Battery device and method of operating same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery device having a main battery and an auxiliary battery, the battery device comprising: a control unit that determines the state of the main battery based on a wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery; and a boost charger that receives power from the auxiliary battery and charges the main battery based on the determination of the control unit, and an operation method thereof.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery system and an operating method thereof, and more particularly to a battery system including a main battery and an auxiliary battery, which uses an auxiliary battery for long-term storage of the main battery, and an operating method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Chargeable and dischargeable secondary cells, i.e., batteries, are widely used as energy sources for mobile devices such as smartphones. In addition, batteries are also used as energy sources for environmentally friendly automobiles such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which are presented as a solution to air pollution caused by gasoline vehicles and diesel vehicles that use fossil fuels. The types of applications that use batteries are becoming increasingly diverse, and batteries are expected to be applied to even more fields and products in the future.

[0003] Currently, commercially available batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium-ion batteries, among which lithium-ion batteries have been attracting attention for their advantages of being freely chargeable and dischargeable, having almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, and having a very low self-discharge rate and high energy density.In addition, lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured to be small and lightweight, so they are used as power sources for mobile devices and are expanding their range of use to include power sources for electric vehicles, drawing attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0004] Such batteries are typically used in the form of a battery pack rather than as a single battery cell. A battery pack includes at least one battery module, which may include a plurality of battery cells. A battery also includes a battery management system (BMS) that manages the overall status of the battery cells and the battery module or battery pack.

[0005] Meanwhile, a battery system including a main battery and an auxiliary battery can be used for power consuming devices. For example, an environmentally friendly automobile includes a high-voltage main battery that stores electric energy to be provided to an electric motor that provides rotational force to wheels, and a low-voltage auxiliary battery that provides power to electrical loads of the vehicle, such as headlights, windshield wipers, etc. That is, a battery system applied to an environmentally friendly automobile may include a main battery and an auxiliary battery.

[0006] A battery device including a main battery and an auxiliary battery checks the state of charge (SOC) and other status of the main battery using the power of the auxiliary battery during a predetermined period when the battery device is not in use (i.e., a predetermined period set in a state in which the main battery does not perform charging or discharging operations). That is, during a long period of unused use, the BMS is woken up using the power of the auxiliary battery to measure the status of the main battery.

[0007] However, considering the characteristics of lithium-ion batteries, when the SOC voltage is lower than a certain level, the energy is low, so the BMS operates in a low power mode to maximize the rechargeable time of the main battery. However, because of the low energy, the period during which recharging can be performed when the SOC is lower than a certain level is not long. For example, the rechargeable period for a 1.5kW battery pack is about 80 days. Therefore, it is preferable to maximize the rechargeable time of expensive lithium-ion batteries.

[0008] Prior art related to this subject includes the following patent documents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0069416 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention provides a battery device including a main battery and an auxiliary battery, and an operating method thereof.

[0011] The present invention provides a battery device and an operating method thereof that can extend the reusable period of the main battery for long-term storage by charging the main battery using the power of an auxiliary battery.

[0012] The present invention provides a battery device and an operating method thereof, which operates a boost charger using power from an auxiliary battery to charge the main battery to a voltage above a predetermined voltage when the voltage of the main battery is below a predetermined voltage during a long period of non-use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A battery device according to one example of the present invention is a battery device equipped with a main battery and an auxiliary battery, and includes a control unit that determines the state of the main battery based on a wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery, and a boost charger that receives power from the auxiliary battery and charges the main battery based on the determination of the control unit.

[0014] The boost charger is connected to a charge / discharge path of the main battery.

[0015] The controller switches to a sleep mode after a first predetermined time has elapsed with the main battery not performing a charging or discharging operation.

[0016] In the sleep mode, the control unit is woken up by periodically receiving the wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery to determine the state of the main battery.

[0017] The boost charger is operated by power from the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is equal to or lower than a first set voltage.

