Method and apparatus for diagnosing sealing fault of battery

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing a sealing fault in a battery. The method for diagnosing a sealing fault in a battery comprises the steps of: detecting the external temperature of a vehicle and setting a reference temperature value; detecting the temperature of a first battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a first time during which the temperature of the first battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; detecting the temperature of a second battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a second time during which the temperature of the second battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; detecting the temperature of a third battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a third time during which the temperature of the third battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; and using the first time, the second time, and the third time, determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some of the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the third battery pack.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery in a vehicle comprising a plurality of battery packs. Background Technology

[0003] Battery sealing is necessary to protect the battery from the external environment and enhance vehicle stability. For example, if a sealing fault occurs, serious safety issues such as corrosion of battery cells and busbars may arise. Therefore, it is important to accurately diagnose and detect sealing faults. However, conventional systems have limitations in that they cannot diagnose sealing faults in multi-battery packs where multiple battery packs are connected in parallel. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention provides a method for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery to solve the above-mentioned problems, a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, a computer-readable medium storing the computer program, and a device (system). means of solving the problem

[0007] The present invention may be implemented in various ways, including a method, an apparatus (system), a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, or a computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery, performed by at least one processor, comprises the steps of: detecting the external temperature of a vehicle and setting a reference temperature value; detecting the temperature of a first battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a first time during which the temperature of the first battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; detecting the temperature of a second battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a second time during which the temperature of the second battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; detecting the temperature of a third battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a third time during which the temperature of the third battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; and using the first time, the second time, and the third time, determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some of the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the third battery pack.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some battery packs comprises the step of calculating an average value of a first time, a second time, and a third time, and the step of determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some battery packs based on whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some battery packs based on whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value comprises the step of calculating the standard deviations of the first time, the second time, and the third time, and the step of determining whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value using the calculated standard deviations.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of detecting the external temperature of a vehicle and setting a reference temperature value includes the step of determining whether a certain amount of time has elapsed after the power of the vehicle has been turned off, and the step of detecting the external temperature of the vehicle when it is determined that a certain amount of time has elapsed.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of outputting a warning notification when it is determined that a sealing fault exists in at least some of the battery packs.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of outputting a warning notification when it is determined that a sealing fault exists in at least some of the battery packs includes the step of outputting a warning notification in response to the power of the vehicle being turned ON.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first battery pack, a second battery pack, and a third battery pack are connected in parallel to form a multi-battery pack.

[0015] A computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium is provided to execute the above-described method according to one embodiment of the present invention on a computer.

[0016] A computing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a communication module, a memory, and at least one processor connected to the memory and configured to execute at least one computer-readable program included in the memory. The at least one program includes instructions for detecting the external temperature of a vehicle to set a reference temperature value, detecting the temperature of a first battery pack installed in the vehicle to calculate a first time when the temperature of the first battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value, detecting the temperature of a second battery pack installed in the vehicle to calculate a second time when the temperature of the second battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value, detecting the temperature of a third battery pack installed in the vehicle to calculate a third time when the temperature of the third battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value, and using the first time, the second time, and the third time to determine whether a sealing fault exists in at least some of the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the third battery pack.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one program further includes instructions for calculating an average value of a first time, a second time, and a third time, and for determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some battery packs based on whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one program further includes instructions for calculating the standard deviations of a first time, a second time, and a third time, and for determining whether the first time, the second time, or the third time falls outside a threshold range of the calculated average value using the calculated standard deviations.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one program further includes commands for determining whether a certain amount of time has elapsed after the power of a vehicle has been turned off, and for detecting the external temperature of the vehicle when it is determined that a certain amount of time has elapsed.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one program further includes instructions for outputting a warning notification when it is determined that a sealing fault exists in at least some of the battery packs.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one program further includes instructions for outputting a warning notification in response to the power of a vehicle being turned ON. Effects of the invention

[0023] In various embodiments of the present invention, the computing device can effectively prevent corrosion problems of battery cells, busbars, etc. by diagnosing sealing faults in advance and notifying the user.

[0024] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains (referred to as "person skilled in the art") from the description in the claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings described below, wherein similar reference numerals indicate similar elements, but are not limited thereto. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of a computing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of a multi-battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exemplary graph showing the distribution of the first to third times according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows an exemplary computing device for carrying out the above-described method and / or embodiments, etc. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Hereinafter, specific details for implementing the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, in the following description, specific descriptions regarding widely known functions or configurations will be omitted if there is a risk of unnecessarily obscuring the essence of the present invention.

