Reduced power wireless battery management system

Abstract

To provide a battery management system (BMS) that maintains the ability to begin communication quickly responsive to transition from a power saving mode to an on state and can reduce power consumption.SOLUTION: A BMS comprises: a battery pack 106 including a plurality of battery modules 108 and a busbar that couples the respective battery modules; a battery management controller including a wireless transceiver 134; and a battery monitor coupled to the respective battery modules and the busbar. The battery monitor includes: monitoring circuitry for receiving a first indication of a parameter of the battery module; a wireless transceiver 136 for providing the first indication to the battery management controller via a connection to the wireless transceiver 134; and a busbar voltage circuit that responsive to a second indication of voltage between both ends of the busbar being greater than a voltage threshold, provides a wakeup signal to the wireless transceiver 136 to cause it to be in a higher-power state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules connected in series. A bus bar couples adjacent battery modules (e.g., couples the positive terminal of a first battery module to the negative terminal of a second battery module or vice versa). Such battery packs provide power to electronic devices, particularly electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid EVs (HEVs) among others.

Summary of the Invention

[0002] In an example of this description, a system includes a battery pack having a first battery module, a second battery module, and a bus bar coupling the first and second battery modules, a battery management controller having a first wireless transceiver, and a battery monitor coupled to the first battery module and the bus bar. The battery monitor includes a monitoring circuit element configured to receive a first display of parameters of the first battery module, a second wireless transceiver configured to provide the first display to the battery management controller via a wireless connection to the first wireless transceiver, a bus bar voltage circuit configured to receive a second display of the voltage across the bus bar, and a bus bar voltage circuit configured to provide a first signal to the second wireless transceiver to place the second wireless transceiver in a higher power state in response to the second display being greater than a voltage threshold.

[0003] In another example described herein, a method includes the battery monitor receiving a first indication of the voltage across the busbars connecting a first battery module of a battery pack to a second battery module of the battery pack; in response that the first indication is greater than a voltage threshold, the battery monitor placing a wireless transceiver in a higher power state; and in response that the wireless transceiver is in a higher power state, the battery monitor wirelessly providing a second indication of parameters of the first battery module to a battery management controller.

[0004] In yet another example described herein, the device includes a monitoring circuit element adapted to be coupled to a first battery module of a battery pack. The monitoring circuit element is configured to receive a first indication of parameters of the first battery module. The device also includes a busbar voltage circuit adapted to be coupled to a busbar that couples the first battery module to a second battery module of the battery pack. The busbar voltage circuit is configured to receive a second indication of the voltage across the busbar and, in response to the second indication being greater than a voltage threshold, to provide a first signal to a wireless transceiver to cause the wireless transceiver to enter a higher power state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0005] For detailed explanations of various examples, please refer to the attached drawings.

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of a system including a battery management system (BMS) according to the examples in this specification.

[0007] [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of a battery pack according to the examples in this specification.

[0008] [Figure 3]Figure 1 shows a circuit diagram of the battery monitor and wireless transceiver of the BMS, following the examples in this specification.

[0009] [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of a wireless battery management system according to an example of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A Battery Management System (BMS) acquires data about the battery modules of a battery pack and controls those modules. For example, the BMS controls the charging of battery modules, performs balancing between battery modules, and monitors the operating status and / or health of the battery modules. The BMS includes multiple battery monitors, and each battery module is coupled to one of these battery monitors. The BMS also includes a battery management controller that is coupled to and communicates with each battery monitor. The battery monitors and battery management controller work together to facilitate the monitoring of various parameters of the battery modules, including voltage, current, temperature, and parameters related to cell balancing within the module, among other functions of the BMS.

[0011] In some cases, the battery management controller communicates with the battery monitor using a wired connection. However, such wired BMSs are costly and complex. Wired BMSs also make repairs more difficult when the battery pack (or its battery module) is located in a hard-to-reach place, such as in the context of EVs or HEVs.

