Battery management device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification may include a first identification unit that identifies whether a connector for Modbus communication is connected, a second identification unit that identifies whether a connector for CAN communication is connected, and a control unit that sets a communication protocol based on the identification results of the first identification unit and the second identification unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0011604, filed on January 26, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of the Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a battery management apparatus and method of operation. [Background technology]

[0003] Recently, with the rapid increase in demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones, and with the full-scale development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, satellites, and the like, research into high-performance batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged is being actively conducted.

[0004] Currently, commercial batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium batteries. Among these, lithium batteries are attracting attention due to their advantages of being freely chargeable and dischargeable as they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, as well as their extremely low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] In general, in order to optimally manage such batteries, a battery pack is provided with a battery management system (BMS). The battery management system can diagnose the battery state by monitoring the voltage and current of the battery. For example, the battery management system can diagnose whether the battery state is an overcharged or overdischarged state. In addition, the battery management system can balance a plurality of batteries and control the operating state of a relay provided in the battery pack.

[0006] The battery management system can communicate using a Controller Area Network (CAN) communication protocol and / or a Modbus communication protocol, and can transmit battery status information and battery diagnostic information (e.g., error information) to a monitoring device. The battery management system can use both Modbus TCP communication via an Ethernet port and CAN communication via a CAN port. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In a battery management system, when both Modbus-TCP communication via an Ethernet port and CAN communication via a CAN port are used, it is necessary to determine which channel is used for communication. Generally, a battery management system assigns an ID via CAN communication using a daisy chain, but when CAN communication is not possible, an ID is assigned via Modbus-TCP communication. When the battery management system assigns an ID via Modbus-TCP communication, ID assignment via a wake-up signal, which is a feature of a daisy chain, is not possible, so setting information for performing Modbus-TCP communication must be explicitly input into a flash memory. However, when setting information for performing Modbus-TCP communication is directly input, there is a possibility of inducing a human error, so it is necessary to automatically set the communication protocol setting and / or the ID assignment method depending on whether a connector is connected to the CAN port or to the Ethernet port. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification may include a first identification unit that identifies whether a connector for Modbus communication is connected, a second identification unit that identifies whether a connector for CAN communication is connected, and a control unit that sets a communication protocol based on the identification results of the first identification unit and the second identification unit.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the control unit may set a Modbus communication protocol when it determines that a Modbus communication connector is connected.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the control unit may set a CAN communication protocol when it determines that a CAN communication connector is connected.

[0011] According to an embodiment, when the battery management unit determines that a CAN communication connector is connected, an ID may be assigned by a daisy chain via CAN communication.

[0012] According to an embodiment, when the battery management device determines that the CAN communication connector is not connected, an ID may be assigned by Modbus-TCP.

[0013] An operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present specification may include a first identification step of identifying whether a connector for Modbus communication is connected, a second identification step of identifying whether a connector for CAN communication is connected, and a step of setting a communication protocol based on the identification results of the first identification step and the second identification step.

[0014] The method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment may further include setting a Modbus communication protocol when it is determined that a Modbus communication connector is connected.

[0015] The method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment may further include setting a CAN communication protocol when it is determined that the CAN communication connector is connected.

[0016] The method of operating the battery management device according to an embodiment may further include allocating an ID by a daisy chain via CAN communication when it is determined that a CAN communication connector is connected.

[0017] The method of operating the battery management device according to an embodiment may further include allocating an ID by Modbus-TCP when it is determined that the CAN communication connector is not connected. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The battery management device disclosed in this specification can prevent human error by identifying whether a CAN communication connector is connected and whether a Modbus communication connector is connected, and automatically setting a communication protocol based on the identification result.

[0019] The battery management device disclosed in this specification can easily manage the battery by automating the operation of the battery management device along a communication path of a physically connected connector without any separate settings.

[0020] The effects of the battery operation detection device and battery monitoring system disclosed in this specification are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the disclosure of this specification. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 illustrates a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a method of operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Diagram 3] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram illustrating a battery management device including a memory module according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0022] With regard to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers may be used for the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments, and should be understood as including various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] The various embodiments and the terms used therein in this specification are not intended to limit the technical features described in this specification to a specific embodiment, but should be understood as including various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiment. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more items, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0025] In this specification, each of phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed with the corresponding phrase in the phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," or "(b)" may be used merely to distinguish the relevant element from other relevant elements, and do not limit the relevant element in other aspects (e.g., importance or order) unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0026] In this specification, when a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," or when a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected," it means that the component may be coupled to the other component directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable recording medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable recording medium such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or an intermediary server.

