Battery management device and operation method thereof

Abstract

A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may comprise: an information acquisition unit for acquiring, from an external device, the open circuit voltage (OCV) of a first battery corresponding to a first time; a reference OCV calculation unit for calculating a reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the time; and a controller, which compares, the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time, with the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time, so as to determine whether the first battery has a low voltage.

Description

Battery management device and its operating method

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority from Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 10-2023-0119561, filed September 8, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Technology field

[0004] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to a battery management device and a method of operating the same.

[0005] Recently, research and development on secondary batteries has been actively conducted. Here, secondary batteries are rechargeable and include both conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries, as well as recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of having a much higher energy density than conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured in a compact and lightweight form, making them suitable for use as power sources for mobile devices. Recently, their use has expanded to include power sources for electric vehicles, attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0006] Newly manufactured batteries may be stored for extended periods before being assembled into devices that use them. During this time, abnormal batteries can experience low voltage, a phenomenon where the open-circuit voltage drops significantly compared to other batteries. Furthermore, abnormal batteries can exhibit lower performance compared to normal batteries. Therefore, a method for accurately determining whether a battery is undervolted is needed.

[0007] One purpose of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to accurately determine whether a battery has a low voltage over a long period of time.

[0008] One object of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to provide a battery management device and an operating method thereof that can prevent a battery from being connected to a device that uses the battery in a low voltage state.

[0009] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the descriptions below.

[0010] A battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include an information acquisition unit that acquires an open circuit voltage (OCV) of a first battery corresponding to a first time from an external device, a reference OCV calculation unit that calculates a reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the time, and a controller that compares the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time with the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time to determine whether the first battery has a low voltage.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first time period may include at least one of a period after the first battery is transported, after the first battery is transported and stored, or after the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into the vehicle.

[0012] In one embodiment, the reference OCV calculation unit calculates the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the time based on the OCV of the battery corresponding to the second time, and the second time may be before the first time.

[0013] In one embodiment, the second time may be the time of an End of Line test of the battery.

[0014] In one embodiment, the information acquisition unit may further acquire the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to time, and the reference OCV calculation unit may calculate an ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at a third time interval from the second time, and may calculate a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the ideal OCV derived at the third time interval.

[0015] In one embodiment, the reference OCV calculation unit may calculate a probability distribution based on a difference between the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to the second time and the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at the third time interval, and may calculate the highest value among the OCVs that do not exist in the normal range based on the probability distribution as the abnormal OCV.

[0016] In one embodiment, the reference OCV calculation unit can calculate the regression equation through [Mathematical Formula 1].

[0017] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0018]

[0019] Y: OCV, t: elapsed time, : OCV of the second hour, , : shape variables

[0020] In one embodiment, the reference OCV may be a reference OCV that determines a low voltage of a battery corresponding to time.

[0021] In one embodiment, the controller may transmit to the external device whether the first battery is low voltage.

[0022] An operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may include an operation of acquiring an open circuit voltage (OCV) of a first battery corresponding to a first time from an external device, an operation of calculating a reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the time, and an operation of comparing the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time with the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time to determine whether the first battery has a low voltage.

[0023] In one embodiment, the first time period may include after the battery is transported, after the battery is transported and stored, and immediately before the battery is assembled into the vehicle.

[0024] In one embodiment, the operation of calculating the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the time may calculate the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the time based on the OCV of the battery corresponding to the second time, and the second time may be before the first time.

[0025] In one embodiment, the second time may be the time of an End of Line test of the battery.

[0026] In one embodiment, the method further includes an operation of obtaining an OCV of each of a plurality of batteries corresponding to a time, and the operation of calculating a reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the time may include an operation of calculating an ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at a third time interval from the second time, and an operation of calculating a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the ideal OCV derived at the third time interval.

[0027] In one embodiment, the operation of calculating an ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at a third time interval from the second time may include the operation of calculating a probability distribution based on a difference between the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to the second time and the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at the third time interval, and the operation of calculating the highest value among the OCVs that do not exist in the normal range as the ideal OCV based on the probability distribution.

[0028] In one embodiment, the operation of calculating a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the above-described ideal OCV derived at the third time interval may calculate the regression equation through [Mathematical Formula 2].

