Battery management apparatus and operation method therefor

Abstract

The battery management apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed in the present document includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring the voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells included in a battery unit; a switch which is connected to the battery unit and turns on or off in response to a control signal; a conversion unit for converting the power of the battery unit into balancing power; and a controller for determining a cell balancing mode, including an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode, and a balancing target cell on the basis of the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells, and managing the balancing target cell using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell on the basis of the determined cell balancing mode.

Description

Battery management device and its operating method

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This invention claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0009668, filed January 22, 2024, 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 underway. Here, secondary batteries are defined as rechargeable and dischargeable batteries, encompassing both conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries, as well as more recent lithium-ion batteries. Recently, their use has expanded to include power sources for electric vehicles, attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0006] Electric vehicles receive external electricity to charge battery cells and modules, which are then discharged to power the motor. During production and use, battery cells and modules undergo internal deformation and transformation through various charging and discharging cycles, altering their physical and chemical properties. This degradation and deterioration of batteries necessitates the development of technologies to manage the operation of battery cells and modules.

[0007] Furthermore, battery cells can experience voltage imbalances when repeatedly charged and discharged. This voltage imbalance can shorten the battery's lifespan and lead to inefficient cell usage, reducing its energy efficiency. Therefore, cell balancing, which balances the voltages of each battery cell, is required to extend battery life and ensure efficient battery use.

[0008] One purpose of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to provide a battery management device and an operating method thereof that can selectively perform active balancing and passive balancing.

[0009] One object of the embodiments disclosed in this document is to provide a battery management device and a method of operating the same capable of converting power of a battery unit into power used for active balancing and power supplied to one or more loads.

[0010] 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.

[0011] A battery management device according to an embodiment disclosed in the present document may include: an acquisition unit that acquires voltages of each of a plurality of battery cells included in a battery unit; a switch connected to the battery unit and turned on or off in response to a control signal; a conversion unit that converts power of the battery unit into balancing power; and a controller that determines a cell balancing mode including an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode and a balancing target cell based on the voltages of each of the plurality of battery cells, and manages the balancing target cell using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell based on the determined cell balancing mode.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the control signal may include a PWM signal.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the conversion unit can convert power of the battery unit when the switch is turned on.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the conversion unit may include a first conversion unit that converts power of the battery unit into the balancing power; and a second conversion unit that converts power of the battery unit into reserve power.

[0015] In an embodiment, each of the balancing power and the reserve power may be less than the power of the battery unit.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the reserve power can be supplied to an electronic device isolated from the battery unit.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the first conversion unit may include a primary winding (L2) supplied with power from the battery unit and a first secondary winding (L1) magnetized with the primary winding, and the second conversion unit may include the primary winding (L2) and a second secondary winding (L3) magnetized with the primary winding.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the second secondary winding of the second converter may be connected to an electronic device that is insulated from the battery unit.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the device further includes a selection unit that conducts or cuts off at least one of the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and the balancing resistor and the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and the converter, and the controller controls the selection unit based on the cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell to manage the balancing target cell.

[0020] In an embodiment, the selection unit may include: a plurality of passive resistors connected in parallel to each of the plurality of battery cells; a plurality of passive switches switching electrical connections between the plurality of passive resistors and each of the plurality of battery cells; and a plurality of active switches connected between each of the plurality of battery cells and the conversion unit, the active switches switching application of the balancing power to each of the plurality of battery cells.

[0021] According to an embodiment, when the cell balancing mode is determined to be the active balancing mode, the controller may short-circuit an active switch connected between the balancing target cell and the conversion unit among the plurality of active switches, and open the remaining active switches and the remaining passive switches, excluding the short-circuited active switch, among the active switches and the passive switches.

[0022] According to an embodiment, when the cell balancing mode is determined to be the passive balancing mode, the controller may short-circuit a passive switch connected between the balancing target cell and the passive resistor among the plurality of passive switches, and open the remaining active switches and the remaining passive switches, excluding the short-circuited passive switch among the active switches and the passive switches.

