VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE, SYSTEM THEREFOR AND METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

A vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) may comprise a communication circuit (103), a battery (105) with battery cells, and a processor (107). The processor (107) is configured to: transmit at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of the battery cells, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge (SOCs) of the battery cells, or standard deviations of states of health (SOHs) of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, to a server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103); receive a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying whether an anomaly exists in the battery cells or the battery (105) from the server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103), based on the at least one characteristic value being within a predetermined upper,in particular the highest percentage of characteristic values ​​corresponding to the at least one characteristic value and obtained from other vehicle control devices, and to update the self-diagnosis protocol or to activate the self-diagnosis protocol.

Description

Background of the present disclosureField of the present disclosure

[0001] The present disclosure and invention relates to a vehicle control device, a corresponding system and a corresponding method, and more particularly relates to technologies for detecting an abnormality in a battery. Description of the technology used

[0002] Electric vehicle technology charges and stores energy using a battery. Since battery charging speed and battery life are directly related to an electric vehicle's performance, the importance of a high-performance battery is emphasized in the development of electric vehicle technology.

[0003] In order to increase the driving distance (range) and shorten the charging time, battery performance improvement technology and battery stability improvement technology have been rapidly developed to increase the battery life and monitor a risk situation.

[0004] A vehicle control device can detect a symptom of the battery in advance before a safety problem occurs and can diagnose the condition of the battery to monitor the condition of the battery through the further development of a battery management system, for example, stability improvement technology.

[0005] The information contained in this background of the present disclosure is provided merely to facilitate understanding of the general background of the present disclosure and should not be construed as an admission or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Short explanation

[0006] Numerous aspects of the present disclosure or invention (hereinafter also referred to as "disclosure") are directed to providing a vehicle control device for diagnosing an abnormality in a battery cell or a battery, a corresponding system, and a corresponding vehicle control method.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for monitoring and diagnosing a battery to reduce the risk of a battery fire, a corresponding system, and a corresponding method.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for easily setting a diagnostic threshold of a battery, a corresponding system, and a corresponding method.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for performing battery diagnostics using large amounts of data (also known in the art as "big data") to improve the accuracy of the battery diagnostics, a corresponding system, and a corresponding method.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for diagnosing a battery while continuing a charging process to improve the user experience, a corresponding system, and a corresponding method.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for continuously monitoring and diagnosing a battery system to prevent a fire, a corresponding system, and a corresponding method.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for setting an appropriate diagnostic threshold depending on a rapidly changing configuration of a battery system, a corresponding system, and a corresponding method.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control device for reducing the resources required to monitor a battery, a corresponding system, and a corresponding method.

[0014] The technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any other technical problems not mentioned here will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control device may include a communication circuit, a battery having battery cells, and a processor.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor is configured, for example, to transmit at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of the battery cells, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge (SOCs) of the battery cells, or standard deviations of states of health (SOHs) of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, to a server via the communication circuit, the processor may receive a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying whether an anomaly exists in the battery cells or the battery from the server via the communication circuit based on the at least one characteristic value being in a predetermined upper (e.g.topmost) percentage of characteristic values ​​that correspond to (e.g., correspond to, belong to, or are related to) the at least one characteristic value and are obtained from other vehicle control devices (e.g., vehicle control devices in other vehicles), the processor may update the self-diagnosis protocol or activate the self-diagnosis protocol, and when charging the battery, the processor may perform charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor is configured, for example, to perform the charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol. If the battery is charged, the processor can determine at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time (e.g., time period), wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol.or any combination thereof via the communication circuit to the server while the battery is being charged, the processor may receive a signal indicating the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery from the server via the communication circuit based on at least one of the case that the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, the case that the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof, and the processor may present the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery to a user.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may rest the battery until a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference before charging the battery, the processor may charge the battery with a first current by a predetermined SOC value based on the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature being within the predetermined temperature difference, the processor may rest the battery for a predetermined first time interval based on the battery being charged by the predetermined SOC value, and obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery with a second current that is greater than the first current,During a predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval, the processor may repeat charging the battery with the first current by the predetermined SOC value, resting the battery during the predetermined first time interval, charging the battery with the second current, and charging the battery during the predetermined second time interval until an SOC value of the battery is within a predetermined SOC range indicating the completion of charging, and the processor may obtain the voltage change of each of the battery cells during the predetermined time based on resting the battery during a predetermined third time interval, assuming that the SOC value of the battery is within the predetermined SOC range indicating the completion of charging. Resting the battery may indicate that the supply of current,which is supplied to the battery from outside a host vehicle to charge the battery, is stopped.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may rest the battery or adjust the temperatures of the battery cells by a cooling device provided in a host vehicle such that a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference before charging the battery.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may obtain the resistance variation of each of the battery cells depending on at least one of a voltage change of each of the battery cells according to the second current or the resistance of each of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, based on charging the battery with the second current during the predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may acquire the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to a cause other than an abnormality in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery during a predetermined first temporary time interval from the start of charging the battery with the second current, and the processor may acquire the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to the abnormality in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery during a predetermined second temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first temporary time interval.The predetermined second temporary time interval may be identified according to a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined first temporary time interval from the predetermined second time interval.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to a current path while charging the battery with an SOC that is smaller than a reference SOC using the second current, and the processor may obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery due to the interior of the battery while charging the battery with an SOC that is larger than the reference SOC using the second current.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when resting the battery during the predetermined third time interval, the processor may adjust a temperature of the battery or temperatures of at least some battery cells to a predetermined temperature or higher.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may acquire the voltage change during a predetermined third temporary time interval to identify at least one battery cell having a resistance greater than the resistance of other battery cells among the battery cells, assuming that the SOC value of the battery is in the SOC range indicating charging completion, the processor may acquire a voltage change during a predetermined fourth temporary time interval to identify at least one battery cell in which a short circuit in an internal circuit exists among the battery cells during the predetermined fourth temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined third temporary time interval.The predetermined fourth temporary time interval may be identified according to a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined third temporary time interval from the predetermined third time interval.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one battery cell in which a short circuit in the internal circuit exists may be identified among the battery cells according to a change in the SOC value of each of the battery cells, wherein the change in the SOC corresponds to an open circuit voltage (OCV for short, also called e.g. open terminal voltage) of each of the battery cells, based on obtaining the voltage change having the OCV.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the resistance variation range may be determined based on a resistance variation of each of the battery cells provided in the other vehicle control devices. The voltage variation range may be determined based on a voltage variation of each of the battery cells provided in the other vehicle control devices.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control system may include a vehicle control device and a server. A processor provided in the vehicle control device may transmit at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells provided in the vehicle control device in a battery provided in the vehicle control device, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge (SOCs) of the battery cells, or standard deviations of states of health (SOHs) of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, to the server via a communication circuit provided in the vehicle control device, may generate a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying whether an abnormality exists in the battery cells or the battery,Received from the server via the communication circuit provided in the vehicle control device, the signal can update the self-diagnosis protocol or activate the self-diagnosis protocol, and can perform charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol when charging the battery. A processor provided in the server can transmit the signal for updating or activating the self-diagnosis protocol to the vehicle control device via a communication circuit provided in the server, based on the at least one characteristic value being included in a predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage of characteristic values ​​that correspond to (e.g., correspond to / belong to, or are related to) the at least one characteristic value and are obtained from other vehicle control devices (e.g., vehicle control devices in other vehicles).

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor provided in the vehicle control device may perform the charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol. If the battery is charged, the processor may determine at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, the resistance deviation being obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time (e.g.duration), the voltage change being obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value being obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, the at least one value being obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof, to the server via the communication circuit provided in the vehicle control device while the battery is being charged, the processor may receive a signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery from the server via the communication circuit provided in the vehicle control device, and the processor may present the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery to a user.The processor provided in the server may transmit at least one of the resistance deviation, the voltage change, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or the at least one value according to the voltage change, or the arbitrary combination thereof to the server via the communication circuit provided in the vehicle control device, and transmit the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery to the vehicle control device via the communication circuit provided in the server based on at least one of the case where the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, the case where the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the vehicle control system, the processor provided in the vehicle control device may identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to a cause other than an abnormality in the electrolyte or the active material contained in the battery based on the resistance deviation obtained during a predetermined first temporary time interval from the start of charging the battery with a second current that is greater than a first current charged to the battery for a predetermined SOC value, and may detect the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to the abnormality in the electrolyte or the active material contained in the battery based on the resistance deviation obtained during the predetermined second temporary time interval.from the expiration of the predetermined first temporary time interval.,

