Battery monitoring system, transmitter for battery monitoring system, receiver for battery monitoring system, wireless communication program, and wireless communication method.

Abstract

To provide a battery monitoring system, a transmitter for a battery monitoring system, a receiver for a battery monitoring system, a wireless communication program, and a wireless communication method that can reduce the amount of communication data.SOLUTION: A battery monitoring system 100 includes a battery control device 40 that transmits control data by wireless communication using a communication channel, and a battery monitoring device 30 that acquires and returns battery information of battery cells 22 according to the control data. The battery monitoring device 30 includes a monitoring IC 31, and a child device side wireless IC 32 that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when control data is received, and returns the battery information when the determined communication quality is good, but does not return the battery information when the determined communication quality is not good. The battery control device 40 includes a parent device side wireless IC 42 for evaluating that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when the control data is transmitted is poor when battery information is not returned after transmitting the control data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless device of a battery monitoring system, a battery monitoring system, a wireless communication program, and a wireless communication method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there is a battery monitoring system that transmits or receives battery information by wireless communication. Among such battery monitoring systems, there is one in which a slave unit transmits information regarding the reception state to a master unit together with battery information. Then, the master unit grasps the communication quality in each communication channel based on the received information regarding the reception state and uses it for the selection of the communication channel in subsequent transmissions. Such a battery monitoring system is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in such a battery monitoring system, every time the slave unit transmits battery information, information regarding the reception state is also transmitted, so the amount of communication data transmitted from the slave unit to the master unit increases. When the amount of communication data increases, there are problems that the communication speed slows down and the communication error rate also deteriorates.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its main object is to provide a battery monitoring system, a transmitter of a battery monitoring system, a receiver of a battery monitoring system, a wireless communication program, and a wireless communication method capable of reducing the amount of communication data.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A first means to solve the above problem is a battery monitoring system for monitoring a battery unit, comprising: a transmitter that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among a plurality of communication channels; and a receiver that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the receiver comprises: a control unit that performs controls according to the control information; a communication quality determination unit that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when it receives the control information; and a return unit that returns the control results from the control unit if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, but does not return the control results if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good, wherein the transmitter comprises an evaluation unit that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if the control results are not returned from the receiver after the transmission of the control information.

[0007] Thus, if the communication quality is poor, the control result will not be returned. Therefore, this prevents a vicious cycle in which the amount of communication data increases in order to indicate poor communication quality, and suppresses further deterioration of communication quality.

[0008] A second means for solving the above problem is a battery monitoring system for monitoring a battery unit, comprising: a transmitter that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among a plurality of communication channels; and a receiver that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the receiver of the battery monitoring system comprises: an evaluation unit that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if the control results are not returned from the receiver after the transmission of the control information; a control unit that performs controls according to the control information; a communication quality determination unit that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when the control information is received; and a return unit that returns the control results from the control unit if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, but does not return the control results if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good.

[0009] Thus, if the communication quality is poor, the control result will not be returned. Therefore, this prevents a vicious cycle in which the amount of communication data increases in order to indicate poor communication quality, and suppresses further deterioration of communication quality.

[0010] A third means for solving the above problems is a battery monitoring system for monitoring a battery unit, comprising: a transmitter that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among a plurality of communication channels; and a receiver that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the transmitter of the battery monitoring system comprises: a control unit that performs controls according to the control information; a communication quality determination unit that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when it receives the control information; and a return unit that returns the control results from the control unit if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, but does not return the control results if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good, and an evaluation unit that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if the control results are not returned from the receiver after the transmission of the control information.

[0011] Thus, if the communication quality is poor, the control result will not be returned. Therefore, this prevents a vicious cycle in which the amount of communication data increases in order to indicate poor communication quality, and suppresses further deterioration of communication quality.

[0012] A fourth means for solving the above problems is a battery monitoring system for monitoring a battery unit, comprising a transmitter that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among a plurality of communication channels, and a receiver that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the wireless communication program implemented by the transmitter and receiver of the battery monitoring system is configured to cause the receiver to perform a control process that performs controls according to the control information, a communication quality determination process that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when the control information is received, and a return process that returns the control result of the control process if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is good, while not returning the control result if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good, and the transmitter to perform an evaluation process that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if the control result is not returned from the receiver after the transmission of the control information.

[0013] Thus, if the communication quality is poor, the control result will not be returned. Therefore, this prevents a vicious cycle in which the amount of communication data increases in order to indicate poor communication quality, and suppresses further deterioration of communication quality.

[0014] A fifth means for solving the above problems is a battery monitoring system for monitoring a battery unit, comprising a transmitter that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among a plurality of communication channels, and a receiver that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the transmitter and receiver of the battery monitoring system perform a wireless communication method, wherein the receiver performs a control process that performs controls according to the control information, a communication quality determination process that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when it receives the control information, and a return process that returns the control results of the control process if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is good, but does not return the control results if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good, and if the transmitter does not receive the control results from the receiver after transmitting the control information, it performs an evaluation process that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor.

[0015] Thus, if the communication quality is poor, the control result will not be returned. Therefore, this prevents a vicious cycle in which the amount of communication data increases in order to indicate poor communication quality, and suppresses further deterioration of communication quality.

[0016] Thus, if the communication quality is poor, the control result will not be returned. Therefore, this prevents a vicious cycle in which the amount of communication data increases in order to indicate poor communication quality, and suppresses further deterioration of communication quality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing the general configuration of the vehicle. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the configuration of the battery pack. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the battery pack. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the flow of data communication. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the flow of data communication. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing the flow of connection establishment processing. [Figure 7] A diagram showing the frequency band of a communication channel. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the data flow at the time of connection establishment. [Figure 9] A diagram showing a channel map. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing the flow of data communication in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] A diagram showing the channel map of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] A flowchart showing the flow of abnormality determination processing in the third embodiment. [Figure 13] A flowchart showing the flow of abnormality determination processing in the fourth embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of a battery monitoring system, a transmitter, a receiver, a wireless communication program, and a wireless communication method in the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each of the embodiments and each modification, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated in principle. Hereinafter, the case of applying to a vehicle will be described, but it is also applicable to uses other than vehicles, such as flying objects such as drones, ships, construction machines, agricultural machines, and the like.

[0019] (First Embodiment) <Vehicle> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of vehicle 10. Vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV), hybrid vehicle (HV), or plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV). Vehicle 10 comprises a battery pack 11 (indicated as "Battey" in Figure 1), a power control unit (hereinafter referred to as "PCU") 12 as a power conversion device, a motor 13 (indicated as "MG" in Figure 1) as an electrical load, and a vehicle ECU 14 (indicated as "ECU" in Figure 1). Note that PCU is an abbreviation for "Power Control Unit," MG is an abbreviation for "Motor Generator," and ECU is an abbreviation for "Electronic Control Unit."

[0020] The battery pack 11 is mounted on the vehicle 10 as a power source for the vehicle 10. In Figure 1, the battery pack 11 is located, for example, in the front compartment. However, the battery pack 11 may also be located in the rear compartment, under the seats, or under the floor.

