Battery device and its operation method

Abstract

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

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Rechargeable secondary batteries, or batteries, are widely used as energy sources for mobile devices such as smartphones. Batteries are also used as energy sources for environmentally friendly vehicles, such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which are being proposed as a solution to air pollution caused by fossil fuel-based gasoline and diesel vehicles. The types of applications using batteries are becoming increasingly diverse, and batteries are expected to be used in even more fields and products in the future.

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

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

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

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

[0007] However, considering the characteristics of lithium-ion batteries, when the SOC is lower than a predetermined level, there is little energy available. Therefore, the BMS operates in low-power mode to maximize the recharge time of the main battery. However, due to the limited energy available, the recharge period when the SOC is lower than a predetermined level is not long. For example, a 1.5kW battery pack has a recharge period of approximately 80 days. Therefore, it is desirable to maximize the recharge time of expensive lithium-ion batteries.

[0008] Prior art related to this includes the patent documents listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0015] The control unit switches to a sleep mode after a predetermined first time period has elapsed without the main battery being charged or discharged.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0022] The boost charger is operated by power from the auxiliary battery when the voltage of the main battery is equal to or lower than a first set voltage, and the boost charger charges the main battery so that the voltage of the main battery is maintained at or higher than a second set voltage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0030] 1, a battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main battery 100 that stores and provides a first power required to operate a power-consuming device to which the battery system is attached, an auxiliary battery 200 that stores and provides a second power that is lower than or equal to the first power of the main battery 100, a measurement unit 300 that measures the voltage and other conditions of the main battery 100, a control unit 400 that is woken up based on a wake-up signal from the auxiliary battery 200 and determines the condition of the main battery 100, and a boost charger 500 that receives power from the auxiliary battery 200 and charges the main battery 100. Here, in the battery system of the present invention, after a predetermined first time period set as a state in which the main battery 100 does not perform a charging or discharging operation has elapsed, a BMS including the control unit 400 is switched to a sleep mode, and in the sleep mode, a BMS A including the control unit 400 is woken up using power from the auxiliary battery 200 to monitor the condition of the main battery 100. Furthermore, in the present invention, if the voltage of the main battery 100 is lower than a predetermined voltage after a second predetermined time has elapsed during which the main battery 100 is not charging or discharging (i.e., when the main battery 100 has not been used for a long time), the boost charger 500 is operated using power from the auxiliary battery 200, and the boost charger 500 maintains the voltage of the main battery 100 at or above the predetermined voltage. Here, the first and second times may be the same, or the second time may be longer than the first time. Furthermore, the long-term unused state may be set to "after the SOC of the main battery 100 is exhausted," i.e., "after the SOC reaches 0% and a predetermined time has elapsed." For example, since the main battery 100 can be fully discharged approximately 80 days after the SOC reaches 0%, depending on the capacity of the main battery 100, a time set before that may be determined as the long-term unused state. This can extend the period during which the main battery 100 can be recharged when its SOC is below a predetermined level, e.g., when the SOC is 0%.Meanwhile, the measurement unit 300, the control unit 400, and the boost charger 500 constitute a BMS A for managing the main battery 100. That is, the measurement unit 300, the control unit 400, and the boost charger 500 may be part of the BMS A. Each component of the battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0031] 1. Main battery

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

[0033] The main battery 100 may include at least one battery pack. Each of the at least one battery packs may include a plurality of battery modules, and each battery module may include a plurality of rechargeable battery cells. That is, the main battery 100 may include a plurality of battery cells, and the plurality of battery cells may be bundled together to form a battery module, or a plurality of battery modules may form a battery pack. Meanwhile, the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series and / or parallel in various ways according to the specifications of the power consuming device. Needless to say, a plurality of battery packs, each including a plurality of battery cells, may also be connected in series and / or parallel. The type of battery cells is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or a nickel-zinc battery.