[0023] A battery management method according to an embodiment disclosed in the present document may include the steps of: obtaining a voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells included in a battery unit; controlling a turn-on or turn-off state of a switch connected to the battery unit by applying a control signal to the switch; converting power of the battery unit into balancing power through a conversion unit; determining a cell balancing mode including an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode and a balancing target cell based on the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells; and managing the balancing target cell using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell based on the determined cell balancing mode.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the control signal may include a PWM signal.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the converting step may convert power of the battery unit when the switch is turned on.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the conversion unit may include a first conversion unit and a second conversion unit, and the converting step may include a step of converting power of the battery unit into the balancing power in the first conversion unit; and a step of converting power of the battery unit into reserve power in the second conversion unit.

[0027] In an embodiment, each of the balancing power and the reserve power may be less than the power of the battery unit.

[0028] According to an embodiment, after the converting step, the method may further include a step of supplying the reserve power to an electronic device isolated from the battery unit.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the first conversion unit may include a primary winding (L2) supplied with power from the battery unit and a first secondary winding (L1) magnetized with the primary winding, and the second conversion unit may include the primary winding (L2) and a second secondary winding (L3) magnetized with the primary winding.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the power of the battery unit can be simultaneously converted into the balancing power and the reserve power.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the step of managing the balancing target cell may include a step of controlling a selection unit to conduct or cut off at least one of an electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and a balancing resistor and an electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and the conversion unit, based on the cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell.

[0032] In an embodiment, the selection unit may include: a plurality of passive resistors connected in parallel to each of the plurality of battery cells; a plurality of passive switches switching electrical connections between the plurality of passive resistors and each of the plurality of battery cells; and a plurality of active switches connected between each of the plurality of battery cells and the conversion unit, the active switches switching application of the balancing power to each of the plurality of battery cells.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the step of controlling the selection unit may include, when the cell balancing mode is determined to be the active balancing mode, a step of short-circuiting an active switch connected between the balancing target cell and the conversion unit among the plurality of active switches; and a step of opening the remaining active switches and remaining passive switches, excluding the short-circuited active switch, among the active switches and the passive switches.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the step of controlling the selection unit may include, when the cell balancing mode is determined to be the passive balancing mode, a step of short-circuiting a passive switch connected between the balancing target cell and the passive resistor among the plurality of passive switches; and a step of opening the remaining active switches and remaining passive switches, excluding the short-circuited passive switch among the active switches and the passive switches.

[0035] The battery management device and its operating method according to the embodiment disclosed in this document can selectively perform active balancing and passive balancing.

[0036] A battery management device and its operating method according to an embodiment disclosed in this document can convert power of a battery unit into power used for active balancing and power supplied to one or more loads.

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

[0038] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a converter according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0043] Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a converter according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing the operation of a cell balancing unit in an active balancing mode according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the operation of a cell balancing unit in a passive balancing mode according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing a selection unit according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0047] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0048] FIG. 11 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.

[0049] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the present invention encompasses various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments.

[0050] The various embodiments and terminology used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0051] In this document, the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can each include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", "first", "second", "A", "B", "(a)", or "(b)" may be used merely to distinguish the corresponding element from other corresponding elements, and do not limit the corresponding elements in any other respect (e.g., importance or order) unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0052] In this document, whenever a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “connected,” with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively,” or “coupled” or “connected,” it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or via a third component.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0054] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0055] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to one embodiment disclosed in this document. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a battery control system including a battery pack (1) and an upper controller (2) included in an upper system.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery pack (1) may include a battery unit (10), a sensor unit (14), a switching unit (16), and a battery management system (BMS) (20). At this time, the battery pack (1) may be equipped with a plurality of battery units (10), sensor units (14), switching units (16), and battery management systems (20).

[0057] According to an embodiment, the battery unit (10) can supply power to a target device (not shown). To this end, the battery unit (10) can be electrically connected to the target device. Here, the target device can include an electrical, electronic, or mechanical device that operates by receiving power from the battery pack (1). For example, the target device can be, but is not limited to, an electric vehicle (EV) or an energy storage system (ESS).