[0028] According to various embodiments, each of the components (e.g., modules or programs) may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be located separately from other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into one component. In such a case, the integrated component may realize one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as performed by the corresponding component of the multiple components before integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery management device 100 may include a first identification unit 110, a second identification unit 120, and a control unit .

[0031] The first identification unit 110 can identify whether the Modbus communication connector is connected. The first identification unit 110 may include one of a plurality of pins included in the Ethernet port. The first identification unit 110 can identify whether the Modbus communication connector is connected based on whether a utility power source supplied to the Ethernet port is detected. According to an embodiment, the first identification unit 110 can identify that the Modbus communication connector is connected when a utility power source is detected at the Ethernet port.

[0032] The second identification unit 120 can identify whether the connector for CAN communication is connected. The second identification unit 120 may include one of a plurality of pins included in the CAN port. The second identification unit 120 can identify whether the connector for CAN communication is connected based on whether a utility power source supplied to the CAN port is detected. According to an embodiment, the second identification unit 120 can identify that the connector for CAN communication is connected when a utility power source is detected at the CAN port.

[0033] The control unit 130 can set a communication protocol of the battery management device 100. The control unit 130 can set the communication protocol based on the identification results of the first identification unit 110 and the second identification unit 120.

[0034] According to an embodiment, when the first identification unit 110 identifies that a connector for Modbus communication is connected, the control unit 130 may set a Modbus communication protocol in the battery management unit 100. According to another embodiment, when the second identification unit 120 identifies that a connector for CAN communication is connected, the control unit 130 may set a CAN communication protocol in the battery management unit 100.

[0035] According to one embodiment, when the first identification unit 110 and the second identification unit 120 identify that both the Modbus communication connector and the CAN communication connector are connected, the control unit 130 can arbitrarily select one of the Modbus communication protocol and the CAN communication protocol and set it as the communication protocol of the battery management device 100. According to another embodiment, when the first identification unit 110 and the second identification unit 120 identify that both the Modbus communication connector and the CAN communication connector are connected, the control unit 130 can preferentially set the CAN communication protocol as the communication protocol of the battery management device 100.

[0036] The control unit 130 may assign an ID of the battery management device 100 through CAN communication or Modbus-TCP communication. The control unit 130 may include a memory for storing data or programs required to set a communication protocol of the battery management device 100 or to perform CAN communication and / or Modbus-TCP communication.

[0037] In an embodiment, when the second identification unit 120 determines that the can communication connector is connected, the control unit 130 may assign an ID (Identifier) ​​of the battery management unit 100 connected in a daisy chain through the can communication. In this case, the control unit 130 may assign the ID of the battery management unit 100 when the battery management unit 100 receives a wake-up signal through the can communication. There is no particular limitation on the method of the control unit 130 assigning the ID of the battery management unit 100 through the can communication, as long as it is a known ID assignment method known as a method of assigning the ID of the battery management unit 100 connected in a daisy chain through a wake-up signal.

[0038] In another embodiment, when the second identification unit 120 determines that the CAN communication connector is not connected, the control unit 130 may assign the ID of the battery management device 100 by Modbus TCP. When the control unit 130 assigns the ID of the battery management device 100 by Modbus TCP, the control unit 130 may assign the ID by a previously stored command logic. There is no particular limitation on the method of assigning the ID of the battery management device 100 through Modbus TCP communication as long as it is an ID assignment method under Modbus communication. However, when the first identification unit 110 and the second identification unit 120 respectively determine that neither the Modbus communication connector nor the CAN communication connector is connected, the control unit 130 may maintain the battery management device 100 in a communication standby state.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the operating method of the battery management device may include a step of identifying whether a Modbus communication connector is connected (S100), a step of identifying whether a CAN communication connector is connected (S110), and a step of setting a communication protocol (S120).

[0041] For an operation method of the battery management device, refer to Fig. 1. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the contents overlapping with the contents explained above will be briefly explained or omitted.

[0042] In step S100, the battery management device 100 may identify whether the Modbus communication connector is connected. The battery management device 100 may identify whether the Modbus communication connector is connected based on whether a utility power source supplied to an Ethernet port is detected. The battery management device 100 may use one of a plurality of pins connected to the Ethernet port as a terminal for identifying whether the Modbus communication connector is connected. According to an embodiment, step S100 in which the battery management device 100 determines whether the Modbus communication connector is connected may be referred to as a first identification step. According to an embodiment, step S100 may be performed by a first identification unit 110 of the battery management device 100.

[0043] In step S110, the battery management device 100 may identify whether the connector for CAN communication is connected. The battery management device 100 may identify whether the connector for Modbus communication is connected based on whether a normal power source supplied to the CAN port is detected. The battery management device 100 may use one of a plurality of pins connected to the CAN port as a terminal for identifying whether the connector for CAN communication is connected. According to an embodiment, step S110 in which the battery management device 100 determines whether the connector for CAN communication is connected may be referred to as a second identification step. According to an embodiment, step S110 may be performed by a second identification unit 120 of the battery management device 100.

