Battery status information providing device and operation method thereof

Abstract

A battery status information providing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a generation unit that generates an experimental profile and an operation profile based on an experimental life index and an operation life index, a comparison unit that compares the experimental profile with the operation profile and determines an evaluation profile from the experimental profile, and an evaluation unit that determines status information of a target battery pack based on the evaluation profile and a target life index, and the target life index may be an operation life index of a vehicle including the target battery pack.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0118199, filed September 19, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus and method of operation for providing battery status information. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, research and development into secondary batteries has been actively pursued. Here, secondary batteries are batteries that can be charged and discharged, and include both conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / 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 power sources for electric vehicles, drawing attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0004] Batteries installed in electric vehicles tend to deteriorate as they are repeatedly charged and discharged. For example, the capacity and resistance of batteries installed in electric vehicles may deteriorate as they are repeatedly charged and discharged to operate the electric vehicle, and the remaining lifespan of the batteries may decrease. Furthermore, the degree of battery deterioration and remaining lifespan may vary depending on the operating conditions of the electric vehicle.

[0005] A sudden drop in the remaining battery life can cause safety issues during use of an electric vehicle. Therefore, there is a need for a method for diagnosing the condition of a battery installed in an electric vehicle in advance, preventing dangers caused by a sudden drop in battery performance, and providing battery condition information to users. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One objective of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide an apparatus and an operating method thereof for determining the status of a target battery pack installed in a vehicle based on experimental life indicators and operational life indicators, and for providing status information of the battery pack.

[0007] One objective of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide an apparatus and an operating method thereof that determines the status of a target battery pack installed in a vehicle by comparing an experimental profile based on an experimental lifespan index with an operational profile based on operational lifespan indexes collected from a vehicle and a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle, and provides status information of the battery pack.

[0008] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in this document 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]

[0009] A battery status information providing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a generation unit that generates an experimental profile and an operation profile based on an experimental life index and an operation life index, a comparison unit that compares the experimental profile with the operation profile and determines an evaluation profile from the experimental profile, and an evaluation unit that determines status information of a target battery pack based on the evaluation profile and a target life index, and the target life index may be an operation life index of a vehicle including the target battery pack.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the experimental profile may be a profile in which the experimental life indicators of the battery pack for preset experimental driving conditions are arranged against driving distance.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the driving profile may be a profile in which the driving life indicators collected from the vehicle and vehicles of the same model as the vehicle are arranged against mileage.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the comparison unit may determine a continuous reference profile for the entire travel distance based on the driving profile. According to an embodiment, the comparison unit may determine an experimental profile having a higher experimental life index and a smallest slope for the total travel distance than the reference profile as a first evaluation profile.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the comparison unit may determine an experimental profile having a lower experimental life index and a greatest slope relative to the total mileage than the reference profile as a second evaluation profile.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the comparison unit may determine an experimental profile having the highest degree of coincidence with the driving profile as the reference profile from among the experimental profiles. According to an embodiment, the comparison unit may generate the reference profile by linearly interpolating the driving profile.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the evaluator is capable of authenticating the state information and providing the authenticated state information to an external device. According to one embodiment, the status information may include performance information, safety information, or price information of the target battery pack.

[0016] A battery status information providing system according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a target battery pack, a vehicle including a control unit that transmits a service life index for the target battery pack, a battery status information providing device that receives an experimental service life index and the service life index and determines service life information for the target battery pack based on the experimental service life index and the service life index, and an external device that outputs service life information for the target battery pack.

[0017] In another embodiment, the external device may output the status information to an authenticated user. According to another embodiment, the experimental lifespan indicator may be a battery pack lifespan indicator for preset experimental driving conditions. According to another embodiment, the service life index may be a life index collected from the vehicle and a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle.

[0018] An operating method of a battery status information providing system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: a generation unit receiving an operational life index from a vehicle including a target battery pack and a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle; the generation unit receiving an experimental life index; the generation unit generating an experimental profile and an operational profile based on the experimental life index and the operational life index; a comparison unit comparing the experimental profile with the operational profile and determining an evaluation profile from the experimental profile; an evaluation unit determining status information of the target battery pack based on the evaluation profile and the target life index; the evaluation unit providing status information of the target battery pack to an external device; and the external device outputting status information of the target battery pack, wherein the target life index may be an operational life index of the vehicle.

