System, device and method for diagnosing a battery of a vehicle

Abstract

Disclosed are a system for diagnosing a battery of a vehicle, a device thereof, and a method thereof. The system includes a high-voltage battery installed in a vehicle to supply electric power, a power converter installed in the vehicle to convert direct current (DC) power supplied to the high-voltage battery, and a battery diagnosis device connected to the power converter to discharge the high-voltage battery and diagnose a state of the high-voltage battery.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0046330, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on April 9, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a system and method for diagnosing a vehicle battery, and more specifically, to techniques for diagnosing whether a vehicle battery is abnormal and the current state of the battery. Background Technology

[0004] The descriptions in this background section are intended only to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure and should not be construed as an admission that they correspond to prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0005] Vehicles that use electricity as a power source, such as electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles, are equipped with batteries that store and output electrical energy. Typically, the battery can be an 800V high-voltage battery. A vehicle may include multiple battery modules. Each of these battery modules may consist of multiple battery cells. These battery cells convert chemical energy into electrical energy to supply electrical energy (discharging) or convert externally supplied electrical energy into chemical energy to store chemical energy (charging).

[0006] To diagnose whether a high-voltage battery is malfunctioning, a Battery Management System (BMS) can be installed in the vehicle. The BMS can determine if the battery is malfunctioning based on sensor data and diagnostic conditions at the diagnostic time point. However, setting diagnostic conditions for the BMS can be difficult. Specifically, the BMS may fail to diagnose battery faults, which could lead to fatal events (e.g., fires). Furthermore, even if the vehicle's battery is malfunctioning, if the vehicle is stored in a repair shop, the battery can be diagnosed using only past event data and data from the diagnostic time point. Therefore, the BMS may not be able to perform diagnostics effectively and reliably.

[0007] Using maintenance networks (such as Bluetooth) can address the shortcomings of BMS, but access barriers are significant for individual business owners. An 800V high-voltage charging / discharging facility among multiple actual measurement devices used for battery diagnostics can involve substantial administrative costs (e.g., unit cost, installation cost, installation space, or operating manpower).

[0008] Consider technologies that can solve the above problems and effectively diagnose whether a vehicle's battery is malfunctioning in advance. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This disclosure has been made to address the aforementioned problems in the prior art while maintaining the advantages achieved by the prior art.

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an apparatus and method for diagnosing whether a vehicle battery is abnormal and the current state of the battery.

[0011] Another embodiment of this disclosure provides an apparatus and method for diagnosing a vehicle's battery at low cost using an inverter installed in the vehicle.

[0012] The technical problems to be solved by this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0013] According to this disclosure, a system for a vehicle may include: a battery installed in the vehicle and configured to supply power to the vehicle; a power converter installed in the vehicle and configured to convert the direct current (DC) power from the battery into a first converted power for operation of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle and a second converted power for diagnosing the battery; and a battery diagnostic device coupled to the power converter and configured to discharge the battery via the second converted power transmitted to the battery diagnostic device, determine the state of the battery based on data associated with the battery obtained during the discharge, and output a signal indicating the diagnostic state of the battery based on the determined state of the battery.

[0014] The system may further include: the battery diagnostic device may include a load, which, when coupled to the power converter, is configured to discharge the battery based on at least one discharge mode, wherein the load may include at least one resistor and at least one relay; a communication interface configured to send and receive data associated with the battery; and processor circuitry configured to control the operation of the power converter and the load and determine the state of the battery based on at least one diagnostic mode.

[0015] The system may further include: a battery diagnostic device that may include a human-machine interface (HMI) configured to receive at least one diagnostic mode and at least one discharge mode, wherein the at least one diagnostic mode and the at least one discharge mode are configured to be selected by a user and output a determined state of the battery.

[0016] The system may further include: the power converter may include at least one switch and at least one diode, and the at least one switch and the at least one diode may be configured to operate the power converter based on the at least one discharge mode.

[0017] The system may further include: the processor circuitry being configured to send voltage and current distributions for charging voltage to the vehicle based on the vehicle being coupled to the battery diagnostic device.

[0018] The system may further include: the processor circuit being configured to control the operation of the at least one relay to set a current flow path for the load, and to control the application of the charging voltage to the at least one resistor via the current flow path.

[0019] The system may further include: a charging voltage that can be applied from the battery to at least one resistor via a current flow path, and the battery that can be discharged via at least one resistor.

[0020] The system may further include: at least one discharge mode comprising a first discharge mode in which a first charging voltage is applied to at least one resistor and a constant voltage is applied to at least one resistor to discharge the battery; a second discharge mode in which a second charging voltage is applied to the at least one resistor and the current flowing in the at least one resistor is reduced to discharge the battery; and a third discharge mode in which a first charging voltage is applied to the at least one resistor, and the first charging voltage applied to the at least one resistor is reduced and a constant current flows in the at least one resistor to discharge the battery, wherein the first charging voltage is less than the second charging voltage.

[0021] The system may further include: a second charging voltage that may be the rated voltage of the battery, and a second discharging mode that may be controlled by the operation of at least one switch and at least one diode.

[0022] The system may further include: determining at least one diagnostic mode based on preset discharge conditions of the battery, preset rest time of the battery, and preset state of charge (SOC) of the battery.

[0023] According to this disclosure, a method performed by a vehicle system may include: supplying a first power from a battery to the vehicle via a power converter installed in the vehicle; converting the direct current (DC) power from the battery into a second power for diagnosing the battery via the power converter, based on coupling a battery diagnostic device to the power converter; discharging the battery using the second power via the power converter; determining the state of the battery based on data associated with the battery obtained during the discharge; and outputting a signal indicating the diagnosed state of the battery based on the determined state of the battery.

[0024] According to this disclosure, a battery diagnostic device for a vehicle may include: a load configured to be coupled to a battery of the vehicle via a power converter installed in the vehicle, the load being configured to discharge the battery in at least one of a constant power mode, a constant resistance mode, or a constant current mode; a communication interface configured to exchange data with the vehicle during battery discharge, wherein the data may include at least one of: battery voltage, battery current, battery temperature, and battery state of charge; a charging port configured to connect the battery diagnostic device to the vehicle and provide a discharge path for the battery during diagnostics; a human-machine interface configured to receive a selection of at least one diagnostic mode, wherein the at least one diagnostic mode may include a manual discharge mode, a preprocessing mode, a state of charge monitoring mode, a state diagnostic mode, or a life diagnostic mode; and processor circuitry configured to control the power converter and the load to discharge the battery based on the received selection of the at least one diagnostic mode, and to output a diagnostic result indicating whether the battery is abnormal and the current state of the battery based on processing the data.

[0025] The battery diagnostic device may further include a processor circuit that can be configured to control the load in a constant power mode by applying a constant voltage to the load during battery discharge.

[0026] The battery diagnostic device may further include a processor circuit configured to identify voltage deviations between battery cells in a state-of-charge monitoring mode and determine diagnostic results based on the identified voltage deviations.

[0027] The battery diagnostic device may further include a processor circuit that is configured to discharge the battery to a preset state of charge in a preprocessing mode before executing another of at least one diagnostic mode.

[0028] The battery diagnostic device may further include a processor circuit that can be configured to determine the degree of battery degradation in a life diagnostic mode based on the rate of change of state of charge during discharge.

[0029] The battery diagnostic device may further include a processor circuit that can be configured to control the discharge of the battery in manual discharge mode based on the discharge status and rest time input by the user via a human-machine interface.

[0030] The battery diagnostic device may further include a processor circuit that can be configured, in a status diagnostic mode, to determine whether the battery is abnormal based on temperature deviations during discharge. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 An embodiment of a system for diagnosing a vehicle's battery is shown; Figure 2 An embodiment of the configuration of a system for diagnosing a vehicle's battery is shown; Figure 3 This is an embodiment of a battery diagnostic device; Figure 4 This is an embodiment of a circuit for a system used to diagnose a vehicle's battery; Figure 5 An embodiment of a method for diagnosing a vehicle's battery is shown; Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 An embodiment of at least one diagnostic mode is shown; and Figure 11 An embodiment of the computing system is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0032] In the following, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. It should be noted that when reference numerals are affixed to the constituent components of the various drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same constituent component if it is shown in other drawings. Furthermore, in describing embodiments of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of well-known features or functions will be excluded so as not to unnecessarily obscure the spirit of the disclosure.

[0033] In describing the components of embodiments of this disclosure, terms such as first, second, "A", "B", (a), (b), etc., may be used. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the corresponding components, regardless of the order or priority of the corresponding components. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning equivalent to that in the context of the relevant field and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined as having an ideal or overly formal meaning in this application.

[0034] As used in this specification, the terms "module" or "unit" refer to software and / or hardware components, and a "module" or "unit" performs certain operations / functions / roles. However, a "module" or "unit" is not to be construed as limited to software or hardware. A "module" or "unit" may be configured to reside in addressable storage media or to execute on one or more processors. Thus, as an example, a "module" or "unit" may include at least one of the following components: software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, programs, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, or variables. The functionality provided in a component, "module," or "unit" may be combined into a smaller number of components, "modules," or "units" or further divided into additional components, "modules," or "units."

[0035] In this disclosure, a “module” or “unit” can be implemented as a processor and memory. “Processor” should be broadly interpreted to include general-purpose processors, central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontrollers, state machines, etc. In some contexts, “processor” can refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). For example, “processor” can refer to a combination of processing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such combination. Furthermore, “memory” should be broadly interpreted to include any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. “Memory” can refer to various types of processor-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage devices, and registers. The memory can be in a state of electronic communication with the processor when the processor can read information from the memory and / or record information in the memory. Memory integrated into the processor is in a state of electronic communication with the processor.

[0036] One or more features described herein can be provided as a computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for execution on a computer. The medium may continuously store a computer-executable program or temporarily store a program for execution or download. Furthermore, the medium can be a variety of recording or storage devices in the form of a single hardware device or multiple combined hardware devices, and is not limited to media directly connected to certain computer systems, but may also be distributed across a network. Examples of such media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs or DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floppy disks; and ROMs, RAMs, or flash memory configured to store program instructions. Additional examples of such media include media or storage media managed by application stores that distribute applications or by different other sites or servers that provide or distribute software.