[0018] The boost charger charges the main battery so that the main battery is maintained at a voltage equal to or greater than a second set voltage that is greater than the first set voltage.

[0019] When attached to a motor-driven device, the main battery provides driving power to the motor, and the auxiliary battery provides power to the electrical components.

[0020] A battery device according to another example of the present invention includes a main battery, an external output path connecting an output of the main battery to an external output terminal, a control unit that determines a state of the main battery based on a periodic wake-up signal, a boost charger connected to the external output path and providing charging power to the external output path to charge the main battery, and an auxiliary battery that periodically generates the wake-up signal and provides driving power to the boost charger based on the voltage of the main battery.

[0021] After a predetermined time has elapsed while the main battery is not charging or discharging, the control unit periodically receives the wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery and determines the state of the main battery.

[0022] The boost charger is operated by power from the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is below a first set voltage, and the boost charger charges the main battery so that the voltage of the main battery is maintained above a second set voltage.

[0023] The first set voltage is 2V or less, and the second set voltage is 3V or more.

[0024] A method for operating a battery device according to yet another example of the present invention is a method for operating a battery device having a main battery and an auxiliary battery, and includes the steps of determining that the main battery is in long-term storage because it has not performed a charging or discharging operation for a predetermined time, measuring the voltage of the main battery based on a wake-up signal of a predetermined period from the auxiliary battery, operating a boost charger using power from the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is below a predetermined voltage, and charging the main battery using the boost charger until the voltage of the main battery reaches a predetermined voltage.

[0025] The method of operating the battery device further includes a step of normally charging the main battery if a charger is connected, and a step of repeatedly measuring the voltage of the main battery after terminating the operation of the boost charger if the charger is not connected. Effect of the Invention

[0026] In a battery system including a main battery and an auxiliary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention, after a predetermined time set for the main battery not to perform charging or discharging has elapsed, a BMS including a control unit is woken up using the power of the auxiliary battery to monitor the state of the main battery. In addition, in the present invention, after a predetermined time set for the main battery not to perform charging or discharging has elapsed (i.e., when the main battery has not been used for a long time), if the main battery voltage is lower than a set voltage, a boost charger is operated using the power of the auxiliary battery, and the main battery is charged through the boost charger so that the main battery voltage is maintained at or above the set voltage. Therefore, when the main battery has not been used for a long time, the voltage of the main battery can be maintained at a constant voltage for a long period of time, thereby extending the reusable period of the main battery for long-term storage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram of an environmentally friendly automobile to which a battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and can be embodied in various different forms. The following embodiments are provided for the purpose of making the disclosure of the present invention complete and fully conveying the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] 1, a battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main battery 100 for storing and providing a first power required for driving a power consuming device to which the battery system is attached, an auxiliary battery 200 for storing and providing a second power lower than or equal to the first power of the main battery 100, a measuring unit 300 for measuring a state such as a voltage of the main battery 100, a control unit 400 for waking up based on a wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery 200 to determine a state of the main battery 100, and a boost charger 500 for receiving power from the auxiliary battery 200 to charge the main battery 100. Here, in the battery system of the present invention, after a predetermined first time set in a state in which the main battery 100 does not perform a charging or discharging operation has elapsed, a BMS including the control unit 400 is switched to a sleep mode, and in the sleep mode, a BMS A including the control unit 400 is woken up using power from the auxiliary battery 200 to monitor the state of the main battery 100. In addition, in the present invention, when the voltage of the main battery 100 is lower than the set voltage after a second predetermined time has elapsed (i.e., when the main battery 100 has not been used for a long time), the boost charger 500 is operated using the power of the auxiliary battery 200, and the voltage of the main battery 100 is maintained at or above the set voltage via the boost charger 500. Here, the first and second times may be the same, or the second time may be longer than the first time. In addition, the long-term unused state may be set to "after the SOC of the main battery 100 is exhausted," that is, "after the SOC becomes 0% and a predetermined time has elapsed." For example, since the main battery 100 can be fully discharged about 80 days after the SOC becomes 0%, depending on the capacity of the main battery 100, a time set before that may be determined as the long-term unused state. In this way, the period during which the main battery 100 can be recharged when the SOC of the main battery 100 is below a predetermined level, for example, when the SOC is 0%, can be extended.Meanwhile, the measurement unit 300, the control unit 400, and the boost charger 500 constitute a BMS A for managing the main battery 100. That is, the measurement unit 300, the control unit 400, and the boost charger 500 may be a part of the BMS A. Each component of the battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0031] 1. Main battery

