Battery Management System

Abstract

A battery pack management system (1) is provided with a cell monitoring unit (10) for measuring the output voltages of a plurality of storage cells (81), a battery management unit (20) for managing a battery pack (8), and a first communication network (NW1) for connecting the cell monitoring unit (10) and the battery management unit (20). The battery management unit (20) has a first communication circuit (21) connected to the first communication network (NW1), a second communication circuit (22) connected to a second communication network (NW2) for connecting to a host system (2), a control circuit (23) for controlling the battery management unit (20), and a control circuit power supply (33). The battery pack management system (1) has, as operation modes, a normal mode and a low power consumption mode. The first communication circuit (21) activates at least one of the control circuit power supply (33), the control circuit (23), and the second communication circuit (22) during transition from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assembled battery management system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known an assembled battery management system that monitors the states, such as the voltage and temperature, of a plurality of storage cells connected in series (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The battery pack management system includes a plurality of cell monitoring units that measure the voltages of the power storage cells, and a control circuit that controls the plurality of cell monitoring units. The plurality of cell monitoring units and the control circuit are daisy-chain connected.

[0004] When such a battery pack management system is used, for example, in an on-board power supply, an abnormality can occur in the battery pack even when the vehicle equipped with the battery pack management system is stopped (i.e., when charging using regenerative energy is not performed), so monitoring by the cell monitoring unit is necessary. For this reason, a technology is known in which the cell monitoring unit operates in a low power consumption mode to achieve long-term monitoring without charging. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-18070 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, even in the low power consumption mode, power must be supplied to the control circuit and the like, and therefore further reductions in power consumption are required.

[0007] The present disclosure is intended to solve such problems, and has an object to provide an assembled battery management system that can reduce power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-described problems, one aspect of the assembled battery management system according to the present disclosure is an assembled battery management system that manages an assembled battery having a plurality of storage cells connected in series or in parallel, the system including: a cell monitoring unit connected to the plurality of storage cells and measuring an output voltage of at least one of the plurality of storage cells; a battery management unit that manages the assembled battery; and a first communication network that connects the cell monitoring unit and the battery management unit, the battery management unit including a first communication circuit connected to the first communication network; a second communication circuit connected to a second communication network for connection to a host system of the assembled battery management system; a control circuit that controls the battery management unit; and a control circuit power supply that supplies power to the control circuit, the assembled battery management system having operating modes including a normal mode and a low power consumption mode that consumes less power than the normal mode, and in the low power consumption mode, at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit is stopped, and the first communication circuit activates at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit when transitioning from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, another aspect of the battery pack management system according to the present disclosure is a battery pack management system that manages a battery pack having a plurality of storage cells connected in series or in parallel, and includes: a cell monitoring unit that is connected to the plurality of storage cells and measures the output voltage of at least one of the plurality of storage cells; a battery management unit that manages the battery pack; and a first communication network that connects the cell monitoring unit and the battery management unit, wherein the battery management unit has a first communication circuit that is connected to the first communication network, a second communication circuit that is connected to a second communication network for connecting to a host system of the battery pack management system, and a control circuit that controls the battery management unit, and the first communication circuit is connected to a third communication network for connecting to the host system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an assembled battery management system that can reduce power consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a battery pack management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the cell monitoring unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the first communication circuit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation when switching from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode in the battery pack management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first communication circuit in the low power consumption mode according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of the time waveform of a first operation signal indicating a normal state and a first operation signal indicating an abnormal state according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a battery pack management system according to a modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the assembled battery management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the first communication circuit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first communication circuit and the upper system according to the second embodiment in the low power consumption mode. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a battery pack management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation when switching from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode in the battery pack management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the assembled battery management system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a cell monitoring unit according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the first communication circuit according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, and the arrangement and connection of the components shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0013] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact representation. Therefore, the scales and the like do not necessarily match in each figure. In each figure, the same reference numerals are used to denote substantially the same components, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) The battery pack management system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0015] [1-1. Overall structure] The overall configuration of an assembled battery management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an assembled battery management system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 1 also shows an assembled battery 8 managed by the assembled battery management system 1 and a higher-level system 2 of the assembled battery management system 1.

[0016] The upper system 2 is a system that controls the assembled battery management system 1. For example, when the assembled battery management system 1 is used as an in-vehicle power supply, the upper system 2 is an ECU (Electric Control Unit) or the like.

[0017] The assembled battery management system 1 is a system that manages an assembled battery 8 having a plurality of storage cells 81 connected in series or parallel. The assembled battery management system 1 has two operating modes: a normal mode and a low power consumption mode in which power consumption is lower than that in the normal mode. As shown in Fig. 1, the assembled battery management system 1 includes a battery management unit 20, a plurality of cell monitoring units 10, a current measuring unit 11, a first communication network NW1, and a second communication network NW2.

[0018] In this embodiment, the battery pack 8 has a plurality of storage cells 81 connected in series. A resistive element 82 for measuring current is also connected in series to the battery pack 8. The storage cells 81 may be, for example, lithium ion batteries.

[0019] The multiple cell monitoring units 10 are daisy-chained together with the current measurement unit 11. This daisy-chain communication path is the first communication network NW1. The first communication network NW1 connects the multiple cell monitoring units 10 and the battery management unit 20.