[0019] According to another embodiment, the experimental profile may be a profile in which the experimental life index of the battery pack for preset experimental driving conditions is arranged relative to the driving distance.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the driving profile may be a profile in which the driving life indexes collected from the vehicle and vehicles of the same model as the vehicle are arranged against the distance traveled.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the step of determining the evaluation profile may include the steps of: determining a continuous reference profile for the total mileage based on the driving profile; determining an experimental profile having a higher experimental lifespan index than the reference profile for the total mileage and having the smallest slope as a first evaluation profile; and determining an experimental profile having a lower experimental lifespan index than the reference profile for the total mileage and having the largest slope as a second evaluation profile.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the step of determining the reference profile may be a step of determining, as the reference profile, an experimental profile that has the highest degree of coincidence with the driving profile from among the experimental profiles.

[0023] According to another embodiment, determining the reference profile may be generating the reference profile by linearly interpolating the driving profile. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The battery status information providing device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can reliably determine the status information of a battery pack installed in a vehicle based on an experimental life index and an operational life index.

[0025] The status information of the battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document includes performance information, safety information, or price information of the target battery pack installed in the vehicle, and the status information providing device provides the status information of the target battery pack to the user, thereby enabling the user to efficiently manage the battery pack.

[0026] The battery status information providing device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in this document authenticates status information of a battery pack installed in a vehicle and provides the authenticated status information via an external device, thereby providing accurate information on the status of the vehicle's battery pack to a secondary purchaser who intends to purchase a vehicle, and enabling the purchaser to prepare in advance for risks and disputes that may arise after purchasing the vehicle. In addition, this document may provide a variety of other benefits that may be perceived directly or indirectly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a typical battery pack. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for providing battery status information according to an embodiment disclosed herein; [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an operation method of a battery status information providing system according to an embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating a method in which a battery status information providing device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document determines an evaluation profile from among a plurality of experimental profiles. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining a reference profile by a battery status information providing device according to another embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram illustrating a method in which a battery status information providing device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document determines status information of a target battery pack. [Figure 7] 10 is an exemplary illustration of a screen displaying battery status information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating an operation method of a battery status information providing system according to an embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation method of a battery status information providing system according to another embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 10]1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operating method of a battery status information providing device or a battery status information providing system according to an embodiment disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components in other drawings whenever 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.

[0029] When describing components of the embodiments disclosed herein, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. Such terms are merely used to distinguish the component from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or procedure 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 belong. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0030] 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 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a host control unit 200 included in a host system is shown.

[0031] 1, the battery pack 100 includes a rechargeable battery module 120 made up of one or more battery cells, a switching unit 160 connected in series to the (+) terminal side or (-) terminal side of the battery module 120 to control the flow of charge / discharge current of the battery module 120, and a battery management system 180 (e.g., RBMS) that controls and manages the battery pack 100 to prevent overcharging and overdischarging and monitors data on the battery module 120. In this case, the battery pack 100 may include a plurality of battery modules 120, sensors 140, switching units 160, and battery management systems (BMS) 180.

[0032] The sensor 140 is connected between the battery module 120 and the battery management system 180 and can sense the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, etc. of the battery module 120 and transmit the sensed values ​​to the battery management system 180 .

[0033] The switching unit 160 is an element for controlling the flow of current for charging or discharging the battery module 120, and may be, for example, at least one relay, electromagnetic contactor, or the like, depending on the specifications of the battery pack 100.

[0034] The battery management system 180 is an interface that receives input of the above-mentioned various parameter measurement values ​​and may include a plurality of terminals and circuits connected to the terminals for processing the received input values. The battery management system 180 may also control the ON / OFF of the switching unit 160, such as a relay or contactor, and may be connected to the battery modules 120 to monitor the status of each battery module 120.

[0035] The upper controller 200 can transmit a control signal to the battery pack 100 via the battery management system 180. The operation of the battery management system 180 can be controlled based on the signal applied from the upper controller 200.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the battery pack 100 and the upper control unit 200 can be provided in a vehicle, and the battery management system 180 can receive data such as the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, and number of charge / discharge cycles of the battery module 120 from the sensor 140.

[0037] Data such as the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, and number of charge / discharge cycles of the battery module 120 may be used as the basis for determining the status information of the battery pack 100 included in the vehicle.

[0038] The battery management system 180 transmits the data to the upper control unit 200, and the upper control unit 200 can calculate the target data and generate a lifespan index for the battery pack 100. The generated lifespan index can be transmitted to an external device (e.g., a status information providing device, etc.).

