Apparatus and method for managing battery

Abstract

A battery management device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a communication unit configured to output test information related to a battery; and a control unit configured to generate one or more of the test information related to the battery, select one of the plurality of communication channels based on at least one of the data amount of the generated test information and the state of a plurality of communication channels, generate a message packet containing the test information based on the type of the selected communication channel and the data amount of the generated test information, and output the generated message packet to the selected communication channel through the communication unit.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery management device and method, and more specifically, to a battery management device and method capable of effectively transmitting test information for diagnosing the state of a battery cell or battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, as the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones has increased rapidly, and the development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites has accelerated, research on high-performance batteries capable of repeated charging and discharging is actively underway.

[0003] Currently commercialized batteries include nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-zinc, and lithium batteries. Among these, lithium batteries are gaining attention for their advantages, such as the ability to freely charge and discharge with almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, a very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0004] Meanwhile, devices equipped with such batteries include various Electronic Control Units (ECUs), and these ECUs can communicate with each other to provide information or receive information from other ECUs. Taking vehicles as an example, as various functions and controls increase, and particularly with the commercialization of battery-equipped electric vehicles, the volume of data transmitted and received between ECUs is growing. Accordingly, communication standards and technologies are being proposed to improve the efficiency of data communication between ECUs.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention that can improve the traffic load of a CAN bus by improving data reception stability and communication speed by changing the data frame structure for CAN (Controller Area Network) communication to increase the amount of data.

[0006] However, Patent Document 1 discloses only a configuration in which the receiving side changes the receiving mode to a high-speed mode or a normal mode depending on whether the data length exceeds 8 bytes. Since Patent Document 1 improves traffic load only by changing the receiving mode, there is a problem that it is difficult to apply to devices such as electric vehicles where various information about battery cells must be provided in real time. In other words, according to Patent Document 1, since the transmitting side must transmit individual information about the battery cells, there is a problem that data transmission may take a considerable amount of time. Prior art literature

[0007] KR 10-1573637 B1 The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a battery management device and method capable of shortening the transmission time of multiple test information by dynamically selecting a communication channel.

[0009] Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be understood from the following description and will become more clearly apparent from the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims. means of solving the problem

[0010] A battery management device according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a communication unit configured to output test information related to a battery; and a control unit configured to generate one or more of the test information related to the battery, select one of the plurality of communication channels based on at least one of the data amount of the generated test information and the state of the plurality of communication channels, generate a message packet including the test information based on the type of the selected communication channel and the data amount of the generated test information, and output the generated message packet to the selected communication channel through the communication unit.

[0011] The control unit may be configured to calculate the amount of packet data required for the message packet based on the amount of data of the generated test information, and to generate the message packet such that it includes packet size information, packet identification information, and the generated test information for the calculated amount of packet data.

[0012] The above packet identification information may include packet type information indicating the type of the message packet and test request information requesting a test for the battery.

[0013] The above message packet may include a packet size information area where the packet size information is recorded, a packet identification information area where the packet identification information is recorded, and a data area where the generated test information is recorded.

[0014] The above control unit may be configured to determine the amount of packet data based on the amount of data of the packet size information, the packet identification information, and the test information.

[0015] The control unit may be configured to distinguish each of the multiple test information by including distinction information corresponding to the number of multiple test information in the data area when the number of the generated test information is multiple.

[0016] The plurality of communication channels may include a first communication channel in which the maximum amount of data of test information that can be transmitted at once is set to be less than or equal to a predetermined first reference amount; and a second communication channel in which the maximum amount of data of test information that can be transmitted at once is set to be less than or equal to a predetermined second reference amount that is greater than the predetermined first reference amount.

[0017] The control unit may be configured to select the first communication channel among the plurality of communication channels if the amount of data of the test information is less than or equal to the predetermined first reference amount.

[0018] The control unit may be configured to select the second communication channel among the plurality of communication channels if the amount of data of the test information exceeds the predetermined first reference amount and is less than or equal to the predetermined second reference amount.

