Electric vehicle and charging control method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to an electric vehicle and a charging control method thereof, and particularly to an electric vehicle and a charging control method thereof for adjusting a charging mode according to a charging environment and a battery state; a charging control device according to an embodiment can include a battery, a sensor for measuring a state of the battery, a memory for storing usage history data for the battery, and a processor configured to determine an initial charging mode according to the usage history data, determine a degradation index for the state of the battery measured by the sensor according to a result of cumulative charging, and determine a final charging parameter of the initial charging mode according to the degradation index to perform charging control of the battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electric vehicle that adjusts its charging mode according to the charging environment and battery status, and a charging control method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] When using external power to charge the battery of an electric vehicle driven by a motor, the charging method usually depends on the source of the external power, while the charging parameters usually depend on the charging method.

[0003] For example, the charging method, such as fast charging or slow charging, depends on the type of charging facility or the charging power. The charging current control based on the charging progress, such as the State of Charge (SOC), usually refers to a charging mapping diagram predetermined according to the charging method.

[0004] However, repeated charging can lead to a problem where the battery's degradation is ignored and a fixed charging map is always referenced. Furthermore, in order to achieve a fast charging speed, a higher C-rate is usually applied, which may accelerate battery degradation.

[0005] The above description of the background technology is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention and should not be regarded as an admission that it belongs to the prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present invention aim to provide an electric vehicle and a charging control method thereof capable of implementing a charging strategy suitable for the charging environment and battery state.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above. Other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0008] A charging control device based on one embodiment for solving the above-mentioned technical problems may include: a battery; a sensor for measuring the state of the battery; a memory for storing historical usage data of the battery; and a processor configured to: determine an initial charging mode based on the historical usage data, determine a degradation index of the battery state measured by the sensor based on the result of cumulative charging, and determine the final charging parameters of the initial charging mode based on the degradation index, so as to perform charging control of the battery.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to determine one of a plurality of predetermined charging modes with different charging operation configuration information as the initial charging mode.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: determine the initial charging mode based on a degradation impact index, wherein the degradation impact index is determined based on the degree of influence of multiple factors included in the historical data on the degradation of the battery.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned degradation impact index may include: a high degradation impact index determined based on at least one factor with a high impact; and a low degradation impact index determined based on at least one factor with a low impact.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: directly determine the initial charging mode when the high degradation impact index is lower than a predetermined first benchmark, and determine the initial charging mode based on the low degradation impact index when the high degradation impact index is higher than the first benchmark.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the at least one factor with high influence may include at least one of: number of fast charging cycles, charging power during fast charging, or maximum battery temperature at the start of charging; the at least one factor with low influence may include at least one of: number of slow charging cycles, whether charging is performed in a predetermined state of charge (SOC) region, or minimum battery temperature at the start of charging.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the charging control device further includes an information output device, and the processor can be configured to control the information output device to output information for the initial charging mode when a charging intention is detected.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to determine whether each of the plurality of charging modes is permitted based on the battery condition level based on the aforementioned degradation index.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: determine a normal degradation index and an abnormal degradation index based on the degradation index of the battery state measured by the sensor, and determine the battery condition level based on the determined normal degradation index and abnormal degradation index.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to determine the normal degradation index based on at least one of the degradation degree based on mileage or the amount of internal resistance change determined by pulse charging.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to determine the abnormal degradation index based on at least one of the voltage deviation between battery cells, discharge energy deviation, or negative electrode potential variation.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the battery condition level can be determined as one of a predetermined plurality of levels based on the normal degradation index and the abnormal degradation index.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the above-mentioned multiple levels may include at least one of the following: good level, normal degradation level where the normal degradation index is lower than the abnormal degradation index, abnormal degradation level where the abnormal degradation index is lower than the normal degradation index, or severe degradation level.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: adjust the final charging parameters according to the normal degradation index under the normal degradation level, and adjust the final charging parameters according to the abnormal degradation index under the abnormal degradation level.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to set the charging amount according to predetermined conditions in a charging mode corresponding to the severe degradation level among the plurality of charging modes.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned mileage-based degradation can be determined based on predetermined baseline information.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned discharge energy deviation can be determined based on a predefined ratio of the table value of discharge energy based on charge state and temperature to the actual discharge energy during driving.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: determine whether the charging mode selected by the user is allowed when the user selects a charging mode that is different from the initial charging mode among the plurality of charging modes.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the charging control device may further include an information output device, wherein the processor is configured to output information indicating that the selected charging mode cannot be applied when it is determined that the charging mode selected by the user is not allowed.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: when it is determined that the charging mode selected by the user is allowed, determine the charging mode selected by the user as the final charging mode, and adjust the charging parameters of the final charging mode according to the degradation index.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to determine the initial charging mode as a predetermined mode without considering the degradation impact index when the predetermined charging data accumulation condition is not met.

[0029] Furthermore, a charging control device based on one embodiment may include: a battery; a sensor for measuring the state of the battery; a memory for storing historical usage data of the battery; and a processor configured to control the charging of the battery using one of the preset charging modes with different charging operation configuration information, wherein the processor is configured to determine a normal degradation index and an abnormal degradation index based on the historical usage data of the battery, and adjust the charging parameters applied to the one of the charging modes based on the determined normal degradation index and abnormal degradation index.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: determine the battery condition level based on the normal degradation index and the abnormal degradation index, and determine whether one of the charging modes is permitted or not based on the determined battery condition level, or adjust the charging parameters.

[0031] Additionally, a charging control method based on one embodiment may include: acquiring battery usage history information, outputting information for an initial charging mode determined among multiple charging modes based on the acquired information, and adjusting charging parameters based on normal degradation diagnosis results and abnormal degradation diagnosis results of the battery under the initial charging mode to perform charging of the battery.

[0032] According to the various embodiments described above, a charging strategy suitable for the charging environment and battery state can be implemented in an electric vehicle.