[0032] The main battery 100 is an electric energy source for driving a power consuming device. That is, the main battery 100 stores and provides a first power to drive the power consuming device. Here, the power consuming device may include a means of transportation such as an electric scooter, an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, the power consuming device of the present embodiment may be an environmentally friendly vehicle including an inverter 600 and a motor 700, and the main battery 100 provides power for driving the motor 700 via the inverter 600. In addition, the main battery 100 may be provided in a charge / discharge path. The charge / discharge path is a path through which a charging current to the main battery 100 and a discharging current from the main battery 100 flow, and may be an electrical path connecting a positive terminal P+ of the main battery 100 and a negative terminal P- of the main battery 100.

[0033] The main battery 100 may include at least one battery pack. In this case, each of the at least one battery pack may include a plurality of battery modules, and each battery module may include a plurality of battery cells that can be charged and discharged. That is, the main battery 100 may include a plurality of battery cells, and the plurality of battery cells may be bundled in a predetermined unit to form a battery module, or the plurality of battery modules may form one battery pack. Meanwhile, the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series and / or in parallel in various ways according to the specification of the power consuming device. Needless to say, a plurality of battery packs each including a plurality of battery cells may also be connected in series and / or in parallel. Here, the type of the battery cells is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a nickel zinc battery, etc.

[0034] 2. Auxiliary battery

[0035] The auxiliary battery 200 stores and provides a second power lower than the first power of the main battery 100. That is, the auxiliary battery 200 may have a lower voltage and current than the main battery 100. For example, the auxiliary battery 200 may have a voltage of 14V and a current of 6Ah. In the case of an environmentally friendly vehicle, the auxiliary battery 200 does not provide power for driving the environmentally friendly vehicle, but provides power required for peripheral components of the environmentally friendly vehicle. That is, the auxiliary battery 200 does not provide power for driving the motor 700, but provides power for driving various electrical components. In addition, the auxiliary battery 200 of the present invention functions to wake up the BMS A by supplying a wake-up signal. That is, after a predetermined time set in a state in which the main battery 100 does not perform a charging or discharging operation has elapsed, the BMS A including the control unit 400 is woken up using the power of the auxiliary battery 200 to monitor the state of the main battery 100. Also, when the voltage of the woken-up main battery 100 is lower than the set voltage, the auxiliary battery 200 provides power to operate the boost charger 500. The boost charger 500 is operated by the power of the auxiliary battery 200 to charge the main battery 100, thereby keeping the voltage of the main battery 100 equal to or higher than the set voltage.

[0036] The auxiliary battery 200 may be mounted on an environmentally friendly vehicle. That is, a battery device including the main battery 100 and the BMS may be connected to the auxiliary battery 200 mounted on the environmentally friendly vehicle to configure the battery device of the present invention. Such an auxiliary battery 200 may be chargeable and dischargeable. In this case, the auxiliary battery 200 may be charged by regenerative power generation of the environmentally friendly vehicle, or may be charged together with the main battery 100 by an external charging device. Such an auxiliary battery 200 may include a plurality of battery cells, similar to the main battery 100, or may be a lithium-based battery cell. That is, the auxiliary battery 200 may be formed in the shape of a battery pack in which a plurality of chargeable and dischargeable battery cells are connected in series or in parallel, and may include a plurality of such battery packs. Needless to say, the auxiliary battery 200 may be, for example, a lead-acid battery, different from the main battery 100.

