Battery management device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application may include a measurement unit that measures the temperature and voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells, and a controller that generates first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and determines which of the plurality of battery cells are degraded based on the first information for each of the plurality of battery cells.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0115234, filed on September 13, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The disclosed embodiments relate to a battery management device and method of operation. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and development into secondary batteries has been actively pursued. Here, secondary batteries are rechargeable and dischargeable batteries, and include both conventional nickel (Ni) / cadmium (Cd) batteries, nickel (Ni) / metal hydride (MH) batteries, and more recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of having a much higher energy density than conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and other batteries. Furthermore, because lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured to be compact and lightweight, they are used as power sources for mobile devices. In recent years, their range of use has expanded to include electric vehicles, drawing attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0003] Among the battery cells that make up a high-voltage battery system, it is necessary to detect degraded battery cells that could impair the performance and safety of the battery system.Currently, there are methods for determining the state of health based on the average SOH (State of Health) calculated by the battery management system when the battery cells are welded in a series / parallel configuration within the battery system, and there are also methods for detecting degraded battery cells based on the temperature of the battery pack / module measured by the battery management system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One objective of the embodiments disclosed in the present application is to provide a battery management device and an operating method thereof that can determine whether a battery cell is degraded by taking into consideration the voltage and temperature of the battery cell comprehensively and utilizing the difference in the amount of temperature and voltage fluctuation over time.

[0005] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in the present application are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application may include a measurement unit that measures the temperature and voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells, and a controller that generates first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and determines which of the plurality of battery cells are degraded based on the first information for each of the plurality of battery cells.

[0007] In one embodiment, when the plurality of battery cells are being charged, the controller may generate second information by subtracting an initial temperature from a time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells, subtract an initial voltage from a time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells and invert the result to a negative value to generate third information, and generate the difference between the second information and the third information as the first information.

[0008] In one embodiment, when the plurality of battery cells are discharging, the controller may generate second information by subtracting an initial temperature from a time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells, generate third information by subtracting an initial voltage from a time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells, and generate the first information as a difference between the second information and the third information.

[0009] In one embodiment, the controller can determine that a battery cell in which the change in the first information over time is greater than or equal to a set value compared to other battery cells is the deteriorated battery cell.

[0010] In one embodiment, the controller can determine that a battery cell whose first information has a difference of a set value or more from other battery cells is the deteriorated battery cell.

[0011] In one embodiment, the measurement unit measures the current flowing through the plurality of battery cells, and the controller can determine that the plurality of battery cells are charging when the current has a positive value, and determine that the plurality of battery cells are discharging when the current has a negative value.

[0012] In one embodiment, when the state of the plurality of battery cells changes from charging to discharging or from discharging to charging, the controller may regenerate the first information based on the time when the state changes. In one embodiment, the measurement unit includes a plurality of temperature sensors, and the number of the plurality of temperature sensors can correspond to the number of the plurality of battery cells.

[0013] An operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application may include the steps of measuring the temperature and voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells, generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and determining which of the plurality of battery cells is degraded based on the first information for each of the plurality of battery cells.

[0014] In one embodiment, the step of generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging, the time-varying temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells, and the time-varying voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells may include the steps of: determining whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging; if the plurality of battery cells are charging, generating second information by subtracting an initial temperature from the time-varying temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells; subtracting the initial voltage from the time-varying voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells and inverting it to a negative value to generate third information; and generating the difference between the second information and the third information as the first information.

[0015] In one embodiment, the step of generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells is charging or discharging, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells over time may include the steps of: determining whether the plurality of battery cells is charging or discharging; if the plurality of battery cells is discharging, generating second information by subtracting an initial temperature from the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells over time; generating third information by subtracting the initial voltage from the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells over time; and generating the difference between the second information and the third information as the first information.

[0016] In one embodiment, the method may further include measuring a current flowing through the plurality of battery cells, and determining that the plurality of battery cells are charging when the current has a positive value, and determining that the plurality of battery cells are discharging when the current has a negative value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] A battery management device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application can generate new information based on the voltage and temperature of a battery cell, and determine which battery cells have deteriorated based on the generated information.