[0039] The lifespan index may, for example, refer to a State of Health (SOH), which is a performance index that indicates a comparison between an ideal state of the battery pack 100 and the current state of the battery pack 100. The SOH may be an index that indicates the remaining lifespan and current performance state of the battery pack 100.

[0040] According to an embodiment, the SOH may be calculated based on the charge rate and discharge rate of the battery pack 100. The charge rate and discharge rate of the battery pack 100 may be obtained by calculating the capacity difference between a fully charged state and a fully discharged state of the battery pack. For example, the SOH may be calculated based on data on the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, or impedance of the battery pack.

[0041] According to an embodiment, the battery pack 100 may include a plurality of battery modules 120, and when the battery pack 100 includes a plurality of battery modules 120, data such as the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, and number of charge / discharge cycles output from any of the battery modules 120 may be selected as basic data for generating a lifespan index of the battery pack 100.

[0042] According to another embodiment, the battery management system 180 may calculate a lifespan index for each battery module 120 based on data such as the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, and number of charge / discharge cycles of the battery module 120, and may calculate a lifespan index for the battery pack 100 based on the calculated lifespan index for each battery module 120. In other words, the lifespan index may be calculated in the battery management system 180 or the upper controller 200.

[0043] The battery pack 100 may be mounted in an actual vehicle and subjected to charge and discharge cycles, or may be subjected to experimental charge and discharge cycles under experimental driving conditions similar to the actual driving conditions of the vehicle.

[0044] For example, the operational lifespan index may be a lifespan index of the battery pack 100 calculated based on data such as voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, and number of charge / discharge cycles output from the battery module 120 when the battery pack 100 is mounted on a vehicle and actually driven. Also, the experimental lifespan index may be a lifespan index of the battery pack 100 calculated based on data such as voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, and number of charge / discharge cycles output from the battery module 120 when experimental charge / discharge cycles are performed under experimental driving conditions.

[0045] The preset driving conditions for generating the experimental life index may include, for example, a vehicle acceleration driving condition, a quick charge condition, a city driving condition, a long-distance driving condition, etc. In addition, the preset driving conditions may reflect the environment in which the vehicle is driven, the type of vehicle, the charge / discharge cycle, etc.

[0046] In other words, the preset driving conditions may refer to exemplary driving scenario conditions including the vehicle behavior and the vehicle operating environment. The data for generating the experimental lifespan index and the generated experimental lifespan index may be stored in an external server or database.

[0047] The service life index may be data obtained when a vehicle including the battery pack 100 is actually traveling. According to an embodiment, the service life index may be affected by the driver's driving habits, the environment in which the vehicle is actually traveling, the actual charge / discharge cycle of the battery, etc.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a battery status information providing device according to one embodiment disclosed herein. The battery status information providing device 300 may include a generation unit 320 that generates an experimental profile and an operational profile by arranging an experimental life index and an operational life index relative to a mileage, a comparison unit 340 that compares the experimental profile with the operational profile and determines a first evaluation profile and a second evaluation profile from among the experimental profiles, and an evaluation unit 360 that determines status information of a target battery pack based on the first evaluation profile, the second evaluation profile, and the target life index.

[0049] The generating unit 320 may generate a plurality of experimental profiles by arranging the experimental life index with respect to the mileage. The generating unit 320 may also generate a driving profile by arranging the driving life index with respect to the mileage. According to an embodiment, the profile may be a two-dimensional curve showing the change in life indicator (eg, SOH) as a function of mileage.

[0050] The experimental life index may be classified according to preset experimental driving conditions, i.e., the experimental life index may constitute different experimental profiles corresponding to the preset experimental driving conditions, respectively.

[0051] According to an embodiment, an experimental life index can be obtained for the total distance traveled, and the experimental profile can be plotted as a continuous curve for a plane with axes of the life index and the distance traveled.

[0052] The generating unit 320 may receive a driving life index from a vehicle including a battery pack to be determined for status information and a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle. The vehicle and a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle may have different driving distances, and the driving profile may be represented by a set of discrete points on a plane having axes of the life index and the driving distance.

[0053] The generating unit 320 may receive the experimental life index and the operational life index from an external server or database. According to an embodiment, the external server or database may be a platform that collects operational life indexes from a plurality of vehicles including the battery pack 100 and manages the operational life indexes in an integrated manner.