[0028] In the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are assigned the same reference numerals. Additionally, in the description of the following embodiments, the description of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, even if a description of a component is omitted, it is not intended that such component is not included in any embodiment.

[0029] The advantages and features of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms, and these embodiments are provided merely to fully inform a person skilled in the art of the scope of the invention.

[0030] The terms used in this specification will be briefly explained, and the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail. The terms used in this specification have been selected to be as widely used as possible, taking into account their functions in the present invention; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the relevant field, case law, or the emergence of new technologies. Additionally, in specific cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this invention should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the overall content of the present invention.

[0031] In this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly specifies them as singular. Additionally, plural expressions include singular expressions unless the context clearly specifies them as plural. Throughout the specification, when a part is described as including a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0032] In the present invention, terms such as 'comprising', 'comprising', etc. may indicate the presence of features, steps, actions, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the addition of one or more other functions, steps, actions, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] In the present invention, where a specific component is described as being 'combined,' 'combined,' 'connected,' 'associated,' or 'reacted' to any other component, the specific component may be directly combined, combined, connected, and / or associated with, or reacted to the other component, but is not limited thereto. For example, one or more intermediate components may exist between the specific component and the other component. Additionally, in the present invention, "and / or" may include each of the one or more listed items or a combination of at least some of the one or more items.

[0034] In the present invention, terms such as 'first', 'second', etc., are used to distinguish a specific component from another component, and the components described above are not limited by these terms. For example, the 'first' component may be used to refer to an element of the same or similar form as the 'second' component.

[0035] In the present invention, 'sealing' may refer to a mechanism for preventing the battery and / or battery pack from being directly exposed to the external environment in order to prevent corrosion of the battery. Additionally, 'sealing fault' may refer to a malfunction in such sealing, venting devices, etc.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the internal configuration of a computing device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment, the computing device (100) is a device for controlling, managing, and / or processing a vehicle and / or a vehicle battery, and may include a battery management system (BMS). For example, the computing device (100) may diagnose a sealing fault of a vehicle battery and / or battery pack and may include a temperature measuring unit (110), a sealing fault determination unit (120), a warning unit (130), etc.

[0037] According to one embodiment, a computing device (100) can diagnose a sealing fault in a multi-pack system in which a plurality of battery packs are connected in parallel. For example, the computing device (100) can diagnose a sealing fault in the multi-pack system by utilizing the characteristic that the battery reaches a state of thermal equilibrium with the ambient temperature after driving a vehicle. In this case, the computing device (100) can diagnose a sealing fault by utilizing the time each battery pack included in the multi-pack system reaches thermal equilibrium.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the temperature measuring unit (110) can detect the external temperature of the vehicle and set a reference temperature value. That is, the computing device (100) can use the temperature measuring unit (110) to detect or measure the ambient temperature of the location where the vehicle is currently located. Then, the temperature measuring unit (110) can continuously detect or measure the temperature of each battery pack included in the multi-pack system. For example, after driving, the temperature of each battery pack may gradually decrease to reach thermal equilibrium with the ambient temperature, and the temperature measuring unit (110) can detect the temperature of each battery pack decreasing in this way.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the sealing fault determination unit (120) can calculate the time for the temperature of each battery pack to reach a threshold range of a reference temperature value. For example, the sealing fault determination unit (120) can determine whether the temperature of each battery pack reaches a threshold range of a reference temperature value (e.g., a first threshold range) as shown in the following mathematical formula 1.

[0041]

[0043] Here, the threshold value can be set differently depending on the system, for example, It can be set to.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the sealing fault determination unit (120) can determine whether a sealing fault exists and / or which battery pack has a sealing fault based on the time it takes for each battery pack to reach a threshold range of a reference temperature value. For example, in the case of a battery pack where a sealing fault has occurred, the internal air will be rapidly exchanged with the outside air, so the time it takes to reach the threshold range of a reference temperature value may be significantly faster than that of normal battery packs. By utilizing this characteristic, the sealing fault determination unit (120) can precisely identify which battery pack has a sealing fault in a multi-battery pack.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the sealing fault determination unit (120) can determine whether a sealing fault exists and / or identify a battery pack having a sealing fault by using the average value and standard deviation of the calculated times. For example, the sealing fault determination unit (120) can determine whether a sealing fault exists and / or identify a battery pack having a sealing fault based on whether the average value of the calculated times falls outside a threshold range (e.g., a second threshold range). In this case, the sealing fault determination unit (120) can determine the standard deviation of the times ( It calculates ) and uses the calculated standard deviation to determine whether the calculated average value falls outside the threshold range. For example, the time of a specific battery pack from the average value If it deviates beyond the range, it may be determined that a sealing fault exists.