[0018] A battery management device and an operating method thereof according to an embodiment disclosed herein can generate different information based on whether a plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging, and can determine which battery cells are degraded.

[0019] A battery management device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application can generate first information relating to the temperature and voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells, and determine which battery cells have deteriorated based on the amount of change in the generated first information over time.

[0020] A battery management device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application can measure the temperature of each of a plurality of battery cells based on a plurality of temperature sensors corresponding to the number of battery cells, and can more accurately determine which battery cells have deteriorated by taking into consideration the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells and the voltage of each of the battery cells in combination. In addition, the present invention can provide various other effects that can be directly or indirectly grasped. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a typical battery pack. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates an example of a plurality of battery cells and a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application generates first information in response to charging and discharging, and determines a deteriorated battery cell. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application generates first information in response to charging and discharging, and determines a deteriorated battery cell. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart specifically illustrating an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart specifically illustrating an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that when assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, the same numerals are assigned to the same components when they appear in other drawings as much as possible. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments disclosed herein, if a detailed description of related known structures or functions is deemed to hinder understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0023] In describing components of the embodiments disclosed herein, terms such as "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," and "(b)" may be used. These terms are merely used to distinguish the component from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein pertain. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of the relevant art, and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a typical battery pack. Referring to FIG. 1, a battery control system including a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a host controller 2 included in the host system is schematically shown.

[0025] 1, the battery pack 1 includes a rechargeable battery module 10 made up of one or more battery cells, a switching unit 14 connected in series to the (+) terminal side or (-) terminal side of the battery module 10 to control the flow of charge / discharge current of the battery module 10, and a battery management system 20 that monitors the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the battery pack 1 and controls and manages it to prevent overcharging and overdischarging. In this case, the battery pack 1 may be provided with a plurality of battery modules 10, sensors 12, switching units 14, and battery management systems 20.

[0026] Here, the switching unit 14 is an element for controlling the flow of current for charging or discharging the multiple battery modules 10, and for example, at least one relay, electromagnetic contactor, etc. can be used depending on the specifications of the battery pack 1.

[0027] The battery management system 20 is an interface that receives input of measured values ​​of the various parameters described above, and may include a plurality of terminals and circuits connected to the terminals for processing the received values. The battery management system 20 may also control the ON / OFF of a switching unit 14, such as a relay or contactor, and may be connected to the battery modules 10 to monitor the status of each battery module 10. According to an embodiment, the battery management system 20 may include the battery management device 100 of FIG. 2. According to another embodiment, the battery management system 20 may be a system different from the battery management device 100 of FIG. 2. That is, the battery management device 100 of FIG. 2 may be included in the battery pack 1, or may be configured as a separate device external to the battery pack 1.

[0028] The upper controller 2 can transmit a control signal for the battery module 10 to the battery management system 20. As a result, the operation of the battery management system 20 can be controlled based on the signal applied from the upper controller 2.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. 2, a battery management device 100 according to an embodiment disclosed herein may include a measurement unit 110 and a controller 120. According to an embodiment, the battery management device 100 may be included in the battery management system 20 of FIG. 1 or may be a device different from the battery management system 20 of FIG. 1.

[0030] The measurement unit 110 may measure the temperatures and voltages of a plurality of battery cells. For example, the measurement unit 110 may measure the temperatures and voltages of a plurality of battery cells at regular time intervals. According to an embodiment, the measurement unit 110 may include a temperature sensor and a voltage sensor. According to an embodiment, the measurement unit 110 may further include a current sensor. For example, the measurement unit 110 may measure the current of a plurality of battery cells.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plurality of battery cells and a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. 3, a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein may include a plurality of temperature sensors 111, a current sensor 112, and a controller 120. According to an embodiment, the plurality of temperature sensors 111 and the current sensor 112 may be included in the measurement unit 110 of FIG. 2. According to an embodiment, the controller 120 may be substantially similar to the controller 120 of FIG. 2.

[0032] The number of temperature sensors included in the plurality of temperature sensors 111 may correspond to the number of battery cells. For example, a specific number of temperature sensors may be attached to each of the plurality of battery cells 200. Although Fig. 3 shows that two temperature sensors (2K, 10K) are attached to measure the temperatures of the plurality of battery cells 200, the number of temperature sensors is not limited thereto, and may be the same as the number of battery cells.