[0037] 3.Measuring part

[0038] The measurement unit 300 may be provided to measure the state of the main battery 100. For example, the measurement unit 300 may measure the current, voltage, temperature, etc. of the main battery 100. The measurement unit 300 may also measure the state of the battery pack, the battery module, and the battery cell, such as the current and voltage. That is, the measurement unit 300 may measure the state of each of a plurality of battery cells, may measure the state of a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are bundled, and may measure the state of a battery pack in which a plurality of battery modules are bundled. For this purpose, the measurement unit 300 may include a plurality of sensors. That is, the measurement unit 300 may include at least one current sensor, at least one voltage sensor, and at least one temperature sensor. The voltage sensor, the current sensor, and the temperature sensor periodically measure the current, voltage, and temperature of the main battery 100 under the control of the control unit 400, and provide the measurement result to the control unit 400. Here, the voltage sensor generates a signal corresponding to the voltage applied between the positive and negative poles of the main battery 100 and provides the signal to the control unit 400. The voltage sensor may, for example, include a differential amplifier circuit that outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the voltage difference between the positive and negative terminals of the main battery 100. The current sensor is a sense resistor or a Hall sensor that generates a signal corresponding to the magnitude of the charging current and provides it to the control unit 400. The current sensor can measure not only the charging current but also the discharging current. The temperature sensor may, for example, be a thermocoupler used to measure temperature. The temperature sensor generates a signal corresponding to the temperature of the main battery 100 and provides it to the control unit 400.

[0039] 4. Control Unit

[0040] The control unit 400 controls the charge and discharge of the main battery 100 by controlling a charge / discharge switch (not shown) based on the voltage of the main battery 100. In addition, the control unit 400 of the present invention switches the BMS A to a sleep mode when the main battery 100 does not charge or discharge within a set time. In this way, in a state switched to the sleep mode, the control unit 400 is woken up by the power of the auxiliary battery 200. That is, the auxiliary battery 200 provides a wake-up signal at a predetermined period, whereby the control unit 400 is woken up to monitor the main battery 100. At this time, the measurement unit 300 is also woken up by the auxiliary battery 200 to measure the state of the main battery 100, and at least the voltage sensor of the measurement unit 300 is woken up to measure the voltage of the main battery 100. In addition, the control unit 400 controls the main battery 100 to be charged using the auxiliary battery 200 when the voltage of the main battery 100 is equal to or lower than the set voltage. That is, when the voltage of the main battery 100 is, for example, 2V or less, the control unit 400 applies a control signal to the auxiliary battery 200 to enable the auxiliary battery 200 to drive the boost charger 500 .

[0041] 5. Boost Charger

[0042] The boost charger 500 is installed on the charge / discharge path of the main battery 100 to charge the main battery 100. The boost charger 500 receives a predetermined voltage from the auxiliary battery 200 and produces a voltage for charging the main battery 100. That is, the boost charger 500 receives a predetermined voltage from the auxiliary battery 200, produces a predetermined voltage using the received voltage, and supplies the voltage to the main battery 100, thereby charging the main battery 100 to a predetermined voltage. For example, the boost charger 500 receives a voltage of 14V from the auxiliary battery 200, boosts it up to 42V, and charges the main battery 100 until the main battery 100 reaches 3V.