[0019] The control unit may be configured to check the status of each of the first communication channel and the second communication channel, compare the expected transmission time for each of the first communication channel and the second communication channel to transmit the test information, and select the communication channel with the shorter expected transmission time.

[0020] The above test information may be battery information based on at least one of voltage, current, and temperature for a battery cell, or battery pack test information based on at least one of voltage, current, insulation resistance, and temperature for a battery pack containing the battery cell.

[0021] A battery test system according to another aspect of the present invention may include a battery management device according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0022] A battery management method according to another aspect of the present invention may include: a test information generation step of generating one or more test information related to a battery; a communication channel selection step of selecting one of a plurality of communication channels based on at least one of the data amount of the generated test information and the state of a plurality of communication channels; a message packet generation step of generating a message packet including the test information based on the type of the selected communication channel and the data amount of the generated test information; and a message packet output step of outputting the generated message packet to the selected communication channel. Effects of the invention

[0023] According to one aspect of the present invention, since a communication channel can be dynamically selected according to the amount of data of test information to be transmitted, the transmission efficiency for multiple test information can be improved.

[0024] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage that a communication channel can be dynamically selected according to the state of each of a plurality of communication channels as well as the amount of data of test information.

[0025] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] The following drawings attached to this specification serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the invention in conjunction with the detailed description of the invention set forth below; therefore, the invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3 are drawings illustrating exemplary configurations of message packets that can be generated by a battery management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a message packet that can be output through a second communication channel. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration in which a battery management device according to one embodiment of the present invention is connected to a communication BUS (400). FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0028] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention; thus, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0029] In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known components or functions may obscure the essence of the invention, such detailed description is omitted.

[0030] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., are used for the purpose of distinguishing one of the various components from the rest, and are not used to limit the components by such terms.

[0031] 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] Additionally, terms such as "control unit" described in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0033] Additionally, throughout the specification, when it is said that a part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "indirectly connected" with other components in between.

[0035] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a communication unit (110) and a control unit (120).

[0038] The communication unit (110) can be configured to output test information related to the battery.

[0039] Here, the battery may be a battery cell or a battery pack. A battery cell refers to a single independent cell that is physically separable and equipped with a negative terminal and a positive terminal. For example, a single pouch-type lithium polymer cell may be considered a battery cell. Additionally, a battery pack may further include one or more battery cells, a Battery Management System (BMS), electrical components (relays, fuses, etc.), and a case.

[0040] Preferably, the communication unit (110) can be connected to a device capable of testing the battery so as to communicate with it. That is, the battery can be tested based on test information output by the communication unit (110).

[0041] The control unit (120) may be configured to generate one or more test information related to the battery.

[0042] Here, the test information may be battery information based on at least one of voltage, current, and temperature for a battery cell, or battery pack test information based on at least one of voltage, current, insulation resistance, and temperature for a battery pack containing the battery cell.

[0043] For example, test information may be state information of the battery cell, such as voltage, current, temperature, SOC (State of charge), and SOH (State of health).

[0044] The control unit (120) may be configured to select one of the multiple communication channels based on at least one of the data amount of the generated test information and the status of the multiple communication channels.

[0045] Here, multiple communication channels may be multiple communication channels capable of transmitting test information generated by the control unit (120). Specifically, multiple communication channels may be communication channels to which the communication unit (110) is connected to transmit the generated test information to the outside.

[0046] Specifically, the control unit (120) can select one of the communication channels by considering whether the amount of data of the generated test information is greater than a certain amount of data, or whether some of the multiple communication channels are already occupied and in use.

[0047] For example, a plurality of communication channels may include a CAN (Controller Area Network) channel and a CAN FD (Controller Area Network with Flexible Data rate) channel. Here, the CAN channel is a channel for CAN communication, and the CAN FD channel may be a channel for CAN FD communication.

[0048] Additionally, the amount of data of the test information may vary depending on the number of test factors. For example, identification information for a test factor may have a size of 2 or 3 Bytes, and the value of a test factor may have a size of 2 to 4 Bytes. Accordingly, the control unit (120) can calculate the amount of data of the test information by considering the number of test factors.