[0012] Therefore, in other cases, the battery management controller and battery monitor each include a wireless transceiver to facilitate wireless communication between the battery management controller and the battery monitor. When a battery-powered device is in a power-saving state or power-saving mode (e.g., an EV or HEV is parked), it is useful to reduce the power consumption of the BMS while maintaining the BMS's ability to initiate communication in a relatively rapid response to the device transitioning to an ON state (e.g., an EV or HEV is being driven, or some action is being performed by the user).

[0013] One way to reduce BMS power consumption while a device is in power-saving mode (e.g., when an EV or HEV is parked) is to cause the battery management controller's wireless transceiver to enter a lower power state (e.g., be turned off). Other hardware components of the battery management controller, such as the microprocessor, are aware of the device's state (e.g., whether the vehicle is parked or whether the user wants to operate the vehicle) and can therefore cause the battery management controller's wireless transceiver to enter a higher power state in response to the device being turned on. However, individual battery monitors are not aware of the device's power state. For example, a battery monitor's wireless transceiver periodically polls or scans to determine whether the battery management controller's wireless transceiver is in a higher power state and / or attempts to communicate with the battery monitor. Therefore, while the device is in power-saving mode, the battery monitor's wireless transceiver cannot be turned off and thus still consumes power to poll or scan for activity from the battery management controller's wireless transceiver.

[0014] The examples described herein address the aforementioned challenges by providing a battery monitor that includes a busbar voltage circuit configured to sense the voltage across the busbars connecting the battery modules of a battery pack. Each battery module may contain one or more battery cells in series. For example, a battery module containing 12 cells in series may be called a 12S module. A voltage across the busbars greater than a voltage threshold indicates that current is being drawn from the battery pack, which indicates that the device is transitioning from a power-saving mode or state (e.g., an EV or HEV transitioning from a parked state to an operating state). In one example, the threshold across the busbars to which the sensed voltage is compared is system-dependent. In some examples, the threshold is based on the resistance characteristics of the busbar being monitored, or the expected current drawn from the battery pack while the device is on (e.g., not in a power-saving state).

[0015] The busbar voltage circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the busbar and configured to receive the voltage across the busbar. The ADC provides a digital value in response to the voltage across the busbar. The busbar voltage circuit also includes a comparator that compares the digital value representing the busbar voltage to a voltage threshold. In response to the digital value being greater than the voltage threshold, the comparator provides a wake-up signal to the battery monitor's wireless transceiver, indicating that current is being drawn from the battery pack and the device is turned on.

[0016] The battery monitor's wireless transceiver is configured to transition to a higher power state in response to the reception of a wake-up signal and initiate communication with the battery management controller's wireless transceiver. Because the battery monitor's wireless transceiver transitions to a higher power state in response to a physical state indicating that the device itself is turned on (e.g., voltage across the busbars), the battery monitor can begin communicating with the battery management controller relatively quickly after the device is turned on (e.g., about 50ms from busbar voltage sensing to network formation, which may be less than a polling or scanning interval).

[0017] In some examples, the battery monitor's wireless transceiver is configured to transition to a lower power state in response to the deassertion of the wake-up signal (e.g., the busbar voltage being below a voltage threshold, the device being in a power-saving mode, or the EV / HEV being parked). In other examples, the battery monitor's wireless transceiver is configured to transition to a lower power state in response to a command or communication from a battery management controller that recognizes the device is in a power-saving mode or the EV / HEV is parked. These and other examples are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a device 100 including a BMS, according to an example herein. The device 100 includes an electronic device 102 (e.g., EV / HEV 102) configured to be coupled to an external power source 104 which can be an EV charging station 104. The EV / HEV 102 includes a battery pack 106 containing n battery modules 108 connected in series. Each battery module 108 may contain one battery cell or two or more battery cells connected in series. An inverter 110 is coupled to the battery pack 106 and is configured to receive a direct current (DC) input voltage from the battery pack 106 and, in response to the DC input voltage, provide an alternating current (AC) output voltage to a load 112 (e.g., the motor 112 of the EV / HEV 102).