[0054] The comparison unit 340 can compare a plurality of experimental profiles with the driving profile and determine the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile from the experimental profiles.

[0055] The comparison unit 340 can determine a reference profile that is a continuous curve with respect to the total travel distance based on the driving profile. By determining a reference profile that is continuous with respect to the total travel distance, the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile can be easily selected from the experimental profiles.

[0056] Furthermore, by determining the reference profile, the tendency of the service life index to change can be reflected when the battery state information providing device 300 determines the state of the battery pack.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the comparison unit 340 may determine the experimental profile that has the highest degree of agreement with the driving profile as the reference profile, or may generate the reference profile by linearly interpolating the driving profile.

[0058] The comparison unit 340 may determine an evaluation profile using the reference profile and the experimental profile. The evaluation profile may be a profile for evaluating the current state of the battery pack included in the vehicle, and may include a first evaluation profile or a second evaluation profile.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the first evaluation profile may be a profile that serves as a standard for determining whether the target battery pack that is the subject of the condition evaluation is in an excellent or good condition, and the second evaluation profile may be a profile that serves as a standard for determining whether the target battery pack is in an excellent or maintenance-requiring condition.

[0060] According to an embodiment, the comparison unit 340 may not determine some of the overall experimental profiles as the evaluation profile. For example, the comparison unit 340 may not determine, as the first evaluation profile or the second evaluation profile, an experimental profile in which the change in the lifespan index relative to the overall mileage is less than a preset value (e.g., the change in SOH is less than 5% relative to the overall mileage) or the change in the lifespan index is lower than the minimum lifespan index (e.g., SOH is less than 80%).

[0061] In other words, the comparison unit 340 may determine that an experimental profile in which the change in the lifespan index relative to the total mileage is less than a preset value or shows a change pattern in the lifespan index that is lower than the minimum lifespan index is an inappropriate profile for evaluating the state of the battery pack, and may not select it as an evaluation profile.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the comparison unit 340 may determine an experimental profile having a higher experimental life index and a smallest slope relative to the total travel distance than the predetermined reference profile as the first evaluation profile. Also, the comparison unit 340 may determine an experimental profile having a lower experimental life index and a largest slope relative to the total travel distance than the predetermined reference profile as the second evaluation profile.

[0063] Since the comparison unit 340 selects the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile according to the above embodiment, the shorter the mileage, the narrower the range in which the battery is determined to be in a good state, and the longer the mileage, the wider the range in which the battery is determined to be in a good state. The battery state information providing device 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention can determine the battery state using stricter criteria when the mileage is shorter, and can determine the battery state more leniently when the mileage is longer.

[0064] The evaluation unit 360 can determine the status information of the target battery pack based on the first evaluation profile, the second evaluation profile, and the target lifespan indicator.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the target lifespan index may be a service lifespan index of a vehicle including the target battery pack, and the service lifespan index may correspond to a mileage of the vehicle until determining the state information of the battery pack.

[0066] If the target lifespan indicator is located at the top of the first evaluation profile, the evaluation unit 360 may determine that the condition of the target battery pack is excellent. The condition of the target battery pack being excellent may mean that the target life index, which is the service life index of the target battery, is high compared to the change tendency of the service life index.

[0067] The evaluation unit 360 can determine that the state of the target battery pack is good when the target lifespan index is located at the bottom of the first evaluation profile and at the top of the second evaluation profile. The condition of the target battery pack being good may mean that the change trend of the service life index is similar to the target life index.

[0068] If the target lifespan indicator is located at the bottom of the second evaluation profile, the evaluation unit 360 may determine that the state of the target battery pack is a state requiring management.

[0069] The maintenance required state may mean that the target life index of the target battery is low compared to the change tendency of the operation life index, and therefore, maintenance such as changing the operation and charging pattern or replacing the battery is required.

[0070] The evaluation unit 360 can authenticate or certify the determined status information of the battery pack. The status information of the battery pack determined by the evaluation unit 360 can also include performance information, safety information, or price information of the battery pack.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the evaluation unit 360 may generate performance information of the battery pack based on a target lifespan index of the target battery pack and the maximum performance of the battery.

[0072] The evaluation unit 360 may generate safety information for the battery pack based on the vehicle's mileage and the target lifespan index of the target battery pack. For example, if the target lifespan index is evaluated as being excessively low compared to the vehicle's mileage, the evaluation unit 360 may determine that there is a problem with the safety of the battery pack.