[0043] As described above, in the battery system including the main battery 100 and the auxiliary battery 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, after a first predetermined time period during which the main battery 100 does not perform charging or discharging has elapsed, the BMS including the control unit 400 is woken up using the power of the auxiliary battery 200 to monitor the state of the main battery 100. In addition, in the present invention, after a second predetermined time period during which the main battery 100 does not perform charging or discharging has elapsed (i.e., when the main battery 100 has not been used for a long period of time), if the main battery 100 is lower than a set voltage, the boost charger 500 is operated using the power of the auxiliary battery 200, and the main battery 100 is maintained at a voltage equal to or higher than the set voltage through the boost charger 500. For example, if the main battery 100 is below 2V, the boost charger 500 is operated using the power of the auxiliary battery 200 to maintain the main battery 100 at 3V or higher. Therefore, the voltage of the main battery 100 can be kept constant for a long period of time when not in use for a long period of time, thereby extending the reusable period of the main battery 100 for long-term storage.

[0044] Table 1 compares the reuse period between the conventional method and the present invention. That is, the present invention, in which the main battery is charged by operating a boost charger using an auxiliary battery, and the conventional method, in which this is not the case, are summarized in Table 1. Here, the auxiliary battery applied to the present invention has a voltage of 14V and an electrical capacity of 6Ah, and when considering an efficiency of 80%, the chargeable capacity is 1600mAh.

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] As shown in Table 1, in the sleep mode, the capacity is 441mAh in the conventional case, but is significantly increased to 1696mAh in the present invention, and the reusable period is also significantly increased from 36.55 days in the conventional case to 138.4 days in the present invention. In addition, in the shutdown mode, the capacity is 121mAh in the conventional case, but is increased to 465mAh in the present invention, and the reusable period is also significantly increased from 45.5 days in the conventional case to 171.6 days in the present invention. In the end, it can be seen that the total reusable period is approximately 82 days in the conventional case, but is significantly increased to 310 days in the present invention.

[0047] Such a battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to an environmentally friendly vehicle including an inverter 600 and a motor 700, as shown in FIG. 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the main battery 100, the measurement unit 300, the control unit 400, and the boost charger 500 constitute the main battery system 1000, and the main battery system 1000 can be applied to an environmentally friendly vehicle 2000 including the auxiliary battery 200, the inverter 600, and the motor 700. In this case, in the main battery system 1000 applied to the environmentally friendly vehicle, the control unit 400 and the boost charger 500 may be connected to the auxiliary battery 200. Therefore, the control unit 400 can be woken up by the auxiliary battery 200 at a predetermined interval, and the boost charger 500 can be operated by the auxiliary battery 200. Each component constituting such an environmentally friendly vehicle will be described in more detail below.

[0048] 6. Inverter

[0049] The inverter 600 drives the motor 700 so that the environmentally friendly vehicle can run. That is, the inverter 600 converts the DC power source of the main battery 100 into AC power source used for the motor 700, maintains an accurate charge, and affects the adjustment of the rotation speed and torque of the motor 700. Needless to say, an environmentally friendly vehicle using a DC motor does not require an inverter, but an inverter capable of freely changing the frequency, voltage, rotation speed, and torque is essential for using a high-performance AC motor.

[0050] 7. Motor

[0051] The motor 700 can provide driving force to the environmentally friendly vehicle. That is, the motor 700 can provide wheel driving force so that the environmentally friendly vehicle moves using energy supplied from the main battery 100 via the inverter 600. Such a motor 700 may be composed of at least one of an induction motor, a permanent magnet synchronous motor, and a reluctance motor. Meanwhile, the environmentally friendly vehicle may further include a motor controller for controlling the motor 700. The motor controller detects the operation amount and speed of the accelerator pedal, and controls the torque and rotation speed of the motor 700 according to conditions such as the vehicle speed and load so as to bring about an intended torque change. In a DC motor, the current controls the torque and the voltage controls the speed, and in an AC motor, the amplitude controls the torque and the frequency controls the speed.