[0020] The second communication network NW2 is a communication network for connecting to the higher-level system 2. As the second communication network NW2, for example, a communication network based on the CAN (Controller Area Network) standard can be used.

[0021] Each of the multiple cell monitoring units 10 is connected to multiple storage cells 81 and measures the output voltage of at least one of the multiple storage cells 81. The cell monitoring unit 10 transmits a first operation signal indicating the state of the multiple storage cells 81 to the first communication circuit 21 of the battery management unit 20. In low power consumption mode, when the control circuit 23 or the second communication circuit 22 is stopped, the first operation signal transmitted by the cell monitoring unit 10 is a repetitive pulse signal. The first operation signal functions as a so-called heartbeat signal. When the first communication circuit 21 of the battery management unit 20 detects the first operation signal, it can detect that the cell monitoring unit 10 is operating normally. When the cell monitoring unit 10 detects an abnormality in a storage cell 81 or the like, it transmits a first operation signal indicating the abnormality. Details of the first operation signal will be described later.

[0022] An example of the configuration of the cell monitoring unit 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the cell monitoring unit 10 according to this embodiment.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the cell monitoring unit 10 includes a pair of daisy-chain communication units 71, a signal generating circuit 72, a control logic circuit 73, a clock oscillator 76, an ADC (Analog-Digital Converter) 77, and a multiplexer 78.

[0024] The daisy communication unit 71 is a communication unit that performs daisy communication. The daisy communication unit 71 is connected to the first communication network NW1 via an insulating element such as a capacitor or a transformer.

[0025] The signal generating circuit 72 is a circuit that generates a first operating signal.

[0026] The ADC 77 is a circuit that measures the voltage of the storage cell 81. The ADC 77 converts the measured voltage value into a digital signal and outputs it to the control logic circuit 73.

[0027] The multiplexer 78 is a circuit that switches between the storage cells 81 that are measured by the ADC 77. Note that the configuration of the cell monitoring unit 10 is not limited to this. For example, the cell monitoring unit 10 may have the same number of ADCs 77 as the number of storage cells 81 that are the measurement targets.

[0028] The control logic circuit 73 is a circuit that controls the cell monitoring unit 10. The control logic circuit 73 monitors the energy storage cells 81 based on measurement values ​​input from the ADC 77, etc. The control logic circuit 73 also has, for example, an error detection unit 74 that detects abnormalities in the energy storage cells 81. The control logic circuit 73 causes the signal generation circuit 72 to generate a first operation signal that indicates the detected abnormality. The control logic circuit 73 transmits and receives signals via the daisy communication unit 71 and the first communication network NW1.

[0029] The clock oscillator 76 is an oscillator that outputs a clock signal for operating the control logic circuit 73 .

[0030] The current measuring unit 11 measures the voltage across the resistor element 82 connected in series to the battery pack 8. The current measuring unit 11 can be realized by a configuration similar to that of the cell monitoring unit 10, for example.

[0031] The battery management unit 20 is a unit that manages the battery pack 8. The battery management unit 20 has a first communication circuit 21, a second communication circuit 22, a control circuit 23, a first power supply 31, a power supply 33 for the control circuit, and a power converter 32.

[0032] The control circuit 23 is a circuit that controls the battery management unit 20. The control circuit 23 can be realized using, for example, an MCU (Micro-Controller Unit). The control circuit 23 controls the first communication circuit 21 and the like in the normal mode, and is stopped in the low power consumption mode. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the assembled battery management system 1 in the low power consumption mode.

[0033] The control circuit power supply 33 is a power supply that supplies power to the control circuit 23. In this embodiment, the control circuit power supply 33 also supplies power to the second communication circuit 22. In this way, the power supply of the control circuit power supply 33 is not limited to the control circuit 23. For example, a regulator such as an LDO (Low Drop Out) can be used as the control circuit power supply 33. In this embodiment, the control circuit power supply 33 is stopped in the low power consumption mode. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the assembled battery management system 1 in the low power consumption mode.

[0034] The first power supply 31 is a power supply that supplies power to the first communication circuit 21. As the first power supply 31, for example, a regulator such as an LDO can be used.

[0035] The first communication circuit 21 is a circuit connected to the first communication network NW1. The first communication circuit 21 receives first operation signals indicating the states of the plurality of energy storage cells 81 from the plurality of cell monitoring units 10 connected to the first communication network NW1. In the normal mode, the first communication circuit 21 is controlled by the control circuit 23. In the low power consumption mode, the first communication circuit 21 detects the first operation signal from the first communication network NW1. When transitioning from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode, the first communication circuit 21 starts up at least one of the control circuit power supply 33, the control circuit 23, and the second communication circuit 22, which are all stopped, based on the first operation signal.

[0036] An example of the configuration of the first communication circuit 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first communication circuit 21 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the first communication circuit 21 has a pair of daisy communication units 61, a control logic circuit 60, and a clock oscillator 66.

[0037] The daisy communication unit 61 is a communication unit that performs daisy communication. The daisy communication unit 61 may be connected to the first communication network NW1 via an insulating element such as a capacitor or a transformer.

