Battery heating device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A battery heating device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include a state of charge calculation unit that calculates the state of charge (SOC) of a battery, a sensor unit that measures the voltage, current, or temperature of the battery, a control unit that determines a charging power for the battery based on the state of charge of the battery and the maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery, and determines whether to heat the battery based on the measured temperature and the charging power, and a heating unit that heats the battery when it is determined to heat the battery.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0132751, filed October 14, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a battery heating 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 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, and they are attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0003] Batteries undergo different internal chemical changes depending on the temperature during charging. Charging a battery at a low or high temperature can result in reduced battery performance or even permanent damage to the battery's functionality. For example, if a battery is charged below a certain temperature, swelling can occur, causing the battery to expand and impair its functionality. To address this issue, systems are used that heat the battery when the battery temperature is below a certain temperature before or during charging. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] With regard to battery heating systems, in the past, there was a problem in that unnecessary power consumption occurred because the preset heating function was activated simply when the battery temperature was below a certain temperature, without taking into consideration the battery specifications, charging state, and charger specifications.

[0005] One objective of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide a battery heating device and its operating method that can reduce power consumption due to unnecessary battery heating by determining whether to heat the battery based on various parameters (e.g., the battery's state of charge, temperature, and the charger's maximum charging power).

[0006] 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]

[0007] A battery heating device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include a state of charge calculation unit that calculates the state of charge (SOC) of a battery, a sensor unit that measures the voltage, current, or temperature of the battery, a control unit that determines a charging power for the battery based on the state of charge of the battery and the maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery, and determines whether to heat the battery based on the measured temperature and the charging power, and a heating unit that heats the battery when it is determined to heat the battery.

[0008] A battery heating device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include a data acquisition unit that acquires information about the maximum charging power from an external server based on user input specifying the charger.

[0009] In one embodiment of the battery heating device disclosed in this document, the control unit can estimate the maximum charging power based on the voltage and current of the battery measured via the sensor unit during a specified time period when the battery is being charged via the charger.

[0010] A battery heating device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document includes a data acquisition unit that acquires charging history information of the battery from an external server, and the control unit can estimate the maximum charging power based further on the charging history information.

[0011] In one embodiment of the battery heating device disclosed in this document, the control unit can calculate an expected charge amount of the battery based on the charge state and a target charge state, and determine the charge power to be lower than or equal to the maximum charge power based on the expected charge amount.

[0012] In one embodiment of the battery heating device disclosed in this document, the control unit can calculate an expected charging time for the battery based on the expected charge amount, and determine the charging power based on the expected charging time.

[0013] In one embodiment of the battery heating device disclosed in this document, the control unit determines whether the battery can be charged with the charging power based on the temperature, and if it is determined that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power, it can decide to heat the battery.

[0014] In one embodiment of the battery heating device disclosed in this document, the control unit calculates a reference temperature required to charge the battery with the charging power, and if the temperature is below the reference temperature, it can determine that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power.

[0015] A battery heating method according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include the following operations: calculating a state of charge (SOC) of a battery; determining a charging power for the battery based on the state of charge of the battery and a maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery; measuring a temperature of the battery; determining whether to heat the battery based on the charging power and the measured temperature; and heating the battery if it is determined to heat the battery.

[0016] A battery heating method according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include an operation of obtaining information about the maximum charging power from an external server based on user input specifying the charger.

[0017] A battery heating method according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include, when the battery is being charged via the charger, estimating the maximum charging power based on the voltage and current of the battery measured via the sensor unit for a specified time.

[0018] In one embodiment of the battery heating method disclosed herein, the operation of determining the charging power may include an operation of calculating an expected charge amount of the battery based on the state of charge and a target state of charge, and an operation of determining the charging power to be lower than or equal to the maximum charging power based on the expected charge amount.

[0019] In one embodiment of the battery heating method disclosed herein, the operation of determining the charging power may include an operation of calculating an expected charging time for the battery based on the expected charge amount, and an operation of determining the charging power based on the expected charging time.

