Battery management device and method of operating a battery management device

Abstract

A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document can include a memory to store at least one instruction, and at least one processor to execute the at least one instruction, wherein the at least one processor can identify a first reset count corresponding to a first operation state of the battery management device, and diagnose a state of the battery management device based on an operation time of one or more software executed after the first operation state when the first reset count is greater than a reference reset count.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0132596, filed on September 30, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a battery management device and a method of operating the battery management device. Background Technology

[0005] In recent years, research and development of rechargeable batteries have been actively underway. Here, a rechargeable battery is a battery capable of being recharged and discharged, and in this sense, includes all existing Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and more recently, lithium-ion batteries. Among rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of a much higher energy density than existing Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, because lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured in a small and lightweight manner, they are used as power sources for mobile devices, and in recent years, their applications have expanded to include electric vehicles, making lithium-ion batteries a focus of attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0006] As the industrial applications of batteries expand, battery management systems (BMS) for diagnosing battery safety are also evolving. BMS can utilize various diagnostic algorithms to assess battery performance and execute appropriate controls based on the battery's state. BMS can diagnose the presence or absence of abnormal battery cells. Here, "abnormal" can include all possible causes that could lead to ignition, such as damage or aging of the battery itself. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] Due to problems with the BMS hardware or the software running within the BMS, an infinite reset state may occur, in which the startup process for the BMS is repeated endlessly. When the BMS enters the infinite reset state, high current consumption occurs, which may cause the battery pack to fall into a low voltage state.

[0009] However, in the relevant technologies, there is no technology for pre-detecting the infinite reset state of the BMS and preventing the battery pack from entering a low voltage state.

[0010] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to those mentioned above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand the technical problems not mentioned based on the following description.

[0011] Technical solutions

[0012] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, a battery management device is provided, the battery management device comprising: a memory configured to store at least one instruction; and at least one processor configured to execute at least one instruction, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: identify a first reset count corresponding to a first operating state of the battery management device; and when the first reset count is greater than a reference reset count, diagnose the state of the battery management device based on the operation time of one or more software executed after the first operating state.

[0013] In one implementation, the processor can be configured to: determine whether the operation time is less than a threshold time; and when the operation time is less than the threshold time, diagnose the state of the battery management device based on the result of determining whether a first reset count exceeds a threshold count.

[0014] In one implementation, when the first reset count exceeds the threshold count, the processor can diagnose the battery management device as being in an infinite reset state.

[0015] In an implementation, the first operating state may include a startup state in which the battery management device is being started.

[0016] In one implementation, when the battery management device is diagnosed as abnormal, the processor can generate a control signal to control the battery management device to switch its operating state to a second operating state.

[0017] In an implementation, the second operating state may include a sleep mode state.

[0018] In this implementation, the threshold time can be set based on the normal operating time of the software.

[0019] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, a method for operating a battery management device is provided, the method comprising: identifying a first reset count corresponding to a first operating state of the battery management device; and when the first reset count is greater than a reference reset count, diagnosing the state of the battery management device based on the operation time of one or more software programs executed after the first operating state.

[0020] In an implementation, the diagnosis may include: determining whether the operation time is less than a threshold time; and when the operation time is less than the threshold time, diagnosing the state of the battery management device based on a comparison of whether a first reset count exceeds a threshold count.

[0021] In an implementation, the diagnosis may include diagnosing the battery management device as being in an infinite reset state when the first reset count exceeds a threshold count.

[0022] In an implementation, the first operating state may include a startup state in which the battery management device is being started.

[0023] In an implementation, the method may further include: when the battery management device is diagnosed as abnormal, generating a control signal for controlling the operation state of the battery management device to switch to a second operation state.

[0024] In an implementation, the second operating state may include a sleep mode state.

[0025] In this implementation, the threshold time can be set based on the normal operating time of the software.

[0026] Beneficial effects

[0027] According to the various embodiments of the battery management device disclosed herein, and the method of operating the battery management device, it is possible to determine whether the BMS is in an infinite reset state based on the startup state of the BMS and the operation time of the software executed after startup.

[0028] The battery management device and the method of operating the battery management device according to the various embodiments disclosed herein can prevent the battery pack from entering a low voltage state by switching the operating state of the BMS to a sleep mode state when the BMS is diagnosed as being in an infinite reset state.

