assemblies, and electrode terminals electrically connected to the electrode assemblies. The electrode assemblies include a positive electrode and a negative electrode.

[0003] The information disclosed in this background section is intended to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may contain information that does not constitute related (or prior art). Summary of the Invention

[0004] Several aspects of this disclosure relate to a battery device that can ensure safety during the charging of a battery (e.g., a battery cell, battery module, or battery pack), a method of operating the battery device, and a battery pack including the battery device.

[0005] However, the present invention is not limited to the objectives described above, and other objectives not described will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a battery device is provided, the battery device comprising: a charging path through which charging current is supplied to a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells; a charging control switch located on the charging path and configured to selectively allow or block the flow of charging current; and a processor configured to be woken up when charging current is supplied through the charging path, to disconnect the charging control switch, and to monitor the cell voltage of the one or more battery cells to detect abnormal battery cells among the one or more battery cells.

[0007] In some embodiments, the processor is configured to detect abnormal battery cells by determining whether the cell voltage of each of the monitored one or more battery cells meets an abnormal battery cell detection condition associated with the cell voltage.

[0008] In some embodiments, the processor is configured to: determine that the abnormal battery cell detection condition is met by responding to the fact that the cell voltage of the target battery cell among the one or more battery cells remains at or below the reference voltage within a reference time, and detect the target battery cell as an abnormal battery cell.

[0009] In some embodiments, the reference voltage is defined as the cell voltage at which copper deposition occurs during the charging of the respective battery cell.

[0010] In some embodiments, after the processor is woken up when it is supplied with charging current through the charging path, the processor is configured to: check the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time, and perform abnormal battery cell detection processing only in response to the checked time being greater than or equal to a threshold time.

[0011] In some embodiments, the battery device further includes a protection element configured to block the flow of current supplied to or drawn from the battery pack, wherein the processor is configured to operate the protection element in response to detecting an abnormal battery cell to block the flow of charging current supplied to the battery pack.

[0012] In some embodiments, the processor is configured to turn on the charging control switch in response to the absence of a faulty battery cell, thereby initiating charging of the battery pack.

[0013] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided, the battery pack comprising: a battery group including one or more battery cells; a charging path through which charging current is supplied to the battery group; a charging control switch located on the charging path and configured to selectively allow or block the flow of charging current; and a processor configured to be woken up in response to the supply of charging current on the charging path, disconnect the charging control switch, and monitor the cell voltage of the one or more battery cells to detect abnormal battery cells among the one or more battery cells.

[0014] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method of operating a battery device is provided, the method comprising: waking up a processor of the battery device when a charging current is supplied through a charging path of the battery device, the charging path being a path through which the charging current is supplied to a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells; disconnecting a charging control switch by the processor, the charging control switch being located on the charging path to allow or block the flow of the charging current; and monitoring the individual cell voltages of the one or more battery cells by the processor, and detecting abnormal battery cells among the one or more battery cells.

[0015] In some embodiments, in the step of detecting abnormal battery cells, the processor is configured to detect abnormal battery cells by determining whether the cell voltage of each of the one or more monitored battery cells meets an abnormal battery cell detection condition associated with the cell voltage.

[0016] In some embodiments, in the step of detecting abnormal battery cells, the processor is configured to: determine that the abnormal battery cell detection condition is met in response to the cell voltage of a target battery cell among the one or more battery cells remaining at or below a reference voltage within a reference time, and detect the target battery cell as an abnormal battery cell.

[0017] In some embodiments, the reference voltage is defined as the cell voltage at which copper deposition occurs during the charging of the respective battery cell.

[0018] In some embodiments, the operation method further includes: after waking up the processor, having the processor check the check time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time; and having the processor compare the check time with a threshold time, wherein the disconnection of the charging control switch and the detection of abnormal battery cells are performed only in response to the check time being greater than or equal to the threshold time.

[0019] In some embodiments, the battery device further includes a protection element configured to block the flow of current supplied to or drawn from the battery pack, and wherein the operating method further includes: the processor operating the protection element in response to detecting an abnormal battery cell to block the flow of charging current supplied to the battery pack.