[0033] Information measured by the plurality of temperature sensors 111 and the current sensor 112 can be transmitted to the controller 120. Based on the information received from the plurality of temperature sensors 111 and the current sensor 112, the controller 120 can determine whether the plurality of battery cells 200 are charging or discharging, whether any of the plurality of battery cells 200 are degraded, and the like.

[0034] 2, the controller 120 can determine whether each of the plurality of battery cells is charging or discharging. For example, the controller 120 can determine that the plurality of battery cells is charging when the current measured by the current sensor has a positive value, and can determine that the plurality of battery cells is discharging when the current measured by the current sensor has a negative value.

[0035] The controller 120 may generate the first information for each of the battery cells based on whether the battery cells are charging or discharging, the temperature of each of the battery cells over time, and the voltage of each of the battery cells over time. For example, the controller 120 may generate the first information in different ways depending on whether the battery cells are charging or discharging.

[0036] According to the embodiment, when a plurality of battery cells are being charged, the controller 120 may generate second information by subtracting an initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells. The controller 120 may also generate third information by subtracting an initial voltage from the time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells and inverting the voltage to a negative value. In this case, the controller 120 may generate the difference between the second information and the third information as first information.

[0037] According to the embodiment, when a plurality of battery cells are discharging, the controller 120 may generate the second information by subtracting the initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells. The controller 120 may also generate the third information by subtracting the initial voltage from the time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells. In this case, the controller 120 may generate the difference between the second information and the third information as the first information.

[0038] The controller 120 can determine which of the plurality of battery cells has deteriorated based on the first information of each of the plurality of battery cells. For example, the controller 120 can compare the first information of each of the plurality of battery cells to determine which of the plurality of battery cells has deteriorated.

[0039] According to the embodiment, the controller 120 can determine that a battery cell whose time-dependent change in the first information is greater than that of other battery cells by a set value or more is a deteriorated battery cell.

[0040] According to another embodiment, the controller 120 can determine that a battery cell whose first information has a difference of a set value or more from other battery cells is a deteriorated battery cell.

[0041] When a battery cell deteriorates, the internal resistance increases and the capacity deteriorates. As the internal resistance increases, the temperature and voltage changes during charging or discharging become larger. Therefore, the controller 120 can determine whether a battery cell has deteriorated based on the rate of change of the first information regarding the temperature and voltage or the magnitude of the first information.

[0042] According to an embodiment, when the state of the plurality of battery cells changes from charging to discharging, the controller 120 may regenerate the first information based on the time point at which the state changes. For example, since the method of generating the first information when the plurality of battery cells are charging and when the plurality of battery cells are discharging is different, the controller 120 may regenerate the first information when the state changes.

[0043] According to an embodiment, when the state of the plurality of battery cells changes from discharging to charging, the controller 120 may regenerate the first information based on the time point at which the state changes. For example, since the method of generating the first information when the plurality of battery cells are discharging is different from the method of generating the first information when the plurality of battery cells are charging, the controller 120 may regenerate the first information when the state changes.

[0044] Therefore, the battery management device 100 according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application can accurately determine which battery cells are degraded, regardless of whether the multiple battery cells are being charged or discharged.

[0045] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing an example in which a battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present application generates first information in response to charging and discharging, and determines which battery cells have deteriorated.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 4, the measurement unit 110 of the battery management device 100 according to one embodiment disclosed herein can measure the current of multiple battery cells, and the controller 120 can determine that the multiple battery cells are being charged.

[0047] The measurement unit 110 may measure the temperature over time 310 of each of the plurality of battery cells and the voltage over time 320 of each of the plurality of battery cells. In this case, a deteriorated battery cell may be measured to have a larger change in temperature and voltage over time than a normal battery cell.