[0033] Furthermore, by implementing appropriate charging strategies, charging scheduling can be optimized, battery life can be extended, and the decline in its residual value can be slowed down.

[0034] The effects that can be obtained through the various embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is an exemplary block diagram illustrating the structure of an electric vehicle that can be applied to various embodiments.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a charging control scheme based on one embodiment.

[0037] Figure 3 An example of a charging control process based on one embodiment is shown.

[0038] Figure 4 A specific example of a charging control process based on one embodiment is shown.

[0039] Figure 5An example of the process for determining the initial charging mode based on one embodiment is shown.

[0040] Figure 6 An example of a process for determining the battery condition level based on one embodiment is shown.

[0041] Figure 7 An example of the configuration of diagnostic charging configuration information based on one embodiment is shown.

[0042] Figure 8 An example of the correlation between battery degradation index and charging mode based on one embodiment is shown.

[0043] Figure 9 An example of the output format of initial charging mode information based on one embodiment is shown.

[0044] Figure 10 An example of a user-selected charging mode based on one embodiment is shown.

[0045] Figure 11 An example of the output format of a message indicating that the charging mode cannot be applied based on one embodiment is shown.

[0046] Figure 12 An example of the output format of charging result information based on one embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The specific structural and functional descriptions disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention are merely examples provided to illustrate embodiments based on the concepts of the present invention; embodiments based on the concepts of the present invention can be implemented in various forms and are not necessarily limited to the forms described in this specification.

[0048] The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways and have multiple forms. Therefore, specific embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and described in detail below. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention to a specific form. It should be understood that all modified, equivalent, and alternative embodiments of the present invention, which fall within the concept and technical scope of the present invention, are considered to be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0049] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall be understood to have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms consistent with their definitions in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the same meaning in the context of the relevant art and shall not be interpreted in a figurative or overly formalistic manner unless such meaning is expressly indicated in this application.

[0050] The embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in whichever drawing is shown, the same or similar parts are given the same reference numerals and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0051] In the following description of the embodiments, the term "preset" means that the value of a parameter has been predetermined when it is used in a process or algorithm. Depending on the embodiment, the value of the parameter may be set when the process or algorithm starts, or dynamically adjusted during its implementation.

[0052] The suffixes “module” and “part” used for components in the following description are used for convenience in writing the manual only and do not have any distinguishing meaning or function.

[0053] In describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, detailed descriptions of relevant well-known technologies are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions may hinder the understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are only for assisting in understanding the embodiments disclosed in this specification. The technical concepts disclosed in this specification are not limited by the drawings and should be understood as all modified, equivalent, and alternative embodiments of the present invention. All embodiments falling within the scope of the concept and technology of the present invention are considered to be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0054] Terms containing ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" can be used to distinguish different components, but such components are not limited by the terms themselves. Such terms are only used to distinguish one component from another.

[0055] It is important to understand that when describing a component as "connected" or "connected" to another component, it can mean that the component is directly connected to or connected to the other component, or that there are other components in between. Conversely, when it is said that a component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components between them.

[0056] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form of a statement may imply a plural form.

[0057] In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are used to indicate the presence of the described features, values, steps, actions, elements, components or combinations thereof, rather than excluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, values, steps, actions, elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0058] In addition, the "Unit" or "Control Unit" in the names of motor control units (MCU) and hybrid control units (HCU) are simply common naming conventions for control devices that control specific functions of a vehicle, and do not refer to generic function units.

[0059] A controller may include a communication device that communicates with other controllers or sensors to control the functions it performs, a memory that stores operating system or logic instructions and input / output information, and one or more processors that perform the judgments, calculations, and determinations required to perform the functions it performs.

[0060] In various embodiments of the present invention, a comprehensive consideration of external and internal factors during battery charging is proposed to enable electric vehicles to achieve an optimal charging strategy. To this end, the charging control device for the electric vehicle may include: a data collection unit that collects historical data on battery usage (especially charging); a strategy setting unit that sets a charging mode based on the collected data and according to external and internal factors; and a charging control unit that controls the charging process using either the charging mode determined by the strategy setting unit or the charging mode determined by the user. Here, external factors may refer to status-related or experiential factors (e.g., charging experience) that intervene from charging preparation to completion, while internal factors may refer to the accumulated charging results, i.e., the current state of the battery. The specific types and determination methods of each factor will be described in detail later; firstly, refer to... Figure 1 This description applies to electric vehicles as described in the embodiments.

[0061] Figure 1 This is an exemplary block diagram illustrating the structure of an electric vehicle that can be applied to various embodiments.

[0062] Reference Figure 1 The electric vehicle that can be applied to the embodiments may include: a battery 110, a battery management system (BMS) 120, a vehicle charging management system (VCMS) 130, an integrated charging control unit (ICCU) 140, a vehicle controller (VCU) 150, and an AVNT (Audio / Video / Navigation / Telematics) terminal 160.

[0063] Figure 1The diagram primarily illustrates the components relevant to the embodiments; however, the actual electric vehicle structure may include more or fewer components. For example, the electric vehicle structure may further include a drive motor, an inverter electrically connected to the drive motor, and a motor controller (MCU) for controlling the inverter, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The components are described in more detail below.

[0064] Battery 110 is a high-capacity energy storage device that can be recharged and discharged, usually referring to lithium-ion secondary batteries, but not limited to them.

[0065] The battery controller 120 can control the battery by taking into account charge / discharge efficiency and lifespan. For example, the battery controller 120 can acquire and manage information and status information related to battery charge / discharge. In particular, in relation to various embodiments of the present invention, the battery controller 120 can perform functions such as acquiring, preprocessing, analyzing, and determining recommended modes of information related to external and internal factors associated with charging.

[0066] The vehicle charging controller 130 can perform the following functions when charging the battery with external power: communicating with the charging station that supplies external power based on charging protocols such as CHAdeMO, controlling the charging speed such as adjusting the power flow rate, and controlling the start / stop of charging, etc.