[0037] In a hardware implementation, the processing unit for performing these techniques may be implemented within one or more ASICs, DSPs, digital signal processing devices, programmable logic devices, field-programmable gate arrays, processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, or computers or combinations thereof, designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure.

[0038] For the purposes of this application and claims, the exemplary phrases "at least one of A, B, or C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" are used, which mean "at least one A, or at least one B, or at least one C, or any combination of at least one A, at least one B, and at least one C." Furthermore, as per this...

[0039] As used herein, exemplary phrases such as “A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B or C”, etc., may refer to each listed item or all possible combinations of listed items. For example, “at least one of A or B” may refer to: (1) at least one A; (2) at least one B; or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0040] According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the automation levels of autonomous vehicles can be classified as follows: At Level 0, the SAE classification corresponds to "No Automation," where the autonomous driving system temporarily handles emergencies (e.g., automatic emergency braking) and / or only provides warnings (e.g., blind spot warning, lane departure warning, etc.) and expects the driver to operate the vehicle. At Level 1, the SAE classification corresponds to "Driver Assistance," where the system performs some driving functions (e.g., steering, acceleration, braking, lane centering, adaptive cruise control, etc.) when the driver operates the vehicle in normal operating conditions, and expects the driver to determine the system's operating status and / or timing, perform other driving functions, and handle (e.g., resolve) emergencies. At Level 2, the SAE classification corresponds to "Partial Automation," where the system performs steering, acceleration, and / or braking under driver supervision, and expects the driver to determine the system's operating status and / or timing, perform other driving functions, and handle (e.g., resolve) emergencies. At Level 3 of Automated Driving, the SAE classification standard can correspond to "Conditional Automation," where the system drives the vehicle under constrained conditions (e.g., performing driving functions such as steering, acceleration, and / or braking), but transfers driving control to the driver when the desired conditions are not met. The driver is expected to determine the system's operating state and / or timing and take over control in emergency situations, but not otherwise operate the vehicle (e.g., steering, acceleration, and / or braking). At Level 4 of Automated Driving, the SAE classification standard can correspond to "High Automation," where the system performs all driving functions and the driver is expected to control the vehicle only in emergency situations. At Level 5 of Automated Driving, the SAE classification standard can correspond to "Full Automation," where the system performs all driving functions without any assistance from the driver, including in emergency situations, and the driver is not expected to perform any driving functions other than determining the system's operating state. While this disclosure applies the SAE classification standard to the classification of automated driving, other classification methods and / or algorithms may be used in one or more configurations described herein.

[0041] One or more features associated with autonomous driving control can be activated based on configured autonomous driving control settings (e.g., based on at least one of the following: autonomous driving classification, selection of the vehicle's autonomous driving level, etc.). Vehicle operation can be controlled based on features of discharge-based battery diagnostics using the vehicle inverter and resistive loads described herein. For example, when the diagnostic device determines, via the inverter and resistive loads, that the battery condition indicates reduced capacity, abnormal resistance, or deteriorated health, autonomous driving control can be adjusted to reduce energy-intensive functions (e.g., limiting rapid acceleration, limiting maximum speed, or reducing reliance on redundant sensor fusion). Conversely, when diagnostic results confirm sufficient battery performance, enhanced autonomous driving functions (e.g., full-speed cruise control, high-frequency sensor sampling, or extended operation of safety assistance systems) can be enabled. Therefore, vehicle control can include various operational controls associated with the vehicle (e.g., autonomous driving control, sensor control, braking control, braking timing control, acceleration control, acceleration rate of change control, alarm timing control, forward collision warning timing control, etc.), all of which are dynamically adapted based on diagnostic data from the battery obtained via the inverter and resistive loads.

[0042] One or more auxiliary devices (e.g., engine braking, exhaust braking, hydraulic decelerators, electric decelerators, regenerative braking, etc.) can also be controlled based on the characteristics of discharge-based battery diagnostics using the vehicle inverter and resistive loads described herein. For example, when diagnostic results obtained through the inverter and resistive loads indicate reduced battery capacity or abnormal operating conditions, the processor can increase reliance on mechanical auxiliary braking devices (e.g., engine brakes or hydraulic decelerators) while limiting regenerative braking to avoid overloading the degraded battery. Conversely, when diagnostic results confirm sufficient battery health, regenerative braking can be prioritized to maximize energy recovery and efficiency. Thus, the control of auxiliary devices can dynamically adapt to the discharge-based diagnostic assessment of the battery, ensuring safe braking performance while balancing energy saving and system reliability.

[0043] Based on the characteristics of discharge-based battery diagnostics using vehicle inverters and resistive loads described herein, one or more communication devices (e.g., modems, network adapters, radio transceivers, antennas, etc.) capable of communicating via one or more wired or wireless communication protocols such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G New Radio (NR), or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) can also be controlled. For example, when the battery diagnostics device determines that the battery has reduced capacity or abnormal operating conditions through the inverter and resistive loads, the processor can limit or prioritize communication functions to conserve energy (e.g., limiting non-essential infotainment data transmission while maintaining secure V2X communication). Conversely, if the diagnostic results confirm sufficient battery health, higher bandwidth communication services (e.g., vehicle-to-cloud diagnostic uploads, over-the-air software updates, or high-rate V2X messaging) can be enabled. Therefore, the control of communication devices can dynamically adapt to discharge-based diagnostic results, thereby ensuring safe vehicle operation and efficient use of available energy.

[0044] Minimum Risk Maneuvering (MRM) operation can also be controlled, for example, based on characteristics of discharge-based battery diagnostics using the vehicle inverter and resistive loads described herein. Minimum Risk Maneuvering operation (e.g., minimum risk control, minimum risk maneuvering) can be a vehicle maneuver to minimize the risk of collision with surrounding vehicles in order to achieve a reduced (e.g., minimum) risk state. Specifically, the diagnostic device can determine the battery state via the inverter and resistive loads and provide control inputs for MRM operation. For example, if the diagnostic results indicate reduced battery capacity, increased internal resistance, or abnormal voltage deviation, the vehicle can initiate MRM that prioritizes energy-saving maneuvers (e.g., reduced acceleration, limited lane changes, or gradual deceleration) to achieve a safe stop. Therefore, Minimum Risk Maneuvering can be activated during autonomous driving when the driver cannot respond to intervention requests, and its control can be further adapted based on diagnostic results obtained via discharge-based testing of the battery. During Minimum Risk Maneuvering, one or more processors of the vehicle can control the vehicle's driving operations for a set time period, ensuring that battery limitations identified via the inverter and resistive loads are considered when selecting a safe and energy-appropriate MRM strategy.

[0045] For example, biased driving operations can also be controlled based on the characteristics of discharge-based battery diagnostics using the vehicle inverter and resistor loads described herein. The driving control unit can perform biased driving control that adjusts vehicle actions according to the diagnostic state of the battery. To perform biased driving operations, the driving control unit can control the vehicle to drive in a lane with an intentionally deviated or altered lateral distance based on the available battery capacity identified through discharge-based diagnostics or detected degradation. For example, when the battery diagnostics determine that the battery has reduced capacity or increased resistance through the inverter and resistor loads, the vehicle can be controlled to a lane position that minimizes energy consumption (e.g., maintaining a smoother lane to reduce steering effort). The driving control unit can identify or determine a target lateral distance for biased driving control based on diagnostic data. For example, if the battery health indication indicates a reduced margin for high-power maneuvering, the vehicle can adopt a biased lateral distance that maintains a larger distance from adjacent lanes or vehicles, thereby reducing the likelihood of sudden acceleration or emergency steering. This adjustment can improve vehicle stability, safety, and performance under varying driving conditions while aligning with available battery resources. For example, during lane changes, when factors such as vehicle speed, road conditions, and the presence of obstacles are taken into account, and battery diagnostics obtained via discharge-based testing indicate limited output capacity, the driving control system can bias lateral distance to maintain a safer gap with adjacent vehicles.

[0046] One or more sensors (e.g., IMU sensors, cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, blind spot monitoring sensors, lane departure warning sensors, parking sensors, light sensors, rain sensors, traction control sensors, anti-lock braking system sensors, tire pressure monitoring sensors, seatbelt sensors, airbag sensors, fuel sensors, emission sensors, throttle position sensors, inverters, converters, motor controllers, power distribution units, high-voltage wiring and connectors, auxiliary power modules, charging interfaces, etc.) can also be controlled, for example, based on characteristics of discharge-based battery diagnostics using the vehicle inverter and resistive loads described herein. For example, when the battery diagnostics determine that the battery health or available capacity is reduced via the inverter and resistive loads, certain sensors can be prioritized or deactivated to conserve power (e.g., non-essential sensors, such as parking sensors or comfort-related sensors). Conversely, if the diagnostic results confirm sufficient battery capacity, additional sensors can be activated for advanced autonomous driving functions (e.g., enabling full sensor fusion with LIDAR, RADAR, and cameras). Therefore, the operational control for autonomous driving of vehicles can adaptively use sensor data based on diagnostic results and can include various driving control functions of the vehicle control unit (e.g., acceleration, deceleration, steering control, shift control, braking system control, traction control, stability control, cruise control, lane keeping assist control, collision avoidance system control, emergency braking assist control, traffic sign recognition control, adaptive headlight control, etc.).

[0047] Autonomous driving levels and / or autonomous driving activation or deactivation can also be controlled based on characteristics of discharge-based battery diagnostics using the vehicle inverter and resistor loads described herein. Driving controls can perform autonomous driving level control (e.g., changes in autonomous driving level, changes in required user attention, etc.) or deactivate autonomous driving operation. For example, when the battery diagnostics determine that the battery state indicates reduced capacity or abnormal performance via the inverter and resistor loads, the autonomous driving level can be automatically reduced to limit power demand. Alternatively, the device can deactivate autonomous driving if diagnostic data indicates that battery reliability is insufficient for safe autonomous operation. By changing the required user attention, the driver can be prompted to keep his / her hands on the steering wheel more frequently (e.g., at least once within a threshold time period, such as 5 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute, etc.), or the driver can be asked to look forward more frequently (e.g., at least once within a threshold time period, such as 5 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute, etc.). By dynamically correlating the diagnostic results of discharge-based battery diagnostics with the autonomous driving level, the vehicle can ensure safe driving and efficient use of battery resources.