[0073] The evaluation unit 360 can generate price information for the battery pack based on the target lifespan index of the target battery pack. For example, the evaluation unit 360 can arithmetically calculate the depreciation of the battery pack based on the target lifespan index value for the maximum performance of the battery to predict the price of the battery pack.

[0074] The evaluation unit 360 transmits the generated status information of the target battery pack to an external device, and the external device can provide the status information of the target battery pack to users.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the status information may be provided only to authorized external devices or authorized users, or only to users who have paid a fee.

[0076] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation method of the battery status information providing system according to an embodiment disclosed herein. FIG. 3 shows a battery state information providing system 1 including a vehicle 10, a battery state information providing device 300, and an external device 400.

[0077] The vehicle 10 can include a battery pack 100 and a higher-level control unit 200. The battery pack 100 that is the target for determining the state information can be set as a target battery pack.

[0078] The service life index can be obtained when the vehicle 10 including the battery pack 100 is actually traveling. The service life index can be transmitted to the battery state information providing device 300 via the upper control unit 200.

[0079] According to the embodiment, the battery status information providing device 300 may be connected to a plurality of vehicles 10 and may obtain operational life indicators from the plurality of vehicles 10. In addition, the battery status information providing device 300 may receive experimental life indicators from a server (not shown) or a database (not shown).

[0080] The battery state information providing device 300 may determine state information of the target battery pack based on the operational life index and the experimental life index, and provide the state information of the target battery pack to the external device 400 .

[0081] The external device 400 may be a device including an output unit capable of displaying the status information of the battery pack. According to an embodiment, the external device 400 may be a device including an authentication means for user authentication and a payment means for paying the cost of using the status information of the battery pack, and according to an embodiment, the external device 400 may include any of a mobile communication terminal, a PDA (registered trademark) (Personal Digital Assistant), an electronic organizer, a smartphone, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), etc. The vehicle 10, the battery state information providing device 300, and the external device 400 may include communication means capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from each other.

[0082] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method in which a battery state information providing device according to an embodiment disclosed herein determines a first evaluation profile and a second evaluation profile from among a plurality of experimental profiles.

[0083] Figure 4 shows the operation profile DP and the first to sixth experimental profiles (EP1 to EP6). The driving profile DP and the first to sixth experimental profiles (EP1 to EP6) can be plotted on a plane with the mileage and SOH as axes.

[0084] The battery status information providing device can determine the experimental profile (EP1 to EP6) that has the highest degree of match with the driving profile DP as the reference profile. For example, the battery status information providing device can determine the experimental profile that has the most overlapping sections with the driving profile DP as the reference profile.

[0085] According to an embodiment, in FIG. 4, the third experimental profile EP3 can be determined to be the reference profile. The battery state information providing device can compare the third experimental profile EP3 with the experimental profiles (EP1, EP2, EP4, EP5, EP6) and determine the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile.

[0086] The battery state information providing device can exclude experimental profiles that are not appropriate for evaluating the state of the battery pack before determining the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile.

[0087] For example, the battery state information providing device may determine that an experimental profile in which the change in the life index is less than 5% over the total mileage (0 to 300,000 km) (e.g., EP1) or in which the SOH drops to less than 80% (e.g., EP6) is an inappropriate profile for evaluating the state of the battery pack, and may not decide on the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile.

[0088] The battery state information providing device may determine the experimental profile EP2, which has a higher SOH value and the smallest slope relative to the total mileage than the reference profile EP3, as the first evaluation profile.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 4, EP1 is an experimental profile in which the change in the lifespan index relative to the total mileage is less than 5% and is not suitable for evaluating the change in the lifespan index of a battery pack due to vehicle operation. Therefore, EP1 cannot be selected as the first evaluation profile, and EP2 can be selected as the first evaluation profile.

[0090] In addition, the battery state information providing device may determine the experimental profile EP5, which has a lower SOH value and the largest slope relative to the total mileage than the reference profile EP3, as the second evaluation profile.

[0091] EP6 is an experimental profile in which the SOH drops below 80% in a section of approximately 200,000 km and does not reflect the guaranteed performance of the battery pack (SOH maintained at 80% or more up to 300,000 km), so it cannot be selected as the second evaluation profile, and EP5 can be selected as the second evaluation profile. A method for determining the status information of the target battery pack based on the first evaluation profile EP2 and the second evaluation profile EP5 is described in detail in FIG. 6.