[0067] The integrated charging control device 140 is a device that integrates charging and power conversion functions by combining an on-board charger (OBC) and a low-voltage DC-DC converter (LDC). When the on-board charger is a bidirectional OBC type, V2L (Vehicle to Load) functionality can be provided. Specifically, when the battery 110 is charging, the integrated charging control device 140 can operate under the control of the vehicle charging controller 130.

[0068] Typically, the integrated charging control device 140 can convert AC power to DC power to charge the battery 110 when the external power is AC power; when the external power is DC power, it can also provide some sensor data to the vehicle charging controller 130 during charging, or perform power conversion functions to power the vehicle's electronic devices during charging.

[0069] As a higher-level controller for other controllers or control devices, the vehicle controller 150 can participate in the overall functional control of the electric vehicle, including power control. For example, the vehicle controller 150 can determine the driver's required torque based on the sensing value of the pedal position sensor (not shown), and, taking into account both the required torque and the state of the drive system, transmit a torque command to the drive system controller (e.g., MCU) to control the drive source to output torque corresponding to the torque command.

[0070] The AVNT terminal 160 can provide path navigation, multimedia content output, and wired / wireless communication with external objects, and in related embodiments, it can provide a user interface for outputting charging-related information and receiving user commands.

[0071] In the actual configuration of the aforementioned components of the electric vehicle, the functions of one controller can be implemented by two or more controllers, and the functions of multiple controllers can be integrated into one controller, which is obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0072] For example, if the charging control device of the electric vehicle 100 is considered to include: a data collection unit that collects historical data on the usage (especially charging) of the battery 110; a strategy setting unit that sets the charging mode based on the collected data and according to external and internal factors; and a charging control unit that controls the charging process according to the charging mode determined by the strategy setting unit or the charging mode determined by the user, then the data collection unit and the strategy setting unit correspond to the BMS 120, and the charging control unit can correspond to the VCMS 130 and ICCU 140. However, this is only an example; depending on the implementation, the charging control unit may also include a VCU 150, and multiple controllers may also be implemented as an integrated controller in the architecture.

[0073] Based on the vehicle configuration described above, the following will explain the optimal charging control scheme that comprehensively considers internal and external factors according to the embodiment.

[0074] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a charging control scheme based on one embodiment.

[0075] Reference Figure 2 The charging control based on the embodiment may include a process of determining an initial charging mode based on external factors (S210) and a process of determining an optimal charging mode based on internal factors (S220).

[0076] First, the process of determining the initial charging mode based on external factors may include the following steps: analyzing past usage history (i.e., charging) data (S211), and determining the initial charging mode based on the analysis results (S212). The determined initial charging mode can be displayed during the charging preparation phase (S213) to help the driver determine the charging mode. If the driver does not select a different charging mode, charging can be performed based on the initial charging mode. Examples of using historical data include: the number of fast charging cycles and slow charging cycles, charging power, battery temperature at the start of charging, and whether high SOC range charging is performed. That is, external factors used to determine the initial charging mode may include charging experiences that affect battery degradation, such as experiencing fast charging, charging in high-temperature environments, charging in low-temperature environments, or charging to a high SOC, but these are only examples and are not necessarily limited to this. However, it should be noted that external factors are factors that take into account the number and intensity of specific charging environments related to battery degradation, and are not factors derived by measuring or calculating the actual impact on the battery after experiencing such charging environments or charging experiences.

[0077] Next, the process of determining the optimal charging mode based on internal factors (S220) may include the following steps: determining degradation indicators such as normal degradation index and abnormal degradation index (S221), and comprehensively considering each index to determine the battery condition level (S222). The battery condition level determined thereby can limit the charging mode that can be ultimately selected during the charging preparation process. If an unrestricted charging mode, such as an initial charging mode, is determined, the optimal charging mode can be provided by finally adjusting the charging parameters of that charging mode (e.g., charging power, charging current, charging speed, target charging SOC, etc.) (S223).

[0078] Here, the normal degradation index can correspond to the diagnostic results of normal degradation, and may include degradation indices based on mileage, degradation indices based on the battery's internal resistance measured during charging in a specific mode, etc. Similarly, the abnormal degradation index can correspond to the diagnostic results of abnormal degradation, and may include abnormal degradation indices based on voltage deviations between battery cells, abnormal degradation indices based on measured discharge energy, abnormal degradation indices based on negative electrode potential, etc. However, these indices are merely illustrative, and their form is not limited as long as they are factors that can quantify the normal or abnormal degradation of the battery.

[0079] The battery condition level determined by comprehensively considering various degradation indices can include multiple levels, each corresponding to different normal degradation index ranges and abnormal degradation index ranges. For example, the battery condition levels can include: Level 1, representing a good condition; Level 2, representing the beginning of normal degradation; Level 3, representing the beginning of abnormal degradation; Level 4, representing a mixture of normal and abnormal degradation; Level 5, corresponding to rapid abnormal degradation, etc. However, this is only an example and is not necessarily limited to this.

[0080] The methods for determining the specific degradation indices and the methods for determining the battery condition level based on the determined degradation indices will be explained in detail later.

[0081] On the other hand, the charging mode that can be set as the initial charging mode can include multiple modes, each with different charging operation configuration information (representing the charging form, behavior, or mode exhibited by a combination of the following) through different settings of at least one of the following: utilization rate of the maximum charging power of the charging facility supplying external power, charging speed, state of charge (SOC) as the basis for charging end, and target charge setting method.

[0082] For example, a charging mode based on one embodiment may include: maximum power charging mode, degradation mitigation mode, maintenance charging mode, and safe charging mode.

[0083] Here, the maximum power charging mode is the mode that charges the battery with the maximum charging power of the charging facility that supplies external power, and it is the mode that can achieve the fastest charging speed among multiple charging modes.

[0084] Degradation mitigation mode can refer to a mode in which the battery is charged at a power lower than the maximum charging power. In degradation mitigation mode, charging parameters can be adjusted according to at least one of the normal degradation index or the abnormal degradation index.