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the vehicle control system, the processor provided in the server may identify at least one battery cell having a resistance greater than the resistance of other battery cells among the battery cells based on the voltage change obtained during a predetermined third temporary time interval, assuming that an SOC value of the battery is in an SOC range indicating charging completion, and may identify at least one battery cell in which a short circuit in an internal circuit exists among the battery cells based on a voltage change obtained during a predetermined fourth temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined third temporary time interval.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the vehicle control system, the processor provided in the server may identify the at least one battery cell in which a short circuit in the internal circuit exists among the battery cells depending on an SOC value of each of the battery cells, wherein the SOC corresponds to an open circuit voltage (OCV for short) of each of the battery cells, wherein the OCV is included in the voltage change based on the OCV.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor provided in the server may be configured to determine the resistance variation range based on a resistance variation of each of the battery cells provided in other vehicle control devices, and may be configured to determine the voltage change range based on a voltage change of each of the battery cells provided in the other vehicle control devices.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control method may include: transmitting at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells provided in a battery provided in the vehicle control device, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge (SOCs) of the battery cells, or standard deviations of states of health (SOHs) of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, to a server via a communication circuit; receiving a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying whether there is an abnormality in the battery cells or the battery from the server via the communication circuit based on the at least one characteristic value being within a predetermined upper (e.g.topmost) percentage of characteristic values ​​which correspond to (e.g., correspond to, belong to, or are related to) the at least one characteristic value and are obtained from other vehicle control devices (e.g., vehicle control devices in other vehicles), updating the self-diagnosis protocol or activating the self-diagnosis protocol, and performing charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol when charging the battery.

[0034] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control method may further comprise: performing charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol if the battery is being charged, transmitting at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time (e.g., time period), wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol,or any combination thereof via the communication circuit to the server while the battery is being charged, receiving a signal indicating the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery via the communication circuit from the server based on at least one of the case where the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, the case where the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof, and presenting the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery to a user.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, transmitting at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time (e.g., time period), wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof, via the communication circuit to the server while the battery is charging may include: resting the battery,until a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference, prior to charging, charging the battery with a first current by a predetermined SOC value based on the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature being within the predetermined temperature difference, leaving the battery to rest for a predetermined first time interval from the date the battery has been charged by the predetermined SOC value, and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery with a second current, which is greater than the first current, during a predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval, repeating the charging of the battery with the first current by the predetermined SOC value,Resting the battery during the predetermined first time interval, charging the battery with the second current, and charging the battery during the predetermined second time interval until an SOC value of the battery is within a predetermined SOC range indicating completion of charging, and obtaining the voltage change of each of the battery cells during the predetermined time based on resting the battery during a predetermined third time interval, assuming that the SOC value of the battery is within the predetermined SOC range indicating completion of charging. Resting the battery may indicate that the supply of current supplied to the battery from outside a host vehicle to charge the battery is stopped.

[0036] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, transmitting at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time (e.g.duration), wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof via the communication circuit to the server while the battery is being charged, comprising: letting the battery rest or adjusting the temperatures of the battery cells by a cooling device provided in a host vehicle so that a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference before the battery is charged.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, resting the battery during the predetermined first time interval based on the battery being charged by the predetermined SOC value and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery with the second current greater than the first current during the predetermined second time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first time interval may include: obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells depending on at least one of a voltage change of each of the battery cells according to the second current or a resistance of each of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, based on charging the battery with the second current during the predetermined second time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first time interval.

[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, allowing the battery to rest during the predetermined first time interval based on the battery being charged to the predetermined SOC value and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery with the second current greater than the first current during the predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval may include: obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to a cause other than an abnormality in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery during the predetermined first temporary time interval from the start of charging the battery with the second current, and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells,to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to the abnormality in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery during the predetermined second temporary time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first temporary time interval. The predetermined second temporary time interval can be identified by a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined first temporary time interval from the predetermined second time interval.

[0039] The methods and apparatus of the present disclosure have additional features and advantages which will be apparent from, or more particularly set forth in, the accompanying drawings included herein and the following detailed description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present disclosure. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 1B is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle control system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a graph illustrating a criterion for identifying whether at least one characteristic value is included in an upper (e.g., top) percentage in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a graph illustrating an intensity of a current that changes according to a charging time based on a self-diagnosis protocol in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 4 illustrates an example of an internal battery structure with battery cells in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 5 illustrates an example of the amount of voltage change depending on a temperature and an SOC value in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 6 illustrates an example of the magnitude of voltage change over time in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 7 illustrates an example of the magnitude of voltage change depending on the temperature of a battery cell in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 8 illustrates an example of an operation of a vehicle control device to notify a user of an abnormality in a battery cell or a battery in the vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 9 illustrates an example of signaling between a vehicle control device and a server in the vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 10 illustrates a data processing system associated with a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] It should be understood that the attached drawings are not necessarily to scale and represent a somewhat simplified representation of various features in order to illustrate the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes disclosed herein, will be dictated (at least) in part by the particular intended application and usage environment.

[0041] In the figures, the same reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent components of the present invention throughout several figures of the drawings. Detailed description

[0042] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will be described in connection with the exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention to these exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, changes, modifications, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0043] Below, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the example drawings. When adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the identical component is provided with the same reference numerals even if it is shown in other drawings. Furthermore, a detailed description of well-known features or functions will be omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure.

[0044] When describing components of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," "(b)," and the like may be used. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another component, but do not limit the corresponding components, regardless of the order or priority of the corresponding components. 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 relates.Such terms, as defined in a commonly used dictionary, shall be construed to have meanings corresponding to the meanings in context in the relevant field of technology and shall not be construed to have ideal or overly formal meanings unless they are clearly so defined in the present application.

[0045] Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the term "greater than" or "less than" is used to determine whether a particular condition is met, but is intended only as an example and does not exclude the description "greater than or equal to" or "less than or equal to." A condition described as "greater than or equal to" may be replaced with a condition described as "greater than," a condition described as "less than or equal to" may be replaced with a condition described as "less than," and a condition described as "greater than or equal to and less than" may be replaced with "greater than and less than or equal to." Furthermore, hereinafter, the term "A to B" refers to at least one of elements (including B) from A to B (including A).

[0046] Below, numerous exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the Fig. 1A to 10 described in detail.

[0047] Fig. 1A is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Referring to Figure 1A, a vehicle control device 101 may include a communication circuit 103, a battery 105, and a processor 107. The vehicle control device 101 may optionally include a cooling device 109.

[0049] The communication circuit 103, the battery 105, the processor 107 and the cooling device 109 may be electronically and / or operatively (or operationally, for example electrically) connected to one another by an electronic component such as a communication bus.

[0050] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, that hardware parts are operatively coupled to each other may mean that a direct connection or an indirect connection is established between the hardware parts in a wired or wireless manner, such that the second hardware is controlled by the first hardware among the hardware parts. The types of hardware included in the vehicle control device 101 and / or the number of hardware parts are not limited to the Fig. 1A. For example, the vehicle control device 101 may only include some of the components shown in Fig. 1A shown hardware components.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may operate the battery 105 provided in a host vehicle through a battery management system (BMS), may be configured to control the battery 105 based on content communicated with another part in the host vehicle or a server, may obtain measurements for the battery 105, or may diagnose or estimate a condition of the battery 105.

[0052] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, with the progress of the BMS, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 can detect a symptom of the battery 105 in advance before a safety problem occurs, diagnose a condition of the battery 105, and monitor the battery 105.

[0053] Research on obtaining a state of health (SOH) based on large amounts of data (also known as “big data” in the field) and a physical model is carried out as a method for predicting battery lifetime.

[0054] A technology for monitoring a basic characteristic of the battery 105 and diagnosing a subtle short circuit in a battery cell is developed as a method for detecting the symptom of the battery 105 in advance. For example, to detect the symptom of the battery 105 in advance, a technology for detecting a state of the battery 105 during charging using big data has been developed.

[0055] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to detect the symptom of the battery 105 in advance, the processor 107 and the vehicle control device 101 may identify whether a probability that an accident of the host vehicle occurs is greater than a predetermined probability value, and perform a battery diagnosis through a self-diagnosis protocol (e.g., also self-diagnosis protocol) when the probability that the accident of the host vehicle occurs is greater than the predetermined probability value.

[0056] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to identify whether the probability of the host vehicle crash occurring is greater than the predetermined probability value, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may transmit at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells included in the battery 105, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge (SOCs) of the battery cells, or standard deviations of SOHs of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, to a server via the communication circuit 103.

[0057] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a processor of the server may identify whether the at least one characteristic value is included in a predetermined (e.g., determined) upper (e.g., top) percentage of characteristic values ​​that correspond to (e.g., correspond to / belong to, or are related to) the at least one characteristic value and are obtained from other vehicle control devices. The predetermined top percentage may be determined (e.g., ascertained and / or set) based on characteristic values ​​of a vehicle in which an accident (e.g., a defect, failure, or malfunction) occurs. For example, if the vehicle in which the accident occurs is included in a predetermined percentage (e.g., approximately the top 0.02%), the processor of the server may determine a predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage (e.g.,approximately the top 0.2%) based on a value obtained by multiplying the given percentage by a given ratio (e.g. approximately 10 times).