[0021] The battery pack 11 includes a battery pack 20 (described later) and is a rechargeable DC voltage source. The battery pack 11 supplies power to the electrical load of the vehicle 10. The battery pack 11 also converts power through the PCU 12 and supplies power to the motor 13. The battery pack 11 is also charged through the PCU 12.

[0022] The PCU12 performs bidirectional power conversion between the battery pack 11 and the motor 13 according to control signals from the vehicle ECU14. The PCU12 is comprised of, for example, an inverter that converts the DC voltage from the battery pack 11 to AC voltage to drive the motor 13, and a converter that boosts the DC voltage supplied to the inverter to an output voltage higher than that of the battery pack 11.

[0023] Motor 13 is an AC rotating electric machine, for example, a three-phase AC synchronous motor with permanent magnets embedded in the rotor. Motor 13 is driven by PCU 12 to generate rotational driving force, and the driving force generated by motor 13 is transmitted to the drive wheels. On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 is braking, motor 13 operates as a generator and performs regenerative power generation. The power generated by motor 13 is supplied to the battery pack 11 through PCU 12 and stored in the battery pack 20.

[0024] The vehicle ECU 14 consists of a CPU, ROM, RAM, and input / output ports for inputting and outputting various signals. The CPU loads the program stored in ROM into RAM and executes it. The program stored in ROM contains the processing instructions for the vehicle ECU 14. As an example of the main processing of the vehicle ECU 14, it receives information such as the voltage, current, SOC (State of Charge), and SOH (State of Health) of the battery pack 20 from the battery pack 11, and controls the PCU 12 to instruct the motor 13 to be driven and the battery pack 11 to be charged and discharged.

[0025] <Battery Pack> The battery pack 11 will now be described in detail. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the battery pack 11, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the battery pack 11. The battery pack 11 comprises a battery pack 20, a battery monitoring system 100, and a housing 50 (shown by a dashed line) that houses them. The battery monitoring system 100 is a system that monitors and manages the battery pack 20 using wireless communication. The battery monitoring system 100 comprises a plurality of battery monitoring devices 30 and a battery control device 40, and wireless communication is conducted between them. This wireless communication uses frequency bands used for short-range communication, such as the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band.

[0026] <Battery pack> The battery pack 20 has multiple battery blocks 21 (sometimes referred to as battery stacks or battery modules). The battery pack 20 is formed by connecting these multiple battery blocks 21 in series and / or in parallel. Each battery block 21 has multiple battery cells 22. Each battery cell 22 is made up of lithium-ion secondary batteries, nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries, etc. Note that lithium-ion secondary batteries are secondary batteries that use lithium as a charge carrier, and may include not only general lithium-ion secondary batteries with a liquid electrolyte, but also so-called all-solid-state batteries that use a solid electrolyte. The battery block 21 is formed by connecting these multiple battery cells 22 in series and / or in parallel via busbars 23. Note that it is optional whether or not to provide battery blocks 21, and the battery pack 20 may be formed by connecting multiple battery cells 22 in series and / or in parallel.

[0027] <Battery monitoring device> The battery monitoring device 30 will now be described. Note that the configuration of each battery monitoring device 30 is common to all of them. The battery monitoring device 30 is also called a satellite battery module (SBM) and is provided for each battery block 21, that is, for each set of battery cells 22. As shown in Figure 2, each battery monitoring device 30 is equipped with a monitoring IC 31, a slave-side wireless IC 32, a slave-side wireless antenna 33, etc. The slave-side wireless IC 32 is connected to the monitoring IC 31 by a wire. The slave-side wireless IC 32 is also connected to the slave-side wireless antenna 33 by a wire.

[0028] The monitoring IC 31, also known as the Cell Supervising Circuit (CSC), acquires (senss) battery information from each battery cell 22 constituting the battery block 21 via physical quantity detection sensors (not shown). Examples of physical quantity detection sensors include voltage sensors, temperature sensors, and current sensors. The battery information includes, for example, voltage information, temperature information, and current information from each battery cell 22. The monitoring target of the battery monitoring device 30 may be the battery block 21, the entire battery pack 20, or it may be changed as desired.

[0029] When the monitoring IC 31 receives data requesting the acquisition and transmission of battery information (control data as control information), it acquires the battery information according to the control data and transmits monitoring data (control results) that include at least the battery information. The monitoring IC 31 may also have a function to perform fault diagnosis (self-diagnosis) of the circuit portion of the battery monitoring device 30, including itself, and transmit the diagnosis results along with the acquired battery information in the monitoring data. For this reason, the monitoring IC 31 functions as a control unit that performs control according to the control information.

[0030] The slave-side wireless IC32 includes an RF circuit (not shown), a microcontroller, and a front-end circuit for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. The slave-side wireless IC32 has a transmission function that modulates data and oscillates at the frequency of the RF signal. Simultaneously, the slave-side wireless IC32 has a reception function that demodulates the received data. RF is an abbreviation for "radio frequency."

[0031] The slave-side wireless IC 32 modulates the monitoring data, including battery information, received from the monitoring IC 31, and transmits it to the battery control device 40 via the slave-side wireless antenna 33. At the same time, the slave-side wireless IC 32 adds data necessary for wireless communication, such as communication control information, to the monitoring data including battery information before transmitting it. This data includes, for example, an identifier (ID) and an error detection code. Furthermore, the slave-side wireless IC 32 has functions to determine the data size, communication format, and schedule for communication between the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40, as well as a function to detect errors.

[0032] Furthermore, the slave-side wireless IC 32 receives data wirelessly transmitted from the battery control device 40 via the slave-side wireless antenna 33 and demodulates it. When the slave-side wireless IC 32 receives control data, for example, including a request to acquire and transmit battery information, it transmits (transfers) it to the monitoring IC 31 via a wired connection. Then, when the slave-side wireless IC 32 receives monitoring data, including battery information, from the monitoring IC 31 as a response to the request, it modulates the response data, including the monitoring data, and wirelessly transmits it to the battery control device 40 via the slave-side wireless antenna 33.

[0033] The slave unit's wireless antenna 33 converts RF signals, which are electrical signals, into radio waves and radiates them into space. The slave unit's wireless antenna 33 also receives radio waves propagating through space and converts them into electrical signals.

[0034] <Battery control device> The battery control device 40 is also called a battery ECU or BMU (Battery Management Unit). The battery control device 40 is configured to communicate wirelessly with each battery monitoring device 30.

[0035] More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the battery control device 40 includes a battery control MCU 41, a master unit wireless IC 42, and a master unit wireless antenna 43. The master unit wireless IC 42 is connected to the battery control MCU 41 by a wire. The master unit wireless IC 42 is also connected to the master unit wireless antenna 43 by a wire.

[0036] The battery control MCU41 is composed of a microcontroller (Micro Controller Unit) including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and input / output interfaces. The CPU of the battery control MCU41 loads the program stored in ROM into RAM and executes it. The program stored in ROM contains, for example, code related to battery control.