[0085] For example, when the battery condition level is Level 2, corresponding to the start of normal degradation, and the charging mode is determined to be a degradation mitigation mode, the charging parameters can be adjusted according to the normal degradation index. Of course, the adjustment direction can be that the lower the normal degradation index, the more towards the mitigation of degradation (e.g., adjusting the charging current downwards for each SOC range, adjusting the SOC upon completion of charging downwards, etc.).

[0086] As another example, when the battery condition level is Level 3, corresponding to the onset of abnormal degradation, and the charging mode is determined to be a degradation mitigation mode, the charging parameters can be adjusted based on the abnormal degradation index. In this case, the adjustment direction can be towards mitigation as the abnormal degradation index decreases (e.g., adjusting the charging current downwards for each SOC interval, adjusting the SOC upon completion of charging downwards, etc.). However, when based on the abnormal degradation index, a larger adjustment towards mitigation can be made compared to the same value of the normal degradation index.

[0087] In maintenance mode, a lower charging speed can be provided than in degradation mitigation mode, and charging current control can be implemented to minimize the decline in battery remaining value. Furthermore, when selecting a charging plan, the charging time (i.e., the amount of charge) can be set in fixed time intervals (e.g., 10-minute intervals) based on the remaining SOC, but this is merely an example and not a requirement.

[0088] On the other hand, safety mode is a charging mode that prioritizes safety before receiving appropriate repair services. It can limit the state of charge (SOC) at the end of charging and provide the lowest charging speed among multiple charging modes.

[0089] The categories, names, and features of the various charging modes described above are illustrative examples to help understand the embodiments of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to this. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that more or fewer charging modes can be applied in actual configuration.

[0090] Figure 3 An example of a charging control process based on one embodiment is shown.

[0091] Figure 3 The processes shown can generally be executed by the battery controller 120, but this is merely exemplary and not necessarily limited to this. For example, in step S320, the battery controller 120 may obtain the necessary information to determine the charging mode, transmit it to the Connected Car Service Server via the communication function of the AVNT terminal 160, and the Connected Car Service Server may determine the initial charging mode, which is then transmitted to the battery controller 120 via the AVNT terminal 160. (Referring to...) Figure 3 In the description of the following figures, for convenience, the entity executing each process is referred to as the "controller".

[0092] Reference Figure 3The controller can first determine whether the charging data accumulation condition is met (S310). The charging data accumulation condition can refer to the conditions used to determine whether the external factors related to charging, i.e., the battery's usage history data, have been accumulated to a level sufficient to determine the initial charging mode. For example, for a new vehicle that has not yet completed its break-in period, the number of charging cycles is small, the driving time is short, and the possibility that the battery has experienced a charging environment that would lead to degradation or has experienced a charging experience that reaches a certain level is very low. Therefore, the battery's degradation level can be considered very low. In this case, the controller can determine that the charging data accumulation condition is not met ("No" in S310).

[0093] As an example, the charging data accumulation condition can be set to consider at least one of the following: number of charges, post-manufacturer operating time, and driving distance. According to another example, the charging data accumulation condition can be simplified to driving mileage. More specifically, reaching 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers, which is generally considered the vehicle's break-in period driving distance, can be determined as meeting the charging data accumulation condition, but this is merely exemplary and not necessarily limited to this.

[0094] If the charging data accumulation condition is met (S310 "Yes"), the controller can determine the initial charging mode (S320). At this time, the controller can determine the initial charging mode based on the degradation impact index. As mentioned above, the degradation impact index refers to the result of indexing external factors affecting battery degradation, and can include high-impact indices with relatively large impacts on degradation and low-impact indices with relatively small impacts. The factors constituting the specific high-impact and low-impact indices, their derivation methods, and the method for determining the initial charging mode based on these indices will be discussed in [reference needed]. Figure 5 This will be explained in detail later.

[0095] Conversely, if the charging data accumulation condition is not met ("No" in S310), the controller can determine the initial charging mode as the maximum charging power mode (S330). This is because the battery's cumulative usage is low, the degradation progress can be considered low, and the necessity to limit the charging power is also low.

[0096] In addition, the controller can determine the battery status level (S340). When both the initial charging mode and the battery status level are determined, the controller can perform the following charging control: during the charging preparation phase, output information related to the initial charging mode and adjust the charging parameters according to the battery status level to determine the final charging parameters (S350).

[0097] The following is for reference Figure 4 This explains the specific process of performing charging control once the basic charging parameters and battery condition level are determined.

[0098] Figure 4A specific example of a charging control process based on one embodiment is shown.

[0099] Reference Figure 4 When the driver searches for a destination via the AVNT terminal 160 (S401 "Yes"), the vehicle controller 150 compares the remaining drivable distance (Distance Till Empty: DTE) with the distance to the destination. If it determines that charging is required, it searches for charging stations around the route via the AVNT terminal 160 and outputs information about available charging stations (S402). Thus, this function can be called a Route Planner: through coordinated control between the vehicle controller 150 and the AVNT terminal 160, it searches for and provides charging routes when charging is required to reach the destination.

[0100] Here, when the driver selects a charging station and an available charger, the controller can set up a basic charging environment for the charger based on the determined initial charging mode (S403). Subsequently, upon arriving at the selected charging station and recognizing the charger's plug connection, the controller can output information related to the initial charging mode through the AVNT terminal 160 (S405A).

[0101] Conversely, when the driver has not specified a destination ("No" in S401), and a plug connection is detected (S404), the controller can set up a basic charging environment based on the charger information obtained through communication with the charger via the connected plug and the determined initial charging mode, and output information related to the initial charging mode through the AVNT terminal 160 (S405A).