[0029] The effects of the battery management device and the method of operating the battery management device according to the disclosure herein are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure herein. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 A battery pack according to an embodiment disclosed herein is shown.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 3 It is shown in detail that includes Figure 2 The flowchart for operation 230 in the middle.

[0033] Figure 4 A computing system for performing operations of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein is shown.

[0034] Regarding the description of the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0035] In the following description, embodiments of the invention will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to specific embodiments, and it should be construed as including various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives to the embodiments of the invention.

[0036] It should be understood that the embodiments described in this disclosure and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to specific embodiments, and include various variations, equivalents, or alternatives to the corresponding embodiments. Regarding the description of the drawings, similar or related reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It should be understood that, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form of the noun corresponding to an item may include one or more things.

[0037] 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 include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together in the corresponding phrases within said phrase. Terms such as “first” and “second,” “first,” “second,” “A,” “B,” “(a),” or “(b)” may be used only to distinguish the corresponding component from another component and do not otherwise limit the component (e.g., in terms of importance or order) unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0038] In this specification, it should be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “in contact” with another element (e.g., a second element) with or without the terms “operably” or “communically”, it means that the element can be connected to the other element directly (e.g., via wired or wireless) or indirectly (e.g., via a third element).

[0039] Methods according to various embodiments disclosed herein may be included and provided in a computer program product. 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 via an app store (e.g., downloaded or uploaded), or distributed directly between two user devices. If distributed online, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an app store's server, or a relay server.

[0040] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, each of the above-described components (e.g., a module or program) may include a single entity or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be configured separately from the 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 such cases, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the functions performed by the corresponding components of the multiple components prior to 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 of the operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0041] Figure 1 A battery pack according to an embodiment disclosed herein is shown.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 The battery pack 1 may be included in an electronic device. Here, the electronic device may be a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone, laptop computer, smartphone, or smart tablet), an electric vehicle (e.g., an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV)), an energy storage system (ESS), or a battery swapping system (BSS).

[0043] The battery pack 1 may include a battery management device 10 and battery cells 120, 140, and 160. Each of the battery cells 120, 140, and 160 may correspond to a battery module. Figure 1 The image shows three battery cells, but this is only for ease of description, and battery pack 1 may include one or more battery cells. Additionally, in... Figure 1 Only battery cells 121, 122, and 123 included in the first battery cell 120 are shown in the illustration; this is for ease of description only, and the second battery cell 140 and the third battery cell 160 may also include multiple battery cells. Furthermore, although in Figure 1 In the diagram, the number of battery cells 121, 122, and 123 included in the first battery cell 120 is shown as three, but the number is not limited thereto, and each of the battery cells 121, 122, and 123 can be configured to include n battery cells (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2).

[0044] According to various embodiments, when the battery pack 1 has a cell-to-pack (CTP) structure, the battery pack 1 can be configured to include a plurality of battery cells 121, 122 and 123 without distinction between the battery cells.

[0045] The battery management device 10 can obtain values ​​(or information) related to the state of battery cells 120, 140, and 160 and the individual battery cells 121, 122, and 123 included therein. In embodiments, the state-related values ​​may include one or more values, or combinations thereof, of voltage, current, resistance, state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), or temperature for each of battery cells 120, 140, and 160. In embodiments, the state-related values ​​may include one or more values, or combinations thereof, of voltage, current, resistance, state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), or temperature for each of battery cells 121, 122, and 123. Hereinafter, the state-related values ​​may be referred to as "state values".

[0046] The battery management device 10 can be activated to execute at least one program for diagnosing the state of each of the battery cells 120, 140, and 160 and / or individual battery cells 121, 122, and 123. For example, when the battery pack 1 is included in an electric vehicle, turning on the electric vehicle can cause the battery management device 10 included in the battery pack 1 to execute startup software for driving the battery pack 1 to begin startup. However, due to the hardware of the battery management device 10, the software executed on the battery management device 10, or external devices, the battery management device 10 may fall into an infinite reset state in which the startup process is continuously repeated. Here, the infinite reset state may include situations where the startup process is continuously repeated more than a certain number of times, or situations where the software used for battery diagnosis (e.g., software for SOX calculation and individual cell voltage measurement) is not executed properly after the startup process is completed and the startup process is executed again, etc.