[0037] As an example of its main processing, the battery control MCU 41 sends control data to the battery monitoring device 30 requesting the acquisition and transmission of battery information. The battery control MCU 41 also performs various processes related to monitoring the battery pack 20, battery block 21, and battery cells 22 based on the monitoring data, including battery information, received from the battery monitoring device 30. For example, the battery control MCU 41 may send monitoring results (monitoring data) to the vehicle ECU 14, which is a higher-level ECU. In this case, the battery control MCU 41 may calculate the SOC and / or SOH based on the battery information and send battery information, including the calculated SOC and SOH, to the vehicle ECU 14. The battery control MCU 41 also controls relay switches to switch the energization and disconnection states between the battery pack 20 and the PCU 12 and motor 13 based on the monitoring results, etc. The battery control MCU 41 may also send an equalization signal to equalize the voltage of each battery cell 22. In this embodiment, the vehicle ECU 14 issued instructions to the PCU 12 to control the charging and discharging of the battery pack 20, but the battery control MCU 41 may be configured to perform this function. As described above, the battery control MCU 41 monitors and manages the battery pack 20, the battery block 21, and the battery cells 22.

[0038] The master unit wireless IC 42, like the slave unit wireless IC 32, includes an RF circuit (not shown), a microcontroller, a front-end circuit, etc., for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. The master unit wireless IC 42, like the slave unit wireless IC 32, has both transmitting and receiving functions.

[0039] The master unit wireless IC 42 demodulates the received monitoring data, including battery information, via the master unit wireless antenna 43, and transmits it to the battery control MCU 41. The master unit wireless IC 42 also modulates the control data received from the battery control MCU 41, adding data necessary for wireless communication such as communication control information, and transmits it to the battery monitoring device 30 via the master unit wireless antenna 43. The data necessary for wireless communication includes, for example, an identifier (ID) and an error detection code. The master unit wireless IC 42 also has functions to determine the data size, communication format, and schedule for communication between the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40, as well as a function to detect errors.

[0040] The master unit's wireless antenna 43 has the same configuration and function as the slave unit's wireless antenna 33. That is, the master unit's wireless antenna 43 converts RF signals, which are electrical signals, into radio waves and radiates them into space, and also receives radio waves propagating in space and converts them into electrical signals.

[0041] <Enclosure> The housing 50 is made of a conductive material such as metal. The housing 50 is formed in the shape of a metal box and has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. It may also be made of a non-conductive material such as resin in part or in whole. The housing 50 houses the battery pack 20, the battery monitoring device 30, and the battery control device 40.

[0042] Here, the arrangement of the battery pack 20, battery monitoring device 30, and battery control device 40 will be briefly explained based on Figure 3. The bottom surface of the housing 50 serves as the mounting surface for the vehicle 10. As shown in Figure 3, inside the housing 50, which is roughly rectangular in shape, a plurality of battery blocks 21 constituting the battery pack 20 are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction (X direction in Figure 3). In each battery block 21, the battery cells 22 constituting the battery block 21 are arranged in a stacked manner in the short direction (Y direction in Figure 3) of the housing 50.

[0043] The battery monitoring device 30 and busbar 23 are positioned on the top surface of each battery block 21 (the side facing the Z+ direction in Figure 3) and fixed in place with screws or the like. The battery control device 40 is positioned at the very end in the longitudinal direction (X direction). The battery control device 40 is mounted on the side of one of the battery blocks 21 (the battery block 21 at the X-direction end in this embodiment) so that the circuit board on which the battery control device 40 is mounted is oriented vertically. It is desirable that the master unit wireless antenna 43 is positioned so as to protrude above the top surface of the battery block 21.

[0044] The arrangement of the battery pack 20, battery monitoring device 30, and battery control device 40 shown in Figure 3 is an example and may be changed as desired. In this embodiment, the battery pack 20 and the battery monitoring system 100 are housed inside the housing 50, but a part of them may be located outside the housing 50. Alternatively, the housing 50 may be omitted, and the battery pack 20 and other components may be directly attached to the vehicle frame or the like. In other words, the vehicle frame may be used instead of the housing 50.

[0045] <Wireless communication> Next, the wireless communication (wireless communication method) between the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40 will be described based on Figures 4 to 6. Figures 4 and 5 show an example of a communication sequence in data communication between the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40. This communication sequence is repeated at predetermined intervals or performed according to a predetermined communication schedule. Each process is carried out by the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40 executing the wireless communication program stored in their respective storage devices (ROM, etc.).

[0046] Figures 4 to 6 illustrate wireless communication between a single battery monitoring device 30 and a battery control device 40. The battery monitoring device 30 that communicates with the battery monitoring device is determined by the communication schedule, etc. In Figures 4 to 6, the monitoring IC 31 is shown as MIC31, the slave-side wireless IC 32 as WIC32, the battery control MCU 41 as MCU41, and the master-side wireless IC 42 as WIC42. Figure 6 shows an example of the connection establishment process (step S10) shown in Figure 4.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the slave-side wireless IC 32 of the battery monitoring device 30 and the master-side wireless IC 42 of the battery control device 40 perform a process to establish a connection (step S10).

[0048] The connection establishment process in step S10 will now be explained based on Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6, the master-side wireless IC 42 of the battery control device 40 performs a scan operation (slave device detection operation) (step S11), and the slave-side wireless IC 32 performs an advertisement operation (connection information transmission operation) (step S12). The scan operation may start earlier than the advertisement operation, or at approximately the same time. It may also start later than the advertisement operation.

[0049] The advertising operation is the operation in which the slave-side wireless IC 32 sends an advertisement packet (ADV_PKT) via broadcast communication to inform the master-side wireless IC 42 of the battery control device 40 of its presence. The advertisement packet contains ID information for itself (battery monitoring device 30) and the battery control device 40.

[0050] In this advertising operation, the communication channel used for connection establishment is utilized from among multiple communication channels. A communication channel is a frequency band used for short-range communication, for example, the 2.4 GHz band, divided into predetermined bandwidths (for example, 2 MHz). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, it is divided into 40 channels from 0ch to 39ch. The communication channel used for connection establishment is a predetermined channel (for example, 37ch to 39ch) out of the 40 channels. On the other hand, the channels other than the communication channel used for connection establishment (for example, 0ch to 36ch) are used for data transmission, which will be described later.

[0051] In the advertising operation, as shown in Figure 8, advertisement packets are sent at predetermined intervals using multiple (three in this embodiment) connection establishment communication channels. This allows communication to continue on the other connection establishment communication channels even if there is a communication failure on one of them. For this reason, the three connection establishment communication channels are set to have frequency bands as far apart as possible to prevent interference with each other (see Figure 7). Furthermore, it is desirable that the connection establishment communication channels are set so as not to overlap with frequency bands used by other devices.

[0052] Let's return to the explanation of the connection establishment process. As shown in Figure 6, when the master-side wireless IC 42 of the battery control device 40 detects an advertisement packet, i.e., a slave-side wireless IC 32, through a scan operation, it sends a connection request (CONNECT_REQ) to the detected slave-side wireless IC 32 (step S13).

[0053] Then, when the slave-side wireless IC 32 receives a connection request, a wireless communication path is established between one battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40 (step S14). Once the connection is established, the slave-side wireless IC 32 of the battery monitoring device 30 stops transmitting advertisement packets. The slave-side wireless IC 32 periodically transmits advertisement packets until the connection is established.