[0052] On the other hand, although not shown, the environmentally friendly vehicle may further include a regenerative power generation device. The regenerative power generation device may be provided to reduce the energy consumption of the environmentally friendly vehicle. In the environmentally friendly vehicle, the motor 700 has the same structure as a generator, and rotates when current flows through it, and becomes a generator when an external force is applied to rotate it. When the brakes are applied to decelerate the environmentally friendly vehicle while it is running, an inertial force that tries to keep the vehicle running is generated in the vehicle, so the motor 700 is reversely driven by the inertial force to operate as a generator, generating electricity, which is called regenerative power generation. In addition, when braking the vehicle, part of the braking force can be used to generate electricity, and the generated electrical energy can be charged into the main battery 100 and / or the auxiliary battery 200.

[0053] The electrical components driven by the auxiliary battery 200 may include electrical and electronic components that are electrically driven among the components that constitute an environmentally friendly automobile. For example, the electrical components include lights and lighting devices (Lighting System) necessary for driving, an instrument device (Cluster) that collectively provides information necessary for driving and operation, an airbag system that protects the body of the passenger in the event of a collision, a Body Control System (BCS) that provides the driver with various driving conveniences and information, an Air Quality System (AQS) that automatically purifies the air inside the vehicle, an automatic air conditioning control system that automatically controls the adjustment of the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle, and a Back Warning System (BWS) that identifies objects behind the vehicle when reversing and issues an alarm. In addition to these, a wide variety of electrical components may be included, such as a security system to prevent vehicle theft and a Before Service Warning System (BSWS) that detects the vehicle's condition and provides the driver with preventive maintenance information.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery system including a main battery and an auxiliary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Referring to Fig. 3, the method of operating the battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a step of determining that the main battery is in long-term storage because the main battery has not been charged or discharged for a predetermined time (S110), a step of measuring the voltage of the main battery based on a wake-up signal of the auxiliary battery at a predetermined interval (S120), a step of determining whether the main battery is below a predetermined voltage (S130), a step of operating a boost charger using a power source of the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is below the predetermined voltage (S140), and a step of charging the main battery by the boost charger until the voltage of the main battery reaches a predetermined voltage (S150). After that, if the charger is connected, the main battery is normally charged, and if the charger is not connected, the operation of the boost charger is terminated and the steps from S110 are repeated. Each step of the method of operating the battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0056] S110: In the battery device of the present invention, after a predetermined time set in a state in which the main battery 100 does not perform charging or discharging has elapsed, the BMS including the control unit 400 is switched to a sleep mode, and in the sleep mode, the BMS including the control unit 400 is woken up using the power of the auxiliary battery 200 to monitor the state of the main battery 100. In addition, the present invention can determine that the main battery 100 has not been used for a long time after a second predetermined time set in a state in which the main battery 100 does not perform charging or discharging has elapsed. At this time, the main battery 100 may be set to have not been used for a long time "after the SOC of the main battery 100 is exhausted", that is, "after the SOC becomes 0% and a predetermined time has elapsed". For example, depending on the capacity of the main battery 100, the main battery 100 is completely discharged about 80 days after the SOC becomes 0%, so that a set time before that, for example, any one of 1 day to 70 days, can be determined to have not been used for a long time.

[0057] S120: Even after it is determined that the main battery 100 has not been used for a long time, the BMS is woken up based on a wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery 200 to measure the voltage of the main battery 100. The wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery 200 may be generated at a set period, so that the BMS can be woken up at the set period. When the BMS is woken up, the voltage sensor of the measurement unit 300 measures the voltage of the main battery 100 and passes the measurement value to the control unit 400.

[0058] S130: The control unit 400 receives the voltage measurement value from the measurement unit 300 while awake, and determines whether it is lower than a set voltage. For example, the control unit 400 determines whether the voltage of the main battery 100 is 2V or less. If the determination result indicates that the voltage of the main battery 100 is 2V or more, the process of measuring the voltage of the main battery 100 based on the wake-up signal of the auxiliary battery 200 at predetermined intervals (S120) is repeated.

[0059] S140: If the control unit 400 determines that the voltage of the main battery 100 is 2V or less, it controls the auxiliary battery 200 to operate the boost charger 500. That is, the auxiliary battery 200 provides the boost charger 500 with a voltage for operating the boost charger 500, for example, a voltage of 14V, and the boost charger 500 uses this to generate a voltage for charging the main battery 100, for example, a voltage of 42V.

