Battery diagnostic device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A battery diagnostic device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include: a communication circuit that acquires the cumulative mileage of a vehicle to be diagnosed and the cumulative discharge energy of a battery installed in the vehicle to be diagnosed, and acquires a reference energy consumption for multiple vehicles of the same type as the vehicle to be diagnosed; a first processor that calculates a critical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether the battery can be replaced based on the reference energy consumption; and a second processor that calculates the cumulative energy consumption based on the cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy, and diagnoses whether the battery can be replaced based on the cumulative energy consumption and the critical value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross-Reference to Related Applications] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0127482 filed on September 22, 2023, and the entire content disclosed in the document of the said Korean Patent Application is included as part of the present specification.

[0002] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to a battery diagnosis apparatus and an operating method thereof.

Background Art

[0003] Recently, research and development on secondary batteries have been actively carried out. Here, the secondary battery refers to a chargeable and dischargeable battery, and is meant to include all conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and the like, as well as recent lithium ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium ion batteries have the advantage of far higher energy density compared to conventional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries and the like. In addition, lithium ion batteries can be manufactured in small, lightweight forms, are used as power sources for mobile devices, and have recently expanded their scope of use to power sources for electric vehicles, attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0004] A battery mounted on an electric vehicle is a consumable item and can be replaced. The service life of a battery may vary depending on the manner of operating the electric vehicle, the number of charging or discharging cycles, and / or the manufacturer of the battery. Accordingly, there is a need to determine whether or not the battery mounted on the vehicle is a replaced battery in order to judge the service life of the battery, but for a driver who has purchased a used electric vehicle, it is difficult to confirm whether the battery has been replaced.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Generally, except in cases of large-scale recalls of electric vehicles, there is a problem in that electric vehicle owners are unable to confirm whether or not their batteries can be replaced.

[0006] Furthermore, when calculating the critical value for battery replacement using only data from vehicles that do not have their batteries replaced, there is a problem in that it is not possible to secure a sufficient denominator for the critical value.

[0007] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A battery diagnostic device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include: a communication circuit that acquires the cumulative mileage of a vehicle to be diagnosed and the cumulative discharge energy of a battery installed in the vehicle to be diagnosed, and acquires a reference energy consumption for multiple vehicles of the same type as the vehicle to be diagnosed; a first processor that calculates a critical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether the battery can be replaced based on the reference energy consumption; and a second processor that calculates the cumulative energy consumption based on the cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy, and diagnoses whether the battery can be replaced based on the cumulative energy consumption and the critical value.

[0009] In one embodiment, each of the reference energy consumption values ​​may be calculated each time one of the plurality of vehicles starts and stops traveling during a specified period of time.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first processor can calculate the critical value using the interquartile range (IQR) with respect to the reference energy consumption.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second processor can diagnose whether the battery can be replaced based on the result of comparing the cumulative power consumption with the critical value.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second processor can diagnose the battery as a replaced battery if the cumulative power consumption exceeds the critical value.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first processor extracts a representative energy consumption that can represent the energy consumption of the vehicle to be diagnosed based on the average and standard deviation of the reference energy consumption, and the second processor can calculate the cumulative mileage since the battery was replaced from the time the battery was installed in the vehicle to be diagnosed, based on the representative energy consumption and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery.

[0014] In one embodiment, the communication circuit can transmit diagnostic information, including whether or not the battery can be replaced, to the user terminal.

[0015] The operation method of a battery diagnostic device according to one embodiment disclosed herein may include: an operation to obtain the cumulative mileage of the vehicle to be diagnosed and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery installed in the vehicle to be diagnosed; an operation to obtain the reference energy consumption of multiple vehicles of the same type as the vehicle to be diagnosed; an operation to calculate a critical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether the battery can be replaced based on the reference energy consumption; an operation to calculate the cumulative energy consumption based on the cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy; and an operation to diagnose whether the battery can be replaced based on the cumulative energy consumption and the critical value.

[0016] In one embodiment, each of the reference energy consumption values ​​may be calculated each time one of the plurality of vehicles starts and stops traveling during a specified period of time.