[0049] The control unit (120) may be configured to generate a message packet containing the test information based on the type of selected communication channel and the amount of data of the generated test information.

[0050] Both CAN communication and CAN FD communication are communication standards designed for ECUs and the like to communicate with each other without a separate host device. Therefore, CAN communication and CAN FD are separate communication standards, and the structure of the packets used in CAN communication and CAN FD communication may also differ.

[0051] For example, assuming that the control unit (120) selects a CAN channel among a plurality of communication channels, the control unit (120) can generate a message packet having a packet structure corresponding to the CAN channel. Conversely, assuming that the control unit (120) selects a CAN FD channel among a plurality of communication channels, the control unit (120) can generate a message packet having a packet structure corresponding to the CAN FD channel.

[0052] FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3 are drawings illustrating exemplary configurations of message packets that can be generated by a battery management device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] For example, if the control unit (120) selects a CAN channel among a plurality of communication channels, the control unit (120) can generate a message packet having the packet structure of FIG. 2. Conversely, if the control unit (120) selects a CAN FD channel among a plurality of communication channels, the control unit (120) can generate a message packet having the packet structure of FIG. 3.

[0054] The control unit (120) may be configured to output the generated message packet to the selected communication channel through the communication unit (110).

[0055] A message packet generated by the control unit (120) to correspond to the type of communication channel selected and the amount of data of test information may be a communication packet to be transmitted through the selected communication channel. That is, the control unit (120) may generate a message packet having a packet structure corresponding to the type of communication channel selected.

[0056] Additionally, the control unit (120) can transmit a packet transmission command to the communication unit (110). Upon receiving the packet transmission command from the control unit (120), the communication unit (110) can output a message packet generated by the control unit (120) to a communication channel selected by the control unit (120).

[0057] For example, assume that the control unit (120) has selected a CAN FD channel and has generated a message packet corresponding to the CAN FD channel. When the communication unit (110) receives a packet transmission command from the control unit (120), it can output the generated message packet to the CAN FD channel.

[0058] The battery management device (100) according to the configuration of the present invention can provide test information for the battery more quickly by selecting an appropriate communication channel based on the state of the communication channel and the amount of data of the test information.

[0059] In addition, since the battery management device (100) can be selectively connected to each of a plurality of communication channels, it has the advantage of being able to communicate with the outside through various channels. That is, the battery management device (100) has the advantage of being able to improve the transmission efficiency of one or more test information by selecting the optimal communication channel among the plurality of communication channels.

[0061] Meanwhile, the control unit (120) provided in the battery management device (100) may optionally include a processor, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), another chipset, a logic circuit, a register, a communication modem, a data processing device, etc., known in the art, to execute various control logics performed in the present invention. Additionally, when the control logic is implemented in software, the control unit (120) may be implemented as a set of program modules. At this time, the program modules may be stored in memory and executed by the control unit (120). The memory may be located inside or outside the control unit (120) and may be connected to the control unit (120) by various well-known means.

[0062] Additionally, referring to FIG. 1, the battery management device (100) may further include a storage unit (130). The storage unit (130) may store programs and data, etc., that are necessary for the control unit (120) to operate the battery management device (100). That is, the storage unit (130) may store data or programs necessary for each component of the battery management device (100) to perform operations and functions, or data generated during the process of performing operations and functions. The storage unit (130) is not subject to any special restrictions on its type as long as it is a known information storage means known to be capable of recording, erasing, updating, and reading data. As an example, the information storage means may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. Additionally, the storage unit (130) may store program codes in which processes executable by the control unit (120) are defined.

[0063] For example, the storage unit (130) can store one or more test information generated by the control unit (120).

[0065] The control unit (120) may be configured to calculate the amount of packet data required for the message packet based on the amount of data of the generated test information.

[0066] Here, the amount of data of the test information may be the size of the data for the test information. For example, one or more test information may be generated by the control unit (120), and the control unit (120) may calculate the total amount of data of the generated test information.