[0020] In one embodiment of a battery heating method disclosed herein, the operation of determining whether to heat the battery may include an operation of determining whether the battery can be charged with the charging power based on the measured temperature, and an operation of deciding to heat the battery if it is determined that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power.

[0021] In one embodiment of a battery heating method disclosed herein, the operation of determining whether the battery can be charged with the charging power may include an operation of calculating a reference temperature required to charge the battery with the charging power, and an operation of determining that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power if the measured temperature is less than the reference temperature. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the efficiency of heating the battery can be improved by determining whether to heat the battery based on various parameters (e.g., the battery's state of charge, temperature, and the charger's maximum charging power).

[0023] The embodiments disclosed herein can reduce power consumption due to unnecessary battery heating. In addition, this document can provide various other benefits that can be perceived directly or indirectly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a battery heating system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is an operation flowchart of a battery heating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is an operation flowchart of a battery heating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is an operation flowchart of a battery heating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is an operation flowchart of a battery heating device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, although it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments, but rather includes various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] The various embodiments and terms used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for like or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the said item unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0027] In this document, each phrase such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed with that phrase. Terms such as "first," "second," "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," or "(b)" may be used simply to distinguish that element from other elements and do not limit that element in other respects (e.g., importance or order) unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0028] In this document, when a (e.g., first) component is referred to as being "connected with," "coupled with," or "linked with" another (e.g., second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," or when a reference is made to being "coupled to" or "connected with," this means that the component may be coupled to the other component directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or via a third component.

[0029] According to one embodiment, methods according to various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated on a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or an intermediary server.

[0030] According to various embodiments, each of the aforementioned components (e.g., modules or programs) may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be located separately in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the aforementioned components or operations may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the respective components of the multiple components before the integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by modules, programs, or other components may be performed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a battery heating system according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, a battery heating system 100 can include a battery 110 and a battery heating device 120 .

[0032] The battery heating device 120 may include a sensor unit 121, a state-of-charge calculation unit 122, a heating unit 123, a data acquisition unit 124, and / or a control unit 125. According to some embodiments, the battery heating device 120 may omit at least one of the components of FIG. 1 or may include one or more other components.

[0033] The sensor unit 121 may be electrically connected to the battery 110. According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 121 may measure the voltage, current, or temperature of the battery 110. According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 121 may receive a measurement control signal from the control unit 125 to measure the voltage, current, or temperature of the battery 110. The sensor unit 121 may measure the voltage, current, or temperature of the battery 110 every time it receives the measurement control signal from the control unit 125. According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 121 may transmit the measured voltage value, current value, or temperature value to the state of charge calculation unit 122 and / or the control unit 125.

[0034] The state of charge calculation unit 122 may calculate a state of charge (SOC) of the battery 110. According to an embodiment, the state of charge calculation unit 122 may calculate the state of charge of the battery 110 based on at least one of a voltage value, a current value, and a temperature value of the battery 110 transmitted from the sensor unit 121. According to an embodiment, the state of charge calculation unit 122 may transmit the calculated state of charge of the battery 110 to the control unit 125.

[0035] The heating unit 123 may be a heating means disposed adjacent to the battery 110 and configured to increase the temperature of the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the heating unit 123 can heat the battery 110 each time it receives a heating control signal from the control unit 125.

[0036] The data acquisition unit 124 may receive data from an external device and / or an external server via a wired or wireless connection. According to an embodiment, the data acquisition unit 124 may acquire information about the maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery 110 or charging history information about the battery 110 from an external server. According to an embodiment, the data acquisition unit 124 may transmit the acquired data to the control unit 125.

[0037] The control unit 125 may be electrically connected to the sensor unit 121, the state-of-charge calculation unit 122, the heating unit 123, and the data acquisition unit 124. According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may execute software to control at least one other component connected to the control unit 125 and perform various data processing or calculations. According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may control the overall operation of the battery heating device 120 by controlling at least one other component connected to the control unit 125. The control unit 125 may include at least one processing device such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a central processing unit (CPU), microcontrollers, or microprocessors.