[0048] According to this disclosure, a system and method for diagnosing vehicle batteries in a cost-effective and reliable manner are provided. The battery diagnostic device can be connected to the vehicle via a charging port and can cooperate with power converters (such as inverters) already installed in the vehicle. By selectively discharging the battery under controlled conditions and monitoring voltage, current, temperature, and state of charge, the system can determine whether the battery is abnormal and assess its current state and remaining life. Various discharge modes, including constant power, constant resistance, and constant current, can be applied, and diagnostic modes such as manual discharge, pretreatment, state of charge monitoring, condition diagnosis, and lifespan diagnosis can be performed. Results can be output to the user via a human-machine interface, thereby improving the accessibility and convenience of battery maintenance, while reducing equipment costs and enhancing safety by detecting potential defects in advance.

[0049] According to this disclosure, a battery diagnostic device can be configured to perform real-time monitoring of the battery when it is coupled to a vehicle and to optimize vehicle operation in real time (e.g., adjusting torque limits, activating eco-friendly driving modes, or limiting high-power functions). The device can be detachable and can store the monitored real-time data (e.g., voltage distribution, current distribution, or temperature records) for example, to detect battery cell anomalies (e.g., abnormal cell voltage deviations) and enable safe operating modes for the vehicle (e.g., limiting acceleration or reducing maximum speed). For example, the device can determine that the battery's state of charge (SOC) is low and operate the vehicle in a low-power mode (e.g., limiting the use of auxiliary systems such as air conditioning or heating). The device can be further inspected and then coupled to another vehicle to quickly optimize the operation of that vehicle. The battery diagnostic device can also be implemented in a portable device (e.g., a handheld diagnostic tool or a tablet-based device) and, when coupled to a vehicle, can diagnose battery conditions and enhance or optimize one or more vehicle operations in real time (e.g., power management, thermal management, or charging operations performed during highway driving, stop-and-go traffic, or when the vehicle is parked).

[0050] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 11 The embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail.

[0051] Figure 1 An embodiment of a system 1 for diagnosing a vehicle battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0052] refer to Figure 1 The system 1 for diagnosing batteries may include a vehicle EV and a battery diagnostic device 10.

[0053] Here, we assume that an EV is a vehicle driven by an electric motor powered by a high-voltage battery. Therefore, an EV can include a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), an electric vehicle (EV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), or another type of electric vehicle (e.g., a range-extended EV, a car / bus, an electric forklift, or an electric motorcycle).

[0054] Diagnosing the condition of a vehicle's (EV) high-voltage battery may involve maintenance work involving the removal of various controllers, inverters, cables, the high-voltage battery, or other related components (e.g., sensors, cooling modules, or wiring harnesses). Therefore, maintenance can proceed after the high-voltage battery has been discharged for safety reasons before any further maintenance work is performed on the EV. For example, the EV's high-voltage battery can be discharged using equipment that includes electronic loads (e.g., programmable DC loads, resistive load banks, or regenerative load systems).

[0055] The battery diagnostic device 10 can also be connected to a charger for charging the high-voltage battery of the vehicle EV via a coupler (e.g., a charging port, a charging connector, etc.). The coupler can be a charging cable for connecting the vehicle EV to the charger, and can refer to a charging facility (e.g., a CCS connector, a CHAdeMO connector, or a Type 2 connector, etc.) that includes a connection port connector and a charging connection port inlet of the charger.

[0056] If the battery diagnostic device 10 is connected to the vehicle EV via a coupler, it can receive data from the high-voltage battery 20 (e.g., voltage, current, temperature, or state of charge data) from the vehicle EV at predetermined intervals.

[0057] The battery diagnostic device 10 can discharge the high-voltage battery 20 and can diagnose the state of the high-voltage battery 20 based on data measured during the discharge of the high-voltage battery 20. Therefore, the battery diagnostic device 10 may include fault diagnosis equipment for the vehicle EV, such as Global Diagnostic System (GDS) diagnostics (e.g., on-board diagnostic tools, dealer diagnostic platforms, or remote telematics-based diagnostics).

[0058] Figure 2 An embodiment of the configuration of system 1 for diagnosing a vehicle's battery is shown.

[0059] The vehicle EV may include a high-voltage battery 20, a power converter 21, a battery management system (BMS) 22, a vehicle charging management system (VCMS) 23, and an electric vehicle communication controller (EVCC) 24.

[0060] The battery diagnostic device 10 may include a load module 110 and a communication module 120.

[0061] In an embodiment, the high-voltage battery 20 may be installed in a vehicle EV to supply power to the vehicle EV. For example, the high-voltage battery 20 may be configured such that multiple battery cells are connected in series or in parallel with each other. The high-voltage battery 20 may supply drive power to the drive system of the vehicle EV, such as an electric motor and / or a generator (e.g., a traction motor, an auxiliary motor, or a starter generator, etc.).

[0062] The high voltage can be stored in the high-voltage battery 20 to supply drive power to the driver. Furthermore, the high-voltage battery 20 can be charged using the voltage generated by the motor during regenerative braking. If the high-voltage battery 20 is connected to a charger, it can be charged using the voltage and current supplied from the charger. Here, the rated voltage of the high-voltage battery 20 can be assumed to be, but is not limited to, 800 V (e.g., 400 V, 600 V, or 1000 V systems could also be used).

[0063] In one embodiment, the power converter 21 may be installed in the vehicle EV to convert direct current (DC) power supplied to the high-voltage battery 20 into alternating current (AC) power. For example, the power converter 21 can convert DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery 20 into AC power to drive the electric motor of the vehicle EV. Here, the power converter 21 may include a multi-inverter (e.g., a three-phase inverter, a dual inverter, or a modular inverter, etc.). Alternatively, when the vehicle EV is connected to a charger, the power converter 21 may also convert the magnitude of the DC power supplied to the high-voltage battery 20. The power converter 21 can convert the 800 V rated voltage of the high-voltage battery 20 to a 400 V rated voltage to perform fast charging.

[0064] The power converter 21 may include at least one switching element and at least one diode. The power converter 21 may include, but is not limited to, a three-phase inverter circuit structure. For example, the power converter 21 can convert the DC voltage of the high-voltage battery 20 into a three-phase AC voltage to drive a motor. The high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged by the motor's operation (e.g., during acceleration, hill climbing, or continuous highway driving).

[0065] If the high-voltage battery 20 needs to be discharged to diagnose the condition of the high-voltage battery 20 in the vehicle EV, the power converter 21 and the battery diagnostic device 10 can be connected to each other. For example, if the battery diagnostic device 10 and the vehicle EV are connected to each other via a coupler, the high-voltage battery 20 can transmit power to the load module 110 via the power converter 21.

[0066] The detailed configuration of the power converter 21 will be provided below. Figure 4 The description is detailed in the description.

[0067] In this embodiment, BMS 22 may be a battery management system capable of detecting the current and voltage of each battery cell in the operating region of the high-voltage battery 20. BMS 22 may manage the state of charge (SOC), including cell balancing of the high-voltage battery 20, based on the detection results. Here, SOC may refer to the state of charge of the high-voltage battery 20 and may be expressed as a percentage (%) of the remaining battery capacity by dividing the currently usable battery capacity by the total capacity. Typically, BMS 22 may calculate SOC to optimize the performance and lifespan of the high-voltage battery 20. In this case, BMS 22 may calculate SOC based on the voltage distribution of the high-voltage battery 20. Alternatively, BMS 22 may measure the current of the high-voltage battery 20 and integrate the measured current over time to calculate SOC. However, this is merely one embodiment and is not limited thereto (e.g., SOC may also be estimated using a Kalman filter, neural network, or equivalent algorithm, etc.).

[0068] In this embodiment, VCMS 23 can send and receive data with BMS 22 and EVCC 24. VCMS 23 can control the charging and discharging voltage of the high-voltage battery 20 to prevent a shortened lifespan when the charging and discharging voltage is over-discharged to less than or equal to the limit voltage or overcharged to greater than or equal to the limit voltage (e.g., below 2.5 V / cell or above 4.2 V / cell, etc.).

[0069] In this embodiment, EVCC 24 can send and receive data with VCMS 23 and battery diagnostic device 10. Therefore, EVCC 24 may include a power line communication (PLC) modem. For example, EVCC 24 can perform PLC in real time to send and receive data with communication module 120 of battery diagnostic device 10 via a charging cable. Therefore, communication module 120 may also include a PLC modem. Furthermore, the standard charging communication protocol between EVCC 24 and communication module 120 may include the standard charging communication protocol between EVCC 24 and charger (e.g., ISO 15118, fast charging protocol, etc.).

[0070] EVCC 24 can prevent overcharging of the vehicle EV in advance and can detect symptoms of the high-voltage battery 20 at an early stage (e.g., abnormal temperature rise, abnormal voltage deviation or unexpected current spikes).

[0071] In one embodiment, the load module 110 of the battery diagnostic device 10 can discharge the high-voltage battery 20. Thereafter, the battery diagnostic device 10 can diagnose the high-voltage battery 20 based on data from the high-voltage battery 20, measuring the data while discharging it. Therefore, the battery diagnostic device 10 may include GDS diagnostics. Here, GDS diagnostics may be a device for diagnosing faults in a vehicle EV, which can be configured by connecting to the load module 110. Alternatively, GDS diagnostics may be configured as a device independent of the load module 110 to be included in the battery diagnostic device 10. In this case, the load module 110 and GDS diagnostics can send and receive data via separate communication. However, this is merely one embodiment and is not limited thereto (e.g., other diagnostic interfaces may include OBD-II, UDS, or proprietary CAN-based tools, etc.).

[0072] The detailed structure of the battery diagnostic device 10 will be described below. Figure 3 The description is detailed in the description.