[0017] In one embodiment, the operation for calculating the critical value can be performed using the interquartile range (IQR) with respect to the reference energy consumption.

[0018] In one embodiment, the diagnostic operation can diagnose whether the battery can be replaced based on the result of comparing the cumulative power consumption with the critical value.

[0019] In one embodiment, the diagnostic operation can diagnose the battery as a replaced battery if the cumulative power consumption exceeds the critical value.

[0020] In one embodiment, the operation method may further include: extracting a representative energy consumption that can represent the energy consumption of the vehicle to be diagnosed based on the average and standard deviation of the reference energy consumption; and calculating the cumulative mileage since the battery was installed in the vehicle to be diagnosed, based on the representative energy consumption and the cumulative discharge energy.

[0021] In one embodiment, the operation method may further include an operation to transmit diagnostic information, including whether or not the battery can be replaced, to the user terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] The battery diagnostic device and its operating method according to various embodiments disclosed herein can diagnose whether a battery can be replaced based on the vehicle's cumulative mileage and the battery's cumulative discharge energy. This allows for a more accurate determination of whether a battery can be replaced by utilizing data related to the vehicle and the battery installed in the vehicle.

[0023] The battery diagnostic device and its operating method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein can utilize data on all vehicles and / or batteries, regardless of whether the battery is replaceable or not, thereby ensuring a sufficient amount of data for calculating the critical value that serves as the criterion for determining battery replacement.

[0024] The effects of the battery diagnostic device and its operating method as disclosed herein are not limited to those mentioned above, and any further effects not mentioned herein can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the disclosure herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] Shows a battery diagnosis system according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of a battery diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 3] Illustrates an accumulated discharge energy - accumulated travel distance graph according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 4a] Illustrates a reference power consumption graph and an analysis table based on the reference power consumption graph according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 4b] Illustrates a reference power consumption graph and an analysis table based on the reference power consumption graph according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 5] Illustrates an accumulated power consumption graph according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing an operation method of a battery diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing a detailed operation method of operation 606 of a battery diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing a method for calculating accumulated travel distance after replacement by a battery diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0026] With respect to the description of the drawings, identical or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments, and should be understood as including various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] The embodiments and terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to any particular embodiment, but should be understood to include a variety of modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of such embodiments. In the description of the drawings, similar or related reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may refer to one or more such items unless otherwise indicated to be clearly different in the context.

[0029] In this document, each of the phrases such as “A or B,” “A and at least one of B,” “A or at least one of B,” “A, B or C,” “A, B and at least one of C,” and “A, B, or at least one of C” may include any one of the items listed together with the applicable phrase, or any possible combination thereof. Terms such as “First,” “Second,” “First,” “Second,” “A,” “B,” “(a),” or “(b)” may be used simply to distinguish one component from other components and, unless otherwise stated, do not limit the component in any other way (e.g., importance or order).

[0030] In this document, when a component (e.g., component 1) is referred to as being "coupled," "joined," or "connected" to another component (e.g., component 2), with or without such terms, it means that the component can be directly (e.g., wired or wirelessly) or indirectly (e.g., via component 3) connected to the other component.

[0031] The methods according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between sellers and buyers. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory, CD-ROM) or online (e.g., by download or upload) 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 temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a device-readable storage medium such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or an intermediary server.

[0032] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, each of the components described above (e.g., a module or a program) may include one or more individuals, some of which may be separated and arranged in other components. According to the embodiments disclosed herein, 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., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a 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 components of the multiple components prior to the integration. According to the embodiments disclosed herein, operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, 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.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a battery diagnostic system according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0034] Referring to Figure 1, the battery diagnostic system may include the vehicle to be diagnosed 10, multiple vehicles 11, 12, 13, a battery diagnostic device 100, and a user terminal 150.

[0035] The vehicle to be diagnosed 10 may be the vehicle in which the battery diagnostic device 100 attempts to diagnose whether or not the battery pack can be replaced. The multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 may be vehicles of the same make and model as the vehicle to be diagnosed 10. Depending on the embodiment, the vehicle to be diagnosed 10 may be one of the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13. In Figure 1, the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 are shown as three, but the embodiment is not limited to this.