[0047] In one embodiment, the battery management device 10 may be included in a battery management system (BMS) capable of diagnosing individual battery cells included in the electronic device, and operations performed in the battery management device 10 may be performed in the BMS. Alternatively, the battery management device 10 may be included in a server or charging / discharging device capable of diagnosing battery cells outside the electronic device, and operations performed in the battery management device 10 may be performed in an external server or charging / discharging device.

[0048] In the following text, for ease of description, the operation performed by each of the components included in the battery management device 10 for diagnosing any abnormalities of the battery management device 10 will be described.

[0049] The battery management device 10 may include a memory 100 and a processor 102. According to an embodiment, Figure 1 The battery management device 10 shown may also include, except for Figure 1 At least one component other than the components shown (e.g., a sensor, display, input device, or output device).

[0050] Memory 100 may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory. In one embodiment, memory 100 may store at least one instruction for executing processor 102. When executed by processor 102, the instruction may cause battery management device 10 to perform operations defined by the instruction. In another embodiment, memory 100 may include one or more software programs. Here, the one or more software programs may include software for starting battery management device 10 and one or more software programs for battery diagnostics (e.g., software for SOX calculations and cell voltage measurements).

[0051] Processor 102 can execute at least one instruction stored in memory 100. In an embodiment, battery management device 10 may correspond to a BMS, and processor 102 may correspond to or be included in a microcontroller unit (MCU) that performs hardware control and software operation of the BMS. Processor 102 can perform the following operations by executing at least one instruction stored in memory 100.

[0052] The processor 102 can identify a first reset count corresponding to a first operating state of the battery management device 10. Here, the first operating state may include a state where the battery management device 10 is starting up, and the first reset count may correspond to a count used to identify whether the startup in the first operating state is in progress for the nth time (n is a natural number). For example, when the battery management device 10 is repeatedly started up three times, the first reset count may be identified as three.

[0053] In this implementation, the first reset count may be identified by a watchdog timer (WDT) (not shown). The watchdog timer (not shown) may be a software timer capable of monitoring whether a particular device is operating correctly and taking action accordingly. The watchdog timer (not shown) may monitor an infinite reset state of the battery management device 10 due to hardware and / or software errors. The software executing the watchdog timer (not shown) may be stored in memory 100, and the processor 102 may execute the software to identify whether the battery management device 10 has been started or restarted, and to identify the first reset count based on the number of restarts.

[0054] In one implementation, the reset count can be initialized back to 0 when the boot process completes normally, and in another implementation, the reset count can have a value accumulated with each restart, regardless of whether the boot process is complete. The processor 102 can determine whether the battery management device 10 is in a repetitive boot state by recognizing the first reset count.

[0055] When the first reset count is greater than the reference reset count, the processor 102 can diagnose the state of the battery management device 10 based on the operation time of one or more software processes executed after the first operating state. Here, the reference reset count can be arbitrarily set by the setter. For example, when the reference reset count is set to one and the startup process of the battery management device 10 is executed twice, the first reset count can be identified as two. In this case, the processor 102 can determine that the first reset count exceeds the reference reset count and can perform the following steps to determine whether to perform an infinite reset.

[0056] In one implementation, the processor 102 can determine whether the operation time is less than a threshold time. According to one implementation, in addition to the time during which the battery management device 10 is started, the operation time can also be the time during which each of the software programs used for battery diagnostics (e.g., SOX calculation and voltage measurement) is executed. Additionally, the threshold time can be set based on the time during which each of one or more of the software programs operates normally. In one implementation, the threshold time can be set by adding the initial time of each of one or more of the software programs to the time spent on m repetitions (m being a natural number) of the longest time period in the main loop. In another implementation, the threshold time can be set based on the time period of the function corresponding to the longest time period among a plurality of functions repeated at regular intervals included in a particular software program (e.g., the SOX calculation function). For example, if the time period of the SOX calculation function is one second, the threshold time can be set to ten seconds, which is ten times the time period of the SOX calculation function. The processor 102 can determine whether one or more of the software programs stored in the memory 100 are operating normally after the battery management device 10 has finished starting by comparing the operation time with the threshold. Even when the battery management device 10 has completed its startup normally, if the software operation time is less than a threshold time, the processor 102 can diagnose the state of the battery management device 10 as a restart.