[0020] In some embodiments, the operating method further includes: the processor turning on a charging control switch in response to the absence of a faulty battery cell to initiate charging of the battery pack. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The following accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and further describe aspects and features of the disclosure together with the detailed description of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 These are exemplary views illustrating the circuit structure of a battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted based on the principle that the inventor may be his / her own lexicographer to appropriately define the concepts of the terms so as to best illustrate his / her invention, and are therefore interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

[0023] The embodiments described in this specification and the constructions shown in the accompanying drawings are merely some embodiments of this disclosure and do not represent all technical concepts, aspects, and features of this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may exist, which may replace or modify the embodiments described herein at the time of filing this application.

[0024] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on" another element or layer, "connected" to another element or layer, or "bonded" to another element or layer, it may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly bonded to the other element or layer, or one or more intermediary elements or intermediary layers may be present. When an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on" another element or layer, "directly connected" to another element or layer, or "directly bonded" to another element or layer, no intermediary element or intermediary layer is present. For example, when a first element is described as being "bonded" or "connected" to a second element, the first element may be directly bonded or connected to the second element, or the first element may be indirectly bonded or connected to the second element via one or more intermediary elements.

[0025] In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of various elements, layers, etc., may be exaggerated for clarity. The same reference numerals denote the same elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one of the associated listed items and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Furthermore, when describing embodiments of this disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of this disclosure." When expressions such as "at least one of..." and "any one of..." follow a list of elements, they modify the entire list of elements rather than individual elements in the list. When a list of elements A, B, and C is specified using phrases such as "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "at least one selected from the group of A, B, and C," or "at least one selected from A, B, and C," the phrase may refer to any and all suitable combinations or subsets of A, B, and C, such as A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. As used herein, the term "use" and its variations may be considered synonymous with the term "utilize" and its variations, respectively. As used herein, the terms “basic,” “about,” and similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than terms of degree and are intended to explain the inherent biases of the measured or calculated values ​​that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0026] It will be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or portion from another element, component, region, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, first component, first region, first layer, or first portion discussed below may be referred to as a second element, second component, second region, second layer, or second portion.

[0027] For ease of description, spatial relative terms (such as "below," "under," "lower," "above," "upper," etc.) may be used herein to describe the relationship of an element or feature as shown in the figure to other elements or features. It will be understood that, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure, spatial relative terms are intended to also cover different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features will be oriented as "above" or "above" said other elements or features. Therefore, the term "below" can encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this disclosure and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that, when used in this specification, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and / or variations thereof specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0029] Furthermore, any numerical range disclosed and / or described herein is intended to include all subranges with the same numerical precision falling within the described range. For example, the range "1.0 to 10.0" is intended to include all subranges between (and including) the described minimum value of 1.0 and the described maximum value of 10.0, i.e., all subranges having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limit described herein is intended to include all lower numerical limits falling within it, and any minimum numerical limit described in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limits falling within it. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to amend this specification and claims to expressly describe any subranges falling within the range expressly described herein.

[0030] Referring to two compared elements, features, etc., as “identical” can mean that they are “substantially identical.” Therefore, the phrase “substantially identical” can include cases with a deviation that is considered low in the art (e.g., 5% or less). Additionally, when a particular parameter is said to be uniform in a given region, it can mean that it is uniform in terms of average value.

[0031] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise stated, each element may be a single or multiple.

[0032] When any element is referred to as being positioned (or located or positioned) "above (or below)" or "on (or below)" a component, it can mean that the element can be placed to contact the upper (or lower) surface of the component, and it can also mean that another element can be located between the component and the element positioned (or located or positioned) on (or below) the component.

[0033] Furthermore, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "joined," "linked," or "connected" to another element, the elements can be directly "joined," "linked," or "connected" to each other, or there can be an intermediary element through which the elements can be "joined," "linked," or "connected" to the other element. Additionally, when a part is referred to as being "electrically connected" to another part, that part can be directly connected to the other part, or there can be an intermediary part through which the part and the other part are indirectly connected to each other.

[0034] Throughout this specification, when “A and / or B” is stated, unless otherwise specified, it means A, B, or A and B. That is, “and / or” includes any or all combinations of the listed items. Unless otherwise specifically stated, when “C to D” is stated, it means greater than or equal to C and less than or equal to D.