[0036] Each of the vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 shown in Figure 1 may include each of the battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131. Each of the battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131 may include multiple battery cells. According to the embodiment, the multiple battery cells may be, but are not limited to, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) batteries, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, nickel-cobalt manganese (NCM) batteries, and the like. Each of the battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131 can supply power to each of the vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13. For this reason, each of the battery packs 101, 111, 121, and 131 may be electrically connected to each of the vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13.

[0037] The connection between the battery diagnostic device 100 and all the vehicles 10, 11, 12, 13 and / or user terminals 150 shown in Figure 1 may be a communication connection via a wired and / or wireless network. The battery diagnostic device 100 can send and receive data with all the vehicles 10, 11, 12, 13 and / or user terminals 150 shown in Figure 1 via a wired and / or wireless network.

[0038] In one embodiment, the connection between the battery diagnostic device 100 and all vehicles 10, 11, 12, 13 and / or user terminals 150 shown in Figure 1 may be a communication connection via a wired and / or wireless network. In one embodiment, the wired network may be based on LAN (local area network) communication or power line communication. In one embodiment, the wireless network may be based on a short-range communication network (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi (wireless fidelity), or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a long-range communication network (cellular network, 4G network, 5G network).

[0039] In one embodiment, the connection between the battery diagnostic device 100 and all the vehicles 10, 11, 12, 13 and / or user terminals 150 shown in Figure 1 may be via an inter-device communication method (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0040] The following describes how the battery diagnostic device 100 diagnoses whether a battery pack 101 included in the vehicle 10 to be diagnosed can be replaced.

[0041] Furthermore, in the following explanation, the first vehicle 11 to the third vehicle 13 will be referred to as multiple vehicles, and the vehicle to be diagnosed 10 will be explained assuming that it is not included in the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13.

[0042] The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 included in the vehicle under diagnosis 10 can be replaced. The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on the reference energy consumption of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 and the cumulative energy consumption of the vehicle under diagnosis 10. Here, the reference energy consumption may be energy consumption calculated based on a specific standard (e.g., a specified period or specified conditions). For example, the reference energy consumption may be the average energy consumption calculated for each of the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 each time they start and end driving over a one-month period. The cumulative energy consumption may be an indicator for diagnosing whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced. This is because when the battery pack 101 is replaced, the cumulative mileage of the vehicle under diagnosis is not reset, but the cumulative discharge energy is reset, resulting in a difference between the cumulative energy consumption before and after the replacement of the battery pack 101.

[0043] The following describes how the battery diagnostic device 100 diagnoses whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on the standard energy consumption of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 and the cumulative energy consumption of the vehicle under diagnosis 10.

[0044] The battery diagnostic device 100 can obtain a reference energy consumption calculated for each of the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 over a specified period of time. According to the embodiment, the reference energy consumption may be calculated based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy at at least two points in time. The reference energy consumption may be expressed on a two-dimensional coordinate plane as a gradient value between the cumulative discharge energy at the first point in time, based on the cumulative mileage at the first point in time, and the cumulative discharge energy at the second point in time, based on the cumulative mileage at the second point in time, which is earlier than the first point in time.

[0045] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate a critical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced, based on the reference energy consumption. The critical value can refer to a reference value that, via the reference energy consumption, can be calculated as any value between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the vehicle. The critical value may be calculated based on the average, standard deviation, maximum value, and / or minimum value of the reference energy consumption.

[0046] The battery diagnostic device 100 can acquire the cumulative mileage of the vehicle under diagnosis 10 and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101. Here, the cumulative mileage may be the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle under diagnosis 10 up to a specific point in time, and the cumulative discharge energy may be the total amount of energy discharged from the battery pack 101 from the time it was installed in the vehicle under diagnosis 10.

[0047] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy consumption of the vehicle 10 to be diagnosed based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy. Here, the cumulative energy consumption may be calculated based on the value obtained by dividing the cumulative mileage by the cumulative discharge energy. According to the embodiment, the cumulative energy consumption may be represented on a two-dimensional coordinate plane as a gradient value based on the cumulative discharge energy due to the cumulative mileage.