[0102] In addition, the controller can output a charging mode selection menu (S405B) via the AVNT terminal 160. This menu allows the user to select any one of the aforementioned charging modes (i.e., maximum power charging mode, degradation mitigation mode, maintenance charging mode, and safety charging mode). The specific format of the charging mode selection menu will be described in [reference needed]. Figure 10 This will be explained later.

[0103] Here, setting up the basic charging environment can refer to: assuming that, among multiple charging modes, a predetermined initial charging mode is used for charging via a charger with a plug connected, preparatory work is performed (e.g., determining the charging power, loading charging configuration information, calculating the estimated charging time, etc.). However, even with a predetermined initial charging mode, the final charging mode can be determined based on the driver's instruction entered through the charging mode selection menu provided in step S405B (S406). If the driver does not directly select a charging mode ("No" in S406), the final charging mode is the initial charging mode (S407); if the driver directly selects a charging mode ("Yes" in S406), the charging mode selected by the driver can be determined as the final charging mode. Here, "the driver does not directly select a charging mode" ("No" in S406) refers to the situation where the driver does not make a separate selection in the charging mode selection menu provided in step S405B but enters a "Confirm" or "Start Charging" instruction, which also includes the situation where the predetermined initial charging mode is ultimately selected.

[0104] The controller can determine whether the determined charging mode corresponds to the current battery condition level (e.g., the last determined battery condition level) (S408). For example, at the lowest condition level, all charging modes are allowed (i.e., permitted); as the condition level increases, at least some charging modes are gradually restricted. The specific relationship between the condition level and the permitted / restricted charging modes will be referred to... Figure 8 This will be explained in detail later.

[0105] If the selected charging mode does not correspond to the battery condition level ("No" in S408), the controller can output information such as AVNT terminal 160 indicating that the selected charging mode cannot be applied to this charging (S409).

[0106] Conversely, when the determined charging mode corresponds to the battery condition level ("Yes" in S408), the controller can adjust the charging parameters according to the condition level under the determined charging mode to determine the final charging parameters (S410), and then charge according to the adjusted parameters (i.e., the final charging parameters) (S411). In this case, depending on the determined charging mode (e.g., the case where the charging mode is the maximum power charging mode), the adjustment step (S410) can be omitted.

[0107] After charging is complete, the charging result information can be displayed on the AVNT terminal 160 (S412). In addition to being output through the AVNT terminal 160, the charging result information can also be output through other in-vehicle output devices such as the instrument panel, or it can be transmitted to external devices such as a connected car service server and output through a web page or smartphone application.

[0108] On the other hand, Figure 4 The document describes a scenario where charging connector connection identification is used as a condition for outputting information about the initial charging mode or a charging mode selection menu. However, this is merely an example, and it applies to any situation that reflects a user's charging intention. For example, the controller can determine a user's charging intention in situations such as: searching for a charging station, entering a charging station, detecting a charging plan received through a connection to the user's terminal, or determining an event that requires charging based on the current SOC and distance to the destination, or predicting charging times by learning user usage patterns.

[0109] The following is for reference Figure 5 The process of determining the initial charging mode is explained in more detail (S320).

[0110] Figure 5 An example of the process for determining the initial charging mode based on one embodiment is shown.

[0111] Reference Figure 5 The controller can first acquire data for determining the high-impact index and low-impact index of degradation (S321), and then preprocess the acquired data (S322). Here, the data acquisition process (S321) may refer to the process of searching or loading accumulated historical data of past use (charging) from storage devices such as the memory of the BMS 120; the preprocessing process (S322) may refer to the process of excluding data that does not meet predetermined conditions from the data being analyzed. For example, for data acquired in a charging cycle, if the required / duration of the charging cycle is shorter than a predetermined baseline (e.g., 10 minutes), or if the SOC value increased by charging is lower than a certain baseline (e.g., 50%), the data may not be considered when determining the initial charging mode.

[0112] Based on the preprocessed data, the controller can determine the high-impact degradation index (S323). If the high-impact degradation index is lower than a predetermined first benchmark ("Yes" in S324), the controller can set the initial charging mode to the maximum power charging mode. As mentioned above, the high-impact degradation index is determined based on the number of times the battery experiences situations where the impact on battery degradation is greater than that of a low-impact degradation index. A high-impact degradation index lower than the first benchmark indicates that the battery is in very good condition. Therefore, the controller can set the initial charging mode to the maximum power charging mode (S328).

[0113] For example, the high impact index of degradation can be determined based on the number of fast charging cycles, charging power, and the number of times high temperatures are experienced (the highest temperature at the start of charging), but this is just an example and is not necessarily limited to these.

[0114] Conversely, if the high-impact degradation index is above the first baseline (No in S324), the controller can determine the low-impact degradation index (S325).

[0115] For example, the Low Impact Degradation Index can be determined based on the number of slow charging cycles, whether charging is performed in a high SOC region, and the number of low-temperature cycles (the lowest temperature at the start of charging), but this is just an example and is not necessarily limited to this.

[0116] When the low-impact degradation index is lower than a predetermined second benchmark (S326 "Yes"), the controller can determine the initial charging mode as the maximum power charging mode (328). Conversely, when the low-impact degradation index is higher than the second benchmark (S326 "No"), the controller can determine the initial charging mode as the degradation mitigation mode (S327). This is to allow the maximum power charging mode as much as possible while taking into account the driver's intention to charge quickly, while mitigating the battery degradation process because both the high-impact degradation index and the low-impact degradation index exceed their respective benchmarks.

[0117] An example of the calculation method for the specific high-impact degradation index and low-impact degradation index is shown in Table 1 below.

[0118] Table 1 Referring to Table 1, when determining the high-impact degradation index, different counts are applied to different charging powers during fast charging. This allows for a comprehensive consideration of the number of fast charges and the charging power during index calculation. Furthermore, the count increases by 1 each time the charging start temperature exceeds the baseline. The counts of different factors can be summed. For example, if 10 charges have been performed so far at a charging power of 250kW, the total count based on the fast charging power factor is 4 × 10 = 40. Additionally, if there were two instances where the charging start temperature was above 35 degrees Celsius, the total count based on the charging start temperature factor is 2 × 1 = 2. Finally, the high-impact degradation index can be determined as (4 × 10) + (2 × 1) = 42.