[0054] This connection establishment process is performed, for example, at startup. Startup refers to, for example, when the operating power is supplied. In a configuration where power is constantly supplied from the battery block 21, startup occurs during the manufacturing process of the vehicle 10 or after parts replacement at a repair shop. Startup may also occur when a startup signal, such as the IG signal output when the ignition switch is turned on, is input. For example, startup occurs when the ignition switch is switched from off to on by user operation. Also, when the ignition switch is off, the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40 enter a sleep state (standby mode), but they start up intermittently. The connection establishment process may also be performed during this intermittent startup.

[0055] Then, upon startup, connection establishment processes are performed between the battery control device 40 and all battery monitoring devices 30 that are connected to the battery control device 40 via wireless communication.

[0056] Furthermore, if the connection state of the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40 is interrupted, they will perform the connection establishment process again (step S10). In other words, they will perform a reconnection. The battery control device 40 will perform a reconnection (connection establishment) with the disconnected battery monitoring device 30 while continuing data communication with the remaining battery monitoring devices 30 that have an established connection. For example, the disconnection may occur due to deterioration of the communication environment.

[0057] Furthermore, once a wireless communication connection is established, the connection establishment process is skipped and subsequent processing is performed, unless the connection is interrupted. In other words, once a wireless communication connection is established in step S10, the battery control device 40 periodically performs data communication (processing in steps S20 to S33) with the battery monitoring device 30.

[0058] To explain in more detail, as shown in Figure 4, the battery control MCU 41 of the battery control device 40 transmits control data (control information) to the connected battery monitoring device 30, including a request to acquire and transmit monitoring data containing battery information (step S20). When the master unit wireless IC 42 receives the control data, it adds data necessary for wireless communication, such as communication control information, to the control data to generate transmission data (step S21). At the same time, the master unit wireless IC 42 selects one of the communication channels for data transmission (for example, 0ch to 36ch) (step S22). At this time, as shown in Figure 9, the master unit wireless IC 42 selects a communication channel from the available data transmission communication channels by referring to a channel map in which the status (state) of each communication channel is set to either available or unavailable (unavailable, the same applies hereinafter). The method for setting the availability and availability of each communication channel will be described later.

[0059] Then, the master unit wireless IC 42 wirelessly transmits the transmission data to the slave unit wireless IC 32 via the master unit wireless antenna 43 (step S23). At that time, the master unit wireless IC 42 wirelessly transmits to the slave unit wireless IC 32 using the selected data transmission communication channel.

[0060] When the slave-side wireless IC 32 of the battery monitoring device 30 receives transmitted data via the slave-side wireless antenna 33, it determines whether the communication quality of the communication channel used to transmit the transmitted data was good or not (step S24). In other words, the slave-side wireless IC 32 determines whether the transmitted data was received successfully or not.

[0061] In step S24, the slave-side wireless IC 32 may determine that the communication quality is poor (not received properly) if, for example, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is below a predetermined strength threshold. Alternatively, the slave-side wireless IC 32 may determine the communication quality using, for example, a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC). Furthermore, the slave-side wireless IC 32 may determine the communication quality based on whether, for example, the packet error rate is below a predetermined error rate. It may also determine the communication quality based on the communication time from when the master-side wireless IC 42 transmits until the slave-side wireless IC 32 receives. Additionally, if the transmission data is divided into packets, the slave-side wireless IC 32 may determine the communication quality based on the variation in the interval between the arrival of one packet and the arrival of the next. Finally, the communication quality may be determined based on the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Furthermore, other well-known methods may be employed, or a combination of any or more of these methods may be used to determine the communication quality based on the results of those determinations. As described above, the slave-side wireless IC32 of this embodiment functions as a communication quality determination unit that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when it receives control data. Also, the processing in step S24 corresponds to the communication quality determination process that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when it receives control information.

[0062] If the communication quality is good, the result of step S24 is affirmed; if the communication quality is poor, the result of step S24 is denied. If the result of step S24 is affirmed, that is, if reception was successful, the slave-side wireless IC 32 transmits the control data included in the received transmission data to the monitoring IC 31 (step S25).

[0063] When the monitoring IC31 receives control data, it performs battery information acquisition (sensing) (step S26). The monitoring IC31 may also perform circuit fault diagnosis.

[0064] Next, the monitoring IC 31 transmits monitoring data, including battery information, to the slave-side wireless IC 32 (step S27). At this time, monitoring data including diagnostic results may also be transmitted along with the battery information.

[0065] When the slave-side wireless IC 32 receives monitoring data from the monitoring IC 31, it generates transmission data, i.e., response data, which includes the monitoring data, and wirelessly transmits (responds) it to the master-side wireless IC 42 via the slave-side wireless antenna 33 (step S28). At this time, the response data is accompanied by data necessary for wireless communication, such as communication control information, similar to the processing of the master-side wireless IC 42 in step S21. The slave-side wireless IC 32 also selects the same communication channel that was used when it received the transmission data transmitted by the master-side wireless IC 42 and wirelessly transmits it to the master-side wireless IC 42. In other words, the slave-side wireless IC 32 transmits using the data transmission communication channel selected in step S22. Therefore, the data transmission communication channel corresponds to the battery information exchange communication channel for exchanging battery information.

[0066] Incidentally, conventionally, when the slave-side wireless IC32 determined the communication quality, it always sent the determination result (communication quality) back to the master-side wireless IC42. In other words, if the slave-side wireless IC32 could not receive the transmitted data properly (determined that the communication quality was poor), it would send that determination result back to the master-side wireless IC42. The master-side wireless IC42 then determined the communication quality for each communication channel based on this determination result.

[0067] However, even in situations where transmitted data could not be received properly (i.e., poor communication quality), as mentioned above, the judgment result was sent back to the base station's wireless IC42, which led to a vicious cycle where the amount of communication data increased and the communication quality worsened further. In other words, problems such as slower communication speeds and worsening communication error rates occurred.

[0068] Therefore, in this embodiment, if the determination result in step S24 is negative (i.e., the communication quality is poor), the slave-side wireless IC 32 terminates data communication for that cycle and does not respond (reply) to the master-side wireless IC 42. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the amount of communication data on a communication channel when the communication quality of that channel is poor.

[0069] As described above, the slave-side wireless IC32 of this embodiment functions as a reply unit that returns monitoring data (control results) when the communication quality is good, and does not return monitoring data when the communication quality is poor. Furthermore, the processing in steps S24 to S38 corresponds to the reply processing.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5, after transmitting the transmission data in step S23, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether or not a response data has been returned from the slave unit wireless IC 32, which is the recipient of the transmission (step S29). Specifically, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether or not a response data has been received within a predetermined time after transmitting the transmission data in step S23.

[0071] Furthermore, if the judgment result in step S24 is negative and the slave-side wireless IC32 does not return response data, the judgment result in step S29 will also be negative. In addition, even if the judgment result in step S24 is positive and the slave-side wireless IC32 returns response data, if the master-side wireless IC42 is unable to receive it due to a communication failure or the like, the judgment result in step S29 will also be negative.