[0048] The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on the cumulative power consumption and critical value.

[0049] When the battery diagnostic device 100 diagnoses that the battery pack 101 has been replaced, it can extract a representative energy consumption that can represent the energy consumption of the vehicle under diagnosis 10 based on the average and standard deviation of the standard energy consumption. For example, the representative energy consumption may be the average or median of the standard energy consumption of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13.

[0050] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative mileage since replacement, which is the cumulative mileage from the time the battery pack 101 was installed in the vehicle being diagnosed, based on the typical energy consumption and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101.

[0051] The battery diagnostic device 100 can transmit diagnostic results, including whether the battery pack 101 is replaceable, to the user terminal 150. Here, the user terminal 150 may be a device that controls the battery diagnostic device 100 and / or receives diagnostic results from the battery diagnostic device 100, and may be a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone, laptop computer, smartphone, smartpad) or a PC (personal computer). In one embodiment, the user terminal 150 may be included in the battery diagnostic device 100.

[0052] In one embodiment, the battery diagnostic device 100 may be included in a BMS capable of diagnosing the battery pack 101, and the operations performed by the battery diagnostic device 100 may be performed by the BMS. Furthermore, the operations of the battery diagnostic device 100 may be performed not only by the BMS in the vehicle, but also by various devices such as a server, cloud charger, or charger / discharger.

[0053] The battery diagnostic device 100 diagnoses whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on the vehicle's cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101. This allows the vehicle owner to easily confirm whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced, even if the vehicle is traded as a used vehicle.

[0054] Furthermore, if the battery diagnostic device 100 diagnoses the battery pack 101 as a replaced battery pack, it can calculate the mileage since the battery pack 101 was replaced, allowing for a clearer diagnosis of the cause of any problems that may occur in the vehicle.

[0055] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a battery diagnostic device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0056] Referring to Figure 2, the battery diagnostic device 100 may include a memory 102, a communication circuit 104, a first processor 106, and a second processor 108. Depending on the embodiment, the battery diagnostic device 100 shown in Figure 2 may further include at least one component other than those shown in Figure 2 (e.g., a sensor, a display, an input device, or an output device).

[0057] Memory 102 may include volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory.

[0058] In one embodiment, the memory 102 may contain one or more software programs.

[0059] In one embodiment, the memory 102 can store data used by at least one component of the battery diagnostic device 100 (e.g., processors 106, 108). For example, the data may include software (or related instructions), input data, or output data. In one embodiment, the instructions may cause the battery diagnostic device 100 to perform the actions defined by the instructions during execution, as performed by each of the processors 106 and 108.

[0060] The communication circuit 104 can obtain the calculated base fuel consumption for each of the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13. The communication circuit 104 can obtain the calculated base fuel consumption for each of the multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13 over a specified period of time.

[0061] The first processor 106 can calculate a critical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced, based on the reference energy consumption. The critical value can refer to a reference value that, via the reference energy consumption, can be calculated as any value between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the critical value may be calculated using the interquartile range (IQR) with respect to the reference energy consumption. In one embodiment, the first processor 106 can calculate the critical value based on the maximum value among the values ​​remaining after excluding outliers from the reference energy consumption calculated over a specified period of time. In one embodiment, the first processor 106 can calculate the critical value based on the third quartile (Q3). For example, the first processor 106 can calculate the IQR based on the first quartile (Q1) and the third quartile (Q3), and calculate the critical value using formula 1.

[0062] [Formula 1] Critical value = Q3 + 1.5 × IQR

[0063] The communication circuit 104 can obtain the cumulative mileage of the vehicle under diagnosis 10 from the vehicle under diagnosis 10. Here, the cumulative mileage may be the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle up to a specific point in time. The cumulative mileage may be stored in the memory of the vehicle under diagnosis 10.

[0064] The communication circuit 104 can obtain the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101. Here, the cumulative discharge energy may be the sum of the amount of energy discharged by the battery pack 101 from the time it was installed in the vehicle 10 under diagnosis until a specific point in time. The cumulative discharge energy may be stored in the memory 102.