[0046] According to one embodiment, if it is determined that a sealing fault exists, the warning unit (130) may output a warning notification. For example, the warning notification may include information about the battery pack where the sealing fault occurred, repair and replacement information, etc., and the warning unit (130) may output the warning notification through the vehicle's display. In another example, the warning unit (130) may transmit a warning notification regarding the sealing fault to a user terminal associated with the vehicle's user.

[0047] In FIG. 1, each functional component included in the computing device (100) is described separately, but this is only for the purpose of helping to understand the invention, and one computing device may perform two or more functions. With such a configuration, the computing device (100) can effectively prevent corrosion problems of battery cells, busbars, etc. by diagnosing sealing faults in advance and notifying the user.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an example of a multi-battery pack (200) according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the multi-battery pack (200) may include a first battery pack (210), a second battery pack (220), and a third battery pack (230) connected in parallel. Although FIG. 2 illustrates the multi-battery pack (200) as including three battery packs, this is exemplary, and the number of battery packs included in the multi-battery pack (200) may be determined differently.

[0049] To diagnose a sealing fault of a multi-battery pack (200), a computing device (100 in FIG. 1) can detect the external temperature of the vehicle and set a reference temperature value. In this case, the computing device determines whether a certain amount of time (e.g., 5 hours) has elapsed after the vehicle's power has been turned off, and if it is determined that a certain amount of time has elapsed, it can detect the external temperature of the vehicle. That is, the computing device can detect the external temperature of the vehicle after the vehicle has been parked.

[0050] According to one embodiment, a computing device can detect the temperatures of a first battery pack (210), a second battery pack (220), and a third battery pack (230) and calculate a first time when the temperature of the first battery pack (210) reaches a threshold range of a reference temperature value, a second time when the temperature of the second battery pack (220) reaches a threshold range of a reference temperature value, and a third time when the temperature of the third battery pack (230) reaches a threshold range of a reference temperature value. For example, a vehicle may include a plurality of temperature sensors for detecting the temperature of each battery pack, and the computing device may calculate the first to third times using the plurality of temperature sensors.

[0051] FIG. 3 is an exemplary graph (300) showing the distribution of the first to third time according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the graph (300), the horizontal axis may represent time, and the vertical axis may represent the position of the average value. That is, when a distribution is generated by calculating the average value and the standard deviation based on the first to third time, a distribution of the form shown in the graph (300) can be formed.

[0052] In the illustrated example, it can be seen that the first time of the first battery pack (PACK 1) and the second time of the second battery pack (PACK 2) are located close to the distribution. In contrast, it can be seen that the third time of the third battery pack (PACK 3) is out of the distribution. As such, if the third time is determined to be outside the threshold range of the average value, it can be diagnosed that there is a sealing fault in the third battery pack (PACK 3).

[0053] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method (400) for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method (400) for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery may be performed by at least one processor (e.g., at least one processor of a computing device). The method (400) for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery may be initiated by the processor determining the parking state of the vehicle (S410). For example, the processor may determine whether a certain amount of time has elapsed after the power of the vehicle has been controlled to OFF, and if it is determined that a certain amount of time has elapsed, it may detect the external temperature of the vehicle (S420).

[0054] According to one embodiment, the processor can calculate the time to reach thermal equilibrium for each battery pack (S430). When there are three battery packs in the vehicle, the processor can detect the temperature of the first battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculate a first time when the temperature of the first battery pack reaches a threshold range of a reference temperature value, detect the temperature of the second battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculate a second time when the temperature of the second battery pack reaches a threshold range of a reference temperature value, and detect the temperature of the third battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculate a third time when the temperature of the third battery pack reaches a threshold range of a reference temperature value.