[0038] According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may determine a charging power for the battery 110. Here, the charging power may refer to power supplied from a charger to the battery 110 for charging the battery 110. According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may determine the charging power for the battery 110 based on the maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery 110 and the charging state of the battery 110.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the control unit 125 can identify whether there is a user input specifying a charger that will charge the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can acquire the user input from an external device via the data acquisition unit 124. According to another embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can include an interface unit that receives a user input specifying a charger that will charge the battery 110.

[0040] According to one embodiment, when it is identified that there is a user input specifying a charger, the control unit 125 may obtain information regarding the maximum charging power of the charger from an external server. According to one embodiment, the control unit 125 may obtain information regarding the maximum charging power of the charger specified by the user from the external server via the data obtaining unit 124. For example, when it is identified that there is a user input specifying a first electric vehicle charging station, the control unit 125 may obtain information regarding the maximum charging power (e.g., 220 kW) of the first electric vehicle charging station from the external server via the data obtaining unit 124.

[0041] According to an embodiment, when it is determined that there is no user input specifying a charger, the controller 125 may determine whether the battery 110 is being charged. For example, the controller 125 may determine whether the battery 110 is being charged based on whether the battery 110 is electrically connected to an external device. As another example, the controller 125 may determine whether the battery 110 is being charged based on a change in voltage or current of the battery 110.

[0042] According to one embodiment, when the control unit 125 identifies that the battery 110 is being charged, the control unit 125 can estimate the maximum charging power of the charger based on the voltage and current of the battery measured during a specified time. According to one embodiment, the control unit 125 can acquire charging history information of the battery 110 from an external server via the data acquisition unit 124. In this case, the control unit 125 can estimate the maximum charging power of the charger further based on the acquired charging history information.

[0043] According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may calculate an expected charge amount of the battery 110 based on the state of charge of the battery 110 and a target state of charge. Here, the target state of charge may be set based on a charging pattern of a user who uses an external device including the battery 110, or may be a charge state preset by the user. In addition, the expected charge amount may refer to a difference between the target state of charge and the current state of charge of the battery 110.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the controller 125 may calculate an expected charging time for the battery 110 based on the expected charge amount. According to one embodiment, the control unit 125 may determine the charging power of the battery 110 based on the expected charge amount or the expected required charging time. According to one embodiment, the control unit 125 may determine the charging power of the battery 110 according to the expected charge amount or the expected required charging time within a range up to the maximum charging power of the charger. For example, the control unit 125 may determine the charging power of the battery 110 to be higher as the expected charge amount increases within a range up to the maximum charging power of the charger. As another example, the control unit 125 may determine the charging power of the battery 110 to be higher as the expected required charging time increases within a range up to the maximum charging power of the charger.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 can measure the temperature of the battery 110 via the sensor unit 121 . According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may determine whether to heat the battery 110 based on the temperature of the battery 110. According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may determine whether the battery 110 can be charged with a determined charging power.

[0046] According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may calculate the reference temperature based on a determined charging power of the battery 110. Here, the reference temperature may be a temperature required to charge the battery 110 with the determined charging power. That is, the reference temperature may be a temperature lower than that at which swelling of the battery occurs when charging the battery 110 with the determined charging power.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the control unit 125 can identify whether the temperature of the battery 110 is below a reference temperature. According to an embodiment, when the temperature of the battery 110 is identified to be lower than the reference temperature, the control unit 125 may determine that the battery 110 cannot be charged with the charging power. In this case, the control unit 125 may heat the battery 110. According to an embodiment, the control unit 125 may control the heating unit 123 to heat the battery 110.

[0048] According to one embodiment, when the temperature of the battery 110 is identified as being equal to or higher than the reference temperature, the control unit 125 may determine that the battery 110 can be charged with charging power. In this case, the control unit 125 does not need to heat the battery.

[0049] In this way, the battery heating device 120 can prevent battery swelling by determining whether to heat the battery 110 depending on whether the temperature of the battery 110 is higher or lower than a reference temperature. In addition, the reference temperature is calculated according to the charging power determined based on the state of charge of the battery 110 and the maximum charging power of the charger, so unnecessary heating of the battery can be minimized. As a result, the battery heating device 120 can reduce unnecessary power consumption.