[0073] As described above, the battery diagnostic system 1 according to this disclosure can improve the reliability of the battery diagnostic device at low cost by using an inverter installed in the vehicle. Furthermore, the battery diagnostic system 1 can diagnose whether the vehicle's battery is abnormal, preventing safety accidents (e.g., thermal runaway, fire, or sudden shutdown). In addition, the battery diagnostic system 1 can diagnose the vehicle's battery at low cost, improving accessibility and convenience for users during vehicle maintenance (e.g., by allowing remote diagnostics, simplified service procedures, or reduced downtime).

[0074] Figure 3 This is an example of a battery diagnostic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 This is an embodiment of the circuitry of a system 1 for diagnosing a vehicle battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] refer to Figure 3 The battery diagnostic device 10 may include a load module 110, a communication module 120, a processor 130, and a human-machine interface (HMI) module 140 (e.g., a touch screen, physical button, or voice input interface).

[0076] In an embodiment, the load module 110 may include at least one resistor and at least one relay.

[0077] In this embodiment, the communication module 120 can send and receive data from the high-voltage battery 20. For example, if the battery diagnostic device 10 is connected to the vehicle EV via a coupler, the communication module 120 can communicate with the EVCC of the vehicle EV to send and receive data. In this case, the battery diagnostic device 10 can receive data from the high-voltage battery 20 from the EVCC at predetermined intervals (e.g., every 100ms, 500ms, or 1 second).

[0078] In this embodiment, the processor 130 can control the operation of the power converter 21 and the load module 110 (e.g., start, stop, or switch between diagnostic modes).

[0079] Processor 130 may include a processor for GDS diagnostics. Here, GDS diagnostics may be a device for diagnosing faults in a vehicle (EV), which can be configured by connection to load module 110. Alternatively, GDS diagnostics may be configured as a device independent of load module 110, which will be included in the battery diagnostic device 10. In this case, load module 110 and GDS diagnostics can send and receive data via separate communications (e.g., CAN bus, Ethernet, or wireless link). However, this is merely one embodiment and is not a limitation.

[0080] If the vehicle EV is connected to the battery diagnostic device 10, the processor 130 can send the voltage and current distributions for charging voltage to the EVCC. For example, the processor 130 can send a command signal via the communication module 120 to identify the connection between the vehicle EV and the charger. Simultaneously, the processor 130 can send the voltage and current distributions for the load module 110 to the EVCC. The vehicle EV's VCMS can then receive the command signals from the EVCC and notify the systems located in the vehicle EV (e.g., vehicle controller unit (VCU), microcontroller unit (MCU), battery management unit (BMU), or body control module (BCM)) that the charger is connected. The VCMS can then send a control request to the MCU, causing the power converter 21 to perform a charging operation based on the voltage and current distributions of the load module 110. The MCU can control the power converter 21 in response to the control request. The power converter 21 can then receive control signals from the processor 130 via the MCU to control the voltage and current output according to at least one of a first discharge mode, a second discharge mode, or a third discharge mode (e.g., constant power, constant resistance, or constant current). However, this is just one example, and is not limited to it.

[0081] Next, the processor 130 can control the operation of at least one relay to generate a high-voltage path for the load module 110. For example, the processor 130 can control the main relay of the load module 110 and the relay connected to the resistor R to form a high-voltage path. Subsequently, the processor 130 can control the charging voltage supplied to the resistor R via the high-voltage path. Here, the charging voltage can be, but is not limited to, 400 V or 800 V (e.g., 200 V, 600 V, or 1000 V, etc.).

[0082] In other words, voltage can be applied from the high-voltage battery 20 to the resistor R of the load module 110 via a high-voltage path. At the same time, the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged.

[0083] refer to Figure 4 The load module 110 can be connected to the power converter 21 to discharge the high-voltage battery 20 based on at least one discharge mode. For example, the load module 110 can discharge the high-voltage battery 20 when the voltage of the high-voltage battery 20 is applied to the load of the load module 110 (i.e., resistor R). Here, at least one discharge mode may include a first discharge mode, a second discharge mode, and a third discharge mode. At this time, an appropriate voltage can be applied to the resistor R via the control of the power converter 21, so that appropriate power is transferred to the resistor R.

[0084] In an embodiment, the power converter 21 may include at least one switching device (S1 to S6). Here, the switching device (S1 to S6) may include at least one switching element and at least one diode. For example, the switching element may include a power semiconductor. Here, a power semiconductor may refer to a switching element used for converting electrical forms such as voltage, current, frequency, or direct current / alternating current (DC / AC). Therefore, the switching element may include, but is not limited to, at least one of an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a thyristor, a gate-turn-off thyristor (GTO), or a triode alternating current transistor (TRIAC) (e.g., in a single package, module, or discrete device form). Furthermore, the at least one diode may be, but is not limited to, an anti-parallel diode (e.g., a fast recovery diode, a Schottky diode, or a silicon carbide diode).

[0085] The switching devices (S1 to S6) can be short-circuited or disconnected by turning on or off a control signal based on a control signal output from the processor 130. For example, the switching devices (S1 to S6) can receive control signals from the processor 130 via the MCU and can be operated based on at least one discharge mode by control signals (e.g., constant power, constant resistance, or constant current control).

[0086] The power converter 21 can be connected to each of the motor M and the load module 110. For example, the power converter 21 can be a three-phase inverter circuit structure and can control all three phases of the motor M. In other words, the switching devices (S1 to S6) can operate such that the terminal voltage of each phase of the motor M has 12 The phase difference. For example, the direction of the phase current can be controlled based on whether the switching devices (S1 to S3) located at the upper part of the power converter 21 are short-circuited or whether the switching devices (S4 to S6) located at the lower part of the power converter 21 are short-circuited. In this case, the power converter 21 can be composed of switching devices S1 to S6, which include six switching elements. Two switching elements of the power converter 21 can be connected to one phase of the motor M. Therefore, the motor M can operate by applying a three-phase AC voltage to the power converter 21 to generate driving force. Figure 4 The n shown can be the center point of the motor M, and g can be grounded (GND). Figure 4 In the attached diagram, reference numerals a, b, and c denote the corresponding phase connection nodes of motor M. However, Figure 4 The circuit structure of the power converter 21 shown is only an example, but is not limited thereto (for example, other topologies such as Vienna rectifiers, dual active bridges or matrix converters may also be applied).

[0087] In this embodiment, the voltage V_pack and current I_pack applied to the high-voltage battery 20 can be applied to the electric motor M via the power converter 21 (e.g., during normal driving mode, regenerative braking mode, idle charging mode, or booster mode). The voltage V_inv and current I_inv output from the power converter 21 can be applied to the resistor R of the load module 110. Subsequently, as the voltage V_prfl and current I_prfl flow through the load of the resistor R in the load module 110 (e.g., when performing constant power discharge, constant resistance discharge, or constant current discharge), the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged (e.g., for condition diagnostic testing, life estimation testing, or manual discharge operation).

[0088] In this embodiment, the first discharge mode may be referred to as the constant power (CP) mode. In the CP mode, a first charging voltage may be applied to the resistor R. Here, the first charging voltage may be a rated voltage for charging, which may be, but is not limited to, 400 V (e.g., nominal fast charging level, medium-level charging standard, or diagnostic analog voltage, etc.).

[0089] In the first discharge mode, the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged while a constant voltage (i.e., constant power) is applied to the resistor R. For example, the processor 130 can send a command signal via the communication module 120 to identify the vehicle EV's connection to the charger. In other words, since the battery diagnostic device 10 is not a charger, the processor 130 can generate a command signal via the communication module 120 to command the load module 110 to generate a specific voltage (e.g., 350 V, 380 V, or 400 V, etc.). Thus, the vehicle EV can identify a 400V charger connected. Simultaneously, the processor 130 can send the voltage and current distribution for the load module 110 (e.g., a distribution including reference values ​​for charging voltage, discharging current, or permissible deviation limits, etc.) to the EVCC. Furthermore, the processor 130 can receive data (e.g., voltage, current, SOC, temperature, or remaining capacity estimate, etc.) from each of the high-voltage battery 20 and the power converter 21 via the communication module 120. Thereafter, the processor 130 can send control signals to the power converter 21 via the MCU to operate in the first discharge mode.

[0090] As an example, the processor 130 can set the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to be no greater than the allowable capacity P_Rmax [kW] of the resistor R (e.g., thermal design limit, power handling threshold, or rated continuous dissipation capacity, etc.). In this case, the magnitude of the power P_Rmax corresponding to the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax can be less than the power P_Rpresent transmitted to the load module 110 via the power converter 21. Here, the power P_Rpresent transmitted by the power converter 21 satisfies the following equation: P_Rpresent = V_invref × V_invref / R. Here, V_invref can be the reference voltage of the power converter circuit, and R can be the value of the resistor R of the load module 110 (e.g., 5Ω, 10Ω, or 20Ω, etc.). Therefore, the processor 130 can calculate the reference voltage V_invref using the above equation (e.g., by substituting measured values, by applying a lookup table, or by executing a diagnostic algorithm, etc.). Subsequently, processor 130 can multiply the reference voltage V_invref by the reciprocal of the constant C_maxtoinv to determine the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax. In other words, the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax can satisfy the following equation: V_EVSEMax = V_invref × 1 / C_maxtoinv, where C_maxtoinv can vary depending on the vehicle type (e.g., sedan, SUV, truck, or bus). For example, the constant C_maxtoinv can be, but is not limited to, 0.9 (e.g., 0.85, 0.9, or 0.95, depending on vehicle characteristics, etc.). Processor 130 can then send the calculated voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to EVCC. EVCC can then send the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to MCU. MCU can control the magnitude of the reference voltage V_invref of power converter 21 to be less than the magnitude of the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax (e.g., to ensure safe thermal operation, avoid exceeding current limits, or maintain stable inverter switching, etc.).

[0091] Next, the processor 130 can control the operation of at least one relay to generate a high-voltage path for the load module 110. Therefore, a voltage of 400 V can be applied to the resistor R of the load module 110 via a high-voltage path (e.g., through a main relay, a safety disconnect relay, or an auxiliary relay). Furthermore, voltage can be applied to resistor R and current can flow simultaneously in resistor R. At this time, in the first discharge mode, the voltage applied to resistor R can be controlled to a constant voltage (e.g., 380 V, 390 V, or 400 V, depending on diagnostic settings). In other words, the power converter 21 can apply a constant voltage to the load module 110 via a control signal from the MCU. Therefore, because a constant current flows in resistor R, the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged while a constant power is applied to the load module 110.