[0067] For example, one test information may include identification information for a test factor and a value of the test factor. The identification information for the test factor may have a size of 2 or 3 Bytes, and the value of the test factor may have a size of 2 to 4 Bytes. Accordingly, the control unit (120) can calculate the total amount of data of the generated test information by considering the number of test factors.

[0068] The control unit (120) may be configured to generate the message packet to include packet size information, packet identification information, and the generated test information regarding the amount of packet data calculated.

[0069] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3, the message packet may include a packet size information area where the packet size information is recorded, a packet identification information area where the packet identification information is recorded, and a data area where the generated test information is recorded.

[0070] For example, the message packet of FIG. 2 may be an 8-byte packet including a packet size information area, a packet identification information area, and a data area. Here, the packet size information area may be an area where a Data Length Code (DLC) for the total amount of data included in the message packet is recorded.

[0071] Unlike Fig. 2, the message packet of Fig. 3 may be a packet of size 64 Bytes that includes a packet size information area, a packet identification information area, and a data area.

[0072] The packet size information area is an area where information regarding the total amount of data in a message packet is recorded. For example, the size of the packet size information area can be allocated as 1 or 2 bytes. In the following description, it is assumed that the size of the packet size information area is fixedly allocated as 2 bytes.

[0073] The above packet identification information may include packet type information indicating the type of the message packet and test request information requesting a test for the battery.

[0074] For example, the types of message packets may include the message packet of FIG. 2 and the message packet of FIG. 3. That is, the packet identification information may include information on whether the message packet is a message packet for CAN communication or a message packet for CAN FD communication.

[0075] Additionally, the test request information may be information that the message packet is a message packet transmitting test information about the battery. For example, the test request information may include an identification code of "0x2E".

[0076] Additionally, the data area may include test information. The test information may include identification information for test factors and the values ​​of the test factors.

[0077] For example, the message packet of Fig. 2 may contain one piece of test information. On the other hand, the message packet of Fig. 3 may contain multiple pieces of test information.

[0078] Additionally, the control unit (120) may be configured to determine the packet data amount based on the packet size information, the packet identification information, and the test information data amount. Subsequently, the control unit (120) may select a communication channel corresponding to the determined packet data amount among a plurality of communication channels and select a message packet corresponding to the selected communication channel. Then, the control unit (120) may record the packet size information, packet identification information, and test information in the message packet.

[0080] Preferably, when the number of generated test information is multiple, the control unit (120) may be configured to include classification information corresponding to the number of test information in the data area to distinguish each of the multiple test information.

[0081] Here, the distinction information may be dummy data for distinguishing multiple test information. In order to enable the receiving side to easily obtain each of the multiple test information from the received message packet, the control unit (120) may include distinction information corresponding to the number of multiple test information in the data area. That is, the distinction information may be a distinction identifier for distinguishing each of the multiple test information included in the data area.

[0082] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a message packet that can be output through a second communication channel.

[0083] Referring to Fig. 4, a total of 12 test information items may be included in the data area of ​​the message packet. Additionally, distinguishing information may be included between the 12 test information items.

[0084] For example, if distinction information is not included among multiple test information, a problem may arise where the receiving side cannot accurately extract test information from the message packet received from the communication unit (110). In this case, the test for the battery itself may not be performed. Therefore, the control unit (120) can enable the receiving side to accurately extract each test information by including distinction information among multiple test information.

[0086] The above plurality of communication channels may include a first communication channel and a second communication channel.

[0087] Here, the first communication channel may be a communication channel in which the maximum amount of test information that can be transmitted at once is set to be less than or equal to a predetermined first reference amount. And, the second communication channel may be a communication channel in which the maximum amount of test information that can be transmitted at once is set to be less than or equal to a predetermined second reference amount that is greater than the predetermined first reference amount.

[0088] Specifically, the first communication channel may be a channel in which the total amount of data of message packets that can be transmitted at once is set to be less than the total amount of data of message packets that the second communication channel can transmit at once.

[0089] For example, the first communication channel may be a CAN channel, and the second communication channel may be a CAN FD channel. The CAN FD channel is a communication standard developed to compensate for the disadvantages of the CAN channel, and it is a communication channel that can contain a larger maximum amount of data than the CAN channel. For example, if the maximum amount of data that can be contained in a packet transmitted through the CAN channel is 8 Bytes, the maximum amount of data that can be contained in a packet transmitted through the CAN FD channel may be 64 Bytes.