[0044] According to an embodiment, steps S100 and S110 may be performed simultaneously or in any order.

[0045] In step S120, the battery management device 100 may set a communication protocol. The battery management device 100 may set a communication protocol based on the identification results in step S100 and / or step S110. The battery management device 100 may set a CAN communication protocol when it is identified that a CAN communication connector is connected (S110). The battery management device 100 may set a Modbus communication protocol when it is identified that a Modbus communication connector is connected (S100). Step S120 may be performed by the control unit 130 of the battery management device 100.

[0046] According to an embodiment, when the battery management unit 100 determines that the CAN communication connector and the Modbus communication connector are all connected, the battery management unit 100 can select and set the CAN communication protocol or the Modbus protocol.

[0047] According to another embodiment, when the battery management unit 100 determines that the CAN communication connector and the Modbus communication connector are all connected, the battery management unit 100 can set the CAN communication protocol to have priority over the Modbus protocol.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the step S120 may include a step of allocating an ID to the battery management unit 100. A detailed description of the step of allocating an ID to the battery management unit 100 will be given later with reference to FIG.

[0049] FIG. 3 illustrates a method of operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 3, the operating method of the battery management device may include a step of identifying whether Modbus communication is possible (S200), a step of identifying whether CAN communication is possible (S210), and a step of assigning an ID of the battery management device 100 and setting a communication protocol of the battery management device 100 (S220).

[0051] The operation method of the battery management device may be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the contents that overlap with the contents already described will be briefly described or omitted.

[0052] In step S200, the battery management system 100 may identify whether Modbus communication is possible. Step S200 may be substantially the same as step S100 of Fig. 2. Step S200 may be performed by the first identification unit 110 of the battery management system 100.

[0053] In step S210, the battery management system 100 may determine whether CAN communication is possible. Step S210 may be substantially the same as step S110 of Fig. 2. Step S210 may be performed by the second determination unit 120 of the battery management system 100.

[0054] Steps S211 and S212 may be specific embodiments of step S210. The battery management unit 100 may determine whether the can communication of the battery management unit 100 is possible when the Modbus communication is possible (S211), or may determine whether the can communication of the battery management unit 100 is possible when the Modbus communication is not possible (S212).

[0055] According to an embodiment, steps S200 and S210 may be performed simultaneously or in any order. According to an embodiment, the battery management device 100 may perform step S210 prior to step S200. According to an embodiment, when step S210 precedes step S200, step S200 may be embodied as a step of determining whether Modbus communication of the battery management device 100 is possible when the can communication is possible, and a step of determining whether Modbus communication of the battery management device 100 is possible when the can communication is not possible.

[0056] In step S220, the battery management device 100 may assign an ID or set a communication protocol. Step S220 may be substantially the same as step S120 in Fig. 2. The battery management device 100 may perform step S220 based on the identification results of steps S200 and S210.

[0057] In step S220, the battery management system 100 may include a step of assigning an ID of the battery management system 100 through CAN communication or Modbus-TCP (S221, S223, or S225).

[0058] When the battery management device 100 determines in steps S200 and S211 that the Modbus communication and the CAN communication are possible, the battery management device 100 may assign an ID to the battery management device 100 through CAN communication (S221). The battery management device 100 to which the ID is assigned in step S221 may set a CAN communication protocol and / or a Modbus communication protocol (S222). According to an embodiment, in step S222, the battery management device 100 may set the CAN communication protocol in priority to the Modbus communication protocol, or may arbitrarily select and set the CAN communication protocol and the Modbus communication protocol. The battery management device 100 may communicate with another electronic device through the communication protocol set in step S222. According to an embodiment, the other electronic device may include an external battery management device.

[0059] If the battery management device 100 determines in steps S200 and S211 that Modbus communication is possible but Scan communication is not possible, it can assign an ID according to Modbus-TCP (S223). The battery management device 100 to which the ID is assigned in step S223 can set the Modbus communication protocol (S224). At this time, the battery management device 100 can communicate with other electronic devices (e.g., an external battery management device, etc.) through the Modbus communication protocol.

[0060] If the battery management device 100 determines in steps S200 and S212 that the CAN communication is possible but the Modbus communication is not possible, the battery management device 100 can assign an ID through the CAN communication (S225). The battery management device 100 to which the ID is assigned in step S225 can set a CAN communication protocol (S226). At this time, the battery management device 100 can communicate with other electronic devices (e.g., an external battery management device, etc.) through the CAN communication protocol.