[0092] In this embodiment, the second discharge mode may be referred to as the constant resistance (CR) mode. In the CR mode, a second charging voltage may be applied to the resistor R. Here, the second charging voltage may be, but is not limited to, the rated voltage of the high-voltage battery 20, 800 V (e.g., a nominal high voltage level for fast charging, a test voltage for high-capacity packaging, or a calibration reference level, etc.).

[0093] In the second discharge mode, because the value of resistor R is controlled to be constant, the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged, while the voltage and current applied to resistor R decrease together (e.g., gradually decreasing from 800 V to 600 V or 400 V, etc., depending on the discharge process). For example, processor 130 can transmit a command signal for identifying the connection between the vehicle EV and the charger via communication module 120 (e.g., via PLC signaling, CAN communication, or Ethernet communication, etc.). In other words, since battery diagnostic device 10 is not a charger, processor 130 can generate a command signal via communication module 120 to command load module 110 to generate a specific voltage (e.g., 750V, 780V, or 800V, etc.). Therefore, vehicle EV can identify an 800V charger connected. At the same time, processor 130 can send the voltage and current distribution for load module 110 (e.g., a distribution defining maximum allowable ripple, gradual current reduction, or time-based cutoff threshold, etc.) to EVCC. Furthermore, the processor 130 can receive data (e.g., voltage, current, SOC, temperature, or internal resistance data) from each of the high-voltage battery 20 and the power converter 21 via the communication module 120. Subsequently, the processor 130 can send control signals to the power converter 21 via the MCU to operate in a second discharge mode.

[0094] As an example, the processor 130 can control the power converter 21 to be set to bypass mode. Here, bypass mode can mean that the switching devices of the power converter 21 do not perform switching operations for repeated short-circuit or open-circuit operations, but instead perform latching operations (e.g., keeping the upper switch closed and the lower switch open, or vice versa, etc.). In other words, because the EVCC recognizes the connection of an 800V charger, the power converter 21 does not need to perform power conversion. Therefore, the power converter 21 can be in a bypass mode that does not perform power conversion (e.g., direct transfer of battery voltage, diagnostic short-circuit testing, or simplified load simulation, etc.). In bypass mode, the switching devices can continuously remain in a short-circuit or open state (e.g., the upper switch is latched closed while the lower switch remains open, or vice versa, etc.). Thus, the processor 130 can set a voltage distribution V_EVSEMax (e.g., a 780V, 790V, or 800V reference setting, etc.) for operating the power converter 21 in bypass mode. The processor 130 can then send the set voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to the EVCC. Next, the EVCC can send the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to the MCU (e.g., as a control package, frame message, or lookup reference). The MCU can control the operation of the switching devices of the power converter 21. For example, the switching devices (S1 to S3) located at the top of the power converter 21 can be controlled to be short-circuited, and the switching devices (S4 to S6) located at the bottom of the power converter 21 can be controlled to be open (e.g., to simulate direct current flow, to reduce switching losses, or to stabilize current flow, etc.).

[0095] Next, the processor 130 can control the operation of at least one relay to generate a high-voltage path for the load module 110. Thus, a voltage rated at 800V can be applied to the resistor R of the load module 110 via the high-voltage path (e.g., through a main relay, a pre-charge relay, or a contactor). Furthermore, voltage can be applied to resistor R and current can flow simultaneously in resistor R. At this time, because the voltage of the high-voltage battery 20 decreases, the voltage applied to resistor R can decrease (e.g., gradually decreasing from 800V to 700V, 600V, or 500V, etc.). Because the voltage applied to resistor R is significantly lower than the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax initially set by the processor 130, the EVCC or VCMS can determine that a voltage deviation has occurred in the high-voltage battery 20 (e.g., a sudden drop below 750V, 700V, or 650V, etc.). Therefore, the EVCC or VCMS can forcibly terminate the connection between the vehicle EV and the battery diagnostic device 10 (e.g., by opening a relay, terminating communication, or disabling the charging signal, etc.). In this scenario, the discharge of the high-voltage battery 20 can end when the battery diagnostic device 10 executes the second discharge mode. The processor 130 can send the real-time changing voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to the EVCC via the communication module 120 (e.g., by continuously updating reference values, by gradually adjusting the distribution, or by applying adaptive control logic, etc.) to prevent the aforementioned situation from occurring. For example, the processor 130 can decrease and reset the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax in response to a decrease in the magnitude of the voltage applied to the resistor R (e.g., a decrease of 5V, 10V, or 20V increments, etc.). The processor 130 can then send the reset voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to the EVCC. Therefore, the EVCC or VCMS can determine that no voltage deviation has occurred in the high-voltage battery 20.

[0096] In the second discharge mode, because the voltage applied to resistor R is reduced, the current flowing through resistor R can also be reduced. Therefore, when a voltage and current that are reduced due to the constant resistance of load module 110 are applied, the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged (e.g., during extended diagnostic cycles, repeated deep discharges, or high-power verification tests).

[0097] In this embodiment, the third discharge mode may be referred to as the constant current (CC) mode. In the CC mode, a first charging voltage may be applied to the resistor R. Here, the first charging voltage may be a rated voltage for charging, which may be, but is not limited to, 400 V (e.g., 350 V, 380 V, or 400 V, depending on the group configuration, etc.).

[0098] In the third discharge mode, the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged when the voltage applied to resistor R decreases, but a constant current flows in resistor R. For example, processor 130 can send a command signal via communication module 120 (e.g., using PLC communication, CAN bus messaging, or Ethernet-based diagnostic signaling) to identify the vehicle EV's connection to the charger. In other words, since the battery diagnostic device 10 is not a charger, processor 130 can generate a command signal via communication module 120 to instruct load module 110 to generate a specific voltage (e.g., 360 V, 380 V, or 400 V). Therefore, the vehicle EV can identify a 400V charger connected. Simultaneously, processor 130 can send the voltage and current distribution for load module 110 (e.g., a distribution specifying a constant current value, such as 50A, 75A, or 100A) to EVCC. Furthermore, processor 130 can receive data (e.g., voltage, current, SOC, temperature, or cell equalization data) from each of the high-voltage battery 20 and power converter 21 via communication module 120. Subsequently, the processor 130 can send control signals to the power converter 21 via the MCU to operate in the third discharge mode.

[0099] As an example, the processor 130 can set the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to be no greater than the allowable capacity P_Rmax [kW] of the resistor R (e.g., 5 kW, 10 kW, or 20 kW maximum dissipation, etc.). In this case, the power P_Rmax corresponding to the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax can be less than the power P_Rpresent transmitted to the load module 110 via the power converter 21. Here, the power P_Rpresent transmitted by the power converter 21 satisfies the following equation: P_Rpresent = V_invref × V_invref / R. Here, V_invref can be the reference voltage of the circuit of the power converter 21, and R can be the value of the resistor R in the load module 110 (e.g., 5Ω, 8Ω, or 10Ω, etc.). Therefore, the processor 130 can calculate the reference voltage V_invref using the above equation (e.g., through mathematical calculation, through firmware routines, or through real-time simulation, etc.). Subsequently, processor 130 can multiply the reference voltage V_invref by the reciprocal of the constant C_maxtoinv to determine the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax. In other words, the voltage V_EVSEMax can satisfy the following equation: V_EVSEMax = V_invref × 1 / C_maxtoinv, where the constant C_maxtoinv can be a unique value depending on the type of vehicle EV (e.g., sedan, SUV, truck, or bus). For example, the constant C_maxtoinv can be, but is not limited to, 0.9. Processor 130 can then send the calculated voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to EVCC. EVCC can then send the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax to MCU. MCU can control the magnitude of the reference voltage V_invref of power converter 21 to be less than the magnitude of the voltage distribution V_EVSEMax (e.g., to limit power consumption, stabilize current control, or protect semiconductor switches).

[0100] Next, the processor 130 can control the operation of at least one relay to generate a high-voltage path for the load module 110. Therefore, a voltage rated at 400 V can be applied to the resistor R of the load module 110 via the high-voltage path (e.g., through a main relay, a pre-charge relay, or a safety contactor). Furthermore, voltage can be applied to resistor R and current can flow in resistor R simultaneously. At this time, because the voltage of the high-voltage battery 20 decreases, the voltage applied to resistor R can decrease (e.g., gradually decreasing from 400 V to 380 V, 360 V, or 340 V, etc.). When the current flowing in the power converter 21 increases, the current flowing in resistor R may not be constant and may increase unexpectedly. The processor 130 can send a control signal via the communication module 120 to the EVCC to change the reference voltage V_invref applied to the power converter 21, preventing the above situation from occurring. For example, processor 130 can send a control signal to EVCC to reduce the magnitude of the reference voltage V_invref (e.g., reduce by an increment of 5V, 10V, or 20V). EVCC can then send a control signal to MCU. MCU can reduce the magnitude of the reference voltage V_invref of power converter 21 based on the control signal. Therefore, the voltage applied to power converter 21 can be reduced, and the flowing current can also be reduced. In other words, the magnitude of the current flowing in load module 110 can no longer increase, and a constant current can flow (e.g., 50A, 75A, or 100A). In other words, in the third discharge mode, the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged when a constant current flows in resistor R.

[0101] For example, the second discharge mode (i.e., CR mode) can be a mode that can operate even if the power converter 21 is not installed in the vehicle (e.g., in an architecture that only implements a direct discharge path, etc.). CP mode and CC mode can be modes that can operate only when the power converter 21 is installed in the vehicle (e.g., a typical EV with an integrated inverter, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell electric vehicle, etc.).

[0102] In this embodiment, the processor 130 can diagnose the state of the high-voltage battery 20 based on at least one diagnostic mode. Here, the at least one diagnostic mode can be determined based on a pre-set discharge condition, rest time, and state of charge (SOC) of the high-voltage battery 20 (e.g., discharging to 20% SOC, resting for 10 minutes, or performing a life assessment at 50% SOC, etc.). The at least one diagnostic mode may include a manual discharge mode, a diagnostic preprocessing mode, an SOC monitoring mode, a state diagnostic mode, and a life diagnostic mode.