[0055] Then, the processor can calculate the average value and standard deviation of the calculated times (S440). In this case, the processor can determine whether each time is above a threshold value (S450). That is, the processor can determine whether each time falls within the threshold range of the average value. According to one embodiment, if there is a time that does not fall within the threshold range of the average value, the processor can output a warning notification regarding the battery pack associated with that time (S460).

[0056] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary computing device (100) for performing the methods and / or embodiments described above. According to one embodiment, the computing device (100) may be implemented using hardware and / or software configured to interact with a user. For example, the computing device (100) may be configured to support a virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or mixed reality (MR) environment, but is not limited thereto. The computing device (100) may include, but is not limited to, a laptop, a desktop, a workstation, a personal digital assistant, a server, a blade server, a main frame, etc. The components of the computing device (100) described above, their connections, and their functions are intended to be exemplary and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0057] The computing device (100) includes a processor (510), memory (520), storage device (530), communication device (540), a high-speed interface (550) connected to the memory (520) and a high-speed expansion port, and a low-speed interface (560) connected to a low-speed bus and storage device. Each of the components (510, 520, 530, 540 and 550) may be interconnected using various buses and may be mounted on the same main board or connected in other suitable ways. The processor (510) may be configured to process instructions of a computer program by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input / output operations. For example, the processor (510) may process instructions stored in memory (520), storage device (530), etc., and / or instructions executed within the computing device (100) to display graphic information on an external input / output device (570), such as a display device coupled to the high-speed interface (550).

[0058] The communication device (540) may provide a configuration or function for the input / output device (570) and the computing device (100) to communicate with each other via a network, and may provide a configuration or function to support the input / output device (570) and / or the computing device (100) communicating with other external devices, etc. For example, a request or data generated by the processor of an external device according to any program code may be transmitted to the computing device (100) via a network under the control of the communication device (540). Conversely, a control signal or command provided under the control of the processor (510) of the computing device (100) may be transmitted to another external device via the communication device (540) and the network.

[0059] In FIG. 5, the computing device (100) is depicted as including one processor (510), one memory (520), etc., but is not limited thereto, and the computing device (100) may be implemented using multiple memories, multiple processors and / or multiple buses, etc. Additionally, in FIG. 5, it is described as having one computing device (100), but is not limited thereto, and multiple computing devices may interact and perform operations necessary to execute the method described above.

[0060] Memory (520) can store information within a computing device (100). According to one embodiment, memory (520) may be composed of a volatile memory unit or a plurality of memory units. Additionally or alternatively, memory (520) may be composed of a non-volatile memory unit or a plurality of memory units. Furthermore, memory (520) may be composed of other forms of computer-readable media, such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk. Additionally, memory (520) may store an operating system and at least one program code and / or instruction.

[0061] The storage device (530) may be one or more mass storage devices for storing data for the computing device (100). For example, the storage device (530) may be a computer-readable medium including a magnetic disc such as a hard disk or removable disk, an optical disc, a semiconductor memory device such as an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), or a flash memory device, or may be configured to include such a computer-readable medium. Additionally, a computer program may be tangibly implemented on such a computer-readable medium.

[0062] The high-speed interface (550) and the low-speed interface (560) may be means for interaction with an input / output device (570). For example, the input device may include a device such as a camera including an audio sensor and / or an image sensor, a keyboard, a microphone, a mouse, etc., and the output device may include a device such as a display, a speaker, a haptic feedback device, etc. In another example, the high-speed interface (550) and the low-speed interface (560) may be means for interfacing with a device in which the configuration or function for performing input and output is integrated into one, such as a touchscreen, etc.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the high-speed interface (550) manages bandwidth-intensive operations for the computing device (100), while the low-speed interface (560) may manage less bandwidth-intensive operations than the high-speed interface (550), but such function assignments are merely exemplary. According to one embodiment, the high-speed interface (550) may be coupled to high-speed expansion ports capable of accommodating memory (520), an input / output device (570), and various expansion cards (not shown). Additionally, the low-speed interface (560) may be coupled to a storage device (530) and a low-speed expansion port. Furthermore, the low-speed expansion port, which may include various communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet), may be coupled to one or more input / output devices (570), such as a keyboard, a pointing device, or a scanner, or to a networking device such as a router or a switch via a network adapter, etc.