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may receive a signal for updating or activating the self-diagnosis protocol for identifying (e.g., determining / detecting) whether there is an abnormality in the battery cell or the battery from the server via the communication circuit 103.

[0059] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may update the self-diagnosis protocol or activate the self-diagnosis protocol. For example, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may download or update the self-diagnosis protocol from the server via communication (e.g., OTA (Over-the-Air) communication). For example, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may activate the self-diagnosis protocol stored onboard in the vehicle control device 101. When the battery 105 is being charged, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may perform the charging process depending on the self-diagnosis protocol.

[0060] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, during charging of the battery 105, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may obtain at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, at least one value according to the resistance deviation (e.g., at least one value related to the resistance deviation), or at least one value according to the voltage change (e.g., at least one value related to the voltage change) obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof.

[0061] For example, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation may include a maximum resistance deviation which is a maximum among the resistance deviations of the battery cells and a cell number of a cell having the maximum resistance deviation, but an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0062] For example, the at least one value according to the voltage change may include a maximum voltage change which is a maximum among the voltage changes of the battery cells and a cell number of a cell having the maximum voltage change, but an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0063] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may transmit the acquired value to the server via the communication circuit 103.

[0064] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may transmit a signal indicating an abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device 101 via a communication circuit based on at least one of the case where the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, the case where the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, the case where the maximum resistance deviation included in the at least one value according to the resistance deviation is within the predetermined resistance deviation range, or the case where the maximum voltage change included in the at least one value according to the voltage change is within the predetermined voltage change range, or based on any combination thereof.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may transmit the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device 101 via the communication circuit based on (e.g., when) the resistance deviation, which is the maximum among the resistance deviations, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold resistance deviation. Since the usage interval of a battery pack (e.g., also called a battery pack) is limited due to a battery cell with increased resistance, the capacity of the battery pack may decrease. The resistance deviation range may be determined (e.g., determined and / or set) based on the threshold resistance deviation.

[0066] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the server processor may transmit the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device 101 via the communication circuit based on (e.g., when) the resistance deviation, which is the maximum, increases to the predetermined deviation value or more over time. If the resistance deviation gradually increases as a problem occurs due to a cause such as increased lithium precipitation, there is a high probability that this will lead to a safety problem over time.

[0067] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the server's processor may transmit the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device 101 via the communication circuit based on (e.g., if) the voltage change of each of the battery cells during the predetermined time is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage change. The voltage change range may be determined (e.g., ascertained and / or set) based on the threshold voltage change.

[0068] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may transmit the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device 101 via the communication circuit based on the voltage change representing the maximum increasing to the predetermined voltage change value or more over time.

[0069] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the resistance variation range and the voltage change range may vary with an SOH value of the battery.

[0070] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may be configured to determine the resistance variation range based on a resistance variation of each of the battery cells provided in other vehicle control devices. The processor of the server may be configured to determine the voltage variation range based on a voltage variation of each of the battery cells provided in the other vehicle control devices.

[0071] For example, the server's processor may divide the vehicle control devices into two groups (e.g., a group in which a fault occurs and a group in which the fault does not occur) based on the number of vehicle control devices, each of which has an associated value as a maximum resistance deviation value. When the number of vehicle control devices is graphically represented (e.g., as a graph) depending on the maximum resistance deviation value, and when the number of vehicle control devices shows a tendency to decrease and then increase with increasing maximum resistance deviation value, the server's processor may identify (e.g., determine) the resistance deviation range based on the maximum resistance deviation value at a boundary.

[0072] As another example, when the vehicle control devices are not divided into the two groups depending on the tendency of the vehicle control device according to the maximum resistance deviation value, the processor of the server may divide the vehicle control devices into two groups based on an upper (e.g., top) percentage determined among the maximum resistance deviation values ​​of the other vehicle control devices.

[0073] As another example, the server processor may divide the vehicle control device into two groups based on the number of vehicle control devices, each of which has an associated value as a maximum voltage change value. When the number of vehicle control devices is graphically plotted against the maximum voltage change value, and when the number of vehicle control devices tends to decrease and then increase with increasing maximum voltage change value, the server processor may identify (e.g., determine) the resistance deviation range at the boundary based on the maximum voltage change value.

[0074] As another example, when the vehicle control devices are not divided into the two groups depending on the tendency of the vehicle control device according to the maximum voltage change value, the processor of the server may divide the vehicle control devices into two groups based on an upper (e.g., top) percentage determined among the maximum voltage change values ​​of the other vehicle control devices.

[0075] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cooling device 109 may reduce the temperature of the battery cell or the battery.

[0076] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may present the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery to a user. For example, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may provide the user with a notification recommending an inspection according to the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery. For example, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may provide the user with an estimated battery cell and an estimated cause of the abnormality. For example, the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 may provide the user with a notification directing the user to a location where the user can check the battery. However, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0077] Fig. 1B is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] Referring to Fig. 1B, the vehicle control system may include a vehicle control device 111 and a server 113. The vehicle control device 111 and the server 113 may send and / or receive information related to a condition of a battery through communication.

[0079] The vehicle control system may include the vehicle control device 111 and the server 113. The content of the vehicle control device 111 may refer to the content of a vehicle control device 101 of Fig. 1A. Therefore, duplicate content is omitted.

[0080] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a processor provided in the server 113 may receive at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells in a battery included in the vehicle control device 111, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of SOCs of the battery cells, or standard deviations of SOHs of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, from the vehicle control device 111.

[0081] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor provided in the server 113 may transmit a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol to the vehicle control device 111 via a communication circuit provided in the server 113 based on (e.g., when) the at least one characteristic value is included in a predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage of characteristic values ​​that correspond to (e.g., correspond to / belong to, or are related to) the at least one characteristic value and are obtained from other vehicle control devices.

[0082] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor provided in the server 113 may receive at least one of a resistance deviation, a voltage change, at least one value according to the resistance deviation (e.g., at least one value related to the resistance deviation), or at least one value according to the voltage change (e.g., at least one value related to the voltage change), or any combination thereof from the vehicle control device 111 via the communication circuit provided in the server 113.

[0083] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor provided in the server 113 may transmit a signal indicating an abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device 111 via the communication circuit provided in the server 113, based on at least one of the case where the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, the case where the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, the case where the maximum resistance deviation included in the at least one value according to the resistance deviation is within the predetermined resistance deviation range, or the case where the maximum voltage change included in the at least one value according to the voltage change is within the predetermined voltage change range, or based on any combination thereof.

[0084] Fig. 2 shows an example of a graph illustrating a criterion for identifying whether at least one characteristic value is included in an upper (e.g., top) percentage in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0085] With reference to Fig. 2, a graph 201 may represent the number of vehicle control devices having at least one characteristic value.

[0086] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to identify whether a probability that the crash of a host vehicle will occur is greater than a predetermined probability value, a processor of a vehicle control device may transmit at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells included in a battery, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of SOCs of the battery cells, or standard deviations of SOHs of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, to a server via a communication circuit.

[0087] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a processor of the server may determine that the probability that the host vehicle crash will occur is greater than the predetermined probability based on (e.g., when) the at least one characteristic value is included in a predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage (e.g., an upper, e.g., top, percentile) of characteristic values ​​corresponding to the at least one characteristic value and obtained from other vehicle control devices.

[0088] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may determine the predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage based on numerous criteria to select a vehicle control device for which the probability that the accident will occur is greater than the predetermined probability, as shown in 203 of Fig. 2. The plurality of data bars 203 may represent the number of vehicle control devices for which the probability that the accident will occur is greater than the predetermined probability. For example, if a fire accident rate is a certain percentage compared to the number of electric vehicles in the distribution (e.g., approximately the upper (e.g., top) 0.02%), the server's processor may identify the predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage (e.g., approximately the upper (e.g., top) 0.2%) based on a value obtained by multiplying the certain percentage by a certain ratio (e.g., approximately 10 times).According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the fire accident rate compared to the number of electric vehicles in the distribution may include a fire accident rate compared to the number of electric vehicles distributed in a given year, such as disclosed in the statistics of the National Fire Service Agency.

[0089] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may transmit a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol to the vehicle control device via a communication circuit based on identifying that a probability that an accident of a host vehicle having the vehicle control device will occur is greater than a predetermined probability.

[0090] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may perform charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol during the charging process of a battery based on receiving the signal for updating or activating the self-diagnosis protocol via the communication circuit. The following describes the content of performing charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol with reference to Fig. 3 described.