[0061] If the battery management device 100 determines in steps S200 and S212 that both Modbus communication and Scan communication are not possible, the battery management device 100 may maintain a communication standby state (S227). According to an embodiment, the battery management device 100 in a communication standby state may determine whether Modbus communication and / or Scan communication are possible in real time or at predetermined intervals, and may repeatedly perform steps S200, S210, and / or S220.

[0062] According to the embodiments disclosed in this specification, when the battery management unit 100 assigns an ID via CAN communication (S221 and S225), the battery management unit 100 can use a known ID assignment method known as a method for assigning IDs of battery management units 100 connected in a daisy chain via a wake-up signal, and there are no particular limitations on the method.

[0063] According to another embodiment, when the battery management unit 100 assigns an ID by Modbus-TCP (S223), the battery management unit 100 can assign an ID by a command logic already stored, and there is no special restriction on the type of ID assignment method as long as it is an ID assignment method under Modbus communication.

[0064] FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of a battery management device including a memory module according to one embodiment disclosed herein.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 4 , a computer system 10 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include an MCU 12 , a memory 14 , an input / output interface (I / F) 16 and a communication interface (I / F) 18 .

[0066] The MCU 12 may be a processor configured to execute various programs (e.g., a characteristic value calculation program, a class classification and life estimation program, etc.) stored in the memory 14, process various data including the voltage, current, etc. of the battery cells through such programs, and perform the functions of the battery management device shown in Figures 1 to 3 described above.

[0067] The memory 14 can store various programs related to calculation of characteristic values ​​of the battery cells, classification, and life estimation. The memory 14 can also store various data such as voltage, current, and characteristic value data of each battery cell.

[0068] A plurality of such memories 14 may be provided as necessary. The memories 14 may be volatile memories or non-volatile memories. The memory 14 as a volatile memory may be a RAM, a DRAM, an SRAM, or the like. The memory 14 as a non-volatile memory may be a ROM, a PROM, an EAROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory (registered trademark), or the like. The examples of the memory 14 listed above are merely illustrative and are not limited to these examples.

[0069] The input / output I / F 16 can provide an interface that connects input devices (not shown) such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and output devices such as a display (not shown) to the MCU 12, enabling data to be sent and received.

[0070] The communication I / F 18 is configured to be capable of transmitting and receiving various data to and from a server, and may be any device capable of supporting wired or wireless communication. For example, the communication I / F 18 can transmit and receive programs and various data for calculating characteristic values ​​of the battery cells, classifying the battery cells, and estimating the battery life from a separately provided external server.

[0071] In this manner, a computer program according to one embodiment disclosed in this specification may be embodied as a module that performs each function shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, for example, by being recorded in memory 14 and processed by MCU 12.

[0072] The terms "comprise", "constitute" or "have" described above mean that the relevant element may be contained, unless otherwise specified to the contrary, and should be interpreted as including other elements without excluding other elements. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong, unless otherwise defined. Terms commonly used, such as terms defined in a dictionary, should be interpreted as being consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as being ideal or overly formal, unless expressly defined in this specification.

[0073] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical ideas disclosed in this specification, and a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the embodiments disclosed in this specification belong may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed in this specification. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are intended to explain, not to limit, the technical ideas of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in this specification is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical ideas disclosed in this specification must be interpreted according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 100 Battery Management Device 110 First Identification Section 120 Second Identification Section 130 Control section 10. Computer Systems 12 MCU 14. Memory 16 Input / Output Interface 18 Communication I / F

Claims

1. a first identification unit for identifying whether a Modbus communication connector is connected; A second identification unit that identifies whether a CAN communication connector is connected or not; a control unit that sets a communication protocol based on the identification results of the first identification unit and the second identification unit; a battery management device comprising:

2. The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets a Modbus communication protocol when it determines that the Modbus communication connector is connected.

3. The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets a CAN communication protocol when it determines that the CAN communication connector is connected.

4. 2. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the CAN communication connector is connected, an ID is assigned by a daisy chain via CAN communication.

5. 5. The battery management device according to claim 4, wherein when it is determined that the CAN communication connector is not connected, an ID is assigned by Modbus-TCP.

6. a first identification step of identifying whether a Modbus communication connector is connected; a second identification step of identifying whether a CAN communication connector is connected; setting a communication protocol based on the identification results of the first identification step and the second identification step; A method of operating a battery management device, comprising:

7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: setting a Modbus communication protocol when it is determined that the Modbus communication connector is connected.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: setting a CAN communication protocol when it is determined that the CAN communication connector is connected.

9. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of assigning an ID by a daisy chain through CAN communication when it is determined that the CAN communication connector is connected.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of assigning an ID by Modbus-TCP when it is determined that the CAN communication connector is not connected.

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