[0048] The controller 120 can generate first information based on the temperature by time 310 of each of the plurality of battery cells and the voltage by time 320 of each of the plurality of battery cells. For example, the controller 120 can generate second information 330 by subtracting the initial temperature from the temperature by time 310 of each of the plurality of battery cells. The controller 120 can also generate third information 340 by subtracting the initial voltage from the voltage by time 320 of each of the plurality of battery cells and inverting the result to negative. In this case, the controller 120 can generate first information 350 as the difference between the second information 330 and the third information 340.

[0049] That is, the controller 120 may generate the first information by adjusting the time-dependent temperature 310 of each of the plurality of battery cells and the time-dependent voltage 320 of each of the plurality of battery cells to the same reference point (for example, 0).

[0050] The controller 120 can determine a deteriorated battery cell based on the generated first information. For example, the controller 120 can determine that a battery cell whose time-dependent change amount in the first information is different from that of other battery cells by a set value or more is a deteriorated battery cell.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 5, the measurement unit 110 of the battery management device 100 according to one embodiment disclosed herein can measure the current of multiple battery cells, and the controller 120 can determine that the multiple battery cells are discharging.

[0052] The measurement unit 110 may measure the temperature over time 410 of each of the plurality of battery cells and the voltage over time 420 of each of the plurality of battery cells. In this case, a deteriorated battery cell may be measured to have a larger change in temperature and voltage over time than a normal battery cell.

[0053] The controller 120 can generate first information based on the temperature by time 410 of each of the plurality of battery cells and the voltage by time 420 of each of the plurality of battery cells. For example, the controller 120 can generate second information 430 by subtracting the initial temperature from the temperature by time 410 of each of the plurality of battery cells. The controller 120 can also generate third information 440 by subtracting the initial voltage from the voltage by time 420 of each of the plurality of battery cells. In this case, the controller 120 can generate the difference between the second information 430 and the third information 440 as first information 450.

[0054] That is, the controller 120 may generate the first information by adjusting the time-dependent temperature 410 of each of the plurality of battery cells and the time-dependent voltage 420 of each of the plurality of battery cells to the same reference point (eg, 0).

[0055] The controller 120 can determine a deteriorated battery cell based on the generated first information. For example, the controller 120 can determine that a battery cell whose time-dependent change amount in the first information is different from that of other battery cells by a set value or more is a deteriorated battery cell.

[0056] According to an embodiment, the battery management device 100 according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application generates new information (e.g., first information) by comprehensively considering the temperatures and voltages of multiple battery cells, and determines which battery cells have deteriorated based on the generated information, thereby enabling the determination of which battery cells have deteriorated more accurately than when using temperature or voltage separately.

[0057] In addition, the battery management device 100 according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application determines whether a battery cell is degraded by comprehensively considering the temperatures and voltages of multiple battery cells, thereby preventing an error in either the temperature or the voltage from occurring and resulting in an incorrect determination of a degraded battery cell.

[0058] A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application generates first information relating to the temperature and voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells, and can determine which battery cells have deteriorated based on the amount of change in the generated first information over time.

[0059] A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application measures the temperature of each of a plurality of battery cells based on a plurality of temperature sensors corresponding to the number of battery cells, and can more accurately determine which battery cells have deteriorated by taking into consideration the temperature of each of the battery cells and the voltage of each of the battery cells in a comprehensive manner.

[0060] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, the operation illustrated in FIG. 6 can be performed via the battery management device 100 of FIG.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 6, an operating method of the battery management device 100 according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application includes the steps of: measuring the temperature and voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells (S110); generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells over time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells over time (S120); and determining which of the plurality of battery cells is degraded based on the first information for each of the plurality of battery cells (S130).

[0062] In step S110, the measurement unit 110 may measure the temperature and voltage of each of the battery cells. For example, the measurement unit 110 may measure the temperature and voltage of each of the battery cells at regular time intervals. According to an embodiment, the measurement unit 110 may include a temperature sensor and a voltage sensor.

[0063] In step S120, the controller 120 may generate first information for each of the battery cells based on whether the battery cells are charging or discharging, the temperature of each of the battery cells over time, and the voltage of each of the battery cells over time. For example, the controller 120 may generate the first information in different ways depending on whether the battery cells are charging or discharging.