[0019] The EV / HEV 102 also includes an on-board charger 114 that is coupled to the battery pack 106. The on-board charger 114 is adapted to be coupled to an external power supply 104. The on-board charger 114 is configured to convert the input voltage (e.g., AC voltage or DC voltage) provided by the external power supply 104 to an output voltage (e.g., DC voltage) suitable for charging the battery pack 106.

[0020] In some examples, the EV / HEV 102 includes a high-voltage (HV) DC-DC power converter 116 coupled to a battery pack 106. The HV DC-DC power converter 116 is configured to convert the DC voltage provided by the battery pack 106 to a DC voltage usable by various other components of the EV / HEV 102 (e.g., a lower DC voltage). The EV / HEV 102 also includes a low-voltage (LV) battery 118, such as a 12-volt (V) battery, an 18V battery, or a 40V battery. In examples where the EV / HEV 102 includes an LV battery 118, the EV / HEV 102 also includes an LV DC-DC power converter 120 coupled to the LV battery 118. The LV DC-DC power converter 120 is configured to convert the DC voltage provided by the LV battery 118 to a DC voltage usable by various other components of the EV / HEV 102 (e.g., a lower DC voltage such as 5V).

[0021] As described above, the EV / HEV 102 includes a BMS for acquiring data on the battery modules 108 of the battery pack 106 and controlling the battery modules 108 of the battery pack 106. For example, the BMS controls the charging of the battery modules 108, performs power balancing among the battery modules 108, and monitors the operating status and / or health of the battery modules 108. In the example in Figure 1, the BMS is a wireless BMS and includes a battery management controller 130 and a stack of battery monitors 132. Each of the battery monitors 132 is associated with and coupled to one of the battery modules 108. Thus, in the example in Figure 1, there are n battery monitors 132, each coupled to one of the n battery modules 108.

[0022] The battery management controller 130 includes a wireless transceiver 134, and each of the battery monitors 132 includes an associated wireless transceiver 136. Thus, the wireless transceivers 134 and 136 enable wireless communication between the battery management controller 130 and the battery monitors 132. For example, the wireless transceiver 134 of the battery management controller 130 is configured to provide commands and / or requests to the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132. Similarly, the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132 is configured to provide responses to the wireless transceiver 134 of the battery management controller 130. Thus, the BMS, including the battery management controller 130 and the battery monitors 132, enables monitoring of various parameters of the battery module 108, including voltage, current, temperature, and parameters related to cell balancing within the module, among other functions of the BMS.

[0023] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the battery pack 106 of Figure 1, according to the example described herein. As described above, the battery pack 106 includes n battery modules 108 connected in series. Busbars 202 connect adjacent battery modules 108. For example, one busbar 202 connects the positive terminal of module 1 to the negative terminal of module 2, and another busbar 202 connects the positive terminal of module n-1 to the negative terminal of module n. In the example of Figure 2, the negative terminal of module 1 is also the negative terminal of the battery pack 106, and the positive terminal of module n is also the positive terminal of the battery pack 106.

[0024] As described above, the battery monitor 132 is configured to sense the voltage across one of the bus bars 202, such as one of the bus bars 202 coupled to the battery module 108 monitored by a particular battery monitor 132. For example, the battery monitor 132 that monitors (or is associated with) module 1 is configured to sense the voltage across the bus bar 202 that couples module 1 and module 2 (e.g., the bus bar 202 couples the first and second battery modules 108). Similarly, the battery monitor 132 that monitors (or is associated with) module n-1 is configured to sense the voltage across the bus bar 202 that couples module n-1 and module n. In some examples, two or more battery monitors 132 may be configured to sense the voltage across the ends of the same bus bar 202.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the battery monitor 132 and the wireless transceiver 136 of FIG. 1, according to an example of the present specification. In some examples, the battery monitor 132 includes the wireless transceiver 136, and in other examples, the battery monitor 132 is adapted to be coupled to the wireless transceiver 136. For simplicity, in the example of FIG. 3, the battery monitor 132 is depicted as including the wireless transceiver 136.