[0050] 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a battery heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be explained using the configuration of FIG. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is just one embodiment, and the order of steps according to various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in FIG. 2, and some steps shown in FIG. 2 may be omitted, the order between steps may be changed, or steps may be merged.

[0051] 2 , in operation 205, the battery heating device 120 may calculate the state of charge of the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may calculate the state of charge of the battery 110 based on at least one of a voltage value, a current value, or a temperature value of the battery 110.

[0052] In operation 210, the battery heating device 120 may determine a charging power for the battery 110. Here, the charging power may refer to power supplied from a charger to the battery 110 for charging the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may determine the charging power for the battery 110 based on the maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery 110 and the state of charge of the battery 110 calculated in operation 205. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may determine the charging power for the battery 110 to be equal to or less than the maximum charging power of the charger. Furthermore, the battery heating device 120 may determine the charging power for the battery 110 according to an expected charge amount calculated based on the state of charge of the battery 110. For example, the battery heating device 120 may determine a higher charging power for the battery 110 as the expected charge amount increases.

[0053] The operation of the battery heating device 120 to acquire or estimate the maximum charging power of the charger will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 3. The operation of the battery heating device 120 to determine the charging power will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4.

[0054] In operation 215 , the battery heating device 120 may measure the temperature of the battery 110 . In operation 220, the battery heating device 120 may determine whether to heat the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may determine whether to heat the battery 110 based on the temperature of the battery 110 measured in operation 215.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may determine whether the battery 110 can be charged with the charging power determined in operation 210. For example, the battery heating device 120 may determine that the battery 110 cannot be charged with the charging power if the temperature of the battery 110 is lower than a reference temperature. Here, the reference temperature may be a temperature required to charge the battery 110 with the charging power determined in operation 210. In other words, the reference temperature may be a temperature at which battery swelling occurs when charging the battery 110 with the charging power determined in operation 210 at a temperature lower than the reference temperature.

[0056] In this way, the battery heating device 120 can prevent battery swelling by determining whether to heat the battery 110 depending on whether the temperature of the battery 110 is higher or lower than a reference temperature. In addition, the reference temperature is calculated according to the charging power determined based on the state of charge of the battery 110 and the maximum charging power of the charger, so unnecessary heating of the battery can be minimized. As a result, the battery heating device 120 can reduce unnecessary power consumption.

[0057] The operation of the battery heating device 120 to determine whether or not to heat the battery will be described in detail with reference to FIG. If it is determined in operation 220 that the battery 110 is to be heated (“YES”), then in operation 225, the battery heating device 120 can heat the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can control the heating unit 123 to heat the battery 110.

[0058] 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a battery heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be explained using the configuration of FIG. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is just one embodiment, and the order of steps according to various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in FIG. 3, and some steps shown in FIG. 3 may be omitted, the order between steps may be changed, or steps may be merged.

[0059] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for acquiring or estimating the maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery 110, which is one of the processes required when the battery heating device 120 determines the charging power in operation 210 of FIG.

[0060] 3 , in operation 305, the battery heating device 120 can identify whether there is a user input specifying a charger to charge the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can obtain the user input input via an external device including the battery 110. According to another embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can include an interface unit that receives the user input specifying a charger to charge the battery 110. In this case, the battery heating device 120 can perform operation 305 based on the user input received via the interface unit.

[0061] If it is identified in OPERATION 305 that there is a user input specifying a charger ("YES"), then in OPERATION 310, the battery heating device 120 can obtain information regarding the maximum charging power of the charger from an external server. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can obtain information regarding the maximum charging power of the charger specified in OPERATION 305 from the external server via the data obtaining unit 124. For example, if a user input specifying a first electric vehicle charging station is identified in OPERATION 305, the battery heating device 120 can obtain information regarding the maximum charging power (e.g., 220 kW) of the first electric vehicle charging station from the external server via the data obtaining unit 124.