[0029] [Equation 2]

[0030]

[0031] Y: OCV, t: elapsed time, : OCV of the second hour, , : shape variables

[0032] In one embodiment, the reference OCV may be a reference OCV that determines a low voltage of a battery corresponding to time.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method may further include transmitting to the external device whether the first battery has a low voltage.

[0034] A battery management device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can determine whether a battery has a low voltage after being stored for a long period of time.

[0035] In addition, the battery management device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document can calculate a reference open circuit voltage based on the open circuit voltages of a plurality of batteries at each reference time, and can determine whether the battery is under voltage based on a regression equation corresponding to the reference open circuit voltage.

[0036] In addition, the battery management device and its operating method according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can prevent a defective battery from being used by determining whether the battery has a low voltage before being assembled into a device using the battery.

[0037] In addition, various effects may be provided, either directly or indirectly, through this document.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a signal flow diagram showing an example of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document communicating with an external device.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document calculating a reference OCV.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document calculating a regression equation.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0043] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are flowcharts specifically showing an operation method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this document will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. When designating components in each drawing, it should be noted that, where possible, identical components are given the same reference numerals, even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing embodiments disclosed in this document, detailed descriptions of related known structures or functions will be omitted if they are deemed to hinder understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0046] In describing the components of the embodiments disclosed in this document, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components. In addition, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this document belong. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0047] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery management device (100) according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may include an information acquisition unit (110), a reference OCV calculation unit (120), and a controller (130). According to an embodiment, the operation of the reference OCV calculation unit (120) may be performed through the controller (130).

[0049] The battery management device (100) may be a variety of electronic devices for managing, diagnosing, or testing a battery. For example, the battery management device (100) may be included in a battery management system (BMS) inside or outside a vehicle, or may be implemented as a separate external device distinct from the BMS inside the vehicle. According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) may be included in a device for charge and discharge testing, such as a server, a cloud server, or a charge and discharge cycler, or may be included in various devices for diagnosing or testing a battery.

[0050] The information acquisition unit (110) can acquire the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the first battery corresponding to the first time. For example, the information acquisition unit (110) can acquire the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time from an external device. According to an embodiment, the external device may include a device for using the first battery or a device related to a user for using the first battery.

[0051] In an embodiment, the first time period may include at least one of the time period after the first battery is transported, the time period after the first battery is transported and stored, or the time period immediately before the first battery is assembled into the vehicle. For example, the external device may transmit the time period from the time the first battery is produced until it is transported, along with the OCV of the first battery, to the battery management device (100). In another example, the external device may transmit the time period after the first battery is transported and stored, along with the OCV of the first battery, to the battery management device (100). In yet another example, the external device may transmit the time period during which the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into the vehicle, along with the OCV of the first battery, to the battery management device (100). That is, the battery management device (100) can receive the OCV of the first battery from an external device and a time corresponding to at least one of the periods after the first battery is transported, after the first battery is transported and stored, or before the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into a vehicle, and can determine whether the first battery has a low voltage corresponding to at least one of the periods after the first battery is transported, after the first battery is transported and stored, or before the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into a vehicle. Accordingly, the battery management device (100) can detect a low voltage of the first battery before the first battery is used and prevent the use of the first battery.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the external device (100) can transmit date information after the first battery was transported and stored together with the OCV of the first battery to the battery management device (100), and the battery management device (100) can compare the date information after the first battery was transported and stored with the date the first battery was produced to determine the time elapsed since the first battery was produced, and can diagnose whether the first battery has a low voltage based on the elapsed time and the OCV of the first battery.

[0053] In some embodiments, a low battery voltage may refer to, but is not limited to, a decrease in OCV by a set value greater than the amount of OCV decrease over time for a normal battery. For example, a low-voltage battery may exhibit lower performance than a normal battery.

[0054] The information acquisition unit (110) can further acquire the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to time. For example, the plurality of batteries may be batteries used to calculate a reference OCV in the reference OCV calculation unit (120) described below, as batteries for defining a different reference from the first battery described above. According to an embodiment, the plurality of batteries may include a number of batteries required to set the reference OCV of the batteries. For example, the plurality of batteries may include 100 batteries, but is not limited thereto.

[0055] The reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to time. For example, the reference OCV may be a reference OCV that determines whether the battery is undervolted corresponding to time. As another example, the reference OCV may refer to a minimum OCV that should be expressed when the battery is not undervolted after a certain period of time, such as 5 days, 10 days, or 20 days, has elapsed since the battery was produced. According to an embodiment, the reference OCV may be calculated weekly, daily, hourly, or minutely after the battery is produced. In other words, the reference OCV may be calculated in the minimum time unit required to determine whether the battery is undervolted.