[0065] The second processor 108 can calculate the cumulative energy consumption of the vehicle under diagnosis 10 based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy. Here, the cumulative energy consumption may be the value obtained by dividing the cumulative mileage by the cumulative discharge energy, regardless of whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced or not. Depending on whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced or not, there may be a difference in the cumulative energy consumption before and after replacement. That is, if the battery pack 101 is replaced, the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101 is reset, so the calculated cumulative energy consumption may be higher than when the battery pack 101 is not replaced.

[0066] The second processor 108 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on the cumulative power consumption and critical value. The second processor 108 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on the result of comparing the cumulative power consumption and the critical value.

[0067] In one embodiment, the second processor 108 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on whether the cumulative power consumption exceeds a critical value. If the cumulative power consumption exceeds a critical value, the second processor 108 can diagnose the battery pack 101 as a battery pack that has been replaced. If the cumulative power consumption is below the critical value, the second processor 108 can diagnose the battery pack 101 as a battery pack that has not been replaced.

[0068] The above describes how the possibility of replacing the battery pack 101 is determined based on whether the cumulative energy consumption exceeds a critical value. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various embodiments are possible, such as when the cumulative energy consumption is below / less than the minimum critical value or when the cumulative energy consumption does not fall within the critical range. However, for the sake of explanation, the following description will assume that the possibility of replacing the battery pack 101 is determined based on whether the cumulative energy consumption exceeds a critical value.

[0069] The first processor 106 can extract representative energy consumption based on the standard energy consumption. The first processor 106 can extract representative energy consumption based on the mean and standard deviation of the standard energy consumption. For example, representative energy consumption may be extracted based on the mean or median of the standard energy consumption of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13. In one embodiment, for vehicles with normally high standard energy consumption, representative energy consumption may be extracted based on the mean of the standard energy consumption plus the standard deviation. Conversely, for vehicles with normally low energy consumption, representative energy consumption may be extracted based on the mean of the standard energy consumption minus the standard deviation.

[0070] If the second processor 108 diagnoses the battery pack 101 as a replaced battery pack, it can calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement, which is the mileage traveled since the time of replacement. Here, the cumulative mileage after replacement may be the total distance traveled from the time of replacement to a specific point in time (e.g., the present time). The second processor 108 can calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement using formula 2.

[0071] [Formula 2] Cumulative mileage after replacement = Typical energy consumption × Cumulative discharge energy

[0072] In one embodiment, the first processor 106 and the second processor 108 may include a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor.

[0073] In one embodiment, the first processor 106 and the second processor 108 can execute software to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the battery diagnostic device 100 connected to the first processor 106 and the second processor 108, and can perform various data processing or calculations.

[0074] The operations performed by the first processor 106 and the second processor 108 described above may be performed by a single processor.

[0075] The communication circuit 104 can transmit the diagnostic results to the user terminal 150. Here, the user terminal 150 may be a device that controls the battery diagnostic device 100 and / or receives the diagnostic results from the battery diagnostic device 100.

[0076] In one embodiment, the communication circuit 104 establishes a wired communication channel and / or wireless communication channel between the battery diagnostic device 100 and all the vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 shown in Figure 1, and can send and receive data with all the vehicles 10, 11, 12, and 13 shown in Figure 1 via the established communication channel.

[0077] In one embodiment, the communication circuit 104 of the battery diagnostic device 100 establishes a wired communication channel and / or wireless communication channel between the battery diagnostic device 100 and the user terminal 150 and / or vehicles 10, 11, 12, 13, and can send and receive data with the user terminal 150 and / or vehicles 10, 11, 12, 13 via the established communication channel.

[0078] In one embodiment, if the operation of the battery diagnostic device 100 is performed by a BMS included in the battery pack 101 of the vehicle to be diagnosed 10, the battery diagnostic device 100 does not need to include a first processor 106. In this case, the operation of the first processor 106 may be performed by an external device, and the battery diagnostic device 100 can obtain critical values ​​and / or representative energy consumption from the external device via a communication circuit 104.