[0035] Figure 1 This is an exemplary view illustrating the circuit structure of a battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 In the components shown, each component other than the battery bank B can constitute a battery device according to some embodiments, and the battery device can be implemented as a battery management system (BMS). The battery bank B described below may include one or more battery cells C, and can be implemented as a structure in which multiple battery cells C are connected in series, in parallel, or in a combination of both, and may refer to, for example, a battery module. Figure 1 The battery device shown can be combined with battery pack B to form a battery pack.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the battery device may include a processor 100, a charging / discharging path 200, a charging path 300, a discharging path 400, a current sensing element 500, a switch driver 600, a charging control switch SW_C, a discharging control switch SW_D, and a protection element F. Figure 1 An example is shown in which the charging path 300 and the discharging path 400 are configured separately; however, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto, and in some examples, a structure in which the charging path 300 and the discharging path 400 are integrated into a single path may be provided.

[0037] Processor 100 can monitor the state of battery pack B and each individual battery cell C, and can perform battery cell control operations based on the monitoring results. For example, processor 100 can be configured to monitor the voltage, current, temperature, and SOC of battery cell C, and can perform control operations such as equalization control, temperature control, and charge / discharge control of battery cell C based on the monitoring results, or can perform protection operations such as switching control to prevent over-discharge or over-charge conditions or significantly reduce the likelihood of over-discharge or over-charge conditions. Processor 100 can be configured to include an analog front-end IC (AFE IC) of the BMS and a microcontroller unit (MCU) (here, Figure 1 An example of a structure in which the AFE IC and MCU of the BMS are integrated into a single processor 100 is shown; however, in other embodiments, the AFE IC and MCU may be implemented as two separate processors.

[0038] The charging / discharging path 200 can be used as a path for supplying charging current to battery pack B and drawing discharging current from battery pack B. That is, during the charging of battery pack B, charging current is supplied to battery pack B through charging / discharging path 200, and during the discharging of battery pack B, discharging current is supplied to the load through charging / discharging path 200. For clarity of terminology, Figure 1 The path connecting the first node N1, the protection element F, the battery pack B, the current detection element 500, and the second node N2 is defined as the charging / discharging path 200. Here, the first node N1 and the second node N2 correspond to the nodes to which the charging path 300 and the discharging path 400 described below are jointly connected.

[0039] The charging / discharging path 200 may be equipped with a protection element F, and the protection element F may be implemented as, for example, a self-controlled protection device (SCP) fuse for blocking the current flow on the charging / discharging path 200. When an anomaly occurs in the battery pack, the processor 100 described above may operate (e.g., blow) the protection element F, thereby blocking the current flow on the charging / discharging path 200 (in the following, the term "operation of the protection element" is defined as "disconnecting the path equipped with the protection element" or "blowing the fuse"). For example, an anomaly may occur when the internal wiring of the battery pack short-circuits due to excessive power consumption of the battery pack, resulting in overvoltage of the battery cell C. When the current flow on the charging / discharging path 200 is blocked, the flow of charging current supplied to the battery pack B or the flow of discharging current drawn from the battery pack B may be blocked.

[0040] The charging path 300 is configured to branch from the aforementioned charging / discharging path 200, and can correspond to the path through which the charging current supplied to the battery cell C flows to charge the battery cell C. For clarity of terminology, Figure 1 The path connecting the positive charging terminal C+ to the external charger and the first node N1, as well as the path connecting the negative charging terminal C- to the external charger and the second node N2, are defined as charging path 300.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the charging path 300 may be equipped with a charging control switch SW_C. The charging control switch SW_C may be implemented as a FET, which is turned on and off under the control of the processor 100 (e.g., in response to a control signal from the processor 100) and the switch driver 600 to control the flow of charging current in the charging path 300. The processor 100 can control the on / off state of the charging control switch SW_C via the switch driver 600 to control the flow of charging current in the charging path 300.

[0042] A wake-up signal path P_WAKE can be set in the battery device. This path branches off from the node at the positive charging terminal C+ on the charging path 300 (i.e., the node between the positive charging terminal C+ and the charging control switch SW_C) and connects to the processor 100. When the battery pack is off, the processor 100, in a sleep or power-off state, can be configured to wake up based on the charging voltage signal received through the wake-up signal path P_WAKE when an external charger is connected to the charging terminals (i.e., the positive charging terminal C+ and the negative charging terminal C-).

[0043] The discharge path 400 is configured to branch from the aforementioned charge / discharge path 200, and may correspond to the path through which the discharge current drawn from battery pack B flows. For clarity of terminology, in Figure 1 In the diagram, the path connecting the positive discharge terminal (i.e., the positive terminal P+ of the battery pack) and the first node N1, and the path connecting the negative discharge terminal (i.e., the negative terminal P- of the battery pack) and the second node N2 are defined as discharge path 400.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the discharge path 400 may be equipped with a discharge control switch SW_D. The discharge control switch SW_D can be implemented as a FET, which is turned on and off under the control of the processor 100 and the switch driver 600 to control the flow of discharge current in the discharge path 400. The processor 100 can control the on / off state of the discharge control switch SW_D through the switch driver 600 to control the flow of discharge current in the discharge path 400.