[0026] The battery monitor 132 is coupled to the battery module 108 and a bus bar 202 coupled to one of the terminals of the battery module 108 as described above. The battery monitor 132 includes a monitoring circuit element 302 configured to monitor (e.g., receive an indication of) various parameters of the battery module 108, the parameters including voltage, current, temperature, and parameters related to cell balancing within the battery module 108. The monitored parameters or indications thereof are provided by the monitoring circuit element 302 to the wireless transceiver 136, which provides the indication wirelessly to the battery management controller 130 (e.g., to a wireless transceiver 134 coupled to the battery management controller 130).

[0027] The battery monitor 132 (or its monitoring circuit element 302) also includes a bus bar voltage circuit 304 configured to receive an indication of the voltage across the bus bar 202. The bus bar voltage circuit 304 is configured to provide a wake-up signal (e.g., a first signal) to the wireless transceiver 136 in response to an indication that the voltage across the bus bar 202 is greater than a first threshold. The wake-up signal causes the wireless transceiver 136 to enter a higher power state (e.g., transition to a higher power state or remain in a higher power state). In one example, the first threshold against which the sensed voltage across the bus bar 202 is compared is system dependent. For example, the first threshold is based on the resistive characteristics of the monitored bus bar 202 or the expected current drawn from the battery module 108 while the device 102 is on or the EV / HEV 102 is operating (e.g., not in a power saving state).

[0028] In some examples, the busbar voltage circuit 304 is also configured to provide a sleep signal (e.g., a second signal) to the wireless transceiver 136 in response to an indication that the voltage across the busbar 202 is below a second threshold. The sleep signal causes the wireless transceiver 136 to enter a lower power state (e.g., transition to a lower power state or remain in a lower power state). In some examples, the second threshold is equal to the first threshold, while in others, the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold (e.g., to provide a hysteresis control response).

[0029] The busbar voltage circuit 304 includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 312, which is coupled to the busbar 202 and configured to receive the voltage across the busbar 202 (for example, this is related to the current supplied by the battery module 108 and the resistance of the busbar 202). The ADC 312 provides a digital value in response to the voltage across the busbar 202. The busbar voltage circuit 304 also includes a comparator 314 that compares the digital value representing the busbar voltage to a first threshold. In response to the digital value from the ADC 312 being greater than the first threshold, the comparator 314 provides a wake-up signal to the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132, which indicates that sufficient current is being drawn from the battery module 108 to indicate that the device 102 is turned on.

[0030] In an example where the busbar voltage circuit 304 is configured to provide a sleep signal, the comparator 314 is also configured to compare a digital value from the ADC 312 to a second threshold. In response to the digital value from the ADC 312 being less than the second threshold, the comparator 314 provides a sleep signal to the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132, which indicates that the current drawn from the battery module 108 is low enough to indicate that the device 102 is in a power-saving state (e.g., the EV / HEV 102 is parked). In some cases, the sleep signal is analogous to a wake-up signal that is deasserted (e.g., when the first threshold is equal to the second threshold).

[0031] In some examples, the wireless transceiver 136 includes a radio frequency (RF) core 306 and a digital core 308. The RF core 306 and the digital core 308 may be implemented as separate processors or as separate cores of a single processor. Regardless of the specific implementation of the RF core 306 and the digital core 308, the cores 306 and 308 are configured to communicate with each other.

[0032] The digital core 308 is configured to receive and process signals from the monitoring circuit element 302 (for example, the monitoring circuit element 302 provides the digital core 308 with a TX signal) and to provide control signals and / or commands to the monitoring circuit element 302 (for example, the monitoring circuit element 302 receives an RX signal from the digital core 308). The digital core 308 is also configured to interface with the RF core 306, for example, to facilitate wireless communication.