[0091] Fig. 3 shows an example of a graph illustrating an intensity of a current that changes according to a charging time based on a self-diagnosis protocol in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0092] With reference to Fig. 3, a graph 301 may have a first interval 303, a second interval 305, a third interval 307, a fourth interval 309, and a fifth interval 311.

[0093] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, while performing the self-diagnosis protocol, a processor of the vehicle control device may change an amount of current supplied to a battery for charging and obtain a resistance variation of each of the battery cells or a voltage change in each of the battery cells.

[0094] The processor of the vehicle control device can change the current level and acquire the resistance deviation or voltage change. If the resistance deviation or voltage change is acquired without changing the current level, the accuracy of the acquired resistance value may be reduced due to a slew rate or irregularities in the signal during driving.

[0095] Furthermore, performing the self-diagnosis protocol while charging the battery is possible (e.g., recommended) because a safety issue may arise if the host vehicle is running while the self-diagnosis protocol is performed. In other words, this occurs because the battery may be discharged due to a user's intention, which could pose a safety issue, or because the supplied current setting may be limited.

[0096] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may release (e.g., suspend) the provision of the slew rate while charging the battery through the self-diagnosis protocol, thereby improving the accuracy of the resistance deviation and the voltage change.

[0097] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may, in a first interval 303, rest the battery or adjust the temperatures of the battery cells through a cooling device (e.g., cooling device 109) provided in the host vehicle until a difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature among the battery cell temperatures is within a predetermined temperature difference before charging the battery. This serves to increase the accuracy of the diagnosis according to the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells.

[0098] The battery may comprise a battery pack (e.g., battery pack) with battery cells. The battery cells may be present in plural numbers (e.g., a number between approximately 100 and approximately 200). There may be a difference between the temperatures of the battery cells, depending on the driving condition of the host vehicle before charging the battery and the outside air temperature. Since the resistance of each battery cell is affected by temperature, in order to increase the accuracy of diagnosis, the processor of the vehicle control device may adjust the temperatures of the battery cells according to the resistance deviation of each battery cell until the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature among the battery cells is within the predetermined temperature (e.g., approximately 2°C).For example, the processor of the vehicle control device may adjust the temperatures of the battery cells by a coolant in a state where the temperature of the coolant is set to be constant.

[0099] Furthermore, the resistance of each battery cell may vary with the SOC of each battery cell. While the battery is resting, a balancing circuit can reduce the difference in SOC between battery cells. Therefore, the accuracy of diagnosis can be improved based on the resistance variation of individual battery cells. For a cell in which current is lost (also called a "current-losing cell," such as a cell with (particularly excessive) leakage current or leakage current), even though the balancing circuit is functioning, the SOC may be reduced compared to another cell, and a large resistance may be measured.Since the cell with power loss can be identified by a resistance deviation or a later measured voltage change, the processor of the vehicle control device can let the battery rest or fail to adjust the SOCs of the battery cells until a difference between the highest SOC value and the lowest SOC among the SOCs of the battery cells reaches a predetermined value.

[0100] In a second interval 305, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may charge the battery with a first current around a certain SOC (e.g., about 10%) based on (e.g., when) the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature is within the predetermined temperature. The first current may be supplied to the battery to charge the battery.

[0101] In a third interval 307, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may rest the battery for a predetermined first time interval from (e.g., from the time at which) the battery has been charged to the specified SOC. The processor of the vehicle control device may rest the battery to relieve a voltage according to the polarization (e.g., activation polarization or electrolyte polarization) and may stabilize a voltage of each of the battery cells depending on the voltage relief according to the polarization, thereby improving the accuracy of a diagnosis of whether an abnormality exists in the battery cell or the battery.

[0102] In a fourth time interval 309, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may obtain a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery with a second current greater than the first current during a predetermined second time interval from the lapse (e.g., expiration) of the predetermined first time interval.

[0103] Applying the second current, which is greater than the first current, to obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells serves to reduce an error in the resistance of each of the battery cells according to an error in the voltage sensors that measure the voltage of each of the battery cells. In other words, since the magnitude of the current supplied to the battery is large, the error rate of the voltage of each of the battery cells measured by the voltage sensor of each of the battery cells can be reduced.

[0104] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may obtain a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells depending on at least one of a voltage change of each of the battery cells according to the second current or a resistance of each of the battery cells, or any combination thereof, based on charging the battery with the second current.

[0105] The processor of the vehicle control device can obtain the resistance of each of the battery cells based on the voltage change of each of the battery cells according to the second current and the current applied to each of the battery cells. The processor of the vehicle control device can obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on the resistance of each of the battery cells.

[0106] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may vary the acquisition time for obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells. For example, the processor of the vehicle control device may obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells during a predetermined first temporary (e.g., also "preliminary") time interval (e.g., about 0.1 seconds) from the start of charging the battery with the second current. The processor of the vehicle control device may obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells during a predetermined second temporary time interval (e.g., about 10 seconds) from the elapse (e.g., expiration) of the predetermined first temporary time interval.The predetermined second temporary time interval may be identified according to a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined first temporary time interval from the predetermined second time interval.

[0107] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a processor of a server may identify (e.g., detect) an abnormality in the battery cell or the battery due to a cause other than an abnormality in the electrolyte or the active material contained in the battery based on the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells obtained during the predetermined first temporary time interval.

[0108] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may identify (e.g., detect) an abnormality in the battery cells or the battery due to the abnormality in the electrolyte or the active material contained in the battery based on the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells obtained during the predetermined second temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first temporary time interval.

[0109] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may acquire the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells when the acquired SOC value of the battery cells is different.

[0110] For example, while charging a battery cell having an SOC lower than a reference SOC using the second current, the processor of the vehicle control device may obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify (e.g., detect) the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery due to a current path.

[0111] The accuracy of a diagnosis for identifying a current path abnormality based on the resistance of the battery cell with an SOC lower than the reference SOC may be higher than the accuracy of a diagnosis for identifying a current path abnormality based on the resistance of a battery cell with an SOC higher than the reference SOC. This is because the resistance of the battery cell with an SOC lower than the reference SOC is higher than the resistance of the battery cell with an SOC higher than the reference SOC. Even though the same current is applied, the voltage change of a battery cell with a high resistance is higher than the voltage change of a battery cell with a low resistance because the accuracy of the diagnosis improves as the error of the voltage sensor decreases.The anomaly in the battery cell or battery due to the current path may occur due to reasons such as the tab folding (e.g., tab sealing) and poor welding.

[0112] For example, while charging the battery cell with an SOC greater than the reference SOC using the second current, the processor of the vehicle control device may obtain a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify (e.g., detect) an abnormality in the battery cell or the battery due to the interior of the battery.

[0113] The accuracy of a diagnosis of identifying the abnormality due to the interior of the battery based on the resistance of the battery cell with the SOC which is greater than the reference SOC may be greater than the accuracy of a diagnosis of identifying an abnormality due to the interior of the battery based on the resistance of the battery cell with the SOC which is less than the reference SOC.

[0114] This is because the volume of an electrode in a battery cell with an SOC greater than the reference SOC is larger than the volume of an electrode in a battery cell with an SOC less than the reference SOC. Anomalies in the battery cell or the battery due to internal conditions may occur due to an increase in the internal resistance of the battery cell caused by lithium precipitation or foreign matter.

[0115] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may repeatedly perform the operation (e.g., operation) of the processor of the vehicle control device in the second interval 305, the operation of the processor of the vehicle control device in the third interval 307, and the operation of the processor of the vehicle control device in the fourth interval 309 until the SOC value of the battery is within a predetermined SOC range indicating charging completion.

[0116] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, after performing the vehicle control device processor operations in the second interval 305, the third interval 307, and the fourth interval 309, the vehicle control device processor may rest the battery for a predetermined time before repeatedly performing the vehicle control device processor operations in the second interval 305, the third interval 307, and the fourth interval 309.

[0117] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, resting the battery may indicate that the supply of power supplied from outside the host vehicle to the battery to charge the battery is stopped.

[0118] In a fifth interval 311, the processor of the vehicle control device may obtain a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time based on the battery being idle for a third time interval, assuming that (e.g., from the time at which) the SOC value of the battery is within the predetermined SOC range indicating charging completion.

[0119] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, for a battery cell with a short circuit, whether a short circuit occurs may vary with the volume of an electrode of the battery cell, and the magnitude of a current may vary. The volume of the electrode of the battery cell may vary with a SOC value of the battery cell and a temperature of the battery cell.

[0120] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the battery is left idle for a predetermined third time interval, the processor of the vehicle control device may adjust a temperature of the battery or the temperatures of at least some battery cells to a predetermined temperature or higher using a cooling device (e.g., cooling device 109) or a coolant provided in the host vehicle. This is done to increase the accuracy of a diagnosis based on the voltage change of the individual battery cells.