[0057] In this implementation, when the operation time is less than a threshold time, the processor 102 can determine whether the first reset count exceeds the threshold count. When the operation time is less than the threshold time, the processor 102 can diagnose the state of the battery management device 10 based on the result of determining whether the first reset count exceeds the threshold count. When the first reset count exceeds the threshold count, the processor 102 can diagnose the battery management device 10 as being in an infinite reset state. Here, the threshold count can be set by a setter to prevent the battery management device 10 from being misdiagnosed as being in an infinite reset state even during normal startup. For example, the threshold count can be set to 100, and when the first reset count exceeds the threshold count 100, the processor 102 can diagnose the battery management device 10 as being in an infinite reset state.

[0058] When the battery management device 10 is diagnosed as malfunctioning (e.g., diagnosed as being in an infinite reset state), the processor 102 can generate a control signal to switch the operating state of the battery management device 10 to a second operating state. Here, the second operating state may include a sleep mode state in which the battery management device 10 ceases operation. The processor 102 can prevent a low-voltage state of the battery pack 1 that may occur due to power consumption caused by the infinite reset state by switching the operating state of the battery management device 10 to the sleep mode state when the battery management device 10 is diagnosed as malfunctioning.

[0059] In some embodiments, processor 102 may include a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor. In some embodiments, processor 102 may execute software to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the battery management device 10 coupled to processor 102, and perform various data processing or calculations.

[0060] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0061] Reference Figure 2 In operation 200, the processor 102 can identify a first operating state of the battery management device 10. Here, the first operating state may include the state in which the battery management device 10 is being started.

[0062] In operation 210, processor 102 can identify a first reset count C1 corresponding to the first operating state. Here, the first reset count C1 can correspond to a count used to identify whether the start-up in the first operating state is in progress for the nth time (n is a natural number).

[0063] In operation 220, processor 102 can compare the first reset count C1 with the reference reset count C. R .

[0064] In operation 230, when the first reset count C1 exceeds the reference reset count C R (Operation 220, C) R When ≥C1), the processor 102 can diagnose the state of the battery management device based on the operation time and threshold time of executing at least one software during the period following the first operation state.

[0065] In operation 240, when the first reset count C1 is less than or equal to the reference reset count C R (Operation 220, C1>C) R When the battery management device 10 is in a normal state, the processor 102 can diagnose the startup process of the battery management device 10 as normal.

[0066] Figure 3 It is shown in detail that includes Figure 2 The flowchart for operation 230 in the middle.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 Including Figure 2 Operation 230 may include operations 232 to 238.

[0068] In operation 232, processor 102 can determine operation time T. O Is it less than the threshold time T? TH When the operation time T O Greater than or equal to the threshold time T TH (Operation 232, T) O ≥T TH When the battery management device 10 is in a normal operating state, the processor 102 can return to operation 240 and diagnose the battery management device 10 as being in normal operating state.

[0069] In operation 234, when operation time T O Time T less than the threshold TH (Operation 232, T) O <T TH When the first reset count C1 exceeds the threshold count C, the processor 102 can determine whether the first reset count C1 exceeds the threshold count C. TH .

[0070] In operation 236, when the first reset count C1 exceeds the threshold count C TH (Operation 234, C1>C) TH When the battery management device 10 is in an infinite reset state, the processor 102 can diagnose the battery management device 10 as being in an infinite reset state.

[0071] According to an embodiment, when the battery management device 10 is diagnosed as being in an infinite reset state, the processor 102 can generate a control signal for switching the operating state of the battery management device 10 to a sleep mode state.

[0072] In operation 238, when the first reset count C1 is less than or equal to the threshold count C TH (C1≤C) TH When the first reset count is C1, the processor 102 can update the first reset count by incrementing the reset count. For example, when the first reset count is C1, the updated first reset count C'1 can be C1+1. After updating the first reset count, the processor 102 can return to operation 240 and diagnose the battery management device 10 as being in normal operating condition.

[0073] Figure 4 A computing system for performing the operation of a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein is shown.