[0119] When determining the low-impact degradation index, different counts are applied to different charging start temperature ranges. This allows the charging start temperature range and the number of charges to be considered comprehensively during index calculation. Furthermore, the count can be increased by 1 when charging is performed in the high SOC range (i.e., above 80% SOC). Similar to the determination of the high-impact degradation index, the low-impact degradation index can also be determined by summing the counts of different factors.

[0120] Next, refer to Figure 6 The process for determining the battery condition level will be explained in more detail.

[0121] Figure 6 An example of a process for determining the battery condition level based on one embodiment is shown.

[0122] exist Figure 6 In this study, it is assumed that when determining the normal degradation index, the degradation degree (SOH) information based on mileage and the change in battery internal resistance measured during charging with the application of diagnostic charging configuration information are considered; when determining the abnormal degradation index, the voltage deviation between battery cells, the discharge energy deviation based on SOC and temperature, and the negative electrode potential value are considered.

[0123] Reference Figure 6 The controller can retrieve SOH data (S341A) from memory, such as the memory of BMS 120, to determine the degree of degradation based on driving distance.

[0124] Furthermore, to determine the change in internal resistance, the controller loads diagnostic charging configuration information into VCMS 130 (S342B) when diagnostic charging is possible (S341B "Yes"), thereby enabling the collection of data for a specific interval (S343B). Here, diagnostic charging configuration information may refer to charging configuration information such as setting one or more rest intervals that interrupt the charging current supply or discharge intervals that perform constant C-rate discharge in order to more accurately measure the battery's internal resistance during charging. In step S343B, the specific interval for data collection refers to the discharge interval or rest interval. Since the charging current in this interval is pulsed, it is conveniently referred to as a "pulse interval." Additionally, being able to perform diagnostic charging may mean meeting the charging start SOC, allowing charging to pass through all the rest intervals or discharge intervals set in the diagnostic charging configuration information, but it is not limited to this. For example, in addition to meeting the charging start SOC, the condition for determining whether diagnostic charging is possible may further require that there is no planned departure before the expected charging time has ended.

[0125] When SOH data and pulse interval data are collected, the controller can determine the normal degradation index (S344).

[0126] The controller can determine the mileage-based degradation degree based on predetermined baseline information. Specifically, the controller can determine the mileage-based degradation degree based on the ratio of the battery's target SOH range to the current SOH. For example, if the target SOH is 70%, the actual target SOH range is the upper 30% of the range between 100% and 70%. If the current SOH is 85%, it is in the middle of the 100% to 70% range, so the mileage-based degradation degree can be determined as 50%. As another example, if the current SOH is 90%, the mileage-based degradation degree corresponds to 20% of the 30% range, so it can be determined as 67%. In summary, the mileage-based degradation degree (%) can be calculated by "{(current SOH - target SOH) / (100 - target SOH)} × 100". On the other hand, the current SOH can be determined based on the capacity-based SOH calculation method (such as the ratio of the current battery capacity to the battery capacity at the time of manufacture), but this is only an example and is not necessarily limited to this. In addition, the target SOH range for warranty use does not necessarily have to be set exactly the same as the SOH range specified by the manufacturer for battery warranty.

[0127] Next, the controller can use the pulse interval data to determine the change in the battery's internal resistance. To do this, the controller can calculate the internal resistance interval by pulse interval based on the voltage change within that interval. The specific pulse interval pattern will refer to... Figure 7 Please provide an explanation.

[0128] Figure 7 An example of the configuration of diagnostic charging configuration information based on one embodiment is shown.

[0129] Reference Figure 7 The diagnostic charging configuration information can include three constant current (CC) intervals, and more than one pulse interval 710, 720, and 730 can be set in each CC interval. For example, three pulse intervals 710 can be set in the CC interval corresponding to the interval with the lowest SOC. When charging according to such diagnostic charging configuration information, all pulse intervals 710, 720, and 730 will be experienced within a single diagnostic charging cycle, and voltage changes can be monitored interval by interval. When the internal resistance is calculated separately for multiple pulse intervals within a single diagnostic charging cycle, the average value of the internal resistance of each interval can be used as the internal resistance value of that diagnostic charging cycle.

[0130] By comparing the internal resistance value of the current diagnostic charging cycle with the internal resistance value of the previous diagnostic charging cycle, the change in the battery's internal resistance can be determined.

[0131] Back to Figure 6The controller can index the mileage-based state of harmonic deterioration (SOH) and the change in internal resistance, respectively, by comparing them to predetermined benchmarks. For example, a higher mileage-based SOH value corresponds to a larger index value, and a smaller change in internal resistance corresponds to a larger index value.

[0132] On the other hand, in order to determine the abnormal degradation index, the controller can extract the voltage data of each battery cell (S341C), extract the discharge data in the driving state (S341D "Yes") (S342D), and also extract the negative electrode potential data (S341E), and determine the abnormal degradation index based on these data (S345).

[0133] Specifically, the controller can determine the voltage deviation between battery cells based on the voltage data of each battery cell. Here, the voltage deviation between battery cells can refer to the difference between the voltage of the highest-voltage battery cell and the lowest-voltage battery cell, and can be achieved using the voltage data of each battery cell when predetermined SOC and temperature conditions are met. The SOC and temperature conditions can be determined within a range that is neither too high nor too low (e.g., 50–70%) and a temperature range above room temperature but not high temperature (e.g., 20–30 degrees Celsius), but this is only exemplary and not necessarily limited to these conditions. Including the voltage deviation between battery cells in the abnormal degradation index is because a relatively low-voltage battery cell may indicate leakage, which means there is a possibility of a micro-short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes, potentially causing sparks.