[0121] For a battery cell with a short circuit, as the volume of an electrode decreases with decreasing temperature, the short-circuit contact area may become smaller or the short-circuit connection may break. Therefore, to increase the accuracy of diagnosis, the processor of the vehicle control device can charge the battery and then adjust the temperature of the battery cell to a specific temperature to detect whether a short circuit has occurred when the battery pack is at a low temperature. The processor of the vehicle control device can then transmit a voltage change of a battery cell that is at or above the specified temperature to the server via the communication circuit.

[0122] For a battery cell with a short circuit, as the volume of an electrode decreases with decreasing SOC, the short-circuit contact area may become small or the short-circuit connection may break. Therefore, to increase the accuracy of diagnosis, the processor of the vehicle control device can transmit a voltage change to the server via the communication circuit when the battery cell's SOC value is within the specified SOC (e.g., specified SOC range), which indicates the completion of charging.

[0123] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may vary the acquisition time to acquire a voltage change of each of the battery cells. For example, the processor of the vehicle control device may acquire a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined third temporary time interval (e.g., about 1 hour), during the predetermined third temporary time interval, based on (e.g., from the time at which) the SOC value of the battery is within the SOC range indicating charging completion.

[0124] A voltage change of at least one battery cell having a resistance greater than the resistance of other battery cells may be represented as a threshold value or more compared to an average voltage change during the predetermined third temporary time interval after the SOC value of the battery is in the SOC range indicating charging completion.

[0125] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may identify (e.g., detect) at least one battery cell having a short circuit in its internal circuit among the battery cells based on a voltage change of each of the battery cells obtained during a predetermined fourth temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined fourth temporary time interval.

[0126] A voltage change of the battery cell with a short circuit may be represented as a threshold value or more compared to the average voltage change during the predetermined fourth temporary time interval. The predetermined fourth temporary time interval may be identified by a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined third temporary time interval from the predetermined third time interval.

[0127] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may identify (e.g., detect) at least one battery cell in which a short circuit exists in its internal circuit among the battery cells, depending on an SOC value of each of the battery cells, which corresponds to (e.g., belongs to) an open circuit voltage (OCV for short, also called e.g., open terminal voltage) of each of the battery cells, based on obtaining a voltage change with the OCV.

[0128] Fig. 4 shows an example of an internal structure of a battery including battery cells in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0129] Referring to Fig. 4, a battery 401 may include battery cells. The battery cells may include a first battery cell 403 having the lowest temperature and a second battery cell 405 having the highest temperature. A battery module (e.g., a first battery module including the first battery cell 403 and a second battery module including the second battery cell 405) may include a plurality of battery cells (e.g., approximately 6 battery cells). The battery cells included in the battery 401 may be a plurality of cells (e.g., a number between approximately 100 and approximately 200).

[0130] When a temperature of the air outside the battery 401 is lower than a temperature inside the battery 401 or a temperature inside the battery 401 is higher than a temperature of the air outside the battery 401 due to the operation (e.g., driving) of a host vehicle, the temperatures of the battery cells included in the battery 401 may differ from each other. Since the resistance of each of the battery cells is affected by temperature, in order to increase the accuracy of a diagnosis according to the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, a processor of a vehicle control device may adjust the temperatures of the battery cells until a difference between a temperature of the second battery cell 405 and a temperature of the battery 401 including the first battery cell 403 is within a predetermined temperature difference (e.g., about 2°C).For example, the processor of the vehicle control device may adjust the temperatures of the battery cells by a coolant in a state where the temperature of the coolant is set to be constant.

[0131] Fig. 5 illustrates an example of the amount of voltage change depending on a temperature and an SOC value in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] With reference to Fig. 5, a change 501 in the battery cell may indicate a volume change of an electrode depending on a battery cell SOC and a battery cell temperature. A graph 511 may represent a short-circuit resistance value according to the battery cell SOC.

[0133] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the change 501 in the battery cell, when a foreign body is located on the positive electrode within the battery cell, a short-circuit area and the occurrence of the short circuit (ie, whether the short circuit occurs) may vary with the volume of the electrode of the battery cell. The foreign body may be a foreign material.

[0134] The lower the SOC of the battery cell, the more the volume of the battery cell's electrode may decrease. The lower the temperature, the more the volume of the battery cell's electrode may decrease. In other words, for a battery cell with a short circuit, the electrode volume may decrease when the SOC is low and the temperature is low. The short-circuit area may become smaller, or a short-circuit connection may break.

[0135] For example, a short circuit may occur due to a foreign object in a battery cell where the SOC value is about 100% and the temperature is about 25°C.

[0136] The short circuit may not occur due to the foreign body because the volume of the electrode for a battery cell with a SOC of approximately 60% and a temperature of approximately 25 °C is smaller than for a battery cell with a SOC of approximately 100% and a temperature of approximately 25 °C.

[0137] In addition, the short circuit due to the foreign body may not occur because the volume of the electrode is smaller for a battery cell with a SOC of approximately 100% and a temperature of approximately -7°C than for a battery cell with a SOC of approximately 100% and a temperature of approximately 25°C.

[0138] Therefore, when the SOC value of the battery cell is within a predetermined SOC (e.g., a predetermined SOC range) indicating charging completion, in order to increase the accuracy of a diagnosis, a processor of the vehicle control device may adjust a temperature of a battery or temperatures of at least some battery cells so that the temperature of the battery cell is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature, and may measure a voltage change of the battery cell.

[0139] At reference numerals 513 and 515 of a graph 511, a change in the SOC value and the short-circuit resistance as a function of time when the charged battery is left to rest can be shown.

[0140] A short-circuit resistance (e.g., a value between about 15 Ω and about 20 Ω) due to a leakage current of a battery cell with a short circuit in an interval 513 with a relatively high SOC (e.g., an interval in which the battery was left to rest for 1 day and 2 days) may be smaller than a short-circuit resistance (e.g., a value between about 50 Ω and about 100 Ω) due to a leakage current of a battery cell with a short circuit in an interval 515 with a relatively small SOC (e.g., an interval in which the battery was left to rest after 2 days).

[0141] Fig. 6 illustrates an example of the magnitude of voltage change over time in a vehicle control device, vehicle control system, or vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] With reference to Fig. 6, a first graph 601 may depict a voltage change of a battery cell as a function of a resting time. A second graph 611 may depict a voltage change as a function of a change in the SOC.

[0143] In the first graph 601, the magnitude of the voltage change of the battery cell may vary with a time at which the voltage change is obtained.

[0144] For example, in a first rest interval 603 (e.g., a time interval from about 0 to about 1 hour), a voltage change of a battery cell whose resistance is greater than the resistance of other battery cells may be greater than a voltage change of a battery cell whose internal circuit is shorted. Therefore, a processor of the vehicle control device can easily identify the battery cell with the resistance greater than the resistance of the other battery cells in the first rest interval 603.

[0145] For example, the processor of the vehicle control device may obtain a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined third temporary time interval (e.g., about 1 hour), during the predetermined third temporary time interval from (e.g., from the time at which) the SOC value of the battery is in an SOC range indicating charging completion.

[0146] For example, in a second rest interval 605 (e.g., a time interval starting approximately 2 hours later), a voltage change of a battery cell in which a short circuit in its internal circuit exists may be greater than a voltage change of the battery cell whose resistance is greater than the resistance of other battery cells. Therefore, the processor of the vehicle control device can easily identify the battery cell in which the short circuit in the internal circuit exists in the second rest interval 605.

[0147] In other words, the processor of the vehicle control device can identify at least one battery cell among the battery cells in which a short circuit exists in its internal circuit by a voltage change of each of the battery cells obtained during a predetermined fourth temporary time interval from the elapse (e.g., expiration) of the predetermined third temporary time interval. The predetermined fourth temporary time interval can be identified by a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined third temporary time interval from the predetermined third time interval.

[0148] In a second graph 611, a change in the SOC value of the battery cell can be identified as a function of a voltage change in a battery cell with a voltage which is lower than a reference voltage.

[0149] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a voltage change of a battery cell referred to when a battery cell in which a short circuit occurs in its internal circuit can be identified from the battery cell having the voltage lower than the reference voltage.

[0150] A first point 613 may indicate that the SOC value of the battery is in a SOC range indicating charging completion, and may indicate a voltage of the battery cell in which a short circuit in the internal circuit exists.

[0151] A second point 615 may indicate that the SOC value of the battery is in the SOC range indicating charging completion, and may indicate a voltage of a battery cell in which there is no short circuit in the internal circuit.