[0092] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining a reference profile by a battery status information providing device according to another embodiment disclosed herein. The battery status information providing device may linearly interpolate the driving profile DP and determine the reference profile RP as a continuous curve generated by the linear interpolation. Linear interpolation may be a method for estimating a value located between two adjacent points.

[0093] According to an embodiment, the battery status information providing device may determine a reference profile RP by linearly interpolating a plurality of driving life indicators included in the driving profile DP. The reference profile RP may be a continuous curve for the entire driving distance section.

[0094] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method in which a battery status information providing device according to an embodiment disclosed herein determines status information of a target battery pack. FIG. 6 shows the first evaluation profile P1, the second evaluation profile P2, the reference profile RP, and the driving profile DP, and also shows the target life index T of the target battery pack whose state information is to be determined.

[0095] The driving profile DP shown in Fig. 6 may be the same profile as the driving profile DP in Fig. 4. The first evaluation profile P1 may be the second experimental profile EP2 shown in Fig. 4, and the second evaluation profile P2 may be the fifth experimental profile EP5 in Fig. 4. Also, the reference profile RP may be the third experimental profile EP3.

[0096] The battery state information providing device can compare the target life index T with the first evaluation profile P1 and the second evaluation profile P2 to determine state information of the target battery pack.

[0097] The target lifespan index T has a higher SOH value than the SOH of the first evaluation profile P1 for the same mileage, so the battery state information providing device can determine that the state of the target battery pack is excellent.

[0098] If the target life index T has a lower SOH value than the SOH of the first evaluation profile P1 for the same mileage and a higher SOH value than the SOH of the second evaluation profile P2, the battery status information providing device can determine that the condition of the target battery pack is good.

[0099] Furthermore, if the target lifespan index T has a lower SOH value than the SOH of the second evaluation profile P2 for the same mileage, the battery state information providing device can determine that the target battery pack requires maintenance.

[0100] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a screen for providing battery status information according to one embodiment disclosed herein. The screen 420 can be included in a display unit included in the external device, and the display unit can illustratively include a display or the like.

[0101] The external device can provide the user with the battery pack status information received from the battery status information providing device via the screen 420. The status information may illustratively include performance information, safety information, or price information of the target battery pack.

[0102] The performance information of the target battery pack can be displayed as the target battery pack's performance compared to when it was delivered, the driving distance when fully charged, etc., and the battery status information providing device can calculate the performance information based on the target life index of the target battery pack and its performance at the time of delivery (maximum performance).

[0103] The safety information may be displayed by whether a fault code is generated from the target battery pack, whether the battery balance is maintained, etc. The fault code of the battery pack may be provided based on a standard code recorded in the vehicle, and the balance of the battery pack may be calculated by comparing the individual voltage data of the battery cells included in the battery pack with the average voltage.

[0104] The price information can be displayed as an expected price, and the battery state information providing device can calculate the expected price based on the target life index of the target battery pack and its performance (maximum performance) at the time of release. According to an embodiment, providing battery pack status information may be a paid service or may be available only to authenticated users.

[0105] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation method of the battery status information providing system according to an embodiment disclosed herein. The generating unit may receive a service life index from a vehicle including a target battery pack and a vehicle of the same model as the target battery pack (S100).

[0106] A battery status information providing device or battery status information providing system according to one embodiment of the present invention can reflect changes in the operating life index of a target battery pack in determining the battery status by generating an operating profile based on operating life indexes received from vehicles of the same model.

[0107] The generating unit may receive an experimental lifespan indicator (S200). The generating unit may receive an experimental lifespan index from an external server or a database, and the experimental lifespan index may be a lifespan index of the battery pack for preset experimental driving conditions. In other words, the experimental lifespan index may be lifespan index data obtained from charging and discharging results of charging and discharging the battery pack under experimental conditions corresponding to the driving conditions. The experimental lifespan indexes may be divided into different groups according to the respective driving conditions.

[0108] The generating unit can generate an experimental profile and an operational profile based on the experimental life index and the operational life index (S300). The experimental profile and the driving profile may be profiles displayed on a plane with the mileage and the lifespan index (e.g., SOH) as axes. The experimental lifespan index is obtained for the total mileage for each driving condition, and the experimental profile may be a continuous profile for the total mileage. The same number of experimental profiles as the number of driving conditions may be displayed on the plane.