[0038] The control logic circuit 60 is a circuit that controls the first communication circuit 21. The control logic circuit 60 detects signals from the multiple cell monitoring units 10 and the current measurement unit 11 input from the daisy communication unit 61, and controls the first communication circuit 21. The control logic circuit 60 has, for example, a signal detection unit 62, an error detection unit 63, and a startup unit 64. The signal detection unit 62 detects signals from the first communication network NW1. The signal detection unit 62 detects, for example, a first operation signal from the cell monitoring unit 10.

[0039] The error detection unit 63 detects an abnormality in the storage cell 81 or the like based on the signal detected by the signal detection unit 62.

[0040] The activation unit 64 activates the first communication circuit 21 based on an activation signal from the outside.

[0041] The clock oscillator 66 is an oscillator that outputs a clock signal for operating the control logic circuit 60 .

[0042] The second communication circuit 22 is a circuit connected to a second communication network NW2 for connecting to a higher-level system 2 of the battery pack management system 1. The second communication circuit 22 includes, for example, a CAN interface. In this embodiment, the second communication circuit 22 is supplied with power from a control circuit power supply 33. The second communication circuit 22 is also supplied with power from power sources other than the control circuit power supply 33, and can be started and operated even when the control circuit power supply 33 is stopped.

[0043] The power converter 32 is a converter that supplies power to the first communication circuit 21. The power converter 32 converts signals communicated in the first communication network NW1 into DC power and supplies the DC power to the first communication circuit 21.

[0044] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the assembled battery management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation when switching from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode in the assembled battery management system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation in the low power consumption mode of the first communication circuit 21 according to this embodiment.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, before switching from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode, the first communication circuit 21 of the battery management unit 20 first transmits a command signal (i.e., a communication command) to the cell monitoring unit 10 (and the current measurement unit 11) (S10). This allows the voltage measurement method and measurement period of the cell monitoring unit 10 in the low power consumption mode to be set. In the low power consumption mode, the measurement period is longer than the measurement period in the normal mode. In other words, in the low power consumption mode, the cell monitoring unit 10 performs intermittent measurement. Note that switching from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode is initiated, for example, when a command signal instructing switching to the low power consumption mode is transmitted from the higher-level system 2 to the second communication circuit 22 via the second communication network NW2.

[0046] Next, the control circuit 23 switches the operation mode of the assembled battery management system 1 to the low power consumption mode (S12). Specifically, the control circuit 23 stops the second communication circuit 22. The control circuit 23 sends a stop signal to the second communication circuit 22 to stop the second communication circuit 22. The control circuit 23 also stops the control circuit 23 by stopping the control circuit power supply 33 that supplies power to the control circuit 23. In this way, in the low power consumption mode, not only is intermittent measurement performed in the cell monitoring unit 10, but the control circuit 23, the control circuit power supply 33, and the second communication circuit 22 are also stopped, thereby reducing the power consumption of the assembled battery management system 1.

[0047] As described above, the state of the first communication circuit 21 may be diagnosed before the control circuit 23 is shut down. In the present embodiment, it is the first communication circuit 21 that substantially controls the assembled battery management system 1 in the low power consumption mode. Therefore, if an abnormality in the first communication circuit 21 occurs and the operating mode is switched to the low power consumption mode, a serious problem, such as an inability to detect an abnormality in the assembled battery management system 1, may occur. Therefore, by diagnosing the first communication circuit 21 before the control circuit 23 is shut down, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of problems in the assembled battery management system 1 in the low power consumption mode. Specifically, before the control circuit 23 is shut down, the first communication circuit 21 outputs a control activation signal to the control circuit 23 to activate the control circuit 23. The control circuit 23 diagnoses the state of the first communication circuit 21 based on the control activation signal. In other words, it diagnoses whether the output control activation signal is sufficient to activate the control circuit 23.

[0048] Furthermore, since it is necessary to continue monitoring the states of the energy storage cells 81 even in the low power consumption mode, the first communication circuit 21 monitors the states of the energy storage cells 81 and the cell monitoring unit 10 using a first operation signal from the cell monitoring unit 10. Since operation of the first communication circuit 21 in the low power consumption mode is limited, the power supplied from the first power source 31 can be reduced. Furthermore, the battery management unit 20 has a function of stopping the first power source 31 in the low power consumption mode. For example, the control circuit 23 stops the first power source 31. When the first power source 31 is stopped, the signal communicated over the first communication network NW1 is converted into DC power, and the DC power is supplied to the first communication circuit 21. In this embodiment, the power converter 32 converts the first operation signal into DC power.

[0049] By stopping the first power source 31 in this way, the power consumption of the assembled battery management system 1 in the low power consumption mode can be further reduced.

[0050] Next, the cell monitoring unit 10 measures the voltage of the power storage cell 81 (S14).

[0051] Next, the cell monitoring unit 10 determines whether or not an abnormality has been detected in the storage cell 81 or the like based on the measurement results, etc. (S16). If the cell monitoring unit 10 does not detect an abnormality (No in S16), it sends a first operation signal indicating normality to the first communication network NW1 (S18). On the other hand, if the cell monitoring unit 10 detects an abnormality (Yes in S16), it sends a first operation signal indicating an abnormality to the first communication network NW1 (S20). In other words, if at least one of the control circuit power supply 33, the control circuit 23, and the second communication circuit 22 is stopped and the cell monitoring unit 10 detects an abnormality, the cell monitoring unit 10 outputs a first operation signal indicating an abnormality.