[0091] And, the communication unit (110) is connected to both the first communication channel and the second communication channel, and can communicate with an external device using both channels.

[0092] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration in which a battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is connected to a communication BUS (400).

[0093] Referring to FIG. 5, the battery management device (100) can be connected to a communication BUS (400). In particular, the communication unit (110) can be connected to the communication BUS (400). That is, the communication unit (110) can receive a request for information provision and transmit a message packet through the communication BUS (400).

[0094] Additionally, multiple Electronic Control Units (ECUs) may be connected to the communication BUS (400). For example, the multiple ECUs may be ECUs included in a vehicle. The types of ECUs are not limited, and the ECUs may include an Airbag Control Unit (ACU), Body Control Module (BCM), Engine Control Unit (ECU), Powertrain Control Module (PCM), Transmission Control Unit (TCU), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hybrid Power Control Unit (HPCU), Battery Management System (BMS), and Motor Control Unit (MCU). In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the first ECU (200) and the second ECU (300) are shown connected to the communication BUS (400), but all of the aforementioned multiple ECUs may be connected in parallel to the communication BUS (400).

[0095] Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 5, a plurality of ECUs and battery management devices (100) can be connected in parallel to a communication BUS (400). That is, the communication channel may not be a Point-to-Point type channel that connects each of the plurality of terminals (ECUs and battery management devices (100)) one-to-one, but a Multi-Master type channel in which a plurality of terminals are connected in parallel to a single communication BUS (400).

[0096] In the communication BUS (400), both message packets corresponding to the first communication channel and message packets corresponding to the second communication channel can be output. In this case, the message packet corresponding to the first communication channel can be received by an ECU that is connected to the first communication channel, and the message packet corresponding to the second communication channel can be received by an ECU that is connected to the second communication channel. Since the battery management device (100) can be connected to both the first communication channel and the second communication channel, it can transmit and receive both the message packet corresponding to the first communication channel and the message packet corresponding to the second communication channel.

[0097] Accordingly, since the battery management device (100) can access the first communication channel and the second communication channel through the communication unit (110), it has the advantage of being able to select the most appropriate communication channel for transmitting test information based on the amount of data of test information and at least one of the status of the plurality of communication channels.

[0099] Preferably, the control unit (120) may be configured to select the first communication channel among the plurality of communication channels if the amount of data of the test information is less than or equal to the predetermined first reference amount.

[0100] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, a predetermined first reference amount may be set to 4 Bytes. In this case, if the amount of data of test information generated by the control unit (120) is 4 Bytes or less, the generated test information may be included in the message packet of FIG. 2, so the control unit (120) may be configured to select a first communication channel.

[0101] That is, the control unit (120) can select one of a plurality of communication channels depending on whether the generated test information can be included in a single message packet shown in FIG. 2.

[0102] Additionally, the control unit (120) may be configured to select the second communication channel among the plurality of communication channels if the amount of data of the test information exceeds the predetermined first reference amount and is less than or equal to the predetermined second reference amount.

[0103] As previously explained, the second communication channel may be a channel in which the amount of test information data that can be transmitted at once is greater than or equal to a first reference amount and less than or equal to a second reference amount.

[0104] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, it is assumed that the size of each test information is 4 Bytes and the number of test information generated by the control unit (120) is 12. That is, since 12 test information cannot be included in the message packet of FIG. 2, there is a problem that the control unit (120) must generate 12 message packets when selecting the first communication channel. Therefore, if the amount of data of the test information exceeds the first reference amount, the control unit (120) may select the second communication channel. Referring to FIG. 4, since 12 test information can be included in a single message packet, the battery management device (100) can quickly transmit 12 test information in a single communication.

[0106] In addition, the control unit (120) may be configured to check the status of each of the first communication channel and the second communication channel.