[0064] In step S130, the controller 120 can determine which of the plurality of battery cells has deteriorated based on the first information of each of the plurality of battery cells. For example, the controller 120 can compare the first information of each of the plurality of battery cells to determine which of the plurality of battery cells has deteriorated.

[0065] According to the embodiment, the controller 120 can determine that a battery cell whose time-dependent change in the first information is greater than that of other battery cells by a set value or more is a deteriorated battery cell.

[0066] According to another embodiment, the controller 120 can determine that a battery cell whose first information has a difference of a set value or more from other battery cells is a deteriorated battery cell.

[0067] 7 and 8 are flowcharts specifically illustrating an operation method of a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, the operations illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be performed via the battery management device 100 of FIG. 2.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 7, an operating method of the battery management device 100 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include the steps of: determining whether a plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging (S210); subtracting an initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells to generate second information (S220); subtracting the initial voltage from the time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells and inverting the result to negative to generate third information (S230); generating a difference between the second information and the third information as first information (S240); subtracting the initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells to generate the second information (S250); subtracting the initial voltage from the time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells to generate third information (S260); and generating a difference between the second information and the third information as first information (S270).

[0069] In step S210, the controller 120 may determine whether the battery cells are charging or discharging. For example, the controller 120 may determine whether the battery cells are charging or discharging by checking the sign of the current flowing through the battery cells. According to an embodiment, if the battery cells are charging, the controller 120 may perform step S220. If the battery cells are discharging, the controller 120 may perform step S250.

[0070] In step S220, the controller 120 may generate second information by subtracting the initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells. In step S230, the controller 120 may subtract the initial voltage from the time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells and invert the result to negative to generate third information.

[0071] In step S240, the controller 120 can generate the difference between the second information and the third information as the first information. According to an embodiment, steps S210 to S240 may be performed in addition to step S120 of FIG.

[0072] In step S250, the controller 120 may generate second information by subtracting the initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells. In step S260, the controller 120 may generate third information by subtracting the initial voltage from the time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells.

[0073] In step S270, the controller 120 can generate the difference between the second information and the third information as the first information. According to an embodiment, steps S210 and S250 to S270 may be performed in addition to step S120 of FIG.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 8, the operating method of the battery management device 100 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may further include a step (S310) of measuring a current flowing through a plurality of battery cells, and a step (S320) of determining that the plurality of battery cells are being charged if the current has a positive value, and determining that the plurality of battery cells are being discharged if the current has a negative value.

[0075] In step S310, the measurement unit 110 can measure the currents flowing through the plurality of battery cells. In step S320, the controller 120 can determine that the battery cells are charging when the current has a positive value, and can determine that the battery cells are discharging when the current has a negative value.

[0076] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing the method of operating a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 9, a computing system 1000 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include an MCU (microcontroller unit) 1010, a memory 1020, an input / output I / F (interface) 1030, and a communication I / F (interface) 1040.

[0078] The MCU 1010 may be a processor that executes various programs stored in the memory 1020 (e.g., a program for collecting voltage information, current information, or temperature information of multiple battery cells, a program for determining whether a battery cell can be charged or discharged, a program for generating first information of multiple battery cells, a program for determining whether a battery cell is degraded, etc.), processes various information including voltage information of each of the multiple battery cells, current information of each of the multiple battery cells, temperature information of each of the multiple battery cells, first information of each of the multiple battery cells, and the presence or absence of degraded batteries through such programs, and performs the functions of a controller included in the battery management device shown in Figure 2 described above.

[0079] The memory 1020 can store various programs such as a program for collecting voltage information, current information, or temperature information of a plurality of battery cells, a program for determining whether a battery cell can be charged or discharged, a program for generating first information for a plurality of battery cells, a program for determining whether a battery cell is degraded, etc. The memory 1020 can also store various information such as the voltage information for each of the plurality of battery cells, the current information for each of the plurality of battery cells, the temperature information for each of the plurality of battery cells, the first information for each of the plurality of battery cells, and the presence or absence of a degraded battery.