[0052] The first operation signal indicating normality or abnormality will now be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a graph showing example time waveforms of a first operation signal indicating normality and a first operation signal indicating abnormality according to this embodiment. Graph (a) of Fig. 6 shows an example of a first operation signal indicating normality, and each of graphs (b) to (f) shows an example of a first operation signal indicating abnormality.

[0053] As shown in graph (a) of Figure 6, if the number of repeated pulses of the first operation signal indicating normality is n, the frequency is s, and the duty is a, the first operation signal indicating an abnormality may be a signal that can be distinguished from the first operation signal indicating normality. For example, as shown in graph (b), signal The first operating signal indicating an abnormality may have a different number of pulses (m) compared to the first operating signal indicating an abnormality. signal The first operating signal indicating an abnormality may have a different frequency (t) compared to the first operating signal indicating an abnormality. signal The duty (b) of the first operating signal indicating an abnormality may be different from that of the first operating signal indicating an abnormality. Furthermore, as shown in graph (e), the first operating signal indicating an abnormality may be a signal fixed at H level for a predetermined period. Furthermore, as shown in graph (f), the first operating signal indicating an abnormality may be a signal fixed at L level for a predetermined period. In other words, no signal may be output. In the present disclosure, an example of a first operating signal indicating an abnormality also includes an example of a first operating signal not outputting a signal.

[0054] 4, if the cell monitoring unit 10 outputs a first operation signal indicating normal operation in step S18, the cell monitoring unit 10 waits for a predetermined period of time (S22). In other words, the cell monitoring unit 10 waits for a predetermined period of time without measuring the voltage of the storage cell 81.

[0055] Next, the cell monitoring unit 10 waits for a predetermined period of time, and then returns to step S14.

[0056] On the other hand, if the cell monitoring unit 10 outputs a first operation signal indicating an abnormality in step S20, the assembled battery management system 1 is switched to the normal mode (S24), thereby ending the low power consumption mode.

[0057] Here, the operation of the first communication circuit 21 in the low power consumption mode will be described with reference to Fig. 5. This operation includes the operation of step S24 in Fig. 4.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 5, the first communication circuit 21 detects a first operation signal from the first communication network NW1 (S30).

[0059] Next, the first communication circuit 21 determines whether an abnormality has been detected based on the first operation signal (S32). Specifically, the first communication circuit 21 determines whether the first operation signal is a signal indicating an abnormality as shown in FIG. 6. If the first communication circuit 21 does not detect an abnormality (No in S32), the process returns to step S30. On the other hand, if the first communication circuit 21 detects an abnormality (Yes in S32), the first communication circuit 21 activates the control circuit 23 or the control circuit power supply 33 (S34). For example, the first communication circuit 21 activates the control circuit power supply 33 by sending an activation signal to the control circuit power supply 33 (S36). Accordingly, the supply of power from the control circuit power supply 33 to the control circuit 23 begins, and the control circuit 23 is activated. Note that activating the control circuit 23 by activating the control circuit power supply 33 in this manner is also simply referred to as activating the control circuit 23. In step S34, the first communication circuit 21 may also start the second communication circuit 22, or the started control circuit 23 may start the second communication circuit 22. In the present embodiment, the first communication circuit 21 may start the first power supply 31 and stop the output of DC power from the power converter 32. This removes the restriction on the operation of the first communication circuit 21 that is based on the DC power of the power converter 32.

[0060] The first communication circuit 21 may activate the second communication circuit 22 that is stopped in the low power consumption mode. When activated by the first communication circuit 21, the second communication circuit 22 notifies the host system 2 via the second communication network NW2 of the activation of the second communication circuit 22. Upon receiving the notification, the host system 2 may activate the control circuit power supply 33 and the control circuit 23 via the second communication network NW2. In this way, the control circuit power supply 33 may be activated by the host system 2.

[0061] Next, the operation mode of the assembled battery management system 1 is switched to the normal mode (S38). Specifically, the first communication circuit 21 transmits a command signal to the cell monitoring unit 10 (and the current measuring unit 11). This switches the operation mode of the cell monitoring unit 10 to the normal mode.

[0062] As described above, the operation mode can be switched in the battery pack management system 1. In this embodiment, the control circuit 23, the control circuit power supply 33, the first power supply 31, and the second communication circuit 22 are stopped in the low power consumption mode, thereby reducing power consumption. Furthermore, even in such a low power consumption mode, the energy storage cells 81 can be reliably monitored, and if an abnormality is detected, the first communication circuit 21 can quickly switch to the normal mode.

[0063] [1-3. Modifications] A modified example of the assembled battery management system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an assembled battery management system 1a according to a modified example of the present embodiment.

[0064] 7, the assembled battery management system 1a according to this modification includes an individual communication line L10 that directly connects each of the cell monitoring units 10 to the first communication circuit 21, and an individual communication line L11 that directly connects the current measuring unit 11 to the first communication circuit 21. In this configuration, the first communication circuit 21 may detect a signal indicating an abnormality from these individual communication lines L10 and L11.