[0062] If it is determined in operation 305 that there is no user input specifying a charger ("NO"), in operation 315, the battery heating device 120 can identify whether the battery 110 is being charged. For example, the battery heating device 120 can identify whether the battery 110 is being charged based on whether the battery 110 is electrically connected to an external device. As another example, the battery heating device 120 can identify whether the battery 110 is being charged based on a change in voltage or current of the battery 110.

[0063] If the battery 110 is identified as not being charged in operation 315 (“NO”), the battery heating device 120 may end the operations of FIG.

[0064] If the battery 110 is identified as being charged in operation 315 (“YES”), the battery heating device 120 can estimate the maximum charging power of the charger based on the battery voltage and current measured during a specified time in operation 320. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can obtain charging history information of the battery 110 from an external server. In this case, the battery heating device 120 can estimate the maximum charging power of the charger further based on the obtained charging history information.

[0065] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a battery heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be explained using the configuration of FIG. The embodiment shown in Figure 4 is just one embodiment, and the order of steps according to various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in Figure 4, and some steps shown in Figure 4 may be omitted, the order between steps may be changed, or steps may be merged. For example, operation 410 in Figure 4 may be omitted.

[0066] FIG. 4 is a diagram specifically illustrating how the battery heating device 120 determines the charging power in operation 210 of FIG. 4, in OPERATION 405, the battery heating device 120 may calculate an expected charge amount of the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may calculate an expected charge amount of the battery 110 based on the state of charge of the battery 110 calculated in OPERATION 205 of FIG. 2 and a target state of charge. Here, the target state of charge may be set based on a charging pattern of a user using an external device including the battery 110, or may be a state of charge preset by the user. In addition, the expected charge amount may refer to a difference value between the target state of charge and the state of charge calculated in OPERATION 205.

[0067] In operation 410, the battery heating device 120 may calculate an expected time required to charge the battery 110. In one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may calculate an expected time required to charge the battery 110 based on the expected charge amount calculated in operation 405.

[0068] In operation 415, the battery heating device 120 may determine a charging power for the battery 110. Here, the charging power may refer to the power supplied from the charger to the battery 110 for charging the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may determine the charging power for the battery 110 based on the expected charge amount calculated in operation 405 or the expected charging time calculated in operation 410.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may determine the charging power of the battery 110 according to the expected charge amount or the expected charging time within a range up to the charger's maximum charging power. For example, the battery heating device 120 may determine the charging power of the battery 110 to be higher the higher the expected charge amount within a range up to the charger's maximum charging power. As another example, the battery heating device 120 may determine the charging power of the battery 110 to be higher the longer the expected charging time within a range up to the charger's maximum charging power.

[0070] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a battery heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be explained using the configuration of FIG. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is just one embodiment, and the order of steps according to various embodiments of the present invention may differ from that shown in FIG. 5, and some steps shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted, the order between steps may be changed, or steps may be merged.

[0071] FIG. 5 is a diagram specifically illustrating operation 220 and operation 225 in FIG. 2, in which the battery heating device 120 determines whether to heat the battery and heats the battery. 5, in OPERATION 505, the battery heating device 120 may calculate a reference temperature. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 may calculate the reference temperature based on the charging power determined in OPERATION 210 of FIG. 2. Here, the reference temperature may be a temperature required to charge the battery 110 with the charging power determined in OPERATION 210 of FIG. 2. In other words, the reference temperature may be a temperature below which battery swelling occurs when charging the battery 110 with the charging power determined in OPERATION 210.

[0072] In operation 510, the battery heating device 120 may identify whether the temperature of the battery 110 measured in operation 215 of FIG. 2 is less than the reference temperature calculated in operation 505.

[0073] If the temperature of the battery 110 is identified to be below the reference temperature in operation 510 (“YES”), then in operation 515 the battery heating device 120 may determine that the battery 110 cannot be charged with charging power.

[0074] In operation 520, the battery heating device 120 can heat the battery 110. According to one embodiment, the battery heating device 120 can control the heating unit 123 to heat the battery 110.