[0058] According to an embodiment, the battery unit (10) may include at least one rechargeable battery cell (12). Here, the battery cell (12) may be a basic unit of a battery cell that can charge and discharge electric energy. For example, the battery cell (12) may be a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, a lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery, a nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery, a nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0059] According to an embodiment, a plurality of battery units (10) may be connected in series or parallel. For example, the battery unit (10) may be a battery module, a battery bank, or a battery pack (cell-to-pack structure).

[0060] According to an embodiment, the sensor unit (14) can obtain information related to the battery unit (10). According to an embodiment, the sensor unit (14) can obtain values ​​(or information) related to the status of each battery unit (10). In one embodiment, the values ​​related to the status may include one or more values ​​for voltage, current, resistance, state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), or temperature of the battery cell, or a combination thereof.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the sensor unit (14) can provide information on each of a plurality of battery units (10) to the battery management system (20).

[0062] According to an embodiment, the switching unit (16) may include a device for controlling the current flow for charging or discharging the battery unit (10). For example, the switching unit (16) may be configured with at least one relay and / or magnetic contactor, etc., depending on the specifications of the battery pack (1).

[0063] According to an embodiment, a battery management system (BMS (Battery Management System) (20) can control or manage the battery pack (1) to prevent overcharge, overdischarge, etc. by monitoring the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the battery pack (1). For example, the battery management system (20) may include a plurality of terminals as an interface for receiving values ​​measured from the various parameters described above, and a circuit connected to these terminals to process the input values. In addition, the battery management system (20) may control the sensor unit (14) and / or the switching unit (16). For example, the battery management system (20) may be connected to a plurality of battery units (10) to monitor the status of each of the plurality of battery units (10) and control ON / OFF of a relay or a contactor, etc.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the battery management system (20) may include the battery management device (100) of FIG. 2. According to another embodiment, the battery management system (20) may be a different system from the battery management device (100) of FIG. 2. That is, the battery management device (100) of FIG. 2 may be included in the battery pack (1) or may be configured as another device external to the battery pack (1). In addition, the operation of the battery management device (100) described below may be performed by an in-vehicle BMS (Battery Management System), as well as by various devices such as a server, a cloud, a charger, or a charger / discharger.

[0065] The upper controller (2) can transmit control signals for multiple battery units (10) to the battery management system (20). Accordingly, the battery management system (20) can be controlled for operation based on signals received from the upper controller (2).

[0066] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0067] First, referring to FIG. 2, the battery management device (100) may be a variety of electronic devices for managing, diagnosing, and testing batteries. According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) may be included in any one of a battery management system (BMS) within a battery pack, a battery management server, a computer, and a cloud server. According to another embodiment, the battery management device (100) may be included in a device for charge / discharge testing, such as a charge / discharge cycler.

[0068] According to an embodiment, a battery management device (100) may include an acquisition unit (110), a cell balancing unit (120), and a controller (130). Here, the cell balancing unit (120) may include at least one of a switch (121), a conversion unit (123), and a selection unit (125). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and some components in the battery management device (100) may be omitted, and other general-purpose components may be further included in the battery management device (100).

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3, the battery management device (100) can manage the battery unit (10). For example, the battery management device (100) can manage the charging and discharging of the battery unit (10). In addition, the battery management device (100) can manage and control cell balancing for the battery cells (12) included in the battery unit (10).

[0070] According to various embodiments, the battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) included in the battery unit (10) may deteriorate and deteriorate due to production or usage reasons. These various causes may cause voltage deviations between the battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) during charging and discharging, and the voltage deviations may result in over-discharging or over-charging of a specific battery cell (12). Therefore, the lifespan of the battery cells (12) may be reduced, and there may be a problem in that the energy efficiency of the battery unit (10) is reduced.