[0072] If the result of the determination in step S29 is negative, that is, if response data could not be received, the master unit wireless IC 42 evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel used when transmitting the transmission data to the slave unit wireless IC 32, that is, the data transmission communication channel selected in step S22, and stores it in the channel map (step S30).

[0073] Specifically, in step S30, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines that the communication quality of the data transmission communication channel selected in step S22 is poor. In this embodiment, if the master unit wireless IC 42 determines that the communication quality is poor, it stores the status of that communication channel as unavailable (unselectable) in the channel map for subsequent steps. As a result, the communication channel will not be selected in subsequent steps S22. The master unit wireless IC 42 then terminates data communication for that cycle.

[0074] Therefore, in this embodiment, the master unit-side wireless IC 42 functions as an evaluation unit that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control data as poor if no monitoring data is returned from the battery monitoring device 30 after the control data has been transmitted. Furthermore, the processing in step S30 corresponds to the evaluation process.

[0075] If the result of the determination in step S29 is positive, that is, if response data is returned, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether the communication quality of the communication channel used to transmit the response data was good or not (step S31). In step S31, the communication quality of the communication channel used is determined by performing the same process as in step S24. If this determination result is negative (i.e., the communication quality is poor), the process proceeds to step S30.

[0076] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S31 is positive, that is, if reception was successful (communication quality is good), the master unit wireless IC 42 transmits the monitoring data included in the received response data to the battery control MCU 41 (step S32). The battery control MCU 41 performs predetermined processing based on the monitoring data (step S33). Then, the master unit wireless IC 42 terminates data communication for that cycle.

[0077] As described above, the battery control device 40 periodically performs the aforementioned data communication with the battery monitoring device 30 with which it has established a connection.

[0078] The following effects can be obtained with the battery monitoring system 100, battery monitoring device 30, battery control device 40, wireless communication program, and wireless communication method of the above embodiment.

[0079] When the battery monitoring device 30, which is the receiver, receives transmission data including control data (control information) from the battery control device 40, it determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission. If the communication quality is good, it returns response data including monitoring data (control results), but if the communication quality is poor, it does not return response data. This prevents the battery monitoring device 30 from sending communication quality data to the battery control device 40 to inform it that the communication quality is poor, which would increase the amount of communication data and further worsen the communication quality.

[0080] Furthermore, if the battery control device 40, which is the transmitter, does not receive a response data containing monitoring data (control results) from the battery monitoring device 30 after transmitting transmission data containing control data (control information), it evaluates that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the transmission data is poor. Specifically, if the master-side wireless IC 42 does not receive a response data within a predetermined time after transmitting the transmission data in step S23, it evaluates that the communication quality of the communication channel is poor. This allows the battery monitoring device 30 to indirectly inform the battery control device 40 that the communication quality is poor without directly notifying it via wireless communication.

[0081] Furthermore, the battery control device 40 stores in the channel map any communication channels that it has determined to have poor communication quality as unavailable (unselectable) for subsequent data communications. This prevents the use of communication channels with poor communication quality in subsequent communications.

[0082] The communication channels include a connection-establishing communication channel used to establish a wireless communication connection and a data transmission communication channel used to exchange battery information. The battery control device 40 evaluates the communication channel when the data transmission communication channel is in use. This ensures that the connection-establishing communication channel is never unavailable.

[0083] The battery monitoring device 30 selects the same communication channel that was used when it received the transmission data sent by the battery control device 40, and sends response data back to the battery control device 40. In other words, it sends response data using a communication channel with good communication quality. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the communication quality of a poor communication channel from being further deteriorated by the response data, which would otherwise occur if a poor communication channel were used.

[0084] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment will be described in which a part of the configuration of the battery monitoring system 100 of the first embodiment described above has been modified.

[0085] The data communication processing flow in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. Note that the same processes as in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions and figures will be omitted. The description will focus primarily on the processes according to the second embodiment.

[0086] In the second embodiment, if the determination result in step S29 is negative, or if the determination result in step S31 is negative, the master-side wireless IC 42 evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel used when transmitting the transmission data to the slave-side wireless IC 32, i.e., the data transmission communication channel selected in step S22, and updates the channel map (step S130).

[0087] In step S130, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines that the communication quality of the data transmission communication channel selected in step S22 is poor, and adds 1 to the number of times the communication quality of that communication channel has been determined to be poor. This number of failures is stored in the channel map, associated with each communication channel, as shown in Figure 11.

[0088] The master unit wireless IC 42 then determines whether the number of failures after the increment has exceeded a predetermined threshold (step S131). The threshold is an arbitrary value, but in the third embodiment, it is set to "5". If this determination is positive, the master unit wireless IC 42 stores the status of that communication channel as unavailable (unselectable) in the channel map (step S132). For example, as shown in Figure 11, for communication channels ch1, ch12, ch23, and ch34, if the number of failures exceeds 5, the status of that communication channel becomes unavailable. As a result, in subsequent steps S22, that communication channel will not be selected. The master unit wireless IC 42 then terminates data communication for that cycle.

[0089] If this determination result is negative, the master unit's wireless IC42 will terminate data communication for that cycle.

[0090] The second embodiment provides the following effects.

[0091] External environmental factors can potentially lead to poor communication quality. For example, high levels of external noise or significant vibrations from the vehicle (10) due to road conditions can easily result in poor communication quality. In such cases, immediately disabling all communication channels with poor quality could lead to an excessive number of channels becoming unavailable, limiting the available choices. Therefore, the system stores the number of times a channel has been judged to have poor communication quality, and only disables a channel (makes it unusable) if the number of such instances exceeds a predetermined threshold. This helps to limit the number of communication channels that become unavailable.

[0092] In the second embodiment described above, the count threshold may be arbitrarily changed. The battery control device 40 may also be provided with a threshold setting unit that changes the count threshold depending on the vehicle state or communication speed. For example, the master unit wireless IC 42 may increase the count threshold when the vehicle speed, as a vehicle state, is above a predetermined speed (for example, it may be changed from "5" to "7"). This prevents an increase in the number of communication channels that are unnecessarily made unavailable, even when the vibration transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the battery pack 11 increases due to the vehicle 10 moving at high speed, and deterioration of communication quality (communication environment) is expected. The vehicle speed may be obtained directly from the vehicle speed sensor or indirectly via the battery control MCU 41.

[0093] Furthermore, the base station wireless IC 42 may increase the threshold number of attempts if the communication speed is set to a speed above a predetermined value. In other words, increasing the communication speed increases the likelihood of poor communication quality, but in this case, it is possible to suppress the unnecessarily large number of communication channels that are deemed unavailable for selection.

[0094] Furthermore, the master unit wireless IC 42 may be modified to increase the threshold number of times when the vehicle 10 is traveling in an environment with a lot of external noise, for example, when the vehicle 10 is traveling near a radio tower. This prevents an increase in the number of communication channels that are unnecessarily made unavailable, even when deterioration of communication quality (communication environment) is expected due to traveling in an environment with a lot of external noise. Whether or not the vehicle is traveling in an environment with a lot of external noise may be obtained indirectly via the battery control MCU 41, or the external noise may be measured directly.