[0079] Figure 3 illustrates a cumulative discharge energy-cumulative mileage graph according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0080] Referring to Figure 3, the battery diagnostic device 100 can generate a cumulative discharge energy-cumulative mileage graph to check the changes in cumulative discharge energy and cumulative mileage.

[0081] The battery diagnostic device 100 can check whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced via a graph. For example, if the battery pack 101 has not been replaced, only the first graph 30 is generated. However, if the battery pack 101 has been replaced, the cumulative discharge energy is reset, so both the first graph 30 and the second graph 32 may be generated. For example, the first graph 30 and the second graph 32 may be separated based on the cumulative mileage 300 at the time the battery pack 101 was replaced.

[0082] In one embodiment, if the battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack, the graph may include the cumulative mileage based on the cumulative discharge energy of both the battery pack before replacement and the battery pack 101 after replacement. The first graph 30 may be the data from the battery pack before replacement, and the second graph 32 may be the data from the battery pack 101 after replacement. That is, if the battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack, it can be confirmed that the cumulative discharge energy is reset, but the cumulative mileage is not.

[0083] The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy consumption of a battery pack after replacement. Assuming that the initial cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy are all 0, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy consumption of the replaced battery as 143.2 based on the gradient value between (0,0) and (424.5, 60790), which are the coordinate values ​​of the first cumulative discharge energy and the first cumulative mileage. On the other hand, if the cumulative energy consumption of the battery pack before replacement is calculated using the same method as the cumulative energy consumption calculation method for the replaced battery pack, the cumulative energy consumption of the battery pack before replacement may be calculated as 10.09, which is the gradient value between (0,0) and (5773, 58248). For example, if the critical value is 11 (km / kWh), the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack in question is the replaced battery pack because the cumulative energy consumption (143.2 km / kWh) exceeds the critical value (11 km / kWh).

[0084] Figures 4a and 4b illustrate a standard energy consumption graph and an analysis table based on the standard energy consumption graph according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0085] Referring to Figures 4a and 4b, the standard energy consumption graph 40 can include the standard energy consumption calculated for each of the first to fifth vehicle types over a specified period of time. Here, the vehicles from the first to fifth vehicle types may be other vehicle types, and each of the first to fifth vehicle types can include a single vehicle or multiple vehicles of the same vehicle type. In Figure 4a, each of the first to fifth vehicle types is assumed to be multiple vehicles of the same vehicle type, and the standard energy consumption graph 40 will be explained assuming that it was generated based on the data of the multiple vehicles included in each of the first to fifth vehicle types.

[0086] The specified time period may be, for example, one month, and the base energy consumption may be calculated at regular intervals during that month. In one embodiment, the base energy consumption may be calculated each time 10 km is traveled during the specified time period of one month. In one embodiment, if the base energy consumption is calculated every month during the specified time period of one year, 12 base energy consumption values ​​may be calculated for the vehicle. In one embodiment, if the base energy consumption is calculated every week during the specified time period of one year, 52 base energy consumption values ​​may be calculated for the vehicle.

[0087] The battery diagnostic device 100 can generate an analysis table 42 based on the reference energy consumption graph 40. The analysis table 42 may include the average, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, and critical values ​​of the reference energy consumption for each of the first to fifth vehicle types. Here, the critical values ​​may be calculated based on the IQR method described above.

[0088] Referring to the standard energy consumption graph 40 and analysis table 42, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the critical value using the standard energy consumption for all vehicles, regardless of whether the battery can be replaced. Therefore, even if a large-scale recall occurs for a particular vehicle model, the battery diagnostic device 100 can obtain the standard energy consumption from all vehicles of that model, regardless of whether the battery can be replaced, and calculate the critical value. As a result, the battery diagnostic device 100 can secure a sufficient amount of data by utilizing not only the standard energy consumption of vehicles whose batteries have not been replaced, but also the standard energy consumption of vehicles whose batteries have been replaced.

[0089] Figure 5 illustrates a cumulative energy consumption graph according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0090] Referring to Figure 5, the cumulative energy consumption graph can include the most recently calculated cumulative energy consumption for each of several vehicle types.