[0033] The RF core 306 is configured to interface with the antenna 310 of the wireless transceiver 134 to transmit and receive wireless signals, for example, to facilitate wireless communication between the battery management controller 130 and the wireless transceiver 134.

[0034] In one example, when the wireless transceiver 136 is in a lower power state, the RF core 306 provides reduced functionality (e.g., does not facilitate wireless communication). When the wireless transceiver 136 is in a higher power state, the RF core 306 facilitates wireless communication. Therefore, the RF core 306 consumes more power in the higher power state of the wireless transceiver 136 than in the lower power state. Since the wireless transceiver 136 transitions to a higher power state in response to an occurring physical condition (e.g., the voltage sensed across the busbar 202 is greater than a threshold), the RF core 306 does not remain active in the lower power state, for example, by polling the battery management controller 130 to determine when to wake up. This allows the RF core 306 to consume less power than in situations where polling is used to wake it up.

[0035] In some examples, when the wireless transceiver 136 is in a lower power state, the digital core 308 is also configured to provide reduced functionality and therefore consume less power. When the wireless transceiver 136 is in a higher power state, the digital core 308 is configured to provide its normal functionality.

[0036] In at least some examples, the wireless transceiver 136 does not provide the battery management controller 130 with a display of the monitored parameters of the battery module 108 in response to a lower power state. For example, the RF core 306 provides reduced functionality in lower power states and therefore consumes less power, so the RF core 306 does not facilitate wireless communication with the battery management controller 130 (including providing a display of the monitored parameters). In these examples, the wireless transceiver 136 provides the battery management controller 130 with a display of the monitored parameters of the battery module 108 in response to a higher power state. For example, the RF core 306 provides normal functionality in higher power states, so the RF core 306 facilitates wireless communication with the battery management controller 130 (including providing a display of the monitored parameters).

[0037] In some examples, the wireless transceiver 136 is configured to receive a power-off command from the battery management controller 130. The power-off command may be added to or replace a sleep signal provided by the busbar voltage circuit 304. For example, since the battery management controller 130 knows when the EV / HEV 102 is parked or when the device 102 is in power-saving mode, the battery management controller 130 is configured to issue a power-off command to the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132. The power-off command puts the wireless transceiver 136 into a lower power state (e.g., transitions to a lower power state or remains in a lower power state).

[0038] Therefore, the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132 is configured to transition to a higher power state in response to the reception of a wake-up signal and to begin communication with the wireless transceiver 134 of the battery management controller 130. Since the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132 transitions to a higher power state in response to a physical state indicating that the device 102 itself is turned on (e.g., the voltage across the busbar 202), the battery monitor 132 can begin communicating with the battery management controller 130 relatively quickly after the device 102 is turned on (e.g., about 50 ms from sensing the voltage of the busbar 202 to network formation, which may be less than the polling or scanning interval).

[0039] In some examples, the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132 is configured to transition to a lower power state in response to the wake-up signal being deasserted or a sleep signal being provided (for example, the voltage on the busbar 202 falling below a voltage threshold, indicating that device 102 is in power-saving mode or that the EV / HEV 102 is parked). In other examples, the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132 is configured to transition to a lower power state in response to a power-off command from the battery management controller 130, which recognizes that device 102 is in power-saving mode or that the EV / HEV 102 is parked.

[0040] Therefore, in response to device 102 being in a power-saving mode (e.g., EV / HEV 102 is parked), the power consumption of the battery monitor 132 is reduced. Furthermore, the power consumption of the battery monitor 132 is lower than that of the battery monitor, which polls the battery management controller 130 to determine when to return to a higher power state. In addition, the network including the battery monitor 132 and the battery management controller 130 can be formed in a relatively rapid response to device 102 being turned on (e.g., being operated by the EV / HEV 102 user), as the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132 transitions to a higher power state in response to sensing a physical condition indicating that device 102 is turned on (e.g., voltage across the busbar 202).