[0095] In the above modified example, the master unit wireless IC 42 functions as a threshold setting unit, but the battery control MCU 41 may also function as a threshold setting unit. In this case, the battery control MCU 41 only needs to notify the master unit wireless IC 42 of the count threshold.

[0096] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment will be described, which involves modifying some of the components of the battery monitoring system 100 of the first embodiment described above.

[0097] The battery control device 40 of the third embodiment is configured to communicate data with a plurality of battery monitoring devices 30, and is configured to determine that some kind of abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring system 100 or the battery control device 40 if no response data is returned from all of the battery monitoring devices 30 for multiple consecutive times.

[0098] Referring to Figure 12, the flow of the system abnormality detection process in the third embodiment will be explained in detail. The system abnormality detection process is performed by the master unit wireless IC 42 at predetermined intervals, or more specifically, at each data communication cycle.

[0099] First, the master unit's wireless IC 42 reads the number of communication errors and determines whether the number of communication errors is greater than "0" (step S201). The number of communication errors indicates the number of times the communication quality was determined to be poor in the data communication described in Figures 4 and 5, and is stored in the master unit's wireless IC 42 or similar device. Specifically, it indicates the number of times the communication quality was determined to be poor in step S30. Note that it may also include the number of times when the connection establishment process (step S10) was not performed normally, that is, the number of times the connection could not be established.

[0100] If this determination result is positive, the master unit's wireless IC 42 increments the communication count counter by 1 and updates its value (step S202). The communication count counter indicates the number of times data communication (processing in step S203) has been performed since the number of communication errors reached 1 or more, and is stored in the master unit's wireless IC 42 or similar device.

[0101] If the result of step S201 is negative, or after the processing in step S202, the data communication processing (processing in steps S20 to S33) as described in Figures 4 to 5 is performed (step S203). If a connection has already been established, the connection establishment process (step S10) is skipped and the data communication processing is performed.

[0102] After the data communication process is completed, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether a communication error occurred during the data communication (step S204). Specifically, if it was determined in step S30 that the communication quality was poor, it is determined that a communication error occurred. It is also possible to determine that a communication error occurred if the connection establishment process was not performed successfully.

[0103] If the result of step S204 is positive, the master unit wireless IC 42 adds 1 to the number of communication errors and updates the value (step S205). Next, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether the updated number of communication errors is greater than a predetermined abnormality determination threshold (step S206). The abnormality determination threshold is a value of 2 or more, and in this embodiment, it is 5.

[0104] If the result of this determination is positive, the master unit wireless IC 42 sets the system abnormality flag to "1" to indicate that some abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring system 100 or the battery control device 40 (step S207). The master unit wireless IC 42 then notifies the external higher-level ECU (vehicle ECU 14, etc.) that an abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring system 100 or the battery control device 40 (step S208). The series of processes then ends.

[0105] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S204 or step S206 is negative, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether the communication count counter is less than the set value (step S209). If this determination is positive, the series of processes ends there. The set value is, for example, 5.

[0106] On the other hand, if the result of the judgment in step S209 is negative, the master unit wireless IC 42 initializes the communication count counter and the communication error count, that is, sets them to "0" (step S210). In other words, if no communication errors exceeding the abnormality judgment threshold occur between the time a communication error occurs and the time the communication count counter exceeds the set value, it is initialized as normal.

[0107] According to the third embodiment described above, if response data is not returned multiple times consecutively within a certain period, it is determined that some kind of abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring system 100 or the battery control device 40, and thus the abnormality of the battery monitoring system 100 or the battery control device 40 can be detected. Therefore, the battery control device 40 in this embodiment functions as an abnormality determination unit.

[0108] (Fourth Embodiment) A fourth embodiment will be described, which involves modifying some of the components of the battery monitoring system 100 of the first embodiment described above.

[0109] The battery control device 40 of the fourth embodiment is configured to communicate data with a plurality of battery monitoring devices 30, and is configured to determine that some kind of abnormality has occurred in a particular battery monitoring device 30 if no response data is returned from that particular battery monitoring device 30 for multiple consecutive times.

[0110] Referring to Figure 13, the flow of the slave unit abnormality detection process in the fourth embodiment will be explained in detail. The slave unit abnormality detection process is performed by the master unit's wireless IC 42 at predetermined intervals, or more specifically, at each data communication cycle.

[0111] First, the master unit wireless IC 42 selects a battery monitoring device 30 to communicate with from among multiple battery monitoring devices 30 in a predetermined order (step S301). Then, the master unit wireless IC 42 reads the number of slave device communication errors for the selected battery monitoring device 30 and determines whether the number of slave device communication errors is greater than "0" (step S302). The number of slave device communication errors is stored for each battery monitoring device 30 and indicates the number of times the communication quality was determined to be poor in the data communication described in Figures 4 and 5 for each battery monitoring device 30. Specifically, it indicates the number of times the communication quality was determined to be poor in step S30 for each battery monitoring device 30. Note that the number of times the connection establishment process (step S10) was not performed normally, that is, the number of times the connection could not be established, may also be included.

[0112] If this determination result is positive, the master unit wireless IC 42 increments the slave unit communication count counter of the battery monitoring device 30 selected in step S301 by 1 and updates its value (step S303). The slave unit communication count counter is stored for each battery monitoring device 30 and indicates the number of times data communication (processing in step S304) has been performed to the battery monitoring device 30 selected in step S301 since the number of slave unit communication errors became 1 or more.

[0113] If the result of step S302 is negative, or after the processing in step S303, the data communication processing (processing in steps S20 to S33) as described in Figures 4 to 5 is performed (step S304). If a connection has already been established, the connection establishment process (step S10) is skipped and the data communication processing is performed.

[0114] After the completion of the data communication process, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether a communication error occurred with the battery monitoring device 30, which is the communication partner in the data communication (step S305). Specifically, if it is determined in step S30 that the communication quality is poor, it is determined that a communication error has occurred. It is also possible to determine that a communication error has occurred if the connection establishment process was not performed successfully.

[0115] If the result of step S305 is positive, the master unit wireless IC 42 adds 1 to the number of slave unit communication errors of the battery monitoring device 30 selected in step S301 and updates the value (step S306). Next, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether the updated number of slave unit communication errors is greater than a predetermined slave unit abnormality determination threshold (step S307). The slave unit abnormality determination threshold is a value of 2 or more, and in this embodiment, it is 5.

[0116] If this determination result is positive, the master unit wireless IC 42 sets the slave unit abnormality flag to "1" to indicate that some kind of abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring device 30 of the communication partner (the partner selected in step S301) (step S308). The master unit wireless IC 42 then notifies the external higher-level ECU (vehicle ECU 14, etc.) that an abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring device 30 (step S309). At this time, the master unit wireless IC 42 may also notify the identification number (ID) of the communication partner's battery monitoring device 30. Then the series of processes ends.