[0034] 2. Auxiliary battery

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

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

[0037] 3.Measuring part

[0038] The measurement unit 300 may be provided to measure the status of the main battery 100. For example, the measurement unit 300 may measure the current, voltage, temperature, etc. of the main battery 100. The measurement unit 300 may also measure the current, voltage, and other statuses of a battery pack, a battery module, and a battery cell. That is, the measurement unit 300 may measure the status of each of a plurality of battery cells, a battery module including a plurality of battery cells, or a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules. To this end, the measurement unit 300 may include a plurality of sensors. That is, the measurement unit 300 may include at least one current sensor, at least one voltage sensor, and at least one temperature sensor. The voltage sensor, current sensor, and temperature sensor periodically measure the current, voltage, and temperature of the main battery 100 under the control of the control unit 400 and provide the measurement results to the control unit 400. Here, the voltage sensor generates a signal corresponding to the voltage applied between the positive and negative electrodes of the main battery 100 and provides the signal to the control unit 400. The voltage sensor may include, for example, a differential amplifier circuit that outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the voltage difference between the positive and negative terminals of the main battery 100. The current sensor may be a sense resistor or a Hall sensor that generates a signal corresponding to the magnitude of the charging current and provides it to the control unit 400. The current sensor can measure not only the charging current but also the discharging current. The temperature sensor may be, for example, a thermocouple used to measure temperature. The temperature sensor generates a signal corresponding to the temperature of the main battery 100 and provides it to the control unit 400.

[0039] 4. Control Unit

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

[0041] 5. Boost Charger

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

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

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

[0045] [Table 1]

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

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

[0048] 6. Inverter

[0049] The inverter 600 drives the motor 700 so that the eco-friendly vehicle can run. That is, the inverter 600 converts the DC power from the main battery 100 into AC power used by the motor 700, maintains an accurate charge, and controls the rotation speed and torque of the motor 700. Needless to say, eco-friendly vehicles that use DC motors do not require inverters, but to use high-performance AC motors, an inverter that can freely change frequency, voltage, rotation speed, and torque is an essential component.

[0050] 7. Motor

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

[0052] Meanwhile, although not shown, the environmentally friendly vehicle may further include a regenerative power generation device. The regenerative power generation device may be provided to reduce the energy consumption of the environmentally friendly vehicle. In the environmentally friendly vehicle, the motor 700 has the same structure as a generator, and rotates when current flows through it. Conversely, when an external force is applied to rotate it, it becomes a generator. When the brakes are applied to slow down the environmentally friendly vehicle while it is moving, an inertial force that tries to keep the vehicle moving is generated. The motor 700 is reverse-driven by the inertial force and operates as a generator, generating electricity. This is called regenerative power generation. Furthermore, when braking the vehicle, part of the braking force can be used to generate electricity, and the generated electrical energy can be charged into the main battery 100 and / or the auxiliary battery 200.

[0053] The electrical components powered by the auxiliary battery 200 may include electrically powered electronic components that constitute environmentally friendly automobiles. Examples of electrical components include a lighting system, a cluster, and an airbag system that provides all the necessary driving and operation information. These include an airbag system to protect passengers in the event of a collision, a body control system (BCS) that provides the driver with various driving conveniences and information, an air quality system (AQS) that automatically purifies the air inside the vehicle, an automatic climate control system that automatically adjusts the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle, and a back warning system (BWS) that identifies and warns of objects behind the vehicle when reversing. Other examples include a security system to prevent vehicle theft and a before service warning system (BSWS) that detects the vehicle's condition and provides the driver with preventive maintenance information.

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

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

[0056] S110: In the battery system of the present invention, after a predetermined time has elapsed in which the main battery 100 is not charging or discharging, the BMS including the control unit 400 switches to sleep mode. In sleep mode, the BMS including the control unit 400 is woken up using power from the auxiliary battery 200 to monitor the status of the main battery 100. Furthermore, the present invention can determine that the main battery 100 has been unused for a long period of time after a second predetermined time has elapsed in which the main battery 100 is not charging or discharging. In this case, the long-term unused state of the main battery 100 can be set to "after the SOC of the main battery 100 is exhausted," i.e., "after the SOC reaches 0% and a predetermined time has elapsed." For example, depending on the capacity of the main battery 100, the main battery 100 will be fully discharged approximately 80 days after the SOC reaches 0%, so a set time period before that, e.g., any one of 1 to 70 days, can be determined to be unused for a long period of time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claims

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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