[0091] The battery diagnostic device 100 can generate a cumulative energy consumption graph. The cumulative energy consumption graph can include the cumulative energy consumption for vehicle types 1 through 5. Here, vehicle types 1 through 5 may be other vehicle types, and each of vehicle types 1 through 5 may include a single vehicle or multiple vehicles of the same vehicle type. In Figure 5, we will explain assuming that each of vehicle types 1 through 5 is a single vehicle, and the cumulative energy consumption graph is generated based on the data of each single vehicle.

[0092] The battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on a comparison of the cumulative energy consumption shown in Figure 5 and the critical values ​​included in the analysis table 42 shown in Figure 4b.

[0093] Referring to the analysis table 42 in Figure 4b and the cumulative energy consumption graph in Figure 5, if the vehicle under diagnosis 10 is included in the first vehicle type, the critical value for the first vehicle type is 6.2 (km / kWh), and the cumulative energy consumption of the vehicle under diagnosis 10 does not exceed the critical value (6.2 (km / kWh)), so the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 is an unreplaced battery pack. On the other hand, if the vehicle under diagnosis 10 is included in the fourth vehicle type, the critical value for the fourth vehicle type is 6.8 (km / kWh), and the cumulative energy consumption of the vehicle under diagnosis 10 exceeds the critical value (6.8 (km / kWh)), so the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 is an unreplaced battery pack.

[0094] To summarize the above, in the case of vehicles where the battery has not been replaced, the deviation between the cumulative energy consumption shown in Figure 5 and the critical value included in the analysis table 42 shown in Figure 4b is not large. However, in the case of vehicles where the battery has been replaced, the deviation between the cumulative energy consumption shown in Figure 5 and the critical value included in the analysis table 42 shown in Figure 4b is larger than that of other vehicles. In other words, if the battery has not been replaced, the standard energy consumption and the cumulative energy consumption can be calculated to be similar values. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation method of a battery diagnostic device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0095] Referring to Figure 6, in operation 600, the battery diagnostic device 100 can obtain critical values ​​based on the reference energy consumption of multiple vehicles 11, 12, and 13.

[0096] In operation 602, the battery diagnostic device 100 can obtain the cumulative mileage of the vehicle to be diagnosed 10 and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery pack 101.

[0097] In operation 604, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative energy consumption for the vehicle under diagnosis 10 based on the cumulative mileage and cumulative discharge energy.

[0098] In operation 606, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose whether the battery pack 101 can be replaced based on the cumulative power consumption and critical value.

[0099] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the detailed operation method of operation 606 of the battery diagnostic device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0100] Referring to Figure 7, the operation 606 shown in Figure 6 can include operations 700 to 704 shown in Figure 7.

[0101] In operation 700, the battery diagnostic device 100 can compare the cumulative energy consumption with the critical value. The battery diagnostic device 100 can determine whether or not the cumulative energy consumption exceeds the critical value.

[0102] In operation 704, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack if the cumulative energy consumption exceeds the critical value, based on the result of comparing the cumulative energy consumption with the critical value.

[0103] In operation 702, the battery diagnostic device 100 can diagnose that the battery pack 101 is not a replaced battery pack if the cumulative power consumption is less than or equal to the critical value, based on the result of comparing the cumulative power consumption with the critical value.

[0104] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing how a battery diagnostic device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document calculates the cumulative mileage after replacement.

[0105] Referring to Figure 8, operation 800 may be performed after operation 704 in Figure 7. In operation 800, if the battery pack 101 is a replaced battery pack, the battery diagnostic device 100 can extract representative energy consumption based on the standard energy consumption. Here, representative energy consumption may be the average or median of the standard energy consumption.

[0106] In operation 802, the battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative mileage after replacement based on the typical energy consumption and cumulative discharge energy. The battery diagnostic device 100 can calculate the cumulative mileage based on the value obtained by multiplying the typical energy consumption and cumulative discharge energy.