[0045] The current sensing element 500 can be implemented as a shunt resistor connected to the charging / discharging path 200 to detect overcurrent flowing in the battery cell C or battery pack B. The switch driver 600 can correspond to a gate driver that controls the on / off operation of the charging control switch SW_C and the discharging control switch SW_D by applying control signals CTRL_C and CTRL_D to the charging control switch SW_C and the discharging control switch SW_D, respectively, under the control of the processor 100. Therefore, the processor 100 can detect the state of overcurrent flowing in the battery cell C or battery pack B through the current sensing element 500 and can control the switch driver 600 to disconnect the charging control switch SW_C or the discharging control switch SW_D, thereby preventing damage to the battery cell C or battery pack B due to overcurrent or significantly reducing the possibility of damage due to overcurrent.

[0046] Based on the circuit structure of the battery device described above, the operation method of the battery device will be further described in detail below, which can ensure safety during charging.

[0047] When battery cell C is charged while it has an extremely low voltage, copper deposition may occur, potentially leading to a fire due to an internal short circuit. Therefore, it is desirable to determine whether battery cell C has a voltage low enough to cause copper deposition. Regarding the method of checking whether battery cell C has a low voltage while the charging control switch SW_C is on and charging current is continuously supplied to battery cell C, the voltage of battery pack B continuously rises during the time it takes to check the low voltage of battery cell C, which may reduce the accuracy of checking the voltage of battery cell C. Furthermore, as a result, charging may occur while battery cell C has a sufficiently low voltage to cause copper deposition, which could lead to a fire caused by copper deposition.

[0048] To address the aforementioned issues, according to some embodiments, the processor 100 may be configured to: when awakened by supplying charging current to the charging path 300, first disconnect the charging control switch SW_C, and then monitor the cell voltage of one or more battery cells C to detect (or identify) an abnormal battery cell in one or more battery cells C.

[0049] In other words, after the charging current from the charger is supplied to the charging path 300 and the processor 100 is awakened, the processor 100 can first disconnect the charging control switch SW_C to prevent the battery cell C, which is in a low-voltage state, from being charged. With the flow of charging current to the battery cell C blocked due to the disconnection of the charging control switch SW_C, the processor 100 can detect (or identify) abnormal battery cells among one or more battery cells C by monitoring their individual cell voltages. In this case, the processor 100 can detect (or identify) abnormal battery cells by determining whether the individual cell voltage of each of the monitored one or more battery cells C meets a predefined abnormal battery cell detection condition associated with the individual cell voltage.

[0050] When a target battery cell C, which is the target of battery cell voltage monitoring, is defined as the target battery cell, the abnormal battery cell detection condition can be a condition in which the voltage of the target battery cell remains at or below a set or predefined reference voltage for a set or predefined reference time. That is, when the voltage of the target battery cell remains at or below a predefined reference voltage for a predefined reference time (e.g., in response to a situation where the voltage of the target battery cell remains at or below a predefined reference voltage for a predefined reference time), the processor 100 can determine that the abnormal battery cell detection condition is met and can detect (or identify) the target battery cell as an abnormal battery cell. Here, the reference voltage can be set or predefined as the cell voltage that may lead to copper deposition during the charging of battery cell C (i.e., the lower voltage limit), and can be pre-designed to a specific value (e.g., 1.0V) based on the designer's experimental results. The reference time is used as a standard to determine whether the currently measured (monitored) cell voltage corresponds to a transient value, and can be pre-designed to a specific value (e.g., 5 seconds) based on the designer's experimental results.

[0051] The aforementioned abnormal battery cell detection process can be configured to execute only when there is a possibility that battery cell C constituting battery pack B has a low voltage, rather than continuously executing after processor 100 is woken up. Considering that when the battery pack is in a shutdown state for an extended period, the voltage of battery cell C may decrease due to dark current or leakage current and reach a value below the aforementioned reference voltage, according to some embodiments, processor 100 can be configured to wake up by supplying charging current to charging path 300, then check the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time, and execute the abnormal battery cell detection process only if the checked time is greater than or equal to a set or predefined threshold time (or threshold time) (e.g., only in response to the condition that the checked time is greater than or equal to a set or predefined threshold time (or threshold time)). The aforementioned threshold time can be set or predefined based on experimental results from the designer regarding the time required for the battery cell C's voltage to fall below the reference voltage. Processor 100 can use a timer built into the BMS to check the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time, or it can receive the corresponding time from the main electronic control unit (ECU) of the product using the battery pack.