[0041] In some examples, the wireless transceiver 136 is configured to scan and / or listen on one or more RF configuration channels in response to the wireless transceiver 136 waking up (e.g., transitioning to a higher power state). The wireless transceiver 136 transitions to a higher power state in response to sensing a physical state indicating that device 102 is ON (e.g., voltage across the busbar 202), but the microprocessor of the battery management controller 130 is aware of the state of device 102 (e.g., whether the vehicle is parked or whether the user wants to operate the vehicle). Therefore, the battery management controller 130 is configured to cause its wireless transceiver 134 to enter a higher power state in response to device 102 turning ON. The wireless transceiver 134 is configured to send scan requests on one or more RF configuration channels in response to the wireless transceiver 134 waking up (e.g., transitioning to a higher power state). The wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132 is configured to provide a scan response (e.g., on one or more RF configuration channels) in response to receiving a scan request from the battery management controller 130. Subsequently, communication between the battery monitor 132 and the battery management controller 130 (e.g., via their respective wireless transceivers 136, 134) takes place on the RF data channels. In some examples, the network reconnection process is avoided because the data to be exchanged during such a process (e.g., the RF data channels to be used, key values, slot numbers, etc.) is already stored in the memory (e.g., non-volatile memory) of the battery monitor 132 and / or the battery management controller 130.

[0042] Figure 4 is a flowchart of Method 400 for wireless battery management, according to the examples herein. Method 400 begins in block 402 with receiving a first indication of the voltage across the busbars coupling a first battery module of the battery pack to a second battery module of the battery pack. As described above, the battery monitor 132 (or its monitoring circuit element 302) includes a busbar voltage circuit 304 configured to receive an indication of the voltage across the busbars 202. For example, an ADC 312 is coupled to the busbars 202 and configured to receive the voltage across the busbars 202 (for example, this relates to the current supplied by the battery module 108 and the resistance of the busbars 202). The ADC 312 provides a digital value in response to the voltage across the busbars 202.

[0043] Method 400 continues in block 404, in response to a first indication being greater than a voltage threshold, by bringing the wireless transceiver of the battery monitor to an even higher power state. As described above, the busbar voltage circuit 304 is configured to provide a wake-up signal (e.g., the first signal) to the wireless transceiver 136 in response to an indication that the voltage across the busbar 202 is greater than a first threshold (e.g., the voltage threshold). For example, the busbar voltage circuit 304 includes a comparator 314 that compares a digital value indicating the busbar voltage to a first threshold. In response to a digital value from the ADC 312 being greater than the first threshold, the comparator 314 provides a wake-up signal to the wireless transceiver 136 of the battery monitor 132, which indicates that sufficient current is being drawn from the battery module 108, indicating that device 102 is turned on. The wake-up signal causes the wireless transceiver 136 to enter a higher power state (e.g., transition to a higher power state or remain in a higher power state). In one example, the first threshold from which the sensed voltage across the busbar 202 is compared is system-dependent. For example, the first threshold is based on the resistance characteristics of the monitored busbar 202, or on the expected current drawn from the battery module 108 while device 102 is on or EV / HEV 102 is operating (e.g., not in a power-saving state).

[0044] Method 400 continues in block 406, wirelessly providing a second indication of parameters of the first battery module in response to the wireless transceiver being in a higher power state. As described above, the battery monitor 132 includes a monitoring circuit element 302 configured to monitor various parameters of the battery module 108 (e.g., receive a display of parameters), such parameters may include voltage, current, temperature, and parameters related to cell balancing within the battery module 108. The monitored parameters or their indications are provided by the monitoring circuit element 302 to the wireless transceiver 136, which then provides the indication to the battery management controller 130 (e.g., wirelessly to a wireless transceiver 134 coupled to the battery management controller 130).