[0117] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S305 or step S307 is negative, the master unit wireless IC 42 determines whether the slave unit communication count counter is less than or equal to a set value (step S310). The set value is any value, for example, 5. If this determination result is positive, the series of processes ends there.

[0118] On the other hand, if the result of the judgment in step S310 is negative, the master unit wireless IC 42 initializes the slave unit communication count counter and the slave unit communication error count, that is, sets them to "0" (step S311). In other words, if no communication errors exceeding the slave unit abnormality judgment threshold occur between the time a communication error occurs and the time the slave unit communication count counter exceeds the set value, it is initialized as normal.

[0119] According to the fourth embodiment described above, if a specific battery monitoring device 30 fails to return response data multiple times in a row, it is determined that some kind of abnormality has occurred in the specific battery monitoring device 30, thus enabling the detection of an abnormality in the battery monitoring device 30. Therefore, the battery control device 40 in this embodiment functions as an abnormality determination unit.

[0120] (modified version) Some of the components of the battery monitoring system 100 in the above embodiment may be modified as shown below. A modified example with some changes will be described.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the master unit wireless IC 42 is equipped with the evaluation unit function, but the battery control MCU 41 may also be equipped with the evaluation unit function. Furthermore, the battery control MCU 41 may select the communication channel. Similarly, the battery control MCU 41 may set the communication channel selection to disabled.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the slave-side wireless IC 32 is equipped with the function of a communication quality determination unit, but the monitoring IC 31 may also be equipped with the function of a communication quality determination unit. Similarly, the slave-side wireless IC 32 is equipped with the function of a reply unit, but the monitoring IC 31 may also be equipped with the function of a reply unit.

[0123] In the third or fourth embodiment described above, the count threshold may be changed according to the distance between the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40. Furthermore, the count threshold may be changed according to the shielding performance of the battery pack 11, the size of the internal space of the battery pack 11, etc. For example, if the shielding performance is high and there is little external noise, the count threshold may be reduced.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the slave-side wireless IC32 may use any communication channel when returning response data.

[0125] In step S24 of the above embodiment, the threshold (such as strength threshold or error rate) used to determine whether or not the communication quality is poor may be changed. For example, the threshold may be changed depending on the vehicle condition or the communication speed. It may also be changed depending on the distance between the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40. It may also be changed depending on the shielding performance of the battery pack 11 or the size of the battery pack 11.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the connection establishment process (step S10) may be performed when the battery pack 11 is powered by an external charging device outside the vehicle. In this case, the external charging device and the battery monitoring device 30 may perform the connection establishment process instead of the battery control device 40, and the external charging device and the battery monitoring device 30 may communicate data. That is, the external charging device may acquire and monitor battery information of the battery cells 22 instead of the battery control device 40.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the distance between the battery monitoring device 30 and the battery control device 40 is the communication distance between the master unit wireless antenna 43 and the slave unit wireless antenna 33. If there are no obstacles between the master unit wireless antenna 43 and the slave unit wireless antenna 33, the communication distance is the distance drawn by a straight line connecting the master unit wireless antenna 43 and the slave unit wireless antenna 33, as shown in Figure 3. On the other hand, if there are obstacles between the master unit wireless antenna 43 and the slave unit wireless antenna 33, the communication distance is the shortest distance in the wireless communication path where radio waves travel, taking reflected waves into consideration.

[0128] In the above embodiment, even if the status of any communication channel becomes unavailable, it may be reset at a predetermined timing, for example, when the ignition switch is turned off. Alternatively, the status may be reset (initialized) when the vehicle state or communication speed changes. Furthermore, if a predetermined number or more communication channels become unavailable, some or all of them may be reset.

[0129] In the above embodiment, if the status of any communication channel becomes unavailable (unselectable), there is a high probability that the communication channels in adjacent frequency bands also have poor communication quality, so the communication channels in adjacent frequency bands may also be made unavailable. For example, if communication channel ch23 becomes unavailable, communication channels ch22 and ch24 may also be made unavailable.

[0130] In the third embodiment described above, the master unit wireless IC 42 determined that an abnormality had occurred if it could not receive monitoring data (control results) from the battery monitoring device 30 for a predetermined number of consecutive times. However, it may also determine that an abnormality has occurred if it cannot receive monitoring data from the battery monitoring device 30 for a predetermined number of times within a certain period of time.

[0131] In the fourth embodiment described above, the master unit wireless IC 42 determined that an abnormality had occurred if it failed to receive monitoring data (control results) from a specific battery monitoring device 30 for a predetermined number of consecutive times. However, it may also determine that an abnormality has occurred if it fails to receive monitoring data from a specific battery monitoring device 30 for a predetermined number of times within a certain period of time.

[0132] The control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

[0133] The following describes the characteristic configurations extracted from each of the embodiments described above.

[0134] [Configuration 1] In a battery monitoring system (100) that monitors the battery section (20, 21, 22), A transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among multiple communication channels, The system includes a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, The aforementioned receiver is A control unit (31) that performs control according to the control information, When the control information is received, a communication quality determination unit (32) determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission, The system includes a reply unit (32) that, if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, returns the control result from the control unit, but does not return the control result if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good, The aforementioned transmitter is A battery monitoring system comprising an evaluation unit (42) that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information.

[0135] [Configuration 2] For each communication channel, the number of times the evaluation unit has evaluated the communication quality as poor is accumulated. The battery monitoring system according to Configuration 1, wherein the transmitter makes the communication channel unselectable when the number of occurrences exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0136] [Configuration 3] The battery monitoring system according to configuration 2, wherein the transmitter includes a threshold setting unit that changes the threshold according to the vehicle status or communication speed.

[0137] [Structure 4] The battery monitoring system according to configuration 3 or 4, wherein the threshold setting unit changes the threshold when the vehicle speed is above a predetermined speed or when the vehicle is in an environment with a lot of external noise.

[0138] [Composition 5] The aforementioned communication channel includes a connection establishment communication channel used to establish a wireless communication connection, and a battery information exchange communication channel used to exchange battery information. When transmitting the control information, the transmitter selects the communication channel for exchanging battery information. The battery monitoring system according to any of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the communication channel for exchanging battery information when the communication channel is used.

[0139] [Composition 6] The battery monitoring system according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the receiver returns the control result using the communication channel used when the transmitter transmitted the control information.

[0140] [Composition 7] The transmitter is a battery control device that transmits control data requesting the acquisition and transmission of battery information of the battery unit as control information. The battery monitoring system according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the receiver is a battery monitoring device that acquires battery information of the battery unit based on the received control data and returns the acquired battery information as the control result.

[0141] [Structure 8] Multiple battery monitoring devices are provided, The battery monitoring system according to configuration 7, wherein the battery control device includes an abnormality determination unit that determines that an abnormality has occurred in a specific battery monitoring device if it fails to receive the control result from a specific battery monitoring device among a plurality of battery monitoring devices for a predetermined number of consecutive times.

[0142] [Composition 9] Multiple battery monitoring devices are provided, The battery monitoring system according to configuration 7 or 8, wherein the battery control device includes an abnormality determination unit that determines that an abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring system or the battery control device if it fails to receive the control result from the battery monitoring device for a predetermined number of consecutive times.