[0107] The control unit (120) does not select a communication channel based solely on the amount of data of the generated test information, but can first check the status of each of the multiple communication channels and then select a communication channel to transmit the test information.

[0108] For example, as in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the communication BUS (400) may be connected not only to the battery management device (100) but also to the first ECU (200) and the second ECU (300). Accordingly, the control unit (120) can check whether there is a communication channel currently being used by another ECU among the first communication channel and the second communication channel by checking the status of each of the first communication channel and the second communication channel.

[0109] The control unit (120) can compare the expected transmission time that each of the first communication channel and the second communication channel is expected to take to transmit the test information.

[0110] For example, if the first communication channel is not being used by another connected ECU but the second communication channel is being used by another connected ECU, the control unit (120) may determine that the estimated time for transmitting test information using the first communication channel is shorter than the estimated time for transmitting test information using the second communication channel.

[0111] And, the control unit (120) may be configured to select a communication channel with a short transmission expected time.

[0112] That is, the control unit (120) can select the communication channel through which the test information can be transmitted fastest to the receiving side by considering not only the amount of data of the test information but also the state of each of the multiple communication channels.

[0113] If, as in the embodiment of FIG. 4, it is assumed that the number of test information generated by the control unit (120) is 12. In order to transmit the generated 12 test information, the control unit (120) must generate 12 message packets of FIG. 2 when using the first communication channel, but can generate 1 message packet of FIG. 3 when using the third communication channel. In this case, the control unit (120) can compare the expected transmission time expected to be required when transmitting 12 message packets using the first communication channel with the expected transmission time expected to be required when transmitting 1 message packet using the second communication channel.

[0114] If the first communication channel is not being used by other connected ECUs, the control unit (120) can immediately output 12 message packets through the communication unit (110), but the second communication channel is being used by other connected ECUs and multiple message packets to be transmitted are stored in the buffer of the second communication channel, the control unit (120) can transmit 12 message packets generated using the first communication channel.

[0115] As such, the battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being able to select a communication channel capable of transmitting test information in the shortest possible time by checking the amount of data of the generated test information and the status of each of the plurality of communication channels. That is, the battery management device (100) has the advantage of not only being able to communicate using a plurality of communication channels, but also being able to flexibly select a communication channel among the plurality of communication channels that can provide test information to the receiving side most quickly.

[0117] A battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a Battery Management System (BMS). That is, the BMS according to the present invention may include the battery management device (100) described above. In this configuration, at least some of the components of the battery management device (100) may be implemented by supplementing or adding the functions of the components included in a conventional BMS. For example, the communication unit (110) and the control unit (120) of the battery management device (100) may be implemented as components of the BMS. In addition, the BMS may be implemented to further include, in addition to the components included in the battery management device (100), a balancing unit for performing balancing of one or more battery cells and an insulation resistance measuring unit for measuring the insulation resistance of the battery cells.

[0119] In addition, a battery management device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be included in a battery test system. For example, a battery test system may include a battery management device (100) and a test device.

[0120] The battery management device (100) can generate test information for testing the battery and transmit the generated test information to a test device. The test device can extract test information by interpreting a message packet received from the battery management device (100). Then, the test device can perform a test on the battery based on the extracted test information.

[0122] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Each step of the battery management method can be performed by a battery management device (100).

[0123] Referring to FIG. 6, the battery management method may include a test information generation step (S100), a communication channel selection step (S200), a message packet generation step (S300), and a message packet output step (S400). For convenience of explanation, details that overlap with previously described content will be omitted or briefly explained below.

[0124] The test information generation step (S100) is a step of generating one or more test information related to the battery, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0125] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the control unit (120) can generate a total of 12 test informations.

[0126] The communication channel selection step (S200) is a step of selecting one of the plurality of communication channels based on the amount of data of the generated test information and at least one of the status of the plurality of communication channels, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0127] For example, the control unit (120) can select either the first communication channel or the second communication channel based on the amount of data of the generated test information and at least one of the states of the plurality of communication channels.

[0128] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the control unit (120) can select a second communication channel by considering the amount of data of 12 test information.