[0071] To solve these problems, the battery management device (100) can perform cell balancing including active balancing and / or passive balancing. According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) can determine a balancing target cell, determine a cell balancing mode based on the balancing target cell, and perform cell balancing. Here, the balancing target cell may refer to a battery cell (12) among the battery units (10) that is a target of cell balancing. In addition, the cell balancing mode may include an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the acquisition unit (110) (not shown) can acquire status information of the battery unit (10). Here, the status information can include voltage, current, temperature, etc. According to an embodiment, the acquisition unit (110) can acquire status information of each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) included in the battery unit (10). For example, the acquisition unit (110) can acquire voltages of each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4). According to an embodiment, the acquisition unit (110) can acquire information acquired from the sensor unit (14) of FIG. 1.

[0073] According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) may include a cell balancing unit (120). Here, the cell balancing unit (120) may refer to a hybrid type cell balancing circuit that can selectively perform active balancing and passive balancing. Through this, the battery management device (100) may have higher integration and efficiency compared to a cell balancing circuit that includes a circuit for active balancing and a separate circuit for passive balancing.

[0074] According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) can perform active balancing by controlling the cell balancing unit (120) to charge the balancing target cell using the output power of the battery unit (10). Through this, the battery management device (100) has the advantageous effect of being able to perform active balancing using the power of the battery unit (10) (e.g., a battery module, a battery bank, or a battery pack) rather than external power or the power of a single battery cell (12).

[0075] In addition, according to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) can perform passive balancing by controlling the cell balancing unit (120) to discharge the power of the balancing target cell through a resistor (e.g., a balancing resistor). In another aspect, the cell balancing unit (120) can include a resistor for passive balancing in a circuit for active balancing. Through this, the battery management device (100) has the advantageous effect of being able to selectively perform active balancing and passive balancing by controlling one cell balancing unit (120). In addition, the cell balancing unit (120) can have a high degree of integration.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the cell balancing unit (120) of the battery management device (100) may further include a switch (121), a conversion unit (123), and / or a selection unit (125) to transfer the output power of the battery unit (10) to the balancing target cell. For example, the battery management device (100) may determine the cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell based on the status information acquired by the acquisition unit (110). Then, the battery management device (100) may control the operation of at least one of the switch (121), the conversion unit (123), and the selection unit (125) based on the determined cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell, and manage the battery unit (10). Here, the operation of the battery management device (100) may be performed by the controller (130).

[0077] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can control the operations of the battery management device (100). The controller (130) can control the operation of the cell balancing unit (120) based on the voltage acquired from the acquisition unit (110). Through this, the controller (130) can control the charging and / or discharging operations of each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4).

[0078] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may determine a balancing target cell and a cell balancing mode based on the voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) included in the battery unit (10). Here, the balancing target cell may refer to a battery cell (12) among the battery units (10) that is a target of cell balancing. In addition, the cell balancing mode may include an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode. In addition, the controller (130) may control the cell balancing unit (120) based on the determined balancing target cell and cell balancing mode.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may determine a balancing target cell and a cell balancing mode based on the voltage deviation of each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4). For example, the controller (130) may determine a battery cell (e.g., C4) having the largest voltage deviation compared to the average voltage of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) as the balancing target cell, but is not limited thereto.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may determine a cell balancing mode by comparing the voltage of the determined balancing target cell (C4) with the average voltage of the remaining battery cells (C1, C2, and C3). According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may perform active balancing on the balancing target cell (C4) when the voltage of the determined balancing target cell (C4) is lower than the average voltage of the remaining battery cells (C1, C2, and C3). In addition, the controller (130) may perform passive balancing on the balancing target cell (C4) when the voltage of the determined balancing target cell (C4) is higher than the average voltage of the remaining battery cells (C1, C2, and C3).

[0081] For example, a battery unit (10) may include four battery cells (12) (C1, C2, C3, and C4), of which battery cells (C1, C2, and C3) may have relatively high voltages, and one battery cell (C4) may have relatively low voltages. In this case, the controller (130) may determine the battery cell (C4) having the largest voltage deviation compared to the average voltage of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) (i.e., the battery cell having the lowest voltage) as the balancing target cell. In addition, when the controller (130) determines the battery cell (C4) having the low voltage as the balancing target cell, the controller (130) may determine the cell balancing mode to be the active balancing mode. If the controller (130) passively balances the high voltage battery cells (C1, C2, and C3), the power of the battery cells (C1, C2, and C3) may be wasted, which may cause the power of the battery unit (10) to be wasted. Therefore, the controller (130) can reduce the energy waste and quickly reduce the voltage difference between the battery cell (C4) and the battery cells (C1, C2, and C3) by charging the low voltage battery cell (C4) using the power of the battery unit (10).