[0060] S150: The boost voltage generated by the boost charger 500 by the auxiliary battery 200 is provided to the main battery 100 to charge the main battery 100. For example, the boost charger 500 supplies a boost voltage of 42V to the main battery 100 to charge the main battery 100. While the main battery 100 is being charged, the measurement unit 300 measures the voltage of the main battery 100, and when the voltage of the main battery 100 reaches a set voltage, for example, a voltage of 3V, the control unit 400 controls the auxiliary battery 200 to interrupt the supply of power to the boost charger 500 and stop the operation of the boost charger 500. That is, the boost charger 500 charges the main battery 100 using the power source of the auxiliary battery 200 until the main battery 100 reaches a set voltage, for example, 3V.

[0061] After this, if the charger is connected, the main battery 100 is charged normally, and if the charger is not connected, the process is repeated from step 120.

[0062] Although the technical concept of the present invention as described above has been specifically described based on the above embodiment, it should be noted that the above embodiment is for the purpose of explanation and not for the purpose of limitation. It should be understood that a person skilled in the art of the present invention can implement various embodiments within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0063] The names of the reference numerals used in the present invention are as follows: [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100 Main Battery 200 Auxiliary Battery 300 Measuring part 400 Control section 500 Boost Charger

Claims

1. A battery device including a main battery and an auxiliary battery, A control unit that determines a state of the main battery based on a wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery; a boost charger that receives power from the auxiliary battery and charges the main battery based on a determination by the control unit; A battery device comprising:

2. 2. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the boost charger is connected to a charge / discharge path of the main battery.

3. 3. The battery device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is switched to the sleep mode after a predetermined first time has elapsed while the main battery is not performing a charging or discharging operation.

4. 4. The battery device according to claim 3, wherein in the sleep mode, the control unit is woken up by periodically receiving the wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery to determine the state of the main battery.

5. 5. The battery device according to claim 4, wherein the boost charger is operated by power from the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is equal to or lower than a first set voltage.

6. 6. The battery device according to claim 5, wherein the boost charger charges the main battery so that the main battery is maintained at a voltage equal to or higher than a second set voltage that is higher than the first set voltage.

7. 7. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the main battery is attached to a motor-driven device to provide driving force to the motor and the auxiliary battery is adapted to provide power to electrical components.

8. The main battery, an external output path that connects an output of the main battery to an external output terminal; A control unit that determines a state of the main battery based on a periodic wake-up signal; a boost charger connected to the external output path and supplying charging power to the external output path to charge the main battery; an auxiliary battery that periodically generates the wake-up signal and provides driving power to the boost charger based on the voltage of the main battery; A battery device comprising:

9. 9. The battery device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit determines the state of the main battery by periodically receiving the wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery after a predetermined time has elapsed while the main battery is not performing a charging or discharging operation.

10. the boost charger is operated by power from the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is equal to or lower than a first set voltage; 10. The battery device according to claim 8, wherein the boost charger charges the main battery so that the voltage of the main battery is maintained at or above a second set voltage.

11. 11. The battery device according to claim 10, wherein the first set voltage is 2V or less, and the second set voltage is 3V or more.

12. A method for operating a battery device including a main battery and an auxiliary battery, comprising: determining that the main battery is in long-term storage because the main battery has not been charged or discharged for a predetermined period of time; measuring a voltage of the main battery based on a wake-up signal having a predetermined period from the auxiliary battery; operating a boost charger using power from the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage; charging the main battery with the boost charger until the voltage of the main battery reaches a predetermined voltage; A method for operating a battery device, comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: if a charger is connected, charging the main battery normally; and if the charger is not connected, repeating the steps from the step of measuring the voltage of the main battery after terminating the operation of the boost charger.

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