[0045] In at least some examples, the wireless transceiver 136 does not provide the battery management controller 130 with a display of the monitored parameters of the battery module 108 in response to a lower power state. For example, the RF core 306 provides reduced functionality in lower power states and therefore consumes less power, so the RF core 306 does not facilitate wireless communication with the battery management controller 130 (including providing a display of the monitored parameters). In these examples, the wireless transceiver 136 provides the battery management controller 130 with a display of the monitored parameters of the battery module 108 in response to a higher power state. For example, the RF core 306 provides normal functionality in higher power states, so the RF core 306 facilitates wireless communication with the battery management controller 130 (including providing a display of the monitored parameters).

[0046] The term “coupled” is used throughout this specification. This term may encompass connections, communications, or signaling paths that enable a functional relationship consistent with this description. For example, if device A generates a signal to control device B in order to perform a certain action, in the first example, device A is coupled to device B, or in the second example, device A is coupled to device B via intermediary component C, such that device B is controlled by device A via a control signal generated by device A, provided that intermediary component C does not substantially alter the functional relationship between device A and device B.

[0047] A device “configured” to perform a certain task or function may be configured by the manufacturer at the time of manufacture to perform that task or function (e.g., by being programmed and / or hardwired), and / or may be configured (or reconfigurable) by the user after manufacture to perform that function and / or other additional or alternative functions. Such configuration may be via the device’s firmware and / or software programming, via the configuration and / or layout of hardware components, via the interconnection of the devices, or a combination thereof.

[0048] Circuits or devices described herein as including specific components may instead be adapted to be coupled with those components to form the described circuit or device. For example, a structure described as including one or more semiconductor elements (such as transistors), one or more passive elements (such as resistors, capacitors, and / or inductors), and / or one or more sources (such as voltage and / or current sources) may instead include only semiconductor elements within a single physical device (e.g., a semiconductor die and / or integrated circuit (IC) package) and may instead be adapted, at or after manufacture, by, for example, an end user and / or a third party, to be coupled with at least some of the passive elements and / or sources to form the described structure.

[0049] Certain components may be described herein as belonging to a particular process technology, but these components may be interchangeable with components of other process technologies. Circuits described herein are reconfigurable to include the replaced components in order to provide functionality that is at least partially similar to the functionality available before the component replacement. Components shown as resistors generally represent any one or more elements connected in series and / or parallel to provide the amount of impedance represented by the resistor shown, unless otherwise specified. For example, a resistor or capacitor shown and described herein as a single component may instead be multiple resistors or capacitors connected in parallel between the same nodes. For example, a resistor or capacitor shown and described herein as a single component may instead be multiple resistors or capacitors connected in series between the same two nodes as a single resistor or capacitor.

[0050] The use of the term "ground voltage potential" in the foregoing description includes chassis grounding, earthing, floating grounding, virtual grounding, digital grounding, common grounding, and / or any other form of earthing connection applicable to or suitable for the teachings herein. Unless otherwise specified, "about," "approximately," or "substantially" preceding a value means + / - 10% of the stated value. Modifications are possible in the examples described, and other examples are possible within the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising: a battery pack including a first battery module, a second battery module, and a bus bar coupled to the first and second battery modules; a battery management controller including a first wireless transceiver; a battery monitor coupled to the first battery module and the bus bar, monitoring circuitry configured to receive a first indication of a parameter of the first battery module; a second wireless transceiver configured to provide the first indication to the battery management controller via a wireless connection to the first wireless transceiver; a bus bar voltage circuit configured to receive a second indication of the voltage across the bus bar and, in response to the second indication being greater than a voltage threshold, provide a first signal to the second wireless transceiver to transition the second wireless transceiver from a lower power state to a higher power state; the battery monitor, Including, the system.

2. 10. The system of claim 1, the bus bar voltage circuit is further configured to, in response to the second indication being less than the voltage threshold, provide a second signal to the second wireless transceiver to cause the second wireless transceiver to enter the lower power state.

3. 10. The system of claim 1, The system, wherein the second wireless transceiver is further configured to receive a power off command from the battery management controller and enter the lower power state in response to the power off command.

4. 4. The system of claim 3, The system wherein the first signal transitions the second wireless transceiver from the lower power state to the higher power state.