[0052] When no abnormal battery cell is detected (or identified) through the abnormal cell detection process (e.g., in response to the state where no abnormal battery cell is detected (or identified) through the abnormal cell detection process), the processor 100 can turn on the charging control switch SW_C to initiate normal charging of the battery pack B. On the other hand, when an abnormal battery cell is detected (or identified) through the abnormal cell detection process (e.g., in response to the state where an abnormal battery cell is identified through the abnormal cell detection process), the processor 100 can operate the protection element F to block the flow of charging current supplied to the battery pack B. When the protection element F is operated, subsequent use of the battery pack with the battery pack B is prohibited, thereby preventing fires caused by copper deposition in advance. After activating the protection element F, the processor 100 can notify the user of the prohibited battery pack status through a separate interface device (e.g., an LED indicator provided in the product with the battery pack), and the user can take subsequent measures (such as replacing the battery pack provided in the product).

[0053] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. (Refer to...) Figure 2 This describes a method of operating a battery device according to some embodiments. Detailed descriptions of parts that are repetitive with the foregoing are omitted, and the description focuses on time-series configuration.

[0054] First, the processor 100 is woken up when charging current is supplied to the charging path 300 (e.g., woken up in response to charging current being supplied to the charging path 300; S100).

[0055] The awakened processor 100 checks the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time (S200) and determines whether the checked time is greater than or equal to a set or predefined threshold time (or threshold time) (S300).

[0056] In operation S300, when it is determined that the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time is less than a threshold time (i.e., in response to determining that the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time is less than a threshold time), the processor 100 determines that each battery cell C is unlikely to have a sufficiently low voltage that could cause copper deposition, and therefore turns on the charging control switch SW_C to start normal charging of the battery pack B (S400).

[0057] When it is determined that the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time is greater than or equal to a threshold time, the processor 100 determines that each battery cell C may have a sufficiently low voltage that could lead to copper deposition, disconnects the charging control switch SW_C (S500), and monitors the cell voltage of one or more battery cells C to detect (or identify) an abnormal battery cell in one or more battery cells C (S600).

[0058] In operation S600, the processor 100 detects (or identifies) an abnormal battery cell by determining whether the cell voltage of each of the monitored one or more battery cells C meets a predefined abnormal battery cell detection condition associated with the cell voltage. Specifically, when the cell voltage of a target battery cell among one or more battery cells C remains at or below a set or predefined reference voltage within a set or predefined reference time, the processor 100 determines that the abnormal battery cell detection condition is met (S610) and detects (or identifies) the target battery cell as an abnormal battery cell (S620). After operation S620, the processor 100 operates the protection element F to block the flow of charging current supplied to the battery pack B (S700).

[0059] When no abnormal battery cell is detected (or identified) by operating S600, the processor 100 turns on the charging control switch SW_C to start normal charging of battery pack B (S800).

[0060] As described above, according to this disclosure, a charging mechanism is employed that first disconnects a charging control switch (the charging control switch is configured to prevent or allow the flow of charging current during the charging of a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells), monitors the individual cell voltage of one or more battery cells, detects (or identifies) abnormal battery cells among one or more battery cells, and then starts or stops charging the battery pack based on the detection results, thereby preventing fires caused by copper deposition during the charging of the battery pack or significantly reducing the possibility of fires caused by copper deposition during the charging of the battery pack, and ensuring battery safety.

[0061] The implementations described herein can be implemented as, for example, methods or processes, devices, software programs, data streams, or signals. Even when discussed in the context of a single form of implementation (e.g., discussed only as a method), the features under discussion can be implemented in other forms (e.g., as a device or software program). Devices can be implemented in suitable hardware, software, firmware, etc. Methods can be implemented in devices such as processors, which generally refer to processing devices including, for example, computers, microprocessors, integrated circuits, or programmable logic devices. Processors also include communication devices such as computers, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other devices that facilitate information communication between end users.