[0134] Furthermore, the controller can compare discharge data with predetermined discharge energy tables for different conditions to determine discharge energy deviation. Normal discharge energy is defined in the discharge energy tables for different conditions based on temperature and SOC. The discharge data can include information related to the battery state (temperature and SOC) and discharge energy during battery discharge while driving. As abnormal battery degradation progresses, the discharge energy tends to decrease relative to the normal state; therefore, abnormal degradation can be diagnosed through discharge energy deviation. Here, discharge energy deviation can refer to the difference between the discharge energy table value and the actual discharge energy, or it can refer to the ratio of the actual discharge energy to the discharge energy table value.

[0135] In addition, the controller can analyze negative electrode potential variations based on negative electrode potential data. More specifically, the controller can diagnose abnormal battery degradation based on the number of times and the magnitude of changes in the negative electrode potential below 0 within a predetermined SOC range (e.g., 50–60%). This is to diagnose abnormal degradation such as lithium plating or lithium dendrite formation by utilizing the principle that lithium deposits at the negative electrode during repeated charge and discharge processes, leading to a decrease in negative electrode potential.

[0136] The controller can index the voltage deviation between battery cells, the discharge energy deviation, and the negative electrode potential variation by comparing them respectively with predetermined references. For example, the smaller the voltage deviation between battery cells, the larger the index value that can be matched; the smaller the actual discharge energy value relative to the table value, the smaller the index value that the discharge energy deviation can match; the smaller the negative electrode potential variation, the larger the index value that can be matched.

[0137] The methods for determining the normal degradation index and the abnormal degradation index described so far are organized into a table, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0138] [Table 2] In Table 2, A, B, C, D, and E are rational numbers respectively, which can satisfy the relationship of A<B and the relationship of C<D<E. In addition, the index matching intervals are divided in units of 20 within the range of 100 to 60 in Table 2, but this is for the purpose of a concise example. In practice, when determining each index, it is of course possible to divide the index matching intervals in smaller units within a wider index matching range. In addition, it should be noted that the ratio values assigned according to the index matching intervals when determining the discharge energy deviation, as well as the detection times or reference values assigned according to the index matching intervals when determining the negative electrode potential variation, are all exemplary.

[0139] On the other hand, the part greater than 1 in the ratio matched with the index 100 of the discharge energy deviation takes into account the situation that a surplus capacity margin is applied in production to meet the quality index, resulting in the initial discharge capacity exceeding the design value of 100%.

[0140] When determining the final normal degradation index or abnormal degradation index, the arithmetic mean of the relevant index values can be applied, or different weights can be applied to the index values; when part of the index values are not yet ready at the moment of determining the degradation index, the degradation index can also be determined using only the index values that are ready at that moment.

[0141] After the normal degradation index and the abnormal degradation index are determined through the above process, the controller can determine the battery condition level according to these indices (S346).

[0142] As described above, the battery condition level may include a plurality of levels, and each level may correspond to different normal degradation indices and abnormal degradation indices.

[0143] The relationship between the battery condition levels and the respective degradation indices can be defined in Table 3 below.

[0144] [Table 3] The matching relationship between battery condition level and degradation index shown in Table 3 is merely exemplary and is not necessarily limited to this.

[0145] Next, refer to Figure 8 The relationship between battery condition level, degradation index and charging mode is explained.

[0146] Figure 8 An example of the correlation between battery degradation index and charging mode based on one embodiment is shown.

[0147] exist Figure 8 In this context, it is assumed that battery condition level 1 corresponds to the "good" area, battery condition level 2 corresponds to the "normal degradation" area, battery condition level 3 corresponds to the "abnormal degradation" area, and battery condition levels 4 and 5 correspond to the "severe degradation" area.

[0148] Reference Figure 8 The system is divided into four zones based on a combination of normal and abnormal degradation indices, and the permitted / disallowed charging modes for each zone are displayed. This permitted / disallowed information can be used as a reference for... Figure 4 The judgment in step S408 is explained.

[0149] Specifically, in good areas where both the normal and abnormal degradation indices are high, charging in the maximum power mode is permitted. Furthermore, in normally degraded areas where the normal degradation index is lower than the abnormal degradation index, degradation mitigation mode and maintenance mode are permitted, but the charging parameters in degradation mitigation mode can be adjusted according to the normal degradation index. Similarly, in abnormally degraded areas where the abnormal degradation index is lower than the normal degradation index, degradation mitigation mode and maintenance mode are permitted, but the charging parameters in degradation mitigation mode can be adjusted according to the abnormal degradation index. On the other hand, in severely degraded areas, only maintenance mode and safety mode are permitted.

[0150] Figure 8 The zoning pattern shown and the permitted / disallowed charging modes in each zone are merely illustrative and are not necessarily limited to this.

[0151] The following reference Figures 9 to 12 This illustrates a specific example of outputting relevant information to the driver during the execution of charging control based on an embodiment.

[0152] Figure 9 An example of the output format of initial charging mode information based on one embodiment is shown.

[0153] Reference Figure 9The charging mode usage status information can be output via the display 161 of the AVNT terminal 160. This information provides the estimated charging time required for different charging modes based on the current SOC. Here, the maximum power charging mode corresponding to the initial charging mode can be given a different visual effect than other charging modes to indicate that it is the initial charging mode.

[0154] Figure 10 An example of a user-selected charging mode based on one embodiment is shown.

[0155] Reference Figure 10 When a user's charging intention is detected (e.g., when a charging plug is connected), a menu allowing selection of one of several charging modes can be output to the display 161 of the AVNT terminal 160. At this time, the degradation mitigation mode button 1020 corresponding to the initial charging mode can be given a predetermined visual effect. As described above, this menu can correspond to... Figure 4 The charging mode selection menu output in step S405B.

[0156] Figure 11 An example of the output format of a message indicating that the charging mode cannot be applied based on one embodiment is shown.