5. 5. The system of claim 4, in response to transitioning from the lower power state to the higher power state, the second wireless transceiver: Scanning radio frequency (RF) constituent channels; receiving a scan request from the battery management controller on the RF configuration channel; sending a scan response to the battery management controller on the RF configuration channel; thereafter communicating with the battery management controller over an RF data channel; The system further comprises:

6. 4. The system of claim 3, the second wireless transceiver providing the first indication to the battery management controller in response to being in the higher power state; not providing the first indication to the battery management controller in response to being in the lower power state; The system further comprises:

7. 10. The system of claim 1, The bus bar voltage circuit an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the bus bar, the ADC configured to receive a voltage across the bus bar and to provide a digital value in response to the voltage across the bus bar; a comparator coupled to the ADC, the comparator configured to receive the digital value and to provide the first signal in response to the digital value being greater than the voltage threshold; Including, the system.

8. 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a battery monitor, a first indication of a voltage across a bus bar coupled to a first battery module of the battery pack and a second battery module of the battery pack; transitioning a wireless transceiver of the battery monitor from a lower power state to a higher power state in response to the first indication being greater than a voltage threshold; wirelessly providing, by the battery monitor to a battery management controller, a second indication of a parameter of the first battery module in response to the wireless transceiver being in the higher power state; A method comprising:

9. 9. The method of claim 8, The method further comprising providing, in response to the first indication being less than the voltage threshold, causing the wireless transceiver to enter the lower power state.

10. 9. The method of claim 8, The method further includes receiving a power off command from the battery management controller, and causing the wireless transceiver to enter the lower power state in response to the power off command.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, The method further includes transitioning from the lower power state to the higher power state in response to the first indication being greater than the voltage threshold.

12. 11. The method of claim 10, The system further comprising not providing the second indication to the battery management controller in response to being in the lower power state.

13. A device, a monitoring circuitry adapted to be coupled to a first battery module of a battery pack, the monitoring circuitry configured to receive a first indication of a parameter of the first battery module; a bus bar voltage circuit adapted to be coupled to a bus bar coupled to the first battery module and a second battery module of the battery pack, receiving a second indication of the voltage across the busbar; the bus bar voltage circuit configured to, in response to the second indication being greater than a voltage threshold, provide a first signal to a wireless transceiver to transition the wireless transceiver from a lower power state to a higher power state; Including, the device.

14. 14. The device of claim 13, the bus bar voltage circuit is configured to, in response to the second indication being less than the voltage threshold, provide a second signal to the wireless transceiver to cause the wireless transceiver to enter a lower power state.

15. 14. The device of claim 13, The wireless transceiver coupled to the bus bar voltage circuit, receiving the first signal from the bus bar voltage circuit; transitioning to the higher power state in response to the first signal; The device further comprises the wireless transceiver configured to:

16. 16. The device of claim 15, The device, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to receive a power off command from the battery management controller and to enter the lower power state in response to the power off command.

17. 17. The device of claim 16, The device, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to transition from the lower power state to the higher power state in response to the first signal.

18. 18. The device of claim 17, in response to transitioning from the lower power state to the higher power state, the wireless transceiver: Scanning radio frequency (RF) constituent channels; receiving a scan request from the battery management controller on the RF configuration channel; sending a scan response to the battery management controller on the RF configuration channel; thereafter communicating with the battery management controller over an RF data channel; The device further configured as follows.

19. 17. The device of claim 16, The wireless transceiver providing the first indication to the battery management controller in response to being in the higher power state; not providing the first indication to the battery management controller in response to being in the lower power state; The device further configured as follows.

20. 14. The device of claim 13, The bus bar voltage circuit an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the bus bar, the ADC configured to receive a voltage across the bus bar and to provide a digital value in response to the voltage across the bus bar; a comparator coupled to the ADC, the comparator configured to receive the digital value and to provide the first signal in response to the digital value being greater than the voltage threshold; Including, the device.

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