[0082] In contrast, among the battery units (10), battery cells (C1, C2, and C3) may have relatively low voltages, and one battery cell (C4) may have relatively high voltages. In this case, the controller (130) may determine the battery cell (C4) having the largest voltage deviation compared to the average voltage of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) (i.e., the battery cell having the highest voltage) as the balancing target cell. In addition, when the controller (130) determines the battery cell (C4) having the high voltage as the balancing target cell, the controller (130) may determine the cell balancing mode to be the passive balancing mode. If the controller (130) actively balances the battery cells (C1, C2, and C3) having the low voltages using the power of the battery cell (C4) having the high voltage, the charging efficiency may be reduced. Therefore, the controller (130) can reduce the voltage difference between the battery cell (C4) and the battery cells (C1, C2, and C3) by dissipating only the power of the high voltage battery cell (C4) through the resistor.

[0083] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can manage the target cells for balancing based on the determined cell balancing mode. For example, the controller (130) can actively balance the target cells for balancing in an active balancing mode or passively balance the target cells for balancing in a passive balancing mode.

[0084] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may perform cell balancing using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell based on the determined cell balancing mode. Here, the controller (130) may control the cell balancing unit (120) to charge or discharge the balancing target cell. For example, the controller (130) may control the operation of the switch (121) and the selection unit (125) to charge or discharge the balancing target cell.

[0085] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 4, the battery management device (100) may include a cell balancing unit (120) to manage the battery unit (10). Here, the cell balancing unit (120) may actively balance and / or passively balance a balancing target cell (e.g., battery cell (12)) under the control of a controller (130).

[0087] According to an embodiment, the cell balancing unit (120) may include at least one of a switch (121), a conversion unit (123), and a selection unit (125). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and some components of the cell balancing unit (120) may be omitted, and other general-purpose components may be further included in the cell balancing unit (120).

[0088] According to an embodiment, the switch (121) may be connected to the battery unit (10). For example, the switch (121) may be connected to one end and / or both ends of the battery unit (10). Through this, the switch (121) may switch the power of the battery unit (10) generated from the battery unit (10).

[0089] According to an embodiment, a switch (121) may be placed between a battery unit (10) and a converter (123). For example, current generated from the battery unit (10) may be provided to the converter (123) through the switch (121). Here, the current of the battery unit (10) flowing through the switch (121) may be a DC (Direct Current) current.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the current of the battery unit (10) can be changed into a current in a form that can be applied to the conversion unit (123) through the operation of the switch (121). Here, the current in a form that can be applied to the conversion unit (123) can vary depending on the type of the conversion unit (123). For example, if the conversion unit (123) includes a DCDC converter, the current in a form that can be applied to the conversion unit (123) can be DC. In addition, if the conversion unit (123) includes a transformer, the current in a form that can be applied to the conversion unit (123) can be a square wave or an AC (Alternating Current) current.

[0091] According to an embodiment, the switch (121) can be turned on or off in response to a control signal. Here, the control signal may mean a signal that controls a turn-on or turn-off operation of the switch (121) and may be controlled by the controller (130). According to an embodiment, the controller (130, see FIG. 2) may apply the control signal to the switch (121). For example, the control signal may include a PWM signal. In another aspect, the controller (130) may control the turn-on or turn-off operation of the switch (121) through the PWM signal. Accordingly, the switch (121) may be turned on when the PWM signal is in a logic high state, and the switch (121) may be turned off when the PWM signal is in a logic low state. The output current of the battery unit (10) may be changed into a form that can be applied to the converter (123) by the current transmitted by the PWM signal. For example, the DC current generated in the battery unit (10) can be changed into a square wave current through the operation of the switch (121).