[0103] For example, in manual discharge mode, the discharge state of the high-voltage battery 20, the rest time of the high-voltage battery 20, and the SOC at the end of discharge can be set by the user in detail (e.g., the user selects the cutoff voltage, maximum current limit, or discharge duration, etc.).

[0104] Typically, if the high-voltage battery 20 of a vehicle EV meets a specific SOC, the vehicle EV can be diagnosed. As an example, assume the current SOC of the vehicle EV to be diagnosed is greater than the specific SOC. In the diagnostic preprocessing mode, the current SOC of the high-voltage battery 20 can be discharged until the specific SOC is reached to diagnose the vehicle EV (e.g., reducing the SOC from 80% to 50% to stabilize test conditions, etc.). Thus, in the diagnostic preprocessing mode, the state of the high-voltage battery 20 during slow or fast charging can be diagnosed (e.g., its behavior under 7kW AC charging, 50kW DC fast charging, or 150kW ultra-fast charging, etc.).

[0105] As an example, in SOC monitoring mode, voltage deviations between battery cells of high-voltage battery 20 can be monitored (e.g., differences between maximum and minimum cell voltages, imbalance trends under load, or changes after rest, etc.). In state diagnosis mode, whether high-voltage battery 20 is abnormal can be diagnosed by data measured while high-voltage battery 20 is being discharged (e.g., by analyzing abnormal temperature rises, rapid voltage drops, or irregular current responses, etc.). In lifetime diagnosis mode, the degree of degradation of battery cells can be calculated based on a specific SOC change rate, and the lifetime of high-voltage battery 20 can be determined based on the calculated degree of degradation (e.g., 20% capacity decay, increased internal resistance, or decreased charge acceptance, etc.).

[0106] In an embodiment, HMI module 140 may be a human-machine interface, referring to a module in which the user can ensure the operational visibility of the battery diagnostic device 10 in real time. For example, HMI module 140 may receive at least one diagnostic mode and at least one discharge mode (e.g., manual discharge, pre-processing, or CC discharge, etc.) selected by the user. HMI module 140 may output the results of the diagnostic of the high-voltage battery 20 to the user (e.g., as text, graphics, or alarms, etc.).

[0107] As described above, the battery diagnostic system 1 according to this disclosure can use an inverter installed in the vehicle to improve the reliability of the battery diagnostic device at low cost (e.g., avoiding the need for a separate high-power test bench). Furthermore, the battery diagnostic system 1 can diagnose whether the vehicle battery is abnormal to prevent safety accidents (e.g., thermal runaway, unexpected shutdown, or over-discharge). In addition, the battery diagnostic system 1 can diagnose the vehicle battery to improve the accessibility and convenience for users during vehicle maintenance (e.g., service center inspections, fleet diagnostics, or on-board user inspections).

[0108] Furthermore, the infrastructure (e.g., in charging stations, service garages, or fleet depots) that can be extended to pre-diagnose batteries using the system 1 for diagnosing batteries according to this disclosure can be expanded. Therefore, the quality of services used for vehicle maintenance can be improved, and costs can be reduced to increase customer satisfaction.

[0109] Figure 5 An embodiment of a method for diagnosing a vehicle battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 It shows Figure 2 An embodiment of the operation of system 1 for diagnosing batteries.

[0110] refer to Figure 5 S510 to S550 can be descriptions Figure 2 The steps in the system used to diagnose a vehicle's battery are to discharge the vehicle's high-voltage battery.

[0111] In S510, vehicles and Figure 2 Battery diagnostic devices can be connected to each other. For example, battery diagnostic devices and vehicles can be connected to each other via couplers (e.g., charging ports, diagnostic couplers, CCS connectors, CHAdeMO plugs, or Type 2 connectors).

[0112] In S520, voltage and current distributions for charging can be sent to the vehicle. Here, the charging voltage can be, but is not limited to, 400 V or 800 V (e.g., depending on vehicle type, package capacity, or charging standard). For example, the processor of the battery diagnostic device can send command signals to identify the vehicle's connection to the charger via a communication module (e.g., CAN bus, PLC, or Ethernet-based communication). Simultaneously, the processor can send voltage and current distributions for the load module (e.g., including maximum current limits, gradual discharge commands, or thermal constraints) to the EVCC.

[0113] In S530, the operation of the relays can be controlled to generate a high-voltage path. For example, the processor can control the main relay of the load module and the relay connected to the resistor to form a high-voltage path (e.g., first closing the pre-charge relay, then closing the main relay, etc.).

[0114] In the S540, the voltage of the high-voltage battery can be applied to a resistor via a high-voltage path. For example, the processor can control the charging voltage to be applied to the resistor via the high-voltage path (e.g., gradually increasing from 350 V to 400 V, etc.). In other words, voltage can be applied from the high-voltage battery to the resistor of the load module via a high-voltage path.

[0115] In the S550, the high-voltage battery can be discharged based on at least one of a first discharge mode, a second discharge mode, or a third discharge mode. In this document, in the first discharge mode, the high-voltage battery can be discharged while a constant voltage (i.e., constant power) is applied to a resistor (e.g., maintaining a 380 V, 390 V, or 400 V output for stable diagnostic cycling, etc.). In the second discharge mode, because the resistor value is controlled to be constant, the high-voltage battery can be discharged while the voltage and current applied to the resistor decrease together (e.g., gradual decay characteristics, etc.). In the third discharge mode, the high-voltage battery can be discharged while the voltage applied to the resistor decreases, but a constant current flows in the resistor (e.g., a fixed current of 50 A, 75 A, or 100 A, etc.).

[0116] Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 An embodiment of at least one diagnostic mode according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0117] refer to Figure 6 S610 to S650 are flowcharts describing the operation of a manual discharge mode in at least one diagnostic mode.

[0118] In S610, the user can select and input the manual discharge mode. For example, the user can... Figure 3 The battery diagnostic device's HMI module (e.g., touchscreen, physical button, or mobile application interface) inputs a manual discharge mode. The battery diagnostic device's processor can then execute the manual discharge mode.

[0119] In S620, the pause time before the start of discharge and the pause time after the end of discharge of the high-voltage battery can be input. For example, the user can input each of the pause time before the start of discharge and the pause time after the end of discharge (e.g., 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 30 minutes, etc.) via the HMI module. Alternatively, the pause time can be a predetermined time.

[0120] In the S630, the SOC of the high-voltage battery at the end of discharge can be input. For example, the user can input the SOC set to end discharge (e.g., 20%, 30%, or 50% SOC) via the HMI module.

[0121] In S640, at least one of a first discharge mode, a second discharge mode, or a third discharge mode can be selected. For example, the user can select at least one of the first, second, or third discharge modes via the HMI module based on the diagnostic type of the high-voltage battery (e.g., CP mode for constant load evaluation, CR mode for long-duration testing, or CC mode for capacity measurement, etc.). Alternatively, the user can select at least one of the first, second, or third discharge modes based on at least one selected diagnostic mode. Alternatively, the processor of the battery diagnostic device can select at least one of the first, second, or third discharge modes based on at least one diagnostic mode selected by the user (e.g., selecting CP mode for high-power testing, CR mode for resistance-based evaluation, or CC mode for constant current verification, etc.).

[0122] In S650, the high-voltage battery can be discharged according to a selected discharge mode. For example, the processor can control the load module of the battery diagnostic device to discharge the high-voltage battery according to at least one of a first discharge mode, a second discharge mode, or a third discharge mode (e.g., CP mode at 400 V, CR mode at 800 V, or CC mode at 100 A). Simultaneously, the processor can send control signals to the vehicle's EVCC according to at least one of the first, second, or third discharge modes, and can send control signals for controlling the operation of switching devices to the vehicle's power converters (e.g., IGBTs, MOSFETs, or relays).

[0123] refer to Figure 7 S710 to S730 are flowcharts describing the operation of a diagnostic preprocessing mode in at least one diagnostic mode.

[0124] In S710, the diagnostic preprocessing mode can be selected and entered by the user. For example, the user can... Figure 3 The HMI module of the battery diagnostic device (e.g., using menu navigation, quick selection buttons, or connected devices, etc.) inputs the diagnostic preprocessing mode. Therefore, Figure 3 The processor of the battery diagnostic device can execute a diagnostic preprocessing mode.

[0125] In S720, the minimum SOC required for diagnostic charging can be calculated. For example, the processor can calculate the minimum SOC required for diagnostic charging based on data received from the high-voltage battery (e.g., initial SOC, discharge history, or temperature compensation threshold). Alternatively, the processor can receive the minimum SOC from the vehicle's EVCC.

[0126] In the S730, the discharge of the high-voltage battery can be performed up to a minimum SOC. For example, the processor can send control signals to the load module and EVCC of the battery diagnostic device, causing the discharge of the high-voltage battery to be performed up to a minimum SOC (e.g., reducing the SOC from 80% to 50% before performing further diagnostic steps).

[0127] refer to Figure 8 S810 to S850 are flowcharts describing the operation of the SOC monitoring mode in at least one diagnostic mode.

[0128] In the S810, the SOC monitoring mode can be selected and entered by the user. For example, the user can... Figure 3 The battery diagnostic device's HMI module inputs the SOC monitoring mode (e.g., selecting "cell equalization check" or "voltage deviation test," etc.). Therefore, Figure 3 The processor of the battery diagnostic device can execute SOC monitoring mode.

[0129] In S820, the minimum SOC of the high-voltage battery can be calculated. For example, the processor can calculate the minimum SOC of the high-voltage battery based on received high-voltage battery data (e.g., cell voltage, pack current, or accumulated charge data). Alternatively, the processor can receive the minimum SOC from the vehicle's EVCC.

[0130] In the S830, the high-voltage battery can be discharged down to a minimum SOC. For example, the processor can send control signals to the load module and EVCC of the battery diagnostic device, so that the high-voltage battery is discharged down to a minimum SOC (e.g., reducing the SOC from 80% to 60%, 70% to 50%, or 50% to 30%, etc.).