[0064] The computing device (100) may be implemented in a number of different forms. For example, the computing device (100) may be implemented as a standard server or as a group of such standard servers. Additionally or alternatively, the computing device (100) may be implemented as part of a rack server system or as a personal computer such as a laptop computer. In this case, components from the computing device (100) may be combined with other components within any mobile device (not shown). The computing device (100) may include one or more other computing devices or be configured to communicate with one or more other computing devices.

[0065] In FIG. 5, the input / output device (570) is depicted as not being included in the computing device (100), but is not limited thereto and may be configured as one device with the computing device (100). Additionally, in FIG. 5, the high-speed interface (550) and / or low-speed interface (560) are depicted as elements configured separately from the processor (510), but are not limited thereto and the high-speed interface (550) and / or low-speed interface (560) may be configured to be included in the processor.

[0066] The methods and / or various embodiments described above may be realized in digital electronic circuits, computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. Various embodiments of the present invention may be executed by a data processing device, for example, one or more programmable processors and / or one or more computing devices, or implemented as a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium and / or on a computer-readable medium. The computer program described above may be written in any form of programming language, including a compiled language or an interpreted language, and may be distributed in any form, such as a standalone program, a module, or a subroutine. The computer program may be distributed through a single computing device, a plurality of computing devices connected through the same network, and / or a plurality of computing devices distributed to be connected through a plurality of different networks.

[0067] The above-described methods and / or various embodiments may be performed by one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer programs that process, store, and / or manage any functions, functions, etc. by operating based on input data or generating output data. For example, the methods and / or various embodiments of the present invention may be performed by special-purpose logic circuits such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and an apparatus and / or system for performing the methods and / or embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a special-purpose logic circuit such as an FPGA or an ASIC.

[0068] One or more processors executing a computer program may include one or more processors of a general-purpose or special-purpose microprocessor and / or any type of digital computing device. The processor may receive instructions and / or data from each of read-only memory and random access memory, or receive instructions and / or data from read-only memory and random access memory. In the present invention, components of a computing device performing the methods and / or embodiments may include one or more processors for executing instructions and one or more memories for storing instructions and / or data.

[0069] According to one embodiment, a computing device may exchange data with one or more mass storage devices for storing data. For example, the computing device may receive and / or receive data from a magnetic disc or an optical disc, and may transfer data to a magnetic disc or an optical disc. A computer-readable medium suitable for storing instructions and / or data associated with a computer program may include, but is not limited to, any form of non-volatile memory including semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), and flash memory devices. For example, the computer-readable medium may include magnetic discs such as internal hard disks or removable disks, photomagnetic discs, CD-ROMs, and DVD-ROMs.

[0070] To provide interaction with a user, the computing device may include, but is not limited to, a display device for providing or displaying information to the user (e.g., CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc.) and a pointing device (e.g., keyboard, mouse, trackball, etc.) on which the user can provide input and / or commands, etc. on the computing device. That is, the computing device may further include any other type of device for providing interaction with the user. For example, the computing device may provide any form of sensory feedback to the user for interaction with the user, including visual feedback, auditory feedback and / or tactile feedback. In this regard, the user may provide input to the computing device through various gestures such as visual, vocal, and motion.

[0071] In the present invention, various embodiments may be implemented in a computing device comprising back-end components (e.g., data servers), middleware components (e.g., application servers), and / or front-end components. In this case, the components may be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, such as a communication network. According to one embodiment, the communication network may be composed of a wired network such as Ethernet, Power Line Communication, telephone line communication devices, and RS-serial communication, a mobile communication network, a Wireless LAN (WLAN), a wireless network such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee, or a combination thereof. For example, the communication network may include a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), etc.

[0072] A computing device based on the exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented using hardware and / or software configured to interact with a user, including a user device, a user interface (UI) device, a user terminal, or a client device. For example, the computing device may include a portable computing device such as a laptop computer. Additionally or alternatively, the computing device may include, but is not limited to, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), tablet PCs, game consoles, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Virtual Reality (VR) devices, Augmented Reality (AR) devices, etc. The computing device may further include other types of devices configured to interact with a user. Additionally, the computing device may include a portable communication device suitable for wireless communication over a network such as a mobile communication network (e.g., a mobile phone, a smartphone, a wireless cellular phone, etc.). A computing device may be configured to communicate wirelessly with a network server using wireless communication technologies and / or protocols such as radio frequency (RF), microwave frequency (MWF) and / or infrared frequency (IRF).