[0075] If the temperature of the battery 110 is identified to be equal to or greater than the reference temperature in operation 510 (“NO”), the battery heating device 120 may determine that the battery 110 can be charged with charging power in operation 525. In this case, the battery heating device 120 may not heat the battery.

[0076] In this way, the battery heating device 120 can prevent battery swelling by determining whether to heat the battery 110 depending on whether the temperature of the battery 110 is higher or lower than a reference temperature. In addition, the reference temperature is calculated according to the charging power determined based on the state of charge of the battery 110 and the maximum charging power of the charger, so unnecessary heating of the battery can be minimized. As a result, the battery heating device 120 can reduce unnecessary power consumption.

[0077] As used above, terms such as "comprise," "comprise," or "have" mean that the relevant element can be contained within the term, unless otherwise specified, and should be interpreted as meaning that other elements may be included, rather than excluding other elements. All terms, 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, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as dictionary-defined terms, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 100 Battery Heating System 110 Batteries 120 Battery heating device 121 Sensor unit 122 Charge state calculation unit 123 Heating section 124 Data Acquisition Unit 125 Control Unit

Claims

1. A battery heating device, a state of charge calculation unit that calculates a state of charge (SOC) of the battery; a sensor unit for measuring the voltage, current, or temperature of the battery; a control unit that determines a charging power for the battery based on the charging state of the battery and a maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery, and that determines whether to heat the battery based on the measured temperature and the charging power; a heating unit that heats the battery when it is determined to heat the battery; A battery heating device comprising:

2. The battery heating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a data acquisition unit that acquires information about the maximum charging power from an external server based on a user input specifying the charger.

3. The control unit 2. The battery heating device according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is being charged via the charger, the maximum charging power is estimated based on the voltage and current of the battery measured via the sensor unit for a specified period of time.

4. a data acquisition unit that acquires charging history information of the battery from an external server; The battery heating device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit estimates the maximum charging power further based on the charging history information.

5. The control unit calculating an expected charge amount of the battery based on the state of charge and a target state of charge; The battery heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the charging power is determined to be lower than or equal to the maximum charging power based on the expected charging amount.

6. The control unit calculating an estimated charging time for the battery based on the estimated charge amount; The battery heating device according to claim 5 , wherein the charging power is determined based on the expected charging time.

7. The control unit determining whether the battery can be charged with the charging power based on the temperature; The battery heating device according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power, it is determined to heat the battery.

8. The control unit calculating a reference temperature required to charge the battery with the charging power; The battery heating device according to claim 7 , wherein when the temperature is lower than the reference temperature, it is determined that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power.

9. A battery heating method, comprising: Calculating the state of charge (SOC) of the battery; determining a charging power for the battery based on the state of charge of the battery and a maximum charging power of a charger that charges the battery; measuring the temperature of the battery; determining whether to heat the battery based on the charging power and the measured temperature; heating the battery if it is determined to do so; A battery heating method comprising:

10. The battery heating method according to claim 9 , further comprising an operation of acquiring information about the maximum charging power from an external server based on a user input specifying the charger.

11. 10. The battery heating method of claim 9, further comprising an operation of estimating the maximum charging power based on the voltage and current of the battery measured during a specified time via the sensor unit when the battery is being charged via the charger.

12. The operation of determining the charging power includes: calculating an expected charge amount of the battery based on the state of charge and a target state of charge; and determining the charging power to be lower than or equal to the maximum charging power based on the expected charging amount.

13. The operation of determining the charging power includes: calculating an estimated charging time for the battery based on the estimated charge amount; The battery heating method according to claim 12 , further comprising: determining the charging power based on the expected charging time.

14. The operation of determining whether to heat the battery includes: determining whether the battery can be charged with the charging power based on the measured temperature; The battery heating method according to claim 8 , further comprising: an operation of deciding to heat the battery when it is determined that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power.

15. The operation of determining whether the battery can be charged with the charging power includes: calculating a reference temperature required to charge the battery with the charging power; The battery heating method according to claim 14 , further comprising: an operation of determining that the battery cannot be charged with the charging power if the measured temperature is lower than the reference temperature.

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