[0092] According to an embodiment, the switch (121) may include a transistor. For example, the switch (121) may be implemented with various transistors such as a field effect transistor (FET or MOSFET) or a bipolar transistor. Here, the transistor may be n-type or p-type. According to an embodiment, the switch (121) may include an n-MOSFET.

[0093] According to an embodiment, the cell balancing unit (120) may include a conversion unit (123). According to an embodiment, the conversion unit (123) may be connected to a switch (121). For example, the conversion unit (123) may be placed between the battery unit (10) and the switch (121). Accordingly, the DC current generated in the battery unit (10) may be converted into a square wave form through the switch (121) and transmitted to the conversion unit (123).

[0094] According to an embodiment, the conversion unit (123) can convert the power of the battery unit (10). For example, the conversion unit (123) can convert the power of the battery unit (10) into power that is delivered to one or more battery cells (12) or one or more loads. According to an embodiment, the conversion unit (123) can convert direct current power into direct current power, convert direct current power into alternating current power, or convert voltage.

[0095] According to an embodiment, the conversion unit (123) can convert the power of the battery unit (10) when the switch (121) is turned on or turned off. In another aspect, the conversion unit (123) can convert the power of the battery unit (10) based on the current of the battery unit (10) when the switch (121) is turned on. According to an embodiment, the switch (121) and the conversion unit (123) may be understood as a configuration corresponding to a flyback converter in one aspect. Here, the flyback converter may mean an insulated DCDC converter that converts voltage through a switch. The conversion unit (123) may be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0096] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are circuit diagrams showing a converter according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0097] First, referring to FIG. 5, the conversion unit (123) may include a transformer. Here, the transformer may include two magnetically coupled inductors (L1 and L2). For example, the conversion unit (123) may include a primary winding (L1) and a secondary winding (L2). In addition, the primary winding (L1) and the secondary winding (L2) may be insulated from each other. According to an embodiment, the primary side of the transformer may include the primary winding (L1), and the secondary side of the transformer may include the secondary winding (L2), a diode, and a capacitor.

[0098] According to an embodiment, the converter (123) can convert the input voltage (V1) into the output voltage (V2) based on the turns ratio between the primary winding (L1) and the secondary winding (L2). For example, when the turns ratio is 2:1, the output voltage (V2) can be half of the input voltage (V1).

[0099] According to an embodiment, the converter (123) can step down the voltage of the battery unit (10). In this case, the converted output voltage can be lower than the voltage of the battery unit (10), which is the input voltage.

[0100] According to an embodiment, the converter (123) can convert the power of the battery unit (10) into balancing power. Here, the balancing power may refer to power used for active balancing. For example, the balancing power may refer to power consumed to actively balance one battery cell (12).

[0101] According to an embodiment, the output voltage (V2) of the converter (123) may be equal to the voltage of the cell to be balanced. In another aspect, the voltage (V2) of the balancing power of the converter (123) may be equal to the voltage of one battery cell (12). For example, the rated voltage for charging the battery cell (12) may be equal to or greater than 3 V and equal to or less than 4.2 V. Accordingly, the turn ratio of the converter (123) may be equal to the voltage of the battery unit (10) to the voltage of the battery cell (12).

[0102] Referring to FIG. 6, the conversion unit can convert an input voltage (or power) into two or more output voltages (or power). According to an embodiment, a plurality of conversion units (123) may be provided. For example, the conversion unit (123) may include a first conversion unit (123A) and a second conversion unit (123B). Here, the first conversion unit (123A) may refer to a part that converts an input voltage (V1) into an output voltage (V2), and the second conversion unit (123B) may refer to a part that converts an input voltage (V1) into an output voltage (V3). Although FIG. 5 illustrates two conversion units (123), the present invention is not limited thereto, and the conversion unit (123) may include n conversion units (123) (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2).

[0103] According to an embodiment, the primary side of the first conversion unit (123A) and the secondary side of the first conversion unit (123A) may be insulated, and the primary side of the second conversion unit (123B) and the secondary side of the second conversion unit (123B) may be insulated.