[0065] (Embodiment 2) An assembled battery management system according to embodiment 2 will be described. The assembled battery management system according to this embodiment differs from the assembled battery management system 1 according to embodiment 1 mainly in that the assembled battery management system according to this embodiment includes a third communication network for connecting the first communication circuit to a higher-level system. The assembled battery management system according to this embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the assembled battery management system 1 according to embodiment 1.

[0066] [2-1. Overall composition] The overall configuration of an assembled battery management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an assembled battery management system 101 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the assembled battery management system 101 includes a battery management unit 120, a plurality of cell monitoring units 10, a current measuring unit 11, a first communication network NW1, a second communication network NW2, and a third communication network NW3.

[0067] The third communication network NW3 is a communication network for connecting to the upper system 2.

[0068] The battery management unit 120 according to this embodiment includes a first communication circuit 121, a second communication circuit 22, a control circuit 23, a first power source 31, and a power source 33 for the control circuit.

[0069] The first communication circuit 121 according to this embodiment is connected to a third communication network NW3 for connecting to the higher-level system 2. Furthermore, when the control circuit 23 or the second communication circuit 22 cannot communicate, the first communication circuit 121 communicates with the higher-level system 2 via the third communication network NW3.

[0070] Here, a configuration example of the first communication circuit 121 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first communication circuit 121 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the first communication circuit 121 has a pair of daisy communication units 61, a control logic circuit 60, a clock oscillator 66, and a signal generation circuit 67.

[0071] The signal generating circuit 67 is a circuit that generates a second operation signal. The signal generating circuit 67 generates the second operation signal based on the first operation signal detected by the signal detecting unit 62 of the control logic circuit 60, and transmits the second operation signal to the third communication network NW3.

[0072] In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when at least one of the control circuit power supply 33, the control circuit 23, and the second communication circuit 22 is stopped (i.e., in the low power consumption mode), the cell monitoring unit 10 transmits a first operation signal to the first communication circuit 121. The first communication circuit 121 transmits a second operation signal indicating that the cell monitoring unit 10 and the first communication circuit 121 are operating via the third communication network NW3. The second operation signal is a signal containing the same information as the first operation signal. The time waveform and other aspects of the second operation signal are not particularly limited. The second operation signal may be the same signal as the first operation signal.

[0073] In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when at least one of the control circuit power supply 33, the control circuit 23, and the second communication circuit 22 is stopped and the cell monitoring unit 10 detects an abnormality, the cell monitoring unit 10 outputs a first operation signal indicating the abnormality. When the first communication circuit 121 receives the first operation signal indicating the abnormality from the first communication network NW1, the first communication circuit 121 outputs a second operation signal indicating the abnormality.

[0074] Note that when the control circuit 23 or the second communication circuit 22 is stopped and the first operation signal is stopped, or when the control circuit 23 or the second communication circuit 22 is stopped and an abnormality occurs in the first communication circuit 121, the first communication circuit 121 may stop transmitting the second operation signal. This allows the higher-level system 2 to detect that an abnormality has occurred in at least one of the first operation signal and the first communication circuit 121. In this case, the control circuit 23 or the second communication circuit 22 is started up via the second communication network NW2. This allows the control circuit 23 to respond appropriately to the abnormality.

[0075] [2-2. Operation] The operation of the assembled battery management system 101 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first communication circuit 121 and the higher-level system 2 according to this embodiment in the low power consumption mode.

[0076] The operation of the assembled battery management system 101 according to this embodiment is the same as the operation of the assembled battery management system 1 according to the first embodiment up to the step where the cell monitoring unit 10 outputs the first operation signal (steps S22 and S24 shown in FIG. 4). Therefore, the following describes the operation after the step where the first communication circuit 121 detects the first operation signal. In this embodiment, when switching to the low power consumption mode, communication is started between the first communication circuit 121 and the higher-level system 2 via the third communication network NW3.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 10, the first communication circuit 121 detects a first operation signal from the first communication network NW1 (S130).

[0078] Next, the first communication circuit 121 determines whether or not an abnormality has been detected based on the first operation signal (S132). If the first communication circuit 121 has not detected an abnormality (No in S132), the first communication circuit 121 transmits a second operation signal indicating normality to the upper system 2 via the third communication network NW3 (S134), and returns to step S130.

[0079] On the other hand, if the first communication circuit 121 detects an abnormality (Yes in S132), the first communication circuit 121 transmits a second operation signal indicating the abnormality to the upper system 2 via the third communication network NW3 (S136). Upon receiving this second operation signal, the upper system 2 causes the second communication circuit 22 to start up the control circuit 23 or the control circuit power supply 33 via the second communication network NW2 (S138).

[0080] Next, the operation mode of the battery pack management system 101 is switched to the normal mode (S140). Specifically, the first communication circuit 121 transmits a command signal to the cell monitoring unit 10 (and the current measuring unit 11). This switches the operation mode of the cell monitoring unit 10 to the normal mode.

[0081] As described above, the operation mode can be switched in the assembled battery management system 101. In this embodiment, the control circuit 23, the control circuit power supply 33, and the second communication circuit 22 are stopped in the low power consumption mode, thereby reducing power consumption. Furthermore, even in such a low power consumption mode, the energy storage cells 81 can be reliably monitored, and if an abnormality is detected, the first communication circuit 121 can quickly switch to the normal mode.