[0107] The terms "contains," "constitutes," or "possesses," as used above, mean, unless otherwise specified, that the component in question may be inherent, and therefore should not be interpreted as excluding other components, but rather as potentially including other components. All terms, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as that generally 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 those defined in dictionaries, should be interpreted to be consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0108] The above description is merely illustrative of the technical concept disclosed herein, and any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed herein belong can make various modifications and variations, provided that they do not deviate from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes only, not to limit, the technical concept of the embodiments disclosed herein, and the scope of the technical concept disclosed herein is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical concept disclosed herein shall be interpreted in accordance with the following claims, and all technical concepts within an equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this document.

Claims

1. The cumulative mileage of the vehicle to be diagnosed and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery installed in the vehicle to be diagnosed are obtained. A communication circuit for obtaining the standard fuel consumption of multiple vehicles of the same make and model as the vehicle being diagnosed; A first processor that calculates a critical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not the battery can be replaced based on the aforementioned standard energy consumption; and Based on the cumulative distance traveled and the cumulative discharged energy, the cumulative electricity consumption is calculated. Includes a second processor that diagnoses whether the battery can be replaced based on the cumulative power consumption and the critical value, Battery diagnostic device.

2. Each of the aforementioned standard energy consumption figures is calculated each time one of the multiple vehicles starts and stops traveling during a specified period of time. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 1.

3. The first processor is, The critical value is calculated using the interquartile range for the aforementioned standard energy consumption. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 1.

4. The second processor is, Based on the results of comparing the cumulative energy consumption and the critical value, a diagnosis is made as to whether the battery can be replaced. A battery diagnostic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The second processor is, If the cumulative power consumption exceeds the critical value, the battery is diagnosed as a replaced battery. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 4.

6. The first processor is, Based on the average and standard deviation of the aforementioned standard energy consumption, a representative energy consumption that represents the energy consumption of the vehicle to be diagnosed is extracted. The second processor is, Based on the aforementioned representative fuel consumption and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery, the cumulative mileage after replacement, which is the cumulative mileage from the time the battery was installed in the vehicle to be diagnosed, is calculated. The battery diagnostic device according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned communication circuit is Diagnostic information, including whether the aforementioned battery can be replaced, is transmitted to the user's terminal. A battery diagnostic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. An operation to obtain the cumulative mileage of the vehicle being diagnosed and the cumulative discharge energy of the battery installed in the vehicle being diagnosed; An operation to obtain the standard energy consumption of multiple vehicles of the same make and model as the vehicle being diagnosed; An operation to calculate a critical value that serves as the criterion for determining whether or not the battery can be replaced, based on the aforementioned standard energy consumption; An operation to calculate cumulative electricity consumption based on the cumulative mileage and the cumulative discharge energy; and This includes an operation to diagnose whether the battery can be replaced based on the cumulative power consumption and the critical value. How to operate the battery diagnostic device.

9. Each of the aforementioned standard energy consumption figures is calculated each time one of the multiple vehicles starts and stops traveling during a specified period of time. The method for operating the battery diagnostic device according to claim 8.

10. The operation for calculating the aforementioned critical value is: The critical value is calculated using the interquartile range for the aforementioned standard energy consumption. The method for operating the battery diagnostic device according to claim 8.

11. The diagnostic actions described above are: Based on the results of comparing the cumulative energy consumption and the critical value, a diagnosis is made as to whether the battery can be replaced. A method for operating a battery diagnostic device according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. The diagnostic actions described above are: If the cumulative power consumption exceeds the critical value, the battery is diagnosed as a replaced battery. The method for operating the battery diagnostic device according to claim 11.

13. An operation to extract a representative electricity consumption that represents the electricity consumption of the vehicle under diagnosis based on the average and standard deviation of the aforementioned standard electricity consumption; and The operation further includes calculating the cumulative mileage after replacement, which is the cumulative mileage from the time the battery was installed in the vehicle being diagnosed, based on the aforementioned representative energy consumption and the cumulative discharge energy. The method of operating the battery diagnostic device according to claim 12.

14. The operation further includes transmitting diagnostic information, including whether the aforementioned battery can be replaced, to the user's terminal. A method for operating a battery diagnostic device according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

Images