[0073] Various embodiments of the present invention, including specific structural and functional details, are exemplary. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above and may be implemented in various other forms. Furthermore, the terms used in the present invention are intended to describe some embodiments and are not to be interpreted as limiting the embodiments. For example, singular words and the above may be interpreted to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0074] In this invention, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which such concepts belong. Furthermore, commonly used terms, such as those defined in advance, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described in relation to some embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as understood by a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Furthermore, such modifications and changes should be considered to fall within the scope of the claims appended to this specification. Explanation of the symbols

[0077] 100: Computing device 110: Temperature measuring unit 120: Ceiling Fault Judgment Unit 130: Warning section

Claims

Claim 1 A method for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery, performed by at least one processor, comprising: a step of detecting an external temperature of a vehicle and setting a reference temperature value; a step of detecting the temperature of a first battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a first time during which the temperature of the first battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; a step of detecting the temperature of a second battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a second time during which the temperature of the second battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; a step of detecting the temperature of a third battery pack installed in the vehicle and calculating a third time during which the temperature of the third battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value; and a step of determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some of the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the third battery pack using the first time, the second time, and the third time. Claim 2 A method for diagnosing a sealing fault in a battery according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some battery packs comprises: a step of calculating an average value of the first time, the second time, and the third time; and a step of determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some battery packs based on whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value. Claim 3 A method for diagnosing a sealing fault in a battery according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether a sealing fault exists in at least some battery packs based on whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value comprises: a step of calculating the standard deviation of the first time, the second time, and the third time; and a step of determining whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value using the calculated standard deviation. Claim 4 A method for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the external temperature of the vehicle and setting a reference temperature value comprises: a step of determining whether a certain period of time has elapsed after the power of the vehicle has been controlled to OFF; and a step of detecting the external temperature of the vehicle when it is determined that the certain period of time has elapsed. Claim 5 A method for diagnosing a sealing fault in a battery, further comprising the step of outputting a warning notification when it is determined that a sealing fault exists in at least some of the battery packs according to claim 1. Claim 6 A method for diagnosing a sealing fault in a battery according to claim 5, wherein the step of outputting a warning notification when it is determined that a sealing fault exists in at least some of the battery packs is the step of outputting the warning notification in response to the power of the vehicle being turned ON. Claim 7 A method for diagnosing a sealing fault of a battery according to claim 1, wherein the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the third battery pack are connected in parallel to form a multi-battery pack. Claim 8 A computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium for executing a method according to any one of paragraphs 1 through 7 on a computer. Claim 9 A computing device comprising: a communication module; a memory; and at least one processor connected to the memory and configured to execute at least one computer-readable program included in the memory, wherein the at least one program includes instructions for detecting an external temperature of a vehicle to set a reference temperature value, detecting the temperature of a first battery pack installed in the vehicle to calculate a first time during which the temperature of the first battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value, detecting the temperature of a second battery pack installed in the vehicle to calculate a second time during which the temperature of the second battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value, detecting the temperature of a third battery pack installed in the vehicle to calculate a third time during which the temperature of the third battery pack reaches a threshold range of the reference temperature value, and using the first time, the second time, and the third time, to determine whether a sealing fault exists in at least some of the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the third battery pack. Claim 10 A computing device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one program further comprises instructions for calculating an average value of the first time, the second time, and the third time, and determining whether a sealing fault exists in the at least some battery pack based on whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from a threshold range of the calculated average value. Claim 11 A computing device according to claim 10, wherein at least one program further comprises instructions for calculating the standard deviations of the first time, the second time, and the third time, and for determining whether the first time, the second time, or the third time deviates from the threshold range of the calculated average value using the calculated standard deviations. Claim 12 In claim 9, the computing device further comprises at least one program for determining whether a certain amount of time has elapsed after the power of the vehicle has been turned off, and for detecting the external temperature of the vehicle when it is determined that the certain amount of time has elapsed. Claim 13 In claim 9, the computing device further comprises at least one program for outputting a warning notification when it is determined that a sealing fault exists in at least some of the battery packs. Claim 14 In paragraph 13, the above at least one program is a computing device further comprising instructions for outputting the warning notification in response to the power of the vehicle being controlled to ON. Claim 15 A computing device according to claim 9, wherein the first battery pack, the second battery pack, and the third battery pack are connected in parallel to form a multi-battery pack.

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