[0082] (Embodiment 3) An assembled battery management system according to embodiment 3 will be described. The assembled battery management system according to this embodiment differs from the assembled battery management system 101 according to embodiment 2 mainly in that the first communication circuit transmits the second operation signal not only to the higher-level system 2 but also to the control circuit 23. The assembled battery management system according to this embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the assembled battery management system 101 according to embodiment 2.

[0083] [3-1. Overall composition] The overall configuration of an assembled battery management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an assembled battery management system 201 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, the assembled battery management system 201 includes a battery management unit 220, a plurality of cell monitoring units 10, a current measuring unit 11, a first communication network NW1, a second communication network NW2, and a third communication network NW3.

[0084] The battery management unit 220 according to this embodiment includes a first communication circuit 121, a second communication circuit 22, a control circuit 223, a first power source 31, and a power source 33 for the control circuit.

[0085] The control circuit 223 receives the second operation signal via the third communication network NW3 from the first communication circuit 121. Before shutting down, the control circuit 223 diagnoses the state of the first communication circuit 121 based on the second operation signal.

[0086] [3-2. Operation] The operation of the assembled battery management system 201 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the assembled battery management system 201 according to this embodiment when switching from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 12, first, before switching from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode, similar to the operation of the battery pack management system 1 according to embodiment 1, the first communication circuit 121 of the battery management unit 220 transmits a command signal to the cell monitoring unit 10 (and the current measuring unit 11) (S210).

[0088] Next, before the control circuit 223 stops, the first communication circuit 121 is diagnosed (S212), and it is determined whether or not an abnormality is detected in the first communication circuit 121 (S214). Specifically, before the control circuit 223 stops, the first communication circuit 121 outputs a second operation signal to the control circuit 223 or the higher-level system 2 via the third communication network NW3. The control circuit 223 or the higher-level system 2 diagnoses the state of the first communication circuit 121 based on the second operation signal. If, as a result of the diagnosis, no abnormality is detected in the first communication circuit 121 (No in S214), the assembled battery management system 201 switches the operation mode to the low power consumption mode (S216).

[0089] On the other hand, if the diagnosis results in detection of an abnormality in the first communication circuit 121 (Yes in S214), the assembled battery management system 201 returns the operation mode to the normal mode (S218). Specifically, the control circuit 223 returns the operation mode to the normal mode by, for example, transmitting a command signal to the cell monitoring unit 10.

[0090] When the operation mode of the assembled battery management system 201 is switched to the low power consumption mode, the assembled battery management system 201 performs the same operations as steps S14 to S24 of the assembled battery management system 1 according to embodiment 1. The operation of the assembled battery management system 201 to switch from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode is similar to the operation of the assembled battery management system 101 according to embodiment 2.

[0091] The assembled battery management system 201 according to this embodiment also achieves the same effects as those of the assembled battery management system 101 according to the second embodiment.

[0092] (Fourth embodiment) An assembled battery management system according to embodiment 4 will be described. The assembled battery management system according to this embodiment differs from the assembled battery management system 201 according to embodiment 3 mainly in that the first communication circuit, etc., changes the mode of the signal generated based on a timer. The assembled battery management system according to this embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the assembled battery management system 201 according to embodiment 3.

[0093] [4-1. Overall composition] The overall configuration of an assembled battery management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an assembled battery management system 301 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, the assembled battery management system 301 includes a battery management unit 320, a plurality of cell monitoring units 310, a current measuring unit 311, a first communication network NW1, a second communication network NW2, and a third communication network NW3.

[0094] The battery management unit 320 according to this embodiment includes a first communication circuit 321, a second communication circuit 22, a control circuit 223, a first power source 31, and a power source 33 for the control circuit.

[0095] The cell monitoring unit 310 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the cell monitoring unit 310 according to this embodiment.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 14, the cell monitoring unit 310 includes a pair of daisy-chain communication units 71, a signal generating circuit 72, a control logic circuit 73, a clock oscillator 76, an ADC 77, a multiplexer 78, a first timer 79, and a power control circuit 80.

[0097] The power supply control circuit 80 is a circuit that controls the power supply from the power supply of the cell monitoring unit 310 .

[0098] The first timer 79 is a timing circuit, and when it detects that a preset first time has elapsed, it causes the power supply control circuit 80 to stop supplying power to the cell monitoring unit 310. In other words, when it detects that the preset first time has elapsed, the first timer 79 causes the operation of the cell monitoring unit 310 to stop.

[0099] The current measuring unit 311 also has a similar configuration to the cell monitoring unit 310 .

[0100] The first communication circuit 321 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first communication circuit 321 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 15, the first communication circuit 321 has a pair of daisy communication units 61, a control logic circuit 60, a clock oscillator 66, a signal generation circuit 67, and a second timer 69.

[0101] The second timer 69 is a circuit that measures time, and when it detects that a preset second time period has elapsed, causes the signal generating circuit 67 to stop generating the second operation signal.

[0102] [4-2. Operation] As described above, when the first timer 79 of the cell monitoring unit 310 of the assembled battery management system 301 according to this embodiment detects that a first time has elapsed in the low power consumption mode, it causes the power supply control circuit 80 to stop supplying power to the cell monitoring unit 310. In other words, when the first timer 79 detects that a preset first time has elapsed, it causes the cell monitoring unit 310 to stop operating. Accordingly, the output of the first operation signal is stopped. Therefore, the first communication circuit 321 detects the stop of the first operation signal and activates the control circuit power supply 33 or the control circuit 223. This switches the assembled battery management system 301 to the normal mode.