[0131] In S840, the voltage deviation of the high-voltage battery can be calculated. For example, the processor can calculate the voltage deviation when the high-voltage battery is discharging. Here, the voltage deviation can refer to the voltage deviation between the battery cells of the high-voltage battery (e.g., the maximum cell voltage minus the minimum cell voltage, or the standard deviation across the cell terminals, etc.). Alternatively, the vehicle's BMS, VCMS, and EVCC can calculate the voltage deviation while the high-voltage battery is discharging. The processor can receive the calculated voltage deviation.

[0132] In the S850, diagnostic results can be output based on voltage deviation. For example, if the calculated voltage deviation deviates from the normal range (e.g., exceeds a threshold such as 50 mV, 100 mV, or 200 mV), the processor can diagnose an anomaly in the high-voltage battery. Such diagnostic results can be output via an HMI module (e.g., warning icons, digital reports, or audible alarms).

[0133] refer to Figure 9S910 to S960 are flowcharts describing the operation of a state diagnostic mode in at least one diagnostic mode.

[0134] In S910, the user can select and input the status diagnostic mode. For example, the user can... Figure 3 The battery diagnostic device's HMI module inputs the status diagnostic mode (e.g., selecting "Temperature Deviation Test" or "Status Health Analysis"). Therefore, Figure 3 The processor of the battery diagnostic device can execute a status diagnostic mode.

[0135] In S920, a first SOC of the high-voltage battery can be calculated. Here, the first SOC can be the SOC of the high-voltage battery under the condition of discharge start for diagnostic purposes. For example, the processor can calculate the first SOC of the high-voltage battery based on received high-voltage battery data (e.g., pack voltage, coulomb count, or estimated capacity, etc.). Alternatively, the processor can receive the first SOC from the vehicle's EVCC.

[0136] In S930, a second SOC of the high-voltage battery can be calculated. In this document, the second SOC can be the SOC of the high-voltage battery under the condition of end-of-discharge for diagnostic purposes. For example, the processor can calculate the second SOC of the high-voltage battery based on received high-voltage battery data (e.g., cell voltage integration, remaining energy estimation, or prediction models, etc.). Alternatively, the processor can receive the second SOC from the vehicle's EVCC.

[0137] In S940, the maximum temperature deviation of the high-voltage battery can be calculated. For example, the processor can calculate the maximum temperature deviation of the high-voltage battery based on received high-voltage battery data (e.g., temperature sensors at the cell level, module level, or group level). Alternatively, the processor can receive the maximum temperature deviation from the vehicle's EVCC.

[0138] In S950, the discharge of the high-voltage battery can be performed during a first SOC interval and a second SOC interval. For example, the processor can send control signals to the load module and EVCC of the battery diagnostic device to perform the discharge of the high-voltage battery during the first SOC interval and the second SOC interval (e.g., 80%–60% SOC followed by 40%–20% SOC, etc.).

[0139] In the S960, diagnostic results can be output based on the maximum temperature deviation during discharge. For example, the processor can receive the maximum temperature deviation during discharge from the EVCC. If the maximum temperature deviation deviates from the normal range (e.g., exceeding thresholds such as 5°C, 10°C, or 15°C), the processor can diagnose an anomaly in the high-voltage battery. Such diagnostic results can be output via the HMI module (e.g., diagnostic reports, red status indicators, or maintenance recommendations).

[0140] refer to Figure 10 S1010 to S1060 are flowcharts describing the operation of a lifetime diagnostic mode in at least one diagnostic mode.

[0141] In S1010, the user can select and input the life diagnostic mode. For example, the user can... Figure 3 The battery diagnostic device's HMI module inputs the life diagnostic mode (e.g., by selecting "Life Estimation Test," "Capacity Degradation Check," or "Long-Term Health Assessment," etc.). Thus, Figure 3 The processor of the battery diagnostic device can execute a life diagnostic mode.

[0142] In S1020, a pause of the high-voltage battery can be performed during a threshold time period prior to the start of discharge. In this document, the threshold time can be, but is not limited to, 30 minutes (e.g., 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes, depending on thermal stabilization requirements, etc.). For example, the processor can send a control signal to the vehicle's EVCC to perform the pause of the high-voltage battery.

[0143] In S1030, the SOC charge rate for diagnosing lifetime can be calculated. For example, the processor can calculate the SOC change rate required for diagnosing lifetime based on the received high-voltage battery data (e.g., comparing SOC decrease per unit discharge time, integrating current over time, or evaluating group voltage decay, etc.). Alternatively, the processor can receive the SOC charge rate for diagnosing lifetime from the EVCC.

[0144] In S1040, the high-voltage battery can be discharged until the SOC charge rate is met. For example, the processor can send control signals to the load module and EVCC of the battery diagnostic device, causing the high-voltage battery to be discharged until the SOC charge rate is met (e.g., 5% SOC drop, 10% SOC drop, or 20% SOC drop, etc.).

[0145] In S1050, a pause for the high-voltage battery can be performed during a threshold time period after the discharge ends. In this document, the threshold time can be, but is not limited to, 30 minutes (e.g., 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or 45 minutes, depending on the pack temperature, etc.). For example, the processor can send a control signal to the vehicle's EVCC to perform the pause for the high-voltage battery.

[0146] In S1060, diagnostic results can be output based on the current and voltage distribution of the high-voltage battery. For example, the processor can receive the current and voltage distribution of the high-voltage battery from the EVCC during discharge and rest, and can calculate the degree of degradation of the high-voltage battery based on the current and voltage distribution (e.g., estimate capacity decay, identify increased internal resistance, or detect abnormal recovery behavior, etc.).

[0147] As described above, the method for diagnosing a vehicle battery according to this disclosure can improve the reliability of the battery diagnostic device at low cost by using an inverter installed in the vehicle (e.g., avoiding external diagnostic equipment). Furthermore, the method for diagnosing the battery can diagnose whether the vehicle battery is abnormal to prevent safety accidents (e.g., overheating, fire hazard, or sudden power loss). In addition, the method for diagnosing the battery enables low-cost diagnosis of vehicle batteries, improving user accessibility and convenience during vehicle maintenance (e.g., during service scheduling, pre-sale inspections, or fleet health checks).

[0148] Figure 11 An embodiment of a computing system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0149] refer to Figure 11 The computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, memory 1300, user interface input device 1400, user interface output device 1500, storage device 1600, and network interface 1700 connected to each other via a bus 1200 (e.g., PCI bus, system-on-chip interconnect, or high-speed serial bus).

[0150] Processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device (e.g., a GPU, DSP, or microcontroller) that processes instructions stored in memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600. Memory 1300 and storage device 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory 1300 may include read-only memory (ROM) 1310 and random access memory (RAM) 1320 (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, or SDRAM).

[0151] Therefore, the operation of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in the specification can be directly implemented using hardware modules, software modules, or a combination of hardware and software modules, which are executed by processor 1100. Software modules may reside on storage media (i.e., memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600), such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, solid-state drive (SSD), or optical media (e.g., DVD or Blu-ray, etc.) or CD-ROM.

[0152] An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to processor 1100. Processor 1100 may read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated with processor 1100. The processor and storage medium may reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may reside within a user terminal (e.g., a smartphone, vehicle infotainment system, or wearable device). In another scenario, the processor and storage medium may reside as separate components in the user terminal.

[0153] User interface input device 1400 may include an input device (e.g., keyboard, touch screen, microphone, steering wheel buttons, or gesture sensor, etc.) for receiving user input.

[0154] User interface output device 1500 may include a display for showing various information related to driving and / or functions of the vehicle and a speaker for outputting various sounds (e.g., warning sounds, navigation prompts, or multimedia playback) related to driving and / or functions of the vehicle.

[0155] Here, the display provides a user interface that allows passengers and the vehicle to interact with each other. For example, the display may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and / or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (e.g., OLED, AMOLED, or microLEDs).

[0156] The display can provide various information to the user based on control signals from the processor 1100. For example, the display can be located in the central instrument panel, which is the central area of ​​the dashboard in a vehicle. The display can be a component of the speaker head unit or a component of a navigation device set up independently of the speaker head unit. In this document, the speaker head unit can process and output audio and video signals and can perform navigation functions. Therefore, the speaker head unit can be referred to as an audio-visual navigation (AVN) device. For example, the display can show route guidance screens, i.e., screens required to perform navigation functions. Furthermore, the display can further display screens necessary for performing audio functions, video functions, or dialing functions, or vehicle diagnostics (e.g., SOC status, maintenance alarms, or efficiency data, etc.).

[0157] Network interface 1700 may include long-range communication modules and / or short-range communication modules for sending and receiving data with external devices (e.g., servers or user terminals). For example, network interface 1700 may refer to a communication module capable of performing wireless Internet communication, such as wireless LAN (WLAN), wireless broadband (Wibro), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), global microwave interconnection access (WiMAX), or high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) (e.g., LTE, 5G NR, Bluetooth, or NFC).

[0158] For example, a user can input a destination via user interface input device 1400 (e.g., voice command, touch input, or keypad input). And user interface output device 1500 can provide a route to the destination (e.g., visual navigation map, step-by-step voice guidance, or haptic feedback).

[0159] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a system for diagnosing a vehicle battery may include: a high-voltage battery installed in the vehicle to supply power; a power converter installed in the vehicle to convert the direct current (DC) power supplied to the high-voltage battery; and a battery diagnostic device connected to the power converter to discharge the high-voltage battery and diagnose the state of the high-voltage battery.

[0160] In an embodiment, the battery diagnostic device may include: a load module, including at least one resistor and at least one relay and connected to a power converter to discharge the high-voltage battery based on at least one discharge mode; a communication module for sending and receiving data from the high-voltage battery; and a processor for controlling the operation of the power converter and the load module and diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery based on at least one diagnostic mode.

[0161] In an embodiment, the battery diagnostic device may further include a human-machine interface (HMI) module, which receives at least one diagnostic mode and at least one discharge mode selected by the user and outputs the results of the high-voltage battery diagnostic.