[0104] According to an embodiment, the first conversion unit (123A) can convert the power of the battery unit (10) into balancing power. Here, the balancing power may mean power used for active balancing of the battery cells (12).

[0105] According to an embodiment, the second conversion unit (123B) can convert the power of the battery unit (10) into reserve power. Here, reserve power may refer to power provided to a load (or electronic device). For example, the load (or electronic device) may include a battery management system (BMS), electrical components within the vehicle, or driving components within the vehicle.

[0106] According to an embodiment, since the primary side of the second conversion unit (123B) and the secondary side of the second conversion unit (123B) are insulated, the battery unit (10) connected to the primary side and the load (or electronic device) connected to the secondary side can be insulated. In another aspect, the reserve power can be supplied to the electronic device that is insulated from the battery unit (10). Through this, the conversion unit (123) can replace the power provided to the load (or electronic device) by using the power of the battery unit (10).

[0107] According to an embodiment, the first conversion unit (123A) and the second conversion unit (123B) can step down the voltage of the battery unit (10). In this case, the converted output voltage may be lower than the voltage of the battery unit (10), which is the input voltage. In another aspect, each of the balancing power and the reserve power may be lower than the power of the battery unit (10).

[0108] According to an embodiment, the output voltage (V2) of the first conversion unit (123A) and the output voltage (V3) of the second conversion unit (123B) may be different. For example, the output voltage (V2) that generates balancing power may be the same as the voltage of the battery cell (12), and the output voltage (V3) that generates reserve power may be the same as the voltage of the load (or electronic device). Through this, the conversion unit (123) may improve the integration degree of the conversion unit (123) by converting the power of a single battery unit (10) into a plurality of powers. In addition, the conversion unit (123) may convert the voltage of the battery unit (10) into a voltage corresponding to the voltage of each of the load and battery cells (12) connected to the secondary side, thereby reducing power wasted during power conversion and efficiently converting power.

[0109] According to an embodiment, the turns ratio of each of the first conversion unit (123A) and the second conversion unit (123B) may vary depending on the devices connected to each of the first conversion unit (123A) and the second conversion unit (123B). For example, the turns ratio of the first conversion unit (123A) may be determined according to the voltage of the battery cell (12) connected to the secondary side of the first conversion unit (123A). In addition, the turns ratio of the second conversion unit (123B) may be determined according to the specifications of the load (or electronic device) connected to the secondary side of the second conversion unit (123B). For example, when the electronic device connected to the second conversion unit (123B) is a BMS, the turns ratio of the second conversion unit (123B) may be equal to the ratio of the voltage of the battery unit (10) to the rated voltage of the BMS. Accordingly, the plurality of converters (123) can supply power according to the specifications of the load by having different turn ratios.

[0110] According to an embodiment, the first converter (123A) may include a primary winding (L1) supplied with power from the battery unit (10) and a first secondary winding (L2) magnetized with the primary winding.

[0111] According to an embodiment, the second converter (123B) may include a primary winding (L1) supplied with power from the battery unit (10) and a second secondary winding (L3) magnetized with the primary winding.

[0112] According to an embodiment, the primary side of the first conversion unit (123A) and the primary side of the second conversion unit (123B) may be identical. In another aspect, the primary side of the first conversion unit (123A) and the primary side of the second conversion unit (123B) may include the same primary winding (L1). Accordingly, the conversion unit (123) can simultaneously convert the power of the battery unit (10) into balancing power and reserve power.

[0113] According to an embodiment, the second secondary winding of the second conversion unit (123B) can be connected to an electronic device that is insulated from the battery unit (10). Through this, the conversion unit (123) can supply power from the battery unit (10) to another load or electronic device. In addition, the conversion unit (123) can replace a power circuit provided to another load or electronic device. Therefore, the conversion unit (123) including the first conversion unit (123A) and the second conversion unit (123B) can improve the circuit integration.

[0114] Referring again to FIG. 4, the cell balancing unit (120) may include a selection unit (125). According to an embodiment, the controller (130) may control the selection unit (125) based on the cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell to manage the balancing target cell.

[0115] According to an