[0103] Furthermore, the first communication circuit 321 according to this embodiment includes a second timer 69, which stops outputting the second operation signal when it detects that a preset second time has elapsed. The higher-level system 2, which detects that the second operation signal has stopped, activates the control circuit power supply 33, the control circuit 223, or the second communication circuit 22. In other words, when the second timer 69 detects that the preset second time has elapsed, it activates the control circuit power supply 33, the control circuit 223, or the second communication circuit 22. In other words, it switches to the normal mode.

[0104] As described above, in this embodiment, by forcibly switching to normal mode periodically, it is possible to promptly detect abnormalities in the measurement result judgment circuit of the cell monitoring unit 310, which cannot be detected by intermittent measurement in low power consumption mode, and faults such as fixation of measurement results.

[0105] In the above-described configuration example, the first timer 79 stops the operation of the cell monitoring unit 310, but the configuration of the first timer 79 is not limited to this. For example, the first timer 79 may cause the signal generating circuit 72 to stop outputting the first operation signal when it detects that a first time period has elapsed. Furthermore, the first timer 79 may cause the signal generating circuit 72 of the cell monitoring unit 310 to output a first operation signal indicating an abnormality when it detects that a preset first time period has elapsed.

[0106] Furthermore, the second timer 69 stops the output of the second operation signal from the signal generating circuit 67, but the configuration of the second timer 69 is not limited to this. For example, when the second timer 69 detects that the second time period has elapsed, it may cause the signal generating circuit 67 to output the second operation signal indicating an abnormality.

[0107] (Variations, etc.) Although the present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0108] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the battery pack 8 is not a component of the battery pack management system, but the battery pack 8 may be included as a component of the battery pack management system.

[0109] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit are stopped in the low power consumption mode, but all of them do not necessarily have to be stopped. For example, in the low power consumption mode, the control circuit and the second communication circuit may be stopped and the control circuit power supply may be activated. Also, in the low power consumption mode, the control circuit power supply and the control circuit may be stopped and the second communication circuit may be activated. In the low power consumption mode, it is sufficient that at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit is stopped.

[0110] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the battery management unit 20 includes the power converter 32, but this is not essential.

[0111] Furthermore, in the second to fourth embodiments, the battery management units 120, 220, and 320 do not include the power converter 32, but may include the power converter 32.

[0112] Furthermore, the cell monitoring unit may output first operation information indicating not only voltage abnormality but also temperature abnormality, clock abnormality, and the like.

[0113] Furthermore, the battery pack management system according to each of the above-described embodiments may be housed in a single housing, or may be separated into multiple housings.

[0114] Furthermore, some or all of the components constituting the assembled battery management system according to each of the above embodiments may be configured as a single system LSI (Large Scale Integration). The system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple components on a single chip, and specifically, is a computer system configured to include a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. A computer program is stored in the RAM. The system LSI achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0115] Furthermore, some or all of the components constituting the assembled battery management system according to each of the above embodiments may be configured as a removable IC card or a standalone module. The IC card or module is a computer system configured with a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. The IC card or module may include the above-mentioned ultra-multifunctional LSI. The IC card or module achieves its functions when the microprocessor operates in accordance with a computer program. The IC card or module may be tamper-resistant.

[0116] The present disclosure may also be a computer system having a microprocessor and a memory, the memory storing the computer program, and the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0117] This disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above-mentioned embodiments that a person skilled in the art would conceive, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the above-mentioned embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0118] For example, the individual communication lines of the assembled battery management system 1a according to the first embodiment may be applied to assembled battery management systems according to other embodiments. [Industrial Applicability]

[0119] The battery pack management system according to the present disclosure can be used, for example, as a battery pack management system for an in-vehicle battery pack system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 1, 1a, 101, 201, 301 Battery management system 2. Upper system 8 battery packs 10, 310 Cell Monitoring Unit 11, 311 Current measurement unit 20, 120, 220, 320 Battery Management Unit 21, 121, 321 First Communication Circuit 22 Second communication circuit 23, 223 Control circuit 31 First power supply 32 Power Converter 33 Control circuit power supply 60, 73 Control logic circuit 61, 71 Daisy Communications Department 62 Signal detection unit 63, 74 Error detection section 64 Starting section 66, 76 Clock oscillator 67, 72 Signal generation circuit 69 Second Timer 77 ADC 78 Multiplexer 79 First Timer 80 Power supply control circuit 81 Energy storage cells 82 Resistive element L10, L11 individual communication lines NW1 First Communication Network NW2 Second communication network NW3 Third communication network

Claims

1. An assembled battery management system that manages an assembled battery having a plurality of storage cells connected in series or in parallel, a cell monitoring unit connected to the plurality of storage cells and measuring an output voltage of at least one of the plurality of storage cells; a battery management unit that manages the assembled battery; a first communication network connecting the cell monitoring unit and the battery management unit; The battery management unit a first communication circuit connected to the first communication network; a second communication circuit connected to a second communication network for connecting to a host system of the assembled battery management system; a control circuit for controlling the battery management unit; a control circuit power supply for supplying power to the control circuit; the assembled battery management system has, as operation modes, a normal mode and a low power consumption mode in which power consumption is lower than that in the normal mode, In the low power consumption mode, at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit is stopped; The first communication circuit activates at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit when the power supply is switched from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode. Battery management system.