[0162] In one embodiment, the power converter may include a switching device comprising at least one switching element and at least one diode. The switching device may operate based on at least one discharge mode.

[0163] In one embodiment, if the vehicle is connected to a battery diagnostic device, the processor can send the vehicle voltage and current distributions for charging voltage.

[0164] In one embodiment, the processor can control the operation of at least one relay to generate a high-voltage path for the load module, and can control the charging voltage to be applied to the resistor via the high-voltage path.

[0165] In one embodiment, a voltage can be applied from the high-voltage battery to a resistor in the load module via a high-voltage path. The high-voltage battery can then be discharged.

[0166] In an embodiment, at least one discharge mode may include a first discharge mode in which a first charging voltage is applied to a resistor, and the high-voltage battery discharges when a constant voltage is applied to the resistor; a second discharge mode in which a second charging voltage is applied to the resistor, and the high-voltage battery discharges when the current flowing in the resistor decreases; and a third discharge mode in which a first charging voltage is applied to the resistor, and the high-voltage battery discharges when the voltage applied to the resistor decreases but a constant current flows through the resistor. The magnitude of the first charging voltage may be smaller than the second charging voltage.

[0167] In this embodiment, the second charging voltage may be the rated voltage of the high-voltage battery. The second discharging mode may be controlled by operating the switching device of the power converter.

[0168] In an embodiment, at least one diagnostic mode can be determined based on the discharge status, rest time, and state of charge (SOC) of the high-voltage battery, wherein the discharge status, rest time, and SOC are preset.

[0169] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a method for diagnosing a vehicle battery may include: supplying power through a high-voltage battery installed in the vehicle; converting the direct current (DC) power supplied to the high-voltage battery through a power converter installed in the vehicle; and discharging the high-voltage battery and diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery through a processor connected to the power converter.

[0170] In another embodiment, diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery may include: using a load module including at least one resistor and at least one relay; connecting the load module to a power converter to discharge the high-voltage battery based on at least one discharge mode; sending and receiving data from the high-voltage battery via a communication module; and controlling the operation of the power converter and the load module via a processor and diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery based on at least one diagnostic mode via the processor.

[0171] In another embodiment, diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery may further include receiving at least one diagnostic mode and at least one discharge mode selected by the user via the HMI module and outputting the results of diagnosing the high-voltage battery via the HMI module.

[0172] In another embodiment, the power converter may include a switching device comprising at least one switching element and at least one diode. Diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery may further include operating the switching device based on at least one discharge mode.

[0173] In another embodiment, diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery may further include sending the voltage distribution and current distribution of the charging voltage to the vehicle.

[0174] In another embodiment, diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery may further include controlling the operation of at least one relay to generate a high-voltage path for the load module and controlling the charging voltage to be applied to a resistor via the high-voltage path.

[0175] In another embodiment, diagnosing the state of the high-voltage battery may further include: applying the voltage of the high-voltage battery to a resistor of the load module via a high-voltage path and discharging the high-voltage battery.

[0176] In another embodiment, at least one discharge mode may include a first discharge mode in which a first charging voltage is applied to a resistor to discharge the high-voltage battery while a constant voltage is applied to the resistor; a second discharge mode in which a second charging voltage is applied to the resistor and the high-voltage battery discharges when the current flowing in the resistor decreases; and a third discharge mode in which a first charging voltage is applied to the resistor and the high-voltage battery discharges when the voltage applied to the resistor decreases but a constant current flows through the resistor. The magnitude of the first charging voltage may be smaller than the second charging voltage.

[0177] In another embodiment, the second charging voltage may be the rated voltage of the high-voltage battery. The second discharging mode may be controlled by the operation of the switching device of the power converter.

[0178] In another embodiment, at least one diagnostic mode can be determined based on the discharge status, rest time, and state of charge (SOC) of the high-voltage battery, as well as preset discharge conditions, rest time, and SOC.

[0179] This technology can improve the reliability of battery diagnostic devices at a low cost by using an inverter installed in the vehicle.

[0180] In addition, this technology can diagnose whether a vehicle's battery is abnormal in advance to prevent safety accidents.

[0181] In addition, this technology can diagnose vehicle batteries at low cost, improving accessibility and convenience for users during vehicle maintenance.

[0182] In addition, various effects that can be directly or indirectly determined through this disclosure may be provided.

[0183] While this disclosure has been described above with reference to examples and accompanying drawings, it is not limited thereto. Various modifications and alterations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as claimed in the appended claims.

[0184] Therefore, the embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the technical spirit of this disclosure, but are provided for illustrative purposes only. The scope of this disclosure should be interpreted based on the appended claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of the claims should be included within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A system for diagnosing a vehicle battery, the system comprising: A battery, installed in the vehicle and configured to supply power to the vehicle; A power converter, installed in the vehicle and configured to convert the DC power from the battery into a first converted power for operation of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle and a second converted power for diagnosing the battery; and A battery diagnostic device, coupled to the power converter, is configured to: The battery is discharged via the second converted power transmitted to the battery diagnostic device. Based on data associated with the battery obtained during discharge, the state of the battery is determined, and Based on the determined state of the battery, a signal indicating the diagnostic state of the battery is output.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The battery diagnostic device includes: A load module, when coupled to the power converter, is configured to discharge the battery based on at least one discharge mode, wherein the load module includes at least one resistor and at least one relay; A communication interface is configured to send and receive data associated with the battery; and The processor circuit is configured to control the operation of the power converter and the load module, and to determine the state of the battery based on at least one diagnostic mode.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The battery diagnostic device includes: The human-machine interface is configured as follows: Receive the at least one diagnostic mode and the at least one discharge mode, wherein the at least one diagnostic mode and the at least one discharge mode are configured to be selected by the user, and Output the determined state of the battery.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, The power converter includes: At least one switch and at least one diode, and The at least one switch and the at least one diode are configured to operate the power converter based on the at least one discharge mode.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, The processor circuit is configured as follows: Based on the vehicle's coupling with the battery diagnostic device, the voltage and current distributions used for charging voltage are sent to the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein, The processor circuit is configured as follows: Controlling the operation of the at least one relay to set the current flow path for the load module, and The charging voltage is applied to the at least one resistor via the current flow path control.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein, The charging voltage is applied from the battery to the at least one resistor via the current flow path, and The battery is discharged via the at least one resistor.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein, The at least one discharge mode includes: In a first discharge mode, a first charging voltage is applied to the at least one resistor and the battery discharges, while a constant voltage is applied to the at least one resistor. In a second discharge mode, a second charging voltage is applied to the at least one resistor and the battery discharges, while the current flowing in the at least one resistor decreases; and In a third discharge mode, the first charging voltage is applied to the at least one resistor and the battery discharges, while the first charging voltage applied to the at least one resistor decreases and a constant current flows in the at least one resistor, wherein the first charging voltage is less than the second charging voltage.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein, The second charging voltage is the rated voltage of the battery, and The second discharge mode is controlled by the operation of the at least one switch and the at least one diode.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein, The at least one diagnostic mode is determined based on the following: The preset discharge conditions of the battery, The preset rest time of the battery, and The preset state of charge of the battery.

11. A method performed by a system for diagnosing a vehicle's battery, the method comprising: Power is supplied to the vehicle from a battery installed in the vehicle; The DC power of the battery is converted into a first power for operation of at least one vehicle component and a second power for diagnosing the battery via a power converter installed in the vehicle. Based on the battery diagnostic device coupled to the power converter, the battery is discharged using the second power via the power converter; The state of the battery is determined based on data associated with the battery obtained during discharge; as well as Based on the determined state of the battery, a signal indicating the diagnostic state of the battery is output.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Determining the state of the battery includes: The battery is discharged via a load module of the battery diagnostic device when the load module is coupled to the power converter and based on at least one discharge mode, wherein the load module includes at least one resistor and at least one relay; The system sends and receives data associated with the battery via its communication interface. Controlling the operation of the power converter and the load module; and The state of the battery is determined based on at least one diagnostic mode.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, Determining the state of the battery includes: The system receives at least one diagnostic mode and at least one discharge mode via its human-machine interface, wherein the at least one diagnostic mode and at least one discharge mode are configured to be selected by the user; and The state of the battery is determined and output via the human-machine interface.

14. A battery diagnostic device for a vehicle, the battery diagnostic device comprising: A load module is configured to be coupled to the vehicle’s battery via a power converter installed in the vehicle, and the load module is configured to discharge the battery in at least one of a constant power mode, a constant resistance mode, and a constant current mode. A communication interface is configured to exchange data with the vehicle during the discharge of the battery, wherein the data includes at least one of the battery voltage, the battery current, the battery temperature, and the battery state of charge; A charging port is configured to connect the battery diagnostic device to the vehicle and provide a discharge path for the battery during diagnostics. A human-machine interface is configured to receive selection of at least one diagnostic mode, wherein the at least one diagnostic mode includes a manual discharge mode, a preprocessing mode, a state of charge monitoring mode, a condition diagnostic mode, or a life diagnostic mode; and The processor circuitry is configured as follows: Based on the selection of the at least one diagnostic mode received, the power converter and the load module are controlled to discharge the battery, and Based on the processed data, a diagnostic result indicating whether the battery is abnormal and the current state of the battery are output.

15. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 14, wherein, The processor circuit is configured to control the load module by applying a constant voltage to the load module during the discharge of the battery in the constant power mode.

16. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 14, wherein, The processor circuit is configured to operate in the state of charge monitoring mode. Identify the voltage deviation between the battery cells of the battery, and The diagnostic result is determined based on the identified voltage deviation.

17. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 14, wherein, The processor circuit is configured to discharge the battery to a preset state of charge in the preprocessing mode before executing another diagnostic mode in the at least one diagnostic mode.

18. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 14, wherein, The processor circuit is configured to determine the degree of battery degradation based on the rate of change of state of charge during the discharge in the life diagnostic mode.

19. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 14, wherein, The processor circuit is configured to control the discharge of the battery in the manual discharge mode based on the discharge status and rest time input by the user via the human-machine interface.

20. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 14, wherein, The processor circuit is configured to determine whether the battery is abnormal based on the temperature deviation of the battery during the discharge in the status diagnostic mode.

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