[0129] The message packet generation step (S300) is a step of generating a message packet containing test information based on the type of selected communication channel and the amount of data of the generated test information, and can be performed by the control unit (120).

[0130] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the control unit (120) can generate a message packet including packet size information, packet identification information and test information.

[0131] The message packet output step (S400) is a step of outputting the generated message packet to the selected communication channel, and can be performed by the communication unit (110).

[0132] Preferably, a message packet generated by the control unit (120) can be output to a communication channel through the communication unit (110). Here, the communication channel to which the message packet is output may be a communication channel selected by the control unit (120).

[0134] The embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to implementation through devices and methods, but may also be implemented through a program that realizes a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present invention or a recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Such implementation can be easily achieved by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, based on the description of the embodiments described above.

[0135] Although the present invention has been described above by limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims described below by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0136] Furthermore, since the present invention described above allows for various substitutions, modifications, and changes within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention, it is not limited by the aforementioned embodiments and attached drawings, but rather all or part of each embodiment may be selectively combined to allow for various modifications. Explanation of the symbols

[0137] 100: Battery Management Unit 110: Communications Department 120: Control unit 130: Storage section

Claims

Claim 1 A battery management device comprising: a communication unit configured to output test information related to a battery; and a control unit configured to generate one or more of the test information related to the battery, select one of the plurality of communication channels based on at least one of the data amount of the generated test information and the state of a plurality of communication channels, generate a message packet containing the test information based on the type of the selected communication channel and the data amount of the generated test information, and output the generated message packet to the selected communication channel through the communication unit, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the packet data amount required for the message packet based on the data amount of the generated test information, and to generate the message packet such that it includes packet size information, packet identification information, and the generated test information for the calculated packet data amount, and wherein the packet identification information includes packet type information indicating the type of the message packet and test request information requesting a test for the battery. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the message packet comprises a packet size information area in which the packet size information is recorded, a packet identification information area in which the packet identification information is recorded, and a data area in which the generated test information is recorded, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine the packet data amount based on the packet size information, the packet identification information, and the test information. Claim 4 A battery management device according to paragraph 3, wherein the control unit is configured to include distinction information corresponding to the number of test information in the data area when the number of generated test information is multiple, thereby distinguishing each of the multiple test information. Claim 5 A battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication channels comprises: a first communication channel in which the maximum amount of data of test information that can be transmitted at once is set to be less than or equal to a predetermined first reference amount; and a second communication channel in which the maximum amount of data of test information that can be transmitted at once is set to be less than or equal to a predetermined second reference amount that is greater than the predetermined first reference amount. Claim 6 A battery management device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to select the first communication channel among the plurality of communication channels if the amount of data of the test information is less than or equal to the predetermined first reference amount, and to select the second communication channel among the plurality of communication channels if the amount of data of the test information exceeds the predetermined first reference amount and is less than or equal to the predetermined second reference amount. Claim 7 A battery management device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to check the status of each of the first communication channel and the second communication channel, compare the expected transmission time for each of the first communication channel and the second communication channel to transmit the test information, and select the communication channel with the shorter expected transmission time. Claim 8 A battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the test information is battery information based on at least one of voltage, current, and temperature for a battery cell, or battery pack test information based on at least one of voltage, current, insulation resistance, and temperature for a battery pack containing the battery cell. Claim 9 A battery test system comprising a battery management device according to any one of paragraphs 1 and 3 through 8. Claim 10 A battery management method comprising: a test information generation step for generating one or more test information related to a battery; a communication channel selection step for selecting one of the plurality of communication channels based on at least one of the data amount of the generated test information and the state of the plurality of communication channels; a message packet generation step for generating a message packet containing the test information based on the type of the selected communication channel and the data amount of the generated test information; and a message packet output step for outputting the generated message packet to the selected communication channel, wherein the message packet generation step includes the step of calculating the packet data amount required for the message packet based on the data amount of the generated test information, and generating the message packet such that the packet size information, packet identification information, and the generated test information for the calculated packet data amount are included, and the packet identification information includes packet type information indicating the type of the message packet and test request information requesting a test for the battery.

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