[0152] After the SOC value of the battery is in the SOC range indicating the completion of charging, while the battery is left at rest, the voltage of the battery cell in which there is no short circuit in the internal circuit may drop by about 88 millivolts (mV), and the voltage of the battery cell in which there is a short circuit in the internal circuit may drop by about 88 mV.

[0153] However, after the SOC value of the battery is in the SOC range indicating the completion of charging, while the battery is left to rest, the SOC value of the battery cell in which there is no short circuit in the internal circuit may drop by about 5% and the voltage of the battery cell in which the short circuit in the internal circuit exists may drop by about 12%.

[0154] Therefore, a change in the battery cell's SOC value, rather than a change in the battery cell's voltage, can be used to identify (e.g., detect) whether the battery cell's internal circuit is short-circuited. This is because it is detected that the battery cell voltage at which a short circuit in the battery cell's internal circuit occurs is lower than the reference voltage. A server processor can convert the voltage change into the SOC change to ensure resolution.

[0155] Therefore, at least one battery cell in which a short circuit exists in its internal circuit among the battery cells can be identified according to a change in the SOC value of each of the battery cells, which corresponds to (e.g., belongs to) an open circuit voltage (OCV) of each of the battery cells, based on obtaining a voltage change having the OCV.

[0156] Fig. 7 shows an example of the amount of voltage change depending on the temperature of a battery cell in a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0157] With reference to Fig. 7, a graph 701 may represent a difference in a voltage change depending on a position of a battery cell.

[0158] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a temperature of an externally disposed battery cell of the battery (e.g., a battery cell located on the outside of the battery) and the temperature of an internally disposed battery cell of the battery (e.g., a battery cell located on the inside of the battery) may differ from each other.

[0159] Immediately after a battery's SOC value reaches a predetermined SOC value (e.g., a predetermined SOC range) indicating charging completion (e.g., at a time within approximately 2 hours), the temperature of the external battery cell and the temperature of the internal battery cell may differ. Therefore, the accuracy of a diagnosis based on a voltage change over a predetermined period may be reduced.

[0160] Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis, after the SOC value of the battery is within the predetermined SOC (e.g., a predetermined SOC range) indicating charging completion, a processor of the vehicle control device may fail to identify a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a third temporary time interval when a difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is greater than a predetermined temperature.

[0161] Referring to graph 701, a voltage change of the battery may vary with the position of the battery. When the air temperature outside the battery is lower than the temperature inside the battery, such as in winter, or when the temperature inside the battery is higher than the temperature outside the battery due to the driving of the host vehicle, then, because the temperature of the external battery cell of the battery is low, the voltage change of the external battery cell of the battery may be determined to be greater than the voltage change of the internal battery cell of the battery.

[0162] Fig. 8 shows an example of an operation of a vehicle control device to notify a user of an abnormality in a battery cell or a battery in the vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0163] It is assumed below that a processor 107 of a vehicle control device 101 of Fig. 1A or a processor of a vehicle control device 111 of Fig. 1B is designed to carry out a process of Fig. 8. Furthermore, a description of Fig. 8, a process described as being performed by a processor of the vehicle control device can be understood as being controlled by the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 or the processor of the vehicle control device 111. Furthermore, in a description of Fig. 8, a process described as being performed by a processor of a server may be understood as being controlled by a processor of a server 113.

[0164] With reference to Fig. 8, in a first operation 801, the processor of the vehicle control device may transmit at least one characteristic value to the server via a communication circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0165] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one characteristic value may include at least one characteristic value among (or from) standard deviations of voltages of battery cells, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of SOCs of the battery cells, or standard deviations of SOHs of the battery cells, or any combination thereof.

[0166] In a second operation 803, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may classify the obtained at least one characteristic value among the same vehicle types and the same battery systems.

[0167] In a third operation 805, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the server processor may determine an outlier vehicle through a distribution of the characteristic values.

[0168] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the runaway vehicle may include a vehicle in which the probability of occurrence of an accident due to a battery (e.g., a battery fire risk) is greater than a predetermined probability value.

[0169] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may identify (e.g., determine) that the vehicle control device is included in the outlier vehicle based on the at least one characteristic value being included in a predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage of characteristic values ​​that correspond (e.g., correspond to / belong to, or are related to) the at least one characteristic value obtained from the vehicle control device and that are obtained from other vehicle control devices.

[0170] In a fourth operation 807, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may receive a signal to update or activate a self-diagnosis protocol from the server via the communication circuit.

[0171] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the self-diagnosis protocol may specify a protocol for identifying whether an abnormality exists in the battery cell or in the battery.

[0172] In a fifth operation 809, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may charge the battery depending on the self-diagnosis protocol when the battery is subsequently charged.

[0173] In a sixth operation 811, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may transmit at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, or at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof to the server via the communication circuit.

[0174] In a seventh operation 813, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may be configured to determine a resistance variation range and a voltage change range.

[0175] In an eighth operation 815, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the server processor may identify whether the resistance deviation is within the predetermined resistance deviation range or whether the voltage change is within the predetermined voltage change range. If the resistance deviation is within the predetermined resistance deviation range or the voltage change is within the predetermined voltage change range, the server processor may perform a ninth operation 817. If the resistance deviation is not within the predetermined resistance deviation range or the voltage change is not within the predetermined voltage change range, the server processor may terminate operation.

[0176] In the ninth operation 817, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server may transmit a signal indicating an abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device via the communication circuit.

[0177] In a tenth operation 819, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may provide (e.g., notify) a user of the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery.

[0178] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device may provide the user with the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery based on receiving the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery from the server via the communication circuit.

[0179] Fig. 9 shows an example of signaling between a vehicle control device and a server in the vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0180] It is assumed below that a processor 107 of a vehicle control device 101 of Fig. 1A or a processor of a vehicle control device 111 of Fig. 1B is designed to carry out a process of Fig. 9, and a processor of a server 113 of Fig. 1B is designed to carry out a process of Fig. 9. Furthermore, a description of Fig. 9, a process described as being performed by a processor of the vehicle control device can be understood as being controlled by the processor 107 of the vehicle control device 101 or the processor of the vehicle control device 111. Furthermore, in a description of Fig. 9 a process which is described as being executed by a processor of a server may be understood as being controlled by a processor of a server 113.

[0181] With reference to Fig. 9, in a first operation 901 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a processor of a vehicle control device 900 may identify (e.g., determine) at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells in a battery, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of SOCs of the battery cells, or standard deviations of SOHs of the battery cells, or any combination thereof.

[0182] In a second operation 903, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device 900 may transmit the at least one characteristic value to a server 910. A processor of the server 910 may receive the at least one characteristic value from the vehicle control device 900.

[0183] In a third operation 905, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server 910 may identify that the at least one characteristic value is included in a predetermined upper (e.g., top) percentage of at least one characteristic value corresponding to (e.g., corresponding to / belonging to, or related to) the at least one characteristic value and obtained from other vehicle control devices.

[0184] In a fourth operation 907, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server 910 may transmit a signal to the vehicle control device 900 to update or activate a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying (e.g., detecting) whether an abnormality exists in the battery. The processor of the vehicle control device 900 may receive the signal to update or activate the self-diagnosis protocol from the server 910.

[0185] In a fifth operation 909, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device 900 may charge the battery depending on the self-diagnosis protocol when the self-diagnosis protocol is updated or the self-diagnosis protocol is activated and the battery is charged.

[0186] In a sixth operation 911, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device 900 may measure at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, or at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof, depending on the self-diagnosis protocol.

[0187] In a seventh operation 913, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device 900 may transmit the at least one of the resistance deviation, the voltage change during the predetermined time, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof to the server 910 via the communication circuit. The processor of the server 910 may receive from the vehicle control device 900 the at least one of the resistance deviation, the voltage change during the predetermined time, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof.

[0188] In an eighth operation 915, the processor of the vehicle control device 900 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may identify at least one of the following cases or at least one of the following conditions: that the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, that the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, that a condition related to the at least one value according to the resistance deviation is met, or that a condition related to the at least one value according to the voltage change is met, or any combination thereof.

[0189] In the ninth operation 917, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the server 910 may transmit a signal indicating an abnormality in the battery cell or the battery to the vehicle control device 900. The processor of the vehicle control device 900 may receive the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery from the server 910.

[0190] In a tenth operation 919, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the vehicle control device 900 may provide (e.g., notify) a user of the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery.

[0191] As the number of electric vehicles sold increases, so does the frequency of defects in electric vehicles. As the frequency of defects increases, preventing the risk of battery fires becomes important. To prevent battery fires, there is a need for technology that can continuously monitor the battery and diagnose anomalies in the battery while it is in use.

[0192] As battery development continues to advance, with battery cell components and battery management system configurations changing rapidly, many resources are being used to collect case studies to establish appropriate thresholds when a new electric vehicle model is launched.