[0056] The reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to a time based on the OCV of the battery corresponding to a second time. For example, the second time may be before the first time. According to an embodiment, the second time may be the time of the end-of-line test of the battery. That is, the battery management device (100) can calculate the reference OCV based on the OCV of the battery immediately after the battery is produced.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate an ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at a third time interval from the second time. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate a difference between the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to the second reference time and the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at the third time interval, and can calculate a probability distribution based on the calculated difference. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the probability distribution based on a normal distribution. In addition, in this case, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the highest value among the OCVs that do not exist in the normal range as the ideal OCV based on the probability distribution. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the highest value among the OCVs that are not included in the normal range in the probability distribution (e.g., 99% or more, or 2 sigma or more, etc.) as the ideal OCV in order to calculate the reference OCV that serves as the basis for low voltage judgment.

[0058] The reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the ideal OCV derived at the third time interval. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the regression equation using [Mathematical Formula 1].

[0059] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0060]

[0061] Y: OCV, t: elapsed time, : OCV of the second hour, , : shape variables

[0062] According to the embodiment, the reference OCV generator (120) fits [Mathematical Formula 1] based on the ideal OCV derived at the third time interval. , , can be produced. In this case, the reference OCV production unit (120) is a shape variable , is fixed and the OCV of the second hour of the first battery By substituting the first time into t, the reference OCV corresponding to the first time of the first battery can be calculated.

[0063] In the example, the third time period can be set to an arbitrary, configurable period of seven days, but is not limited thereto. A shorter third time period can yield a more accurate regression equation because it increases the number of abnormal OCV samples. However, even with a longer third time period, a regression equation capable of accurately determining low voltage can still be produced.

[0064] The controller (130) can determine whether the first battery has a low voltage by comparing the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time with the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time. For example, the controller (130) can determine whether the first battery has a low voltage by comparing the OCV of the first battery corresponding to at least one of after the first battery is transported, after the first battery is transported and stored, or immediately before the first battery is assembled into the vehicle with the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time. According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can determine that the first battery has a low voltage when the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time is less than, or less than or equal to, the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may transmit information about whether the first battery is undervolted to an external device. In this case, the external device may receive information about whether the first battery is undervolted and provide guidance to the user, and may additionally determine whether the first battery is usable based on the information about whether the first battery is undervolted.

[0066] A battery management device (100) according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can determine whether a battery has a low voltage after being stored for a long period of time.

[0067] In addition, the battery management device (100) according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can calculate a reference open circuit voltage based on the open circuit voltages of a plurality of batteries at each reference time, and can determine whether the battery has a low voltage based on a regression equation corresponding to the reference open circuit voltage.

[0068] In addition, the battery management device (100) according to one embodiment disclosed in this document can prevent a defective battery from being used by determining whether the battery has a low voltage before being assembled into a device using the battery.

[0069] FIG. 2 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of a battery management device communicating with an external device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document. According to the embodiment, the battery management device (100) illustrated in FIG. 2 may be substantially identical to the battery management device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 2, the battery management device (100) may perform an initial OCV test of the battery (operation 210). For example, the initial OCV test is an absolute judgment test, and the battery management device (100) may determine whether the battery has a low voltage based on changes in the OCV over a preset period of time after the battery is produced.

[0071] If the initial OCV test is successful for a battery, the battery can be communicated to the user. For example, the user of the battery can use an external device (200).

[0072] The external device (200) can measure the OCV of the battery (operation 220). For example, the external device (200) can measure the OCV of the battery at least one of the following times: after the battery is transported, after the battery is transported and stored, or immediately before the battery is assembled into the vehicle.

[0073] The external device (200) can transmit the measurement results to the battery management device (100) (operation 230). For example, the external device (200) can transmit the OCV measurement results of the battery, the date (time) of measuring the OCV, and identification information of the battery to the battery management device (100).

[0074] The battery management device (100) can determine whether the battery is undervolted based on the OCV measurement result of the battery (operation 240). For example, the battery management device (100) can calculate the reference OCV of the battery based on the initial OCV of the battery and the difference between the time the battery was produced and the time the OCV of the battery was measured, and can determine whether the battery is undervolted by comparing the calculated reference OCV with the OCV measurement result of the battery. According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) can determine that the battery is undervolted if the OCV measurement result of the battery is less than the reference OCV.