[0080] A plurality of such memories 1020 may be provided as necessary. The memories 1020 may be volatile memories or nonvolatile memories. As the volatile memories 1020, random access memories (RAM), dynamic RAMs (DRAMs), static RAMs (SRAMs), etc. may be used. As the nonvolatile memories 1020, read-only memories (ROMs), programmable ROMs (PROMs), electrically alterable ROMs (EAROMs), electrically PROMs (EPROMs), electrically erasable ROMs (EEPROMs), flash memories, etc. may be used. The examples of the memories 1020 listed above are merely illustrative and are not limited to these examples.

[0081] The input / output I / F 1030 can provide an interface that connects input devices (not shown) such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and output devices such as a display (not shown), to the MCU 1010, enabling data to be sent and received.

[0082] The communication I / F 1040 is configured to be able to send and receive various data to and from a server, and may be any of various devices that support wired or wireless communication. For example, the battery management device can send and receive information such as voltage information for each of the multiple battery cells, current information for each of the multiple battery cells, temperature information for each of the multiple battery cells, first information for each of the multiple battery cells, and the presence or absence of degraded batteries from a separately provided external server via the communication I / F 1040.

[0083] In this way, a computer program according to one embodiment disclosed in the present application may be recorded in memory 1020 and processed by MCU 1010 to be realized, for example, as a module that performs each function shown in FIG. 2.

[0084] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical ideas disclosed in the present application, and a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in the present application belong may make various modifications and variations within the scope that does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed in the present application.

[0085] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this application are intended to illustrate, not limit, the technical ideas disclosed in this application, and the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in this application is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical ideas disclosed in this application is to be interpreted by the scope of the claims below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto are to be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this application.

Claims

1. a measurement unit for measuring the temperature and voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells; generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are being charged or discharged, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells with time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells with time; a controller that determines which of the plurality of battery cells is deteriorated based on the first information of each of the plurality of battery cells.

2. The controller When the plurality of battery cells are being charged, generating second information by subtracting an initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells; generating third information by subtracting an initial voltage from a time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells and inverting the result to a negative value; The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the first information is generated as a difference between the second information and the third information.

3. The controller When the plurality of battery cells are discharging, generating second information by subtracting an initial temperature from the time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells; generating third information by subtracting an initial voltage from a time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells; The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the first information is generated as a difference between the second information and the third information.

4. The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that a battery cell whose time-dependent change in the first information is greater than or equal to a set value is the deteriorated battery cell.

5. The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that a battery cell whose first information has a difference of a set value or more from other battery cells is the deteriorated battery cell.

6. the measurement unit measures currents flowing through the plurality of battery cells; The controller determining that the plurality of battery cells are being charged when the current has a positive value; The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the battery management device determines that the plurality of battery cells are discharging when the current has a negative value.

7. 2. The battery management device of claim 1, wherein the controller regenerates the first information based on a time point at which the states of the plurality of battery cells change from charging to discharging or from discharging to charging.

8. the measurement unit includes a plurality of temperature sensors; The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of temperature sensors corresponds to the number of the plurality of battery cells.

9. measuring the temperature and voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells; generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are being charged or discharged, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells with respect to time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells with respect to time; determining a deteriorated battery cell among the plurality of battery cells based on first information of each of the plurality of battery cells; A method of operating a battery management device, comprising:

10. generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are being charged or discharged, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells with time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells with time, determining whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging; generating second information by subtracting an initial temperature from a time-dependent temperature of each of the battery cells when the battery cells are being charged; generating third information by subtracting an initial voltage from the time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells and inverting the result to a negative value; The method of claim 9 , further comprising: generating a difference between the second information and the third information as the first information.

11. generating first information for each of the plurality of battery cells based on whether the plurality of battery cells are being charged or discharged, the temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells with time, and the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells with time, determining whether the plurality of battery cells are charging or discharging; generating second information by subtracting an initial temperature from a time-dependent temperature of each of the plurality of battery cells when the plurality of battery cells are discharging; generating third information by subtracting an initial voltage from a time-dependent voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells; The method of claim 9 , further comprising: generating a difference between the second information and the third information as the first information.

12. measuring currents flowing through the plurality of battery cells; determining that the plurality of battery cells are being charged when the current has a positive value; The method of claim 9 , further comprising: determining that the plurality of battery cells are discharging when the current has a negative value.

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