[0109] The driving profile can be represented by a set of discrete points on the plane. The driving profile is a set of driving life indicators collected from a vehicle and vehicles of the same model as the vehicle, arranged with respect to a driving distance. The driving life indicator is a life indicator with respect to an actual driving distance of the vehicle, and the driving profile can be represented by discrete points with respect to the total driving distance.

[0110] The comparison unit compares the experimental profile with the driving profile, and can determine the evaluation profile from the experimental profile (S400). The evaluation profile may be the basis for determining the state of the target battery pack, and the determination method is explained in more detail in FIG.

[0111] The evaluation unit can determine the status information of the target battery pack based on the evaluation profile and the target lifespan indicator (S500). The target lifespan index may be a lifespan index of the target battery pack that is the subject of status judgment, and the evaluation unit can determine whether the status of the target battery pack is excellent, good, or in need of management based on the relationship between the evaluation profile and the target lifespan index.

[0112] The evaluation unit may provide the status information of the target battery pack to an external device (S600). The external device may include, for example, a user terminal such as a mobile communication terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an electronic organizer, a smartphone, or a tablet personal computer (PC).

[0113] The external device can output the status information of the target battery pack (S700). The external device may include an output unit capable of outputting the status information, and the output unit may be, for example, a display, etc. The external device may selectively output the status information of the target battery pack, and according to an embodiment, the external device may output the status information to an authenticated user or provide the status information to a user who has paid for the service.

[0114] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation method of a battery status information providing system according to another embodiment disclosed in the present document. FIG. 9 explains how the comparison unit determines the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile.

[0115] The comparison unit can determine a continuous reference profile for the entire travel distance based on the driving profile (S410). According to an embodiment, the comparison unit may determine the experimental profile that most closely matches the driving profile among the experimental profiles as the reference profile, or may determine the reference profile by linearly interpolating the driving profile.

[0116] By determining the reference profile as a continuous profile for the entire travel distance, it may be easier to compare the experimental profile with the reference profile. According to an embodiment, the comparison unit may not determine an experimental profile in which the change in the life index relative to the total mileage is less than a preset value or the change in the life index is lower than the minimum life index as the evaluation profile.

[0117] The comparison unit may determine the experimental profile having a higher experimental life index and the smallest slope relative to the total travel distance as the first evaluation profile (S420).

[0118] The comparison unit may also determine the experimental profile having a lower experimental life index and the largest slope relative to the total travel distance as the second evaluation profile (S430).

[0119] By determining the first evaluation profile and the second evaluation profile according to the above embodiment, the battery status information providing device according to the embodiment of the present invention can narrow the range in which the battery status is judged to be good the shorter the mileage, and widen the range in which the battery status is judged to be good the longer the mileage.

[0120] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operation method of a battery status information providing device or a battery status information providing system according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 10, a computing system 1000 according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include an MCU 1010, a memory 1020, an input / output I / F 1030, and a communication I / F 1040.

[0122] The MCU 1010 may execute various programs stored in the memory 1020 (e.g., a relay control program included in the battery pack, a program for collecting the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, impedance, and charge / discharge count of the battery module, etc.) or process data for generating a service life index through such programs. According to an embodiment, the MCU 1010 may be a processor that performs the function of the battery management system 180 shown in FIG. 1 or a processor that performs the function of the upper control unit 200, or a processor that performs the function of the battery status information providing device 300 shown in FIG. 2.

[0123] The memory 1020 stores the operational life index and experimental life index for the target battery to be subjected to state authentication, and can store various programs related to the data processing. A plurality of such memories 1020 may be provided as necessary. The memories 1020 may be volatile memories or nonvolatile memories. The memory 1020 serving as a volatile memory may be RAM, DRAM, SRAM, etc. The memory 1020 serving as a nonvolatile memory may be ROM, PROM, EAROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, etc. The examples of the memory 1020 listed above are merely illustrative and are not limited to these examples.

[0124] 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.

[0125] The communication I / F 1040 is configured to be able to transmit and receive various data to and from a server, and may be any device capable of supporting wired or wireless communication. For example, the battery status information providing device 300 can transmit and receive experimental life indexes and the like from a separately provided external server via the communication I / F 1040. The battery status information providing device 300 can also transmit and receive operational life indexes from the upper control unit 200 via the communication I / F 1040.

[0126] In this way, a computer program according to one embodiment disclosed in this document 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 Figures 1 and 2.