[0157] Figure 11 Assuming in Figure 10 Under the same circumstances, the driver selected the maximum power charging mode button 1010. In this case, as per reference... Figure 8 The instructions state that if the battery degradation index or battery condition level corresponds to the good zone, charging can begin at maximum power; otherwise, if... Figure 11 As shown, a message 1110 indicating that the charging mode cannot be applied can be output through the display 161 of the AVNT terminal 160.

[0158] Figure 12 An example of the output format of charging result information based on one embodiment is shown.

[0159] Reference Figure 12 When charging is complete, charging result information can be output through the display 161 of the AVNT terminal 160. The charging result information may include: SOC information 1210 at the end of charging, battery degradation index and battery condition level information re-determined based on information acquired / measured during or after charging, and charging mode information 1220 accordingly, etc.

[0160] Figure 12 The output format or type of information shown for charging results is merely exemplary and is not necessarily limited to this.

[0161] As described above, while the concept or technical scope intended to be provided by the present invention has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments, various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the technical spirit provided in the claims, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A charging control device, comprising: Battery; Sensors used to measure the state of a battery; Memory, which is used to store historical data about battery usage; as well as The processor is configured to: determine an initial charging mode based on the historical usage data, determine a degradation index for the state of the battery as measured by the sensor based on the result of cumulative charging, and determine the final charging parameters of the initial charging mode based on the degradation index, so as to perform charging control of the battery.

2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: The initial charging mode is determined from one of several predetermined charging modes with different charging operation configuration information.

3. The charging control device according to claim 2, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: The initial charging mode is determined based on a degradation impact index, which is determined based on the degree of influence of multiple factors contained in the historical data on the degradation of the battery.

4. The charging control device according to claim 3, wherein, The degradation impact index includes: A high-impact degradation index is determined based on at least one factor with high influence; and The deterioration low-impact index is determined based on at least one factor with low impact.

5. The charging control device according to claim 4, wherein, The processor is configured to directly determine the initial charging mode when the degradation high-impact index is lower than a predetermined first benchmark. When the high-impact degradation index is above the first benchmark, the initial charging mode is determined based on the low-impact degradation index.

6. The charging control device according to claim 4, wherein, At least one of the following factors with a high degree of influence includes: the number of fast charging cycles, the charging power during fast charging, or the maximum battery temperature at the start of charging. At least one of the factors with low impact includes: the number of slow charging cycles, whether charging is performed within a predetermined state of charge region, or the lowest battery temperature at the start of charging.

7. The charging control device according to claim 1 further includes an information output device, wherein, The processor is configured to control the information output device to output information for the initial charging mode when a charging intention is detected.

8. The charging control device according to claim 2, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: The permission of each of the plurality of charging modes is determined based on the battery condition level based on the degradation index.

9. The charging control device according to claim 8, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: Based on the degradation index of the battery state measured by the sensor, a normal degradation index and an abnormal degradation index are determined, and the battery condition level is determined based on the determined normal degradation index and abnormal degradation index.

10. The charging control device according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: The normal degradation index is determined based on at least one of the degradation degree based on mileage or the change in internal resistance determined by pulse charging.

11. The charging control device according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: The abnormal degradation index is determined based on at least one of the following: voltage deviation between battery cells, discharge energy deviation, or negative electrode potential variation.

12. The charging control device according to claim 9, wherein, The battery condition level is determined as one of a predetermined plurality of levels based on the normal degradation index and the abnormal degradation index.

13. The charging control device according to claim 12, wherein, The multiple levels include at least one of the following: good level, normal degradation level (where the normal degradation index is lower than the abnormal degradation index), abnormal degradation level (where the abnormal degradation index is lower than the normal degradation index), or severe degradation level.

14. The charging control device according to claim 13, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: The final charging parameters are adjusted according to the normal degradation index under the normal degradation level. The final charging parameters are adjusted according to the abnormal degradation index under the abnormal degradation level.

15. The charging control device according to claim 13, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: In the charging mode corresponding to the severe degradation level among the plurality of charging modes, the charging amount is set according to predetermined conditions.

16. The charging control device according to claim 10, wherein, The mileage-based degradation is determined based on predetermined baseline information.

17. The charging control device according to claim 11, wherein, The discharge energy deviation is determined based on the ratio of a predefined table value of discharge energy based on charge state and temperature to the actual discharge energy during driving.

18. The charging control device according to claim 8, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: If the user selects a charging mode that differs from the initial charging mode among the multiple charging modes, it is determined whether the charging mode selected by the user is allowed.

19. The charging control device according to claim 18 further includes an information output device. in, The processor is configured as follows: When it is determined that the charging mode selected by the user is not allowed, the information output device outputs information indicating that the selected charging mode cannot be applied.

20. The charging control device according to claim 18, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: When it is determined that the charging mode selected by the user is allowed, the charging mode selected by the user is determined as the final charging mode, and the charging parameters of the final charging mode are adjusted according to the degradation index.

21. The charging control device according to claim 3, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: If the predetermined charging data accumulation conditions are not met, the degradation impact index is disregarded, and the initial charging mode is determined to be the predetermined mode.

22. A charging control device, comprising: Battery; Sensors used to measure the state of a battery; Memory, which is used to store historical data about battery usage; as well as The processor is configured to control battery charging using one of a plurality of preset charging modes with different charging operation configuration information. The processor is configured to: determine a normal degradation index and an abnormal degradation index based on historical battery usage data, and adjust the charging parameters applied to one of the charging modes based on the determined normal degradation index and abnormal degradation index.

23. The charging control device according to claim 22, wherein, The processor is configured as follows: The battery condition level is determined based on the normal degradation index and the abnormal degradation index, and the permission of one of the charging modes is determined based on the determined battery condition level, or the charging parameters are adjusted.

24. A charging control method, comprising: Obtain battery usage history information. Based on the acquired information, output information regarding the initial charging mode determined among multiple charging modes. In the initial charging mode, the charging parameters are adjusted based on the normal degradation diagnosis results and abnormal degradation diagnosis results of the battery to perform battery charging.

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