[0074] Reference Figure 4 The computing system 40 according to the embodiments disclosed herein may include a microcontroller unit (MCU) 400, a memory 410, an input / output interface (I / F) 420, and a communication I / F 430.

[0075] The MCU 400 can be a processor that executes various programs (e.g., a battery diagnostic program) stored in the memory 410, processes various data from the programs, and performs the aforementioned tasks. Figures 1 to 3 The battery management device 10 shown has the following functions.

[0076] The memory 410 can store various programs related to the operation of the battery management device 10. In addition, the memory 410 can store the operation data of the battery management device 10.

[0077] Multiple memories 410 can be provided as needed. Memory 100 can be volatile or non-volatile memory. As volatile memory for memory 410, random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), etc., can be used. As non-volatile memory for memory 410, read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically variable ROM (EAROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, etc., can be used. The memories 100 listed above are merely exemplary and are not limited to the examples.

[0078] The Input / Output I / F 420 provides an interface for connecting input devices (not shown), such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and output devices (not shown), such as a display (not shown), to the MCU 400 to enable data transmission and reception.

[0079] The Communication I / F 430 is a component capable of sending and receiving various types of data to and from a server, and can be any device that supports wired or wireless communication. For example, programs for anomaly diagnosis or various types of data (e.g., status values) can be sent to and received from a separately provided external server via the Communication I / F 430.

[0080] Unless otherwise stated, terms such as “comprising,” “including,” or “having” described above mean that the corresponding components may be present, and therefore should be interpreted as including rather than excluding other components. Unless otherwise defined, 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. Common terms, such as those defined in dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant field, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless so explicitly defined herein.

[0081] The above description is merely an example of the technical concept disclosed herein, and those skilled in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein pertain can make various modifications and variations without departing from the basic characteristics of the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the technical concept of the embodiments disclosed herein, but rather to illustrate them, and the scope of the technical concept disclosed herein is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection disclosed herein should be interpreted by the appended claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of their equivalents should be interpreted as included within the scope of the claims herein.

Claims

1. A battery management device, comprising: A memory configured to store at least one instruction; as well as At least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute the at least one instruction. Wherein, the at least one processor is configured to: Identify a first reset count corresponding to a first operating state of the battery management device; as well as When the first reset count is greater than the reference reset count, the state of the battery management device is diagnosed based on the operation time of one or more software operations executed after the first operation state.

2. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to: Determine whether the operation time is less than a threshold time; and When the operation time is less than the threshold time, the state of the battery management device is diagnosed based on the result of determining whether the first reset count exceeds the threshold count.

3. The battery management device according to claim 2, wherein, When the first reset count exceeds the threshold count, the processor diagnoses the battery management device as being in an infinite reset state.

4. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein, The first operating state includes the startup state where the battery management device is being started.

5. The battery management device according to claim 4, wherein, When the battery management device is diagnosed as abnormal, the processor generates a control signal to control the operation state of the battery management device to switch to a second operation state.

6. The battery management device according to claim 5, wherein, The second operating state includes the sleep mode state.

7. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein, The threshold time is set based on the normal operating time of the software.

8. A method of operating a battery management device, comprising: Identify a first reset count corresponding to a first operating state of the battery management device; as well as When the first reset count is greater than the reference reset count, the state of the battery management device is diagnosed based on the operation time of one or more software operations executed after the first operation state.

9. The method of operating the battery management device according to claim 8, wherein, The diagnosis includes: Determine whether the operation time is less than a threshold time; and When the operation time is less than the threshold time, the state of the battery management device is diagnosed based on the result of comparing whether the first reset count exceeds the threshold count.

10. The method of operating the battery management device according to claim 9, wherein, The diagnosis includes diagnosing the battery management device as being in an infinite reset state when the first reset count exceeds the threshold count.

11. The method of operating the battery management device according to claim 8, wherein, The first operating state includes the startup state where the battery management device is being started.

12. The method of operating the battery management device according to claim 11, further comprising: When the battery management device is diagnosed as abnormal, a control signal is generated to control the operation state of the battery management device to switch to a second operation state.

13. The method of operating the battery management device according to claim 12, wherein, The second operating state includes the sleep mode state.

14. The method of operating the battery management device according to claim 8, wherein, The threshold time is set based on the normal operating time of the software.

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