[0062] According to this disclosure, by employing a charging mechanism (which first disconnects a charging control switch (configured to prevent or allow the flow of charging current during charging of a battery pack comprising one or more battery cells), monitors the cell voltage of one or more battery cells, detects (or identifies) abnormal battery cells among one or more battery cells, and then starts or stops charging the battery pack based on the detection results), it is possible to prevent or significantly reduce the likelihood of fires caused by copper deposition during charging of the battery pack, thereby ensuring battery safety.

[0063] However, the effects that can be achieved by the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not described will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description.

[0064] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings illustrating aspects of this disclosure, this disclosure is not limited thereto. Various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical spirit and claims of this disclosure and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery device, comprising: A charging path through which charging current is supplied to a battery pack comprising one or more individual battery cells; A charging control switch is located on the charging path and is configured to selectively allow or block the flow of the charging current; as well as The processor is configured to: be woken up when the charging current is supplied through the charging path, disconnect the charging control switch, and monitor the cell voltage of the one or more battery cells to detect abnormal battery cells among the one or more battery cells.

2. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein The processor is configured to detect the abnormal battery cell by determining whether the cell voltage of each of the one or more monitored battery cells meets an abnormal battery cell detection condition associated with the cell voltage.

3. The battery device according to claim 2, wherein The processor is configured to detect the target battery cell as the abnormal battery cell by determining that the abnormal battery cell detection condition is met in response to the target battery cell's cell voltage remaining at or below a reference voltage within a reference time.

4. The battery device according to claim 3, wherein The reference voltage is defined as the cell voltage at which copper deposition occurs during the charging of the corresponding battery cell.

5. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein, After the processor is woken up when the charging current is supplied through the charging path, the processor is configured to: check the time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time, and perform abnormal battery cell detection processing only in response to the checked time being greater than or equal to a threshold time.

6. The battery device of claim 1, further comprising a protection element configured to block the flow of current supplied to or drawn from the battery pack. in, The processor is configured to operate the protection element in response to detecting the abnormal battery cell to block the flow of the charging current supplied to the battery pack.

7. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to: in response to the absence of detection of the abnormal battery cell, turn on the charging control switch to initiate charging of the battery pack.

8. A battery pack, comprising: A battery pack, comprising one or more individual battery cells; The charging path through which the charging current is supplied to the battery pack; A charging control switch is located on the charging path and is configured to selectively allow or block the flow of the charging current; as well as The processor is configured to: be woken up in response to supplying the charging current on the charging path, disconnect the charging control switch, and monitor the cell voltage of the one or more battery cells to detect abnormal battery cells among the one or more battery cells.

9. A method of operating a battery device, the method comprising: When charging current is supplied through the charging path of the battery device, the processor of the battery device is woken up, the charging path being the path through which the charging current is supplied to a battery pack comprising one or more individual battery cells; The processor disconnects the charging control switch, which is located on the charging path to allow or block the flow of the charging current; as well as The processor monitors the individual cell voltage of the one or more battery cells and detects abnormal battery cells among the one or more battery cells.

10. The operating method according to claim 9, wherein, In the step of detecting the abnormal battery cell, the processor is configured to detect the abnormal battery cell by determining whether the cell voltage of each of the one or more monitored battery cells meets the abnormal battery cell detection condition associated with the cell voltage.

11. The operating method according to claim 10, wherein, In the step of detecting the abnormal battery cell, the processor is configured to: determine that the abnormal battery cell detection condition is met in response to the target battery cell among the one or more battery cells maintaining a reference voltage or lower than the reference voltage within a reference time, and detect the target battery cell as the abnormal battery cell.

12. The operating method according to claim 11, wherein, The reference voltage is defined as the cell voltage at which copper deposition occurs during the charging of the corresponding battery cell.

13. The operating method according to claim 9, further comprising: After waking up the processor The processor checks the check time elapsed from the previous shutdown time to the current wake-up time; as well as The processor compares the inspection time with the threshold time. Specifically, the charging control switch is disconnected and the abnormal battery cell is detected only in response to the inspection time being greater than or equal to the threshold time.

14. The operating method according to claim 9, wherein, The battery device also includes a protection element configured to block the flow of current supplied to or drawn from the battery pack. The operation method further includes: The processor operates the protection element in response to detecting the abnormal battery cell to block the flow of the charging current supplied to the battery pack.

15. The operating method according to claim 9, further comprising: The processor activates the charging control switch in response to the absence of the abnormal battery cell, thereby initiating charging of the battery pack.

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