[0193] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the server may collect information about the battery management system of each of the vehicle control devices. The processor of the vehicle control device may identify a runaway vehicle for which the probability of an accident occurring is greater than a certain probability and may update or activate the self-diagnosis protocol for the runaway vehicle, thereby obtaining a threshold.

[0194] As electric vehicle sales increase, the resources required for battery diagnostics (e.g., time, energy, and computing resources) are expected to increase rapidly. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, resources can be saved when performing a diagnosis after filtering the need for diagnosis through statistical methods.

[0195] In addition, the diagnosis is performed only for the outlier vehicle to improve the performance of electric vehicles.

[0196] Fig. 10 shows a data processing system associated with a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, or a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0197] Referring to Fig. 10, a data processing system (e.g., a computing system, a computer system) 1000 may comprise at least a processor 1010, a memory 1030, a user interface input device 1040, a user interface output device 1050, a (data) storage device (e.g., a mass storage device) 1060, and a network interface 1070, which are interconnected via a bus 1020.

[0198] Processor 1010 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device that processes instructions stored in memory 1030 and / or storage device 1060. Memory 1030 and storage device 1060 may, for example, include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory 1030 may include read-only memory (ROM) 1031 and random access memory (RAM) 1032.

[0199] Accordingly, the acts of the method or algorithm described in connection with the exemplary embodiments included in this application may be implemented directly with a hardware module, a software module, or a combination of the hardware module and the software module executed by the processor 1010. The software module may be located on a storage medium (i.e., the memory 1030 and / or the storage device 1060), such as a random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electronic EPROM (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, and / or a compact disk-ROM (CD-ROM).

[0200] The exemplary storage medium may be connected to the processor 1010. The processor 1010 may read information from the storage medium and may write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1010. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may be provided in a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may be present as separate components in the user terminal.

[0201] The present technology can diagnose an anomaly in a battery cell or a battery.

[0202] Furthermore, this technology can monitor and diagnose the battery, thus reducing the risk of battery fire.

[0203] In addition, this technology can easily set a threshold for battery diagnosis.

[0204] Furthermore, the present technology can perform battery diagnosis using large amounts of data (“Big Data”), thereby improving the accuracy of battery diagnosis.

[0205] Furthermore, the present technology can perform battery diagnostics while continuing to charge, thereby improving the user experience.

[0206] In addition, this technology can continuously monitor and diagnose the battery system, thereby preventing fires.

[0207] In addition, the present technology can set an appropriate diagnostic threshold depending on the configuration of the battery system, which can change rapidly.

[0208] Furthermore, the present technology can reduce the resources required to monitor the battery.

[0209] Furthermore, numerous effects which are understood directly or indirectly from the present disclosure may be provided.

[0210] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but may be modified and altered in numerous ways by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as claimed in the following claims.

[0211] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, each operation described above may be performed by a control device, and the control device may be configured by a plurality of control devices or an integrated single control device.

[0212] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the memory and the processor may be provided as one chip or as separate chips.

[0213] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable instructions (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) to enable execution of operating methods according to the methods of various embodiments on a device or computer, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing such software or instructions stored thereon and executable on the device or computer.

[0214] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control device may be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software.

[0215] Furthermore, terms such as “unit,” “module,” etc., used in this application indicate units for processing at least one function or process, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0216] In the flowchart described with reference to the drawings, the flowchart may be executed by the controller or the processor. The order of operations in the flowchart may be changed, a plurality of operations may be combined, or each operation may be divided, and a specific operation may not be executed. In addition, the operations in the flowchart may be executed sequentially, but do not necessarily have to be executed sequentially. For example, the order of operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be executed in parallel.

[0217] Furthermore, the fact that hardware parts are operatively connected may include that a direct and / or indirect (e.g. electrical or electronic) connection is established between the parts of the hardware in a wired manner and / or wireless manner.

[0218] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle may be described as being based on a concept that encompasses various means of transportation. In some cases, the vehicle may be designed to be based on a concept that encompasses not only numerous land transportation means, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses traveling on roads, but also numerous transportation means, such as airplanes, drones, ships, etc.

[0219] For ease of explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper...", "under...", "inner...", "outer...", "high", "down", "upward", "downward", "front...", "backward...", "front", "rear", "inward / inward", "outward / outward", "inside", "outside", "inside", "outside", "forward / forward", and "backward / rearward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to their positions as shown in the drawings. It is further understood that the term "connect" or its variations refer to both direct and indirect connection.

[0220] The term "and / or" can encompass a combination of a plurality of items listed together, or any plurality of items listed together. For example, "A and / or B" encompasses all three cases, such as "A," "B," and "A and B."

[0221] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, "at least one of A and B" may refer to "at least one of A or B" or to "at least one of combinations of at least one of A and B." Furthermore, "one or more of A and B" may refer to "one or more of A or B" or "one or more combinations of one or more of A and B."

[0222] In this application, unless otherwise specified, a singular term includes a plural term unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0223] In the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that a term such as "comprise," "include," or "have" is intended to indicate that the features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, components, or combinations thereof described in the application are present, and does not preclude the possibility of the addition or presence of one or more further features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0224] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, components may be combined with each other to be implemented as a unit, or some components may be omitted.

[0225] The foregoing descriptions of certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been provided for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise embodiments disclosed, and it is understood that numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application in order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use numerous exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