2. the cell monitoring unit outputs a first operation signal indicating a state of the plurality of energy storage cells to the first communication circuit; the cell monitoring unit outputs the first operation signal indicating an abnormality when at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit is stopped and an abnormality is detected; The first communication circuit activates the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit when the first operation signal indicating an abnormality is received. The battery pack management system according to claim 1 .

3. The control circuit power supply is activated by the first communication circuit or the host system. The battery pack management system according to claim 1 .

4. In the low power consumption mode, the second communication circuit is stopped, the second communication circuit, when activated by the first communication circuit, notifies the host system of the activation of the second communication circuit via the second communication network; The host system activates at least one of the control circuit power supply and the control circuit via the second communication network. The battery pack management system according to claim 3 .

5. When the control circuit or the second communication circuit is stopped, the first operation signal transmitted by the cell monitoring unit is a repetitive pulse signal. The battery pack management system according to claim 2 .

6. the battery management unit includes a first power source and a power converter that supply power to the first communication circuit; the battery management unit has a function of stopping the first power source in the low power consumption mode; When the first power supply is stopped, the power converter converts signals communicated in the first communication network into DC power and supplies the DC power to the first communication circuit. The battery pack management system according to claim 2 or 5.

7. When the first power supply is stopped and the cell monitoring unit detects an abnormality, the cell monitoring unit outputs the first operation signal indicating the abnormality; The first communication circuit starts up the first power supply and stops the output of the DC power from the power converter when the first operation signal indicating an abnormality is received via the first communication network. The battery pack management system according to claim 6 .

8. An assembled battery management system that manages an assembled battery having a plurality of storage cells connected in series or in parallel, a cell monitoring unit connected to the plurality of storage cells and measuring an output voltage of at least one of the plurality of storage cells; a battery management unit that manages the assembled battery; a first communication network connecting the cell monitoring unit and the battery management unit; The battery management unit a first communication circuit connected to the first communication network; a second communication circuit connected to a second communication network for connecting to a host system of the assembled battery management system; a control circuit for controlling the battery management unit; The first communication circuit is connected to a third communication network for connecting to the host system. Battery management system.

9. When at least one of the control circuit and the second communication circuit cannot communicate, the first communication circuit communicates with the higher-level system via the third communication network. The battery pack management system according to claim 8 .

10. When at least one of the control circuit and the second communication circuit is stopped, the cell monitoring unit sends a first operation signal to the first communication circuit; The first communication circuit transmits a second operation signal over the third communication network, indicating that the cell monitor unit and the first communication circuit are in operation. The battery pack management system according to claim 8 or 9.

11. The first operation signal and the second operation signal, which are transmitted when at least one of the control circuit and the second communication circuit is stopped, are repetitive pulse signals. The battery pack management system according to claim 10 .

12. When the control circuit or the second communication circuit is stopped and the cell monitoring unit detects an abnormality, the cell monitoring unit outputs the first operation signal indicating the abnormality; When the first communication circuit receives the first operation signal indicating an abnormality from the first communication network, the first communication circuit outputs the second operation signal indicating an abnormality. The battery pack management system according to claim 10 or 11.

13. When the first communication circuit outputs the second operation signal indicating an abnormality, the host system activates the control circuit or the second communication circuit. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 12.

14. The control circuit diagnoses the state of the first communication circuit before shutting down. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. before the control circuit stops, the first communication circuit outputs the second operation signal to at least one of the control circuit and the higher-level system; At least one of the control circuit and the host system diagnoses a state of the first communication circuit based on the second operation signal. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

16. Before the control circuit is stopped, the first communication circuit outputs a control activation signal to the control circuit for activating the control circuit; The control circuit diagnoses the state of the first communication circuit based on the control activation signal. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 13 and 15.

17. the cell monitoring unit has a first timer; The first timer outputs the first operation signal indicating an abnormality to the cell monitoring unit when detecting that a preset first time has elapsed. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, 15 and 16.

18. The first timer stops the operation of the cell monitoring unit when it detects that the first time has elapsed. The battery pack management system according to claim 17 .

19. When at least one of the control circuit and the second communication circuit is stopped and the first operation signal is stopped, or when at least one of the control circuit and the second communication circuit is stopped and an abnormality occurs in the first communication circuit, the first communication circuit stops transmitting the second operation signal. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 13 and 15 to 18.

20. the assembled battery management system further includes a control circuit power supply that supplies power to the control circuit, When the first operation signal stops, the first communication circuit activates at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 13 and 15 to 19.

21. the first communication circuit has a second timer; The second timer stops the second operation signal when it detects that a preset second time has elapsed. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 13 and 15 to 20.

22. the assembled battery management system further includes a control circuit power supply that supplies power to the control circuit, the first communication circuit has a second timer; The second timer activates at least one of the control circuit power supply, the control circuit, and the second communication circuit when detecting that a preset second time has elapsed. The battery pack management system according to any one of claims 10 to 13 and 15 to 19.

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