[0075] The battery management device (100) may transmit the low voltage determination result to an external device (200) (operation 250). For example, the battery management device (100) may transmit the low voltage determination result of the battery together with battery identification information.

[0076] The external device (200) can process the result (operation 260). For example, if the external device (200) determines that the battery is low voltage, it can notify the user. In another example, if the external device (200) determines that the battery is low voltage, it can request battery replacement or control the battery to not be used.

[0077] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document calculating a reference OCV.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 3, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) of the battery management device (100) according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document can calculate a reference OCV. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the difference between the initial OCV of each of the plurality of batteries and the OCV after a certain period of time has elapsed. In this case, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate a probability distribution (310) based on the calculated difference.

[0079] The standard OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the highest value (320) among the OCVs that do not exist in the normal range as the ideal OCV based on the probability distribution.

[0080] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document calculating a regression equation.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 4, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate an ideal OCV (410) at a third time interval. In this case, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can fit the ideal OCV (410) calculated at the third time interval based on the Exponential-power Model.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the reference OCV generator (120) can produce a regression equation (420) by fitting the ideal OCV (410) produced at the third time interval.

[0083] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document. According to the embodiment, the operations illustrated in FIG. 5 may be performed through the battery management device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 5, in operation 510, the information acquisition unit (110) may acquire the open circuit voltage of the first battery corresponding to the first time from an external device. For example, the information acquisition unit (110) may acquire the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time from the external device. According to an embodiment, the external device may include a device for using the first battery, or a device associated with a user for using the first battery.

[0085] In an embodiment, the first time period may include at least one of the time period after the first battery is transported, the time period after the first battery is transported and stored, or the time period immediately before the first battery is assembled into the vehicle. For example, the external device may transmit the time period from the time the first battery is produced until it is transported, along with the OCV of the first battery, to the battery management device (100). In another example, the external device may transmit the time period after the first battery is transported and stored, along with the OCV of the first battery, to the battery management device (100). In yet another example, the external device may transmit the time period during which the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into the vehicle, along with the OCV of the first battery, to the battery management device (100). That is, the battery management device (100) can receive the OCV of the first battery from an external device and a time corresponding to at least one of the periods after the first battery is transported, after the first battery is transported and stored, or before the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into a vehicle, and can determine whether the first battery has a low voltage corresponding to at least one of the periods after the first battery is transported, after the first battery is transported and stored, or before the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into a vehicle. Accordingly, the battery management device (100) can detect a low voltage of the first battery before the first battery is used and prevent the use of the first battery.

[0086] According to an embodiment, the external device (100) can transmit date information after the first battery was transported and stored together with the OCV of the first battery to the battery management device (100), and the battery management device (100) can compare the date information after the first battery was transported and stored with the date the first battery was produced to determine the time elapsed since the first battery was produced, and can diagnose whether the first battery has a low voltage based on the elapsed time and the OCV of the first battery.

[0087] In operation 520, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) may calculate the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to time. For example, the reference OCV may be a reference OCV that determines whether the battery is undervolted corresponding to time. As another example, the reference OCV may refer to a minimum OCV that should be expressed when the battery is not undervolted after a certain period of time, such as 5 days, 10 days, or 20 days, has elapsed since the battery was produced. According to an embodiment, the reference OCV may be calculated weekly, daily, hourly, or minutely after the battery is produced. In other words, the reference OCV may be calculated in the minimum time unit required to determine whether the battery is undervolted.

[0088] The reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to a time based on the OCV of the battery corresponding to a second time. For example, the second time may be before the first time. According to an embodiment, the second time may be the time of the end-of-line test of the battery. That is, the battery management device (100) can calculate the reference OCV based on the OCV of the battery immediately after the battery is produced.

[0089] In operation 530, the controller (130) may determine whether the first battery has a low voltage by comparing the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time with the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time. For example, the controller (130) may determine whether the first battery has a low voltage by comparing the OCV of the first battery corresponding to at least one of after the first battery is transported, after the first battery is transported and stored, or immediately before the first battery is assembled into the vehicle with the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time. According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may determine that the first battery has a low voltage when the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time is less than, or less than or equal to, the reference OCV calculated to correspond to the first time.