[1] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), comprising: a communication circuit (103), a battery (105) with battery cells, and a processor (107) operatively connected to the communication circuit (103) and the battery (105), wherein the processor (107) is configured to: transmit at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of the battery cells, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge, SOCs for short, of the battery cells or standard deviations of states of health, SOHs for short, of the battery cells or any combination thereof via the communication circuit (103) to a server (113, 910), receive a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying whether there is an anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) from the server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103), based on the at least one characteristic value being included in a predetermined upper, in particular uppermost, percentage of characteristic values ​​corresponding to the at least one characteristic value and obtained from other vehicle control devices, to update the self-diagnosis protocol or to activate the self-diagnosis protocol, and When charging the battery (105), charging is carried out depending on the self-diagnosis protocol. [2] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 1, wherein the processor (107) is configured to: when charging the battery (105), to carry out the charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol, transmit at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof to the server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103) while the battery (105) is being charged, receive a signal indicating the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) via the communication circuit (103) from the server (113, 910) based on at least one of: that the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, that the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof, and to present the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) to a user. [3] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 2, wherein the processor (107) is configured to: to allow the battery (105) to rest until a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference before the battery (105) is charged, charging the battery (105) with a first current to a predetermined SOC value based on the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature being within the predetermined temperature difference, to let the battery (105) rest for a predetermined first time interval, assuming that the battery (105) has been charged to the predetermined SOC value, and to obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery (105) with a second current which is greater than the first current, during a predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval, repeating charging the battery (105) with the first current to the predetermined SOC value, resting the battery (105) during the predetermined first time interval, charging the battery (105) with the second current, and charging the battery (105) during the predetermined second time interval until an SOC value of the battery (105) is in a predetermined SOC range indicating the completion of the charging process, and to obtain the voltage change of each of the battery cells during the predetermined time based on leaving the battery (105) at rest for a predetermined third time interval, assuming that the SOC value of the battery (105) is in the predetermined SOC range indicating the completion of the charging process, and wherein resting the battery (105) indicates that the supply of power supplied from outside a host vehicle to the battery (105) to charge the battery (105) is stopped. [4] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the processor (107) is arranged to: to let the battery rest or to adjust the temperatures of the battery cells by a cooling device (109) provided in a host vehicle so that a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference before the battery (105) is charged. [5] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 3 or 4, when dependent on claim 3, wherein the processor (107) is arranged to: to obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells as a function of at least one of a voltage change of each of the battery cells according to the second current or the resistance of each of the battery cells or any combination thereof, based on charging the battery (105) with the second current during the predetermined second time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first time interval. [6] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 3 or claim 4 or 5 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the processor (107) is arranged to: obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery (105) due to a cause other than an abnormality in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery (105), during a predetermined first temporary time interval from the start of charging the battery (105) with the second current, and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery (105) due to the abnormality in the electrolyte or the active material contained in the battery (105), during a predetermined second temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first temporary time interval, and wherein the predetermined second temporary time interval is identified according to a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined first temporary time interval from the predetermined second time interval. [7] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 3 or any one of claims 4 to 6 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the processor (107) is arranged to: obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) due to a current path while charging the battery (105) with an SOC which is smaller than a reference SOC using the second current, and obtain the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cell or the battery (105) due to the interior of the battery (105) while charging the battery (105) with an SOC greater than the reference SOC using the second current. [8] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 3 or any one of claims 4 to 7 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the processor (107) is arranged to: when the battery (105) is left at rest during the predetermined third time interval, to adjust a temperature of the battery (105) or temperatures of at least some battery cells to a predetermined temperature or higher. [9] Vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 3 or any one of claims 4 to 8 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the processor (107) is arranged to: to obtain the voltage change during a predetermined third temporary time interval to identify at least one battery cell having a resistance which is greater than the resistance of other battery cells among the battery cells, assuming that the SOC value of the battery (105) is in the SOC range indicating the completion of charging, and to obtain a voltage change during a predetermined fourth temporary time interval to identify at least one battery cell in which a short circuit in an internal circuit exists among the battery cells, during the predetermined fourth temporary time interval from the elapse of the predetermined third temporary time interval, wherein the predetermined fourth temporary time interval is identified according to a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined third temporary time interval from the predetermined third time interval. [10] The vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to claim 9, wherein the at least one battery cell in which a short circuit in the internal circuit exists is identified among the battery cells according to a change in the SOC value of each of the battery cells, the change in the SOC corresponding to an open circuit voltage (OCV) of each of the battery cells based on obtaining the voltage change including the OCV. [11] The vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the resistance variation range is determined based on a resistance variation of each of the battery cells provided in the other vehicle control devices, and wherein the voltage change range is determined based on a voltage change of each of the battery cells provided in the other vehicle control devices. [12] Vehicle control system, comprising: a vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), and a server (113, 910), wherein a processor (107) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) is configured to: transmitting at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells in a battery (105) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge, SOCs for short, of the battery cells or standard deviations of states of health, SOHs for short, of the battery cells or any combination thereof to the server (113, 910) via a communication circuit (103) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), receive a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying whether there is an abnormality in the battery cells or the battery (105) from the server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), to update the self-diagnosis protocol or to activate the self-diagnosis protocol, and when charging the battery (105), to carry out the charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol, wherein a processor provided in the server (113, 910) is configured to: transmitting the signal for updating or activating the self-diagnosis protocol to the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) via a communication circuit provided in the server (113, 910), based on the at least one characteristic value being included in a predetermined upper, in particular top, percentage of characteristic values ​​corresponding to the at least one characteristic value and obtained from other vehicle control devices. [13] A vehicle control system according to claim 12, wherein the processor (107) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) is further configured to: when charging the battery (105), to carry out the charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol, transmit at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof to the server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) while the battery (105) is being charged, receive a signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery (105) from the server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), and present the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) to a user, wherein the processor provided in the server (113, 910) is further configured to: transmit at least one of the resistance deviation, the voltage change, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation or the at least one value according to the voltage change or any combination thereof to the server (113, 910) via the communication circuit (103) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), and transmit the signal indicating the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery (105) to the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) via the communication circuit provided in the server (113, 910) based on at least one of: the resistance deviation being within a predetermined resistance deviation range, the voltage change being within a predetermined voltage change range, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof. [14] A vehicle control system according to claim 13, wherein the processor (107) provided in the vehicle control device (101, 111, 900) is further configured to. to identify the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) due to a cause other than an anomaly in the electrolyte or the active material contained in the battery (105) based on the resistance deviation obtained during a predetermined first temporary time interval from the start of charging the battery (105) with a second current which is greater than a first current charged into the battery for a predetermined SOC value, and to identify the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery due to the anomaly in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery (105) based on the resistance deviation obtained during a predetermined second temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first temporary time interval. [15] A vehicle control system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the processor provided in the server (113, 910) is further configured to: to identify at least one battery cell having a resistance greater than the resistance of other battery cells among the battery cells based on the voltage change obtained during a predetermined third temporary time interval, assuming that an SOC value of the battery is in an SOC range indicating the completion of charging, and to identify at least one battery cell in which a short circuit of an internal circuit exists among the battery cells based on a voltage change obtained during a predetermined fourth temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined third temporary time interval. [16] A vehicle control system according to claim 15, wherein the processor provided in the server (113, 910) is further configured to: to identify the at least one battery cell in which a short circuit in the internal circuit exists among the battery cells depending on an SOC value of each of the battery cells, wherein the SOC corresponds to an open circuit voltage, OCV for short, of each of the battery cells, wherein the OCV is included in the voltage change, based on the OCV. [17] Vehicle control system according to one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the processor provided in the server (113, 910) is further configured to: to determine the resistance deviation range based on a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells provided in other vehicle control devices, and to determine the voltage change range based on a voltage change of each of the battery cells provided in the other vehicle control devices. [18] A method performed by a vehicle control device (101, 111, 900), the method comprising: Transmitting (801, 903) at least one characteristic value among standard deviations of voltages of battery cells provided in a battery provided in the vehicle control device, standard deviations of temperatures of the battery cells, standard deviations of states of charge (SOCs) of the battery cells or standard deviations of states of health (SOHs) of the battery cells or any combination via a communication circuit (103) to a server (111), Receiving (807, 907) a signal for updating or activating a self-diagnosis protocol for identifying whether an anomaly exists in the battery cells or the battery (105) via the communication circuit (103) from the server (113, 910), based on the at least one characteristic value being included in a predetermined upper, in particular uppermost, percentage of characteristic values ​​corresponding to the at least one characteristic value and obtained from other vehicle control devices, Updating the self-diagnosis protocol or activating the self-diagnosis protocol, and Carrying out (809, 909) the charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol when charging the battery (105). [19] The method of claim 18, further comprising: Carrying out charging depending on the self-diagnosis protocol when charging the battery (105), Transmitting (811, 913) at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof via the communication circuit (103) to the server (113, 910) while the battery (105) is being charged, Receiving (817, 917) a signal indicating the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) via the communication circuit (103) from the server (113, 910) based on at least one of: that the resistance deviation is within a predetermined resistance deviation range, that the voltage change is within a predetermined voltage change range, the at least one value according to the resistance deviation, the at least one value according to the voltage change, or any combination thereof, and Presenting (819, 919) the anomaly in the battery cells or the battery (105) to a user. [20] The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting (811, 913) at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof, via the communication circuit (103) to the server (113, 910) while the battery (105) is being charged, comprises: Allowing the battery (105) to rest until a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference, before charging the battery (105), Charging the battery (105) with a first current around a predetermined SOC value based on the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature being within the predetermined temperature difference, Leaving the battery (105) to rest for a predetermined first time interval, assuming that the battery has been charged by the predetermined SOC value, and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery (105) with a second current greater than the first current during a predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval, Repeating charging the battery (105) with the first current by the predetermined SOC value, resting the battery (105) during the predetermined first time interval, charging the battery (105) with the second current, and charging the battery (105) during the predetermined second time interval until an SOC value of the battery (105) is in a predetermined SOC range indicating the completion of the charging process, and Obtaining the voltage change of each of the battery cells during the predetermined time based on leaving the battery (105) at rest for a predetermined third time interval, assuming that the SOC value of the battery (105) is in the predetermined SOC range indicating the completion of the charging process, wherein resting the battery (105) indicates that the supply of power supplied from outside a host vehicle to the battery (105) to charge the battery (105) is stopped. [21] The method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein transmitting (811, 913) at least one of a resistance deviation of each of the battery cells, wherein the resistance deviation is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, a voltage change of each of the battery cells during a predetermined time, wherein the voltage change is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, at least one value according to the resistance deviation, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or at least one value according to the voltage change, wherein the at least one value is obtained according to the updated or activated self-diagnosis protocol, or any combination thereof via the communication circuit (103) to the server (113, 910) while the battery (105) is being charged, comprises: Resting the battery (105) or adjusting the temperatures of the battery cells by a cooling device (109) provided in a host vehicle so that a difference between a highest temperature and a lowest temperature among the temperatures of the battery cells is within a predetermined temperature difference before charging the battery (105). [22] The method of claim 20, wherein resting the battery (105) during the predetermined first time interval based on the battery (105) being charged by the predetermined SOC value, and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery (105) with the second current greater than the first current during the predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval comprises: Obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells depending on at least one of a voltage change of each of the battery cells according to the second current or a resistance of each of the battery cells or any combination thereof, based on charging the battery (105) with the second current during the predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval. [23] The method of claim 20 or 22, wherein resting the battery (105) during the predetermined first time interval based on the battery (105) being charged by the predetermined SOC value, and obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells based on charging the battery (105) with the second current which is greater than the first current during the predetermined second time interval from the elapse of the predetermined first time interval comprises: Obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery (105) due to a cause other than an abnormality in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery (105) during the predetermined first temporary time interval from the start of charging the battery (105) with the second current, and Obtaining the resistance deviation of each of the battery cells to identify the abnormality in the battery cells or the battery (105) due to the abnormality in the electrolyte or active material contained in the battery (105) during the predetermined second temporary time interval from the lapse of the predetermined first temporary time interval, wherein the predetermined second temporary time interval is identified by a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined first temporary time interval from the predetermined second time interval.

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