[0143] [Configuration 10] A battery monitoring system (100) that monitors battery units (20, 21, 22), comprising a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among multiple communication channels, and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the receiver of the battery monitoring system The transmitter includes an evaluation unit (42) that, if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information, evaluates that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information is poor. A control unit (31) that performs control according to the control information, When the control information is received, a communication quality determination unit (32) determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission, A receiver for a battery monitoring system, comprising: a reply unit (32) that returns the control result from the control unit when the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, and does not return the control result when the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good.

[0144] [Composition 11] A battery monitoring system (100) that monitors battery units (20, 21, 22), comprising: a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from a plurality of communication channels; and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, The receiver comprises a control unit (31) that performs control according to the control information, a communication quality determination unit (32) that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when it receives the control information, and a reply unit (32) that returns the control result from the control unit if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, but does not return the control result if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good. A transmitter for a battery monitoring system, comprising an evaluation unit (42) that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if, after transmitting the control information, the receiver does not return the control result.

[0145] [Composition 12] A battery monitoring system (100) that monitors battery units (20, 21, 22), comprising a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among multiple communication channels, and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein a wireless communication program is performed by the transmitter and receiver of the battery monitoring system, The aforementioned receiver, A control process that performs control according to the aforementioned control information, Upon receiving the aforementioned control information, a communication quality determination process is performed to determine the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission. If the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is good, the control result of the control process is returned; however, if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is not good, a return process is performed that does not return the control result. The aforementioned transmitter, A wireless communication program that, if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information, performs an evaluation process to determine that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information is poor.

[0146] [Composition 13] A battery monitoring system (100) that monitors battery sections (20, 21, 22), comprising a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using a communication channel selected from among multiple communication channels, and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the transmitter and receiver of the battery monitoring system perform wireless communication, The aforementioned receiver A control process that performs control according to the aforementioned control information, Upon receiving the aforementioned control information, a communication quality determination process is performed to determine the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission. If the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is good, the control result of the control process is returned; however, if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is not good, a return process is performed in which the control result is not returned. The aforementioned transmitter, A wireless communication method that, if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information, performs an evaluation process to evaluate that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information is poor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0147] 20...Battery pack, 21...Battery block, 22...Battery cell, 30...Battery monitoring device, 31...Monitoring IC, 32...Slave-side wireless IC, 40...Battery control device, 42...Master-side wireless IC, 100...Battery monitoring system, 41...Battery control MCU.

Claims

1. In a battery monitoring system (100) that monitors the battery section (20, 21, 22), A transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using one communication channel selected from multiple communication channels, The system includes a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, The aforementioned receiver is A control unit (31) that performs control according to the control information, When the control information is received, a communication quality determination unit (32) determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission, The system includes a reply unit (32) that, when the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, returns the control result from the control unit, but when the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good, does not return the control result for all of the multiple communication channels. The aforementioned transmitter is A battery monitoring system comprising an evaluation unit (42) that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information.

2. For each communication channel, the number of times the evaluation unit has evaluated the communication quality as poor is accumulated. The battery monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter makes the communication channel unselectable when the number of occurrences exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. The battery monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter includes a threshold setting unit that changes the threshold according to the vehicle status or communication speed.

4. The battery monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the threshold setting unit changes the threshold when the vehicle speed is above a predetermined speed or when the vehicle is in an environment with a lot of external noise.

5. The aforementioned communication channel includes a connection establishment communication channel used to establish a wireless communication connection, and a battery information exchange communication channel used to exchange battery information. When transmitting the control information, the transmitter selects the communication channel for exchanging battery information. The battery monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the communication channel for exchanging battery information when the communication channel is used.

6. The battery monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the receiver returns the control result using the communication channel used when the transmitter transmitted the control information.

7. The transmitter is a battery control device that transmits control data requesting the acquisition and transmission of battery information of the battery unit as control information. The battery monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the receiver is a battery monitoring device that acquires battery information of the battery unit based on the received control data and returns the acquired battery information as the control result.

8. Multiple battery monitoring devices are provided, The battery monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein the battery control device includes an abnormality determination unit that determines that an abnormality has occurred in a specific battery monitoring device if it fails to receive the control result from a specific battery monitoring device among a plurality of battery monitoring devices for a predetermined number of consecutive times.

9. Multiple battery monitoring devices are provided, The battery monitoring system according to claim 7, further comprising an abnormality determination unit that determines that an abnormality has occurred in the battery monitoring system or the battery monitoring device if it fails to receive the control result from the battery monitoring device for a predetermined number of consecutive times.

10. A battery monitoring system (100) that monitors battery units (20, 21, 22), comprising a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using one communication channel selected from a plurality of communication channels, and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, The transmitter includes an evaluation unit (42) that, if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information, evaluates that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information is poor. A control unit (31) that performs control according to the control information, When the control information is received, a communication quality determination unit (32) determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission, A receiver for a battery monitoring system, comprising: a reply unit (32) that returns the control result from the control unit when the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, and does not return the control result for all of the multiple communication channels when the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good.

11. A battery monitoring system (100) that monitors battery units (20, 21, 22), comprising: a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using one communication channel selected from a plurality of communication channels; and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, The receiver comprises a control unit (31) that performs control according to the control information, a communication quality determination unit (32) that determines the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission when it receives the control information, and a reply unit (32) that returns the control result from the control unit if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is good, but does not return the control result for all of the multiple communication channels if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination unit is not good. A transmitter for a battery monitoring system, comprising an evaluation unit (42) that evaluates the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information as poor if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information.

12. A battery monitoring system (100) that monitors battery units (20, 21, 22), comprising a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using one communication channel selected from a plurality of communication channels, and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein a wireless communication program is performed by the transmitter and receiver of the battery monitoring system, The aforementioned receiver, A control process that performs control according to the aforementioned control information, Upon receiving the aforementioned control information, a communication quality determination process is performed to determine the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission. If the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is good, the control result of the control process is returned; however, if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is not good, a return process is performed in which the control result is not returned for all of the multiple communication channels. The aforementioned transmitter, A wireless communication program that, if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information, performs an evaluation process to determine that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information is poor.

13. A battery monitoring system (100) for monitoring battery units (20, 21, 22), comprising a transmitter (40) that transmits control information wirelessly using one communication channel selected from a plurality of communication channels, and a receiver (30) that performs various controls according to the control information and returns the control results, wherein the transmitter and receiver of the battery monitoring system perform wireless communication, The aforementioned receiver A control process that performs control according to the aforementioned control information, Upon receiving the aforementioned control information, a communication quality determination process is performed to determine the communication quality of the communication channel used for transmission. If the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is good, the control result of the control process is returned; however, if the communication quality determined by the communication quality determination process is not good, a return process is performed in which the control result is not returned for all of the multiple communication channels. The aforementioned transmitter, A wireless communication method that, if the receiver does not return the control result after the transmission of the control information, performs an evaluation process to evaluate that the communication quality of the communication channel selected when transmitting the control information is poor.

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