[0090] In operation 540, the controller (130) may transmit information about whether the first battery is undervolted to an external device. In this case, the external device may receive information about whether the first battery is undervolted and provide guidance to the user. Based on the information, the external device may additionally determine whether the first battery is usable. In some embodiments, operation 540 may be omitted.

[0091] FIGS. 6 and 7 are flowcharts specifically illustrating an operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document. According to the embodiment, the operations illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be performed through the battery management device (100) of FIG. 1.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 6, in operation 610, the information acquisition unit (110) may acquire the OCV of each of a plurality of batteries corresponding to time. For example, the plurality of batteries may be batteries used to calculate a reference OCV in the reference OCV calculation unit (120) described below as batteries for defining a different reference from the first battery described above. According to an embodiment, the plurality of batteries may include a number of batteries required to set the reference OCV of the batteries. For example, the plurality of batteries may include 100 batteries, but is not limited thereto.

[0093] In operation 620, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate an ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at intervals from the second time to the third time.

[0094] In operation 630, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the ideal OCV derived at the third time interval. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the ideal OCV derived at the third time interval. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the regression equation through [Mathematical Formula 2].

[0095] [Equation 2]

[0096]

[0097] Y: OCV, t: elapsed time, : OCV of the second hour, , : shape variables

[0098] According to the embodiment, the reference OCV generator (120) fits [Mathematical Formula 1] based on the ideal OCV derived at the third time interval. , , can be produced. In this case, the reference OCV production unit (120) is a shape variable , is fixed and the OCV of the second hour of the first battery By substituting the first time into t, the reference OCV corresponding to the first time of the first battery can be calculated.

[0099] In the example, the third time period can be set to an arbitrary, configurable period of seven days, but is not limited thereto. A shorter third time period can yield a more accurate regression equation because it increases the number of abnormal OCV samples. However, even with a longer third time period, a regression equation capable of accurately determining low voltage can still be produced.

[0100] According to an embodiment, operations 620 and 630 may be performed as included in operation 520 of FIG. 5.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 7, in operation 710, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) may calculate a probability distribution based on the difference between the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to the second time and the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at a third time interval. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) may calculate the probability distribution based on a normal distribution.

[0102] In operation 720, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the highest value among the OCVs that are not in the normal range as the abnormal OCV based on the probability distribution. For example, the reference OCV calculation unit (120) can calculate the highest value among the OCVs that are not in the normal range (e.g., 99% or more, or 2 sigma or more, etc.) as the abnormal OCV in order to calculate the reference OCV that serves as the criterion for low voltage determination.

[0103] According to an embodiment, operations 710 and 720 may be performed as included in operation 620 of FIG. 6.

[0104] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing system for performing an operating method of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 8, a computing system (1000) according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may include an MCU (1010), a memory (1020), an input / output I / F (1030), and a communication I / F (1040).

[0106] The MCU (1010) may be a processor that executes various programs stored in the memory (1020) (e.g., a battery reference OCV calculation program, a battery low voltage judgment program, etc.), processes various information including the OCV of the battery, the reference OCV of the battery, and whether the battery is low voltage, etc. through these programs, and performs the functions of the controller included in the battery management device shown in the aforementioned FIG. 1.

[0107] The memory (1020) can store various programs, such as a battery reference OCV calculation program and a battery low voltage judgment program. In addition, the memory (1020) can store various information, including the battery OCV, the battery reference OCV, and whether the battery is low voltage.

[0108] Such memories (1020) may be provided in multiple numbers as needed. The memories (1020) may be volatile memories or non-volatile memories. As volatile memories (1020), RAM, DRAM, SRAM, etc. may be used. As non-volatile memories (1020), ROM, PROM, EAROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memories, etc. may be used. The examples of the memories (1020) listed above are merely examples and are not limited to these examples.

[0109] The input / output I / F (1030) can provide an interface that enables data transmission and reception between an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, and an output device (not shown) such as a display and the MCU (1010).

[0110] The communication I / F (1040) is a component capable of transmitting and receiving various data with the server, and may be any device capable of supporting wired or wireless communication. For example, the battery management device can transmit and receive various information, including the battery's OCV, the battery's reference OCV, and whether the battery is under voltage, from a separately provided external server via the communication I / F (1040).

[0111] In this way, a computer program according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be implemented as a module that is recorded in a memory (1020) and processed by an MCU (1010) to perform each function illustrated in FIG. 1, for example.