[0127] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical ideas disclosed in this document, and various modifications and variations may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this document pertain without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0128] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this document are intended to illustrate, not limit, the technical ideas disclosed in this document, and such embodiments do not limit the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in this document. The scope of protection of the technical ideas disclosed in this document should be interpreted according to the claims set forth below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this document.

Claims

1. a generating unit that generates an experimental profile and an operational profile based on the experimental life index and the operational life index; a comparison unit that compares the experimental profile with the driving profile and determines an evaluation profile from the experimental profile; an evaluation unit that determines status information of a target battery pack based on the evaluation profile and a target lifespan index; Including, The target lifespan index is an operational lifespan index of a vehicle including the target battery pack.

2. 2. The battery state information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the experimental profile is a profile in which the experimental life index of the battery pack under preset experimental driving conditions is arranged relative to a driving distance.

3. The battery state information providing device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving profile is a profile in which the driving life indexes collected from the vehicle and vehicles of the same model as the vehicle are arranged relative to a driving distance.

4. The battery status information providing device according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison unit determines a continuous reference profile for an entire mileage based on the driving profile.

5. The battery state information providing device according to claim 4 , wherein the comparison unit determines an experimental profile having a higher experimental life index and a smallest slope for the total mileage than the reference profile as a first evaluation profile.

6. The battery state information providing device according to claim 4 , wherein the comparison unit determines an experimental profile having a lower experimental life index and a greatest slope relative to the total mileage than the reference profile as the second evaluation profile.

7. The comparison unit 5. The battery state information providing device according to claim 4, wherein the experimental profile having the highest degree of coincidence with the driving profile is determined as the reference profile.

8. The comparison unit The battery status information providing device according to claim 4 , wherein the reference profile is generated by linearly interpolating the driving profile.

9. The battery status information providing device according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit authenticates the status information and provides the authenticated status information to an external device.

10. The battery status information providing device according to claim 1 , wherein the status information includes performance information, safety information, or price information of the target battery pack.

11. a vehicle including a target battery pack and a control unit that transmits a service life indicator for the target battery pack; a battery status information providing device for receiving an experimental lifespan index and the operational lifespan index, and determining status information of the target battery pack based on the experimental lifespan index and the operational lifespan index; an external device that outputs status information of the target battery pack; A battery status information providing system including:

12. The battery status information providing system according to claim 11 , wherein the external device outputs the status information to an authenticated user.

13. The battery state information providing system according to claim 11 , wherein the experimental life index is a life index of the battery pack under preset experimental driving conditions.

14. The battery status information providing system according to claim 11 , wherein the service life index is a life index collected from the vehicle and vehicles of the same model as the vehicle.

15. a generating unit receiving service life indicators from a vehicle including the target battery pack and a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle; the generator receiving an experimental lifetime indicator; generating an experimental profile and an operational profile based on the experimental life index and the operational life index by the generating unit; a comparison unit comparing the experimental profile with the driving profile and determining an evaluation profile from the experimental profile; an evaluation unit determining status information of the target battery pack based on the evaluation profile and a target lifespan indicator; the evaluation unit providing status information of the target battery pack to an external device; the external device outputs status information of the target battery pack; Including, The target lifespan index is a service lifespan index of the vehicle.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the experimental profile is a profile in which the experimental life indicators of the battery pack under preset experimental driving conditions are arranged relative to driving distance.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the driving profile is a profile in which the driving life indexes collected from the vehicle and vehicles of the same model as the vehicle are arranged relative to mileage.

18. The step of determining the evaluation profile includes: The comparison unit determines a continuous reference profile for the entire travel distance based on the driving profile; determining an experimental profile having a higher experimental life index than the reference profile for the total mileage and having the smallest slope as a first evaluation profile; 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining the experimental profile having the greatest slope and the experimental life index lower than the reference profile for the total mileage as the second evaluation profile.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of determining the reference profile is a step of determining, as the reference profile, an experimental profile that has the highest degree of coincidence with the driving profile from among the experimental profiles.

20. 20. The method for operating a battery status information providing system according to claim 18, wherein the step of determining the reference profile is a step of generating the reference profile by linearly interpolating the driving profile.

21. a battery status information providing device that receives an experimental lifespan index and an operational lifespan index for a target battery pack, and determines status information of the target battery pack based on the experimental lifespan index and the operational lifespan index; an external device that displays the status information; Including, the battery status information providing device authenticates the status information; The battery status information providing system, wherein the status information includes performance information, safety information, or price information of the target battery pack.

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