[0112] The above description is merely an example of the technical idea disclosed in this document, and those skilled in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this document pertain may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments disclosed in this document.

[0113] Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in this document are intended to illustrate, rather than limit, the technical concepts disclosed in this document, and the scope of the technical concepts disclosed in this document is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical concepts disclosed in this document should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical concepts within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the rights of this document.

Claims

1. An information acquisition unit that acquires the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the first battery corresponding to the first time from an external device; A reference OCV calculation unit for calculating the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to time; and A battery management device comprising: a controller that compares a reference OCV calculated to correspond to a first time with the OCV of the first battery corresponding to the first time to determine whether the first battery is undervolted; 2. In paragraph 1, A battery management device, wherein the first time period includes at least one of a period after the first battery is transported, a period after the first battery is transported and stored, or a period during which the first battery is scheduled to be assembled into a vehicle.

3. In paragraph 1, The above standard OCV calculation unit is, Based on the OCV of the battery corresponding to the second time, the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the above time is calculated, A battery management device, wherein the second time is before the first time.

4. In paragraph 3, A battery management device, wherein the second time is the time of the end-of-line test of the battery.

5. In paragraph 3, The above information acquisition unit further acquires the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to time, The above standard OCV calculation unit is, Calculate the ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at the second to third time intervals, A battery management device that calculates a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the above-described ideal OCV derived at the above-described third time interval.

6. In paragraph 5, The above standard OCV calculation unit is, A probability distribution is calculated based on the difference between the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to the second time and the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at the third time interval, A battery management device that calculates the highest value among OCVs that do not exist in the normal range based on the above probability distribution as the above abnormal OCV.

7. In paragraph 5, The above standard OCV calculation unit is, A battery management device that calculates the above regression equation using [Mathematical Equation 1]. [Mathematical Formula 1] Y: OCV, t: elapsed time, : OCV of the second hour, , : shape variables 8. In paragraph 1, A battery management device, wherein the above reference OCV is a reference OCV that determines the low voltage of the battery corresponding to time.

9. In paragraph 1, The above controller, A battery management device that transmits whether the first battery has a low voltage to the external device.

10. An operation of obtaining the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the first battery corresponding to the first time from an external device; An operation for calculating the reference OCV of a battery corresponding to time; and An operating method of a battery management device, comprising: an operation of comparing a reference OCV calculated to correspond to a first time with an OCV of a first battery corresponding to the first time to determine whether the first battery is undervolted; 11. In paragraph 10, A method of operating a battery management device, wherein the first time period includes a time period after the battery is transported, after the battery is transported and stored, and immediately before the battery is assembled into a vehicle.

12. In paragraph 10, The operation of calculating the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the above time is as follows: Based on the OCV of the battery corresponding to the second time, the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the above time is calculated, A method of operating a battery management device, wherein the second time is prior to the first time.

13. In paragraph 12, A battery management device, wherein the second time is the time of the end-of-line test of the battery.

14. In paragraph 12, An operation of obtaining the OCV of each of a plurality of batteries corresponding to time; further comprising; The operation of calculating the reference OCV of the battery corresponding to the above time is as follows: An operation of calculating an ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at a time interval from the second time to the third time; and An operating method of a battery management device, comprising: an operation of calculating a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the above-described ideal OCV derived at the above-described third time interval; 15. In paragraph 14, The operation of calculating an ideal OCV based on the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at the second to third time intervals is as follows: An operation of calculating a probability distribution based on the difference between the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries corresponding to the second time and the OCV of each of the plurality of batteries at the third time interval; and An operating method of a battery management device, comprising: an operation of calculating the highest value among OCVs that do not exist in the normal range as the abnormal OCV based on the above probability distribution; 16. In paragraph 14, The operation of calculating a regression equation for calculating the reference OCV based on the above-mentioned ideal OCV derived at the above-mentioned third time interval is as follows: An operating method of a battery management device, which calculates the above regression equation through [Mathematical Equation 2]. [Equation 2] Y: OCV, t: elapsed time, : OCV of the second hour, , : shape variables 17. In paragraph 10, An operating method of a battery management device, wherein the above reference OCV is a reference OCV for determining a low voltage of a battery corresponding to time.

18. In paragraph 10, An operating method of a battery management device, further comprising: an operation of transmitting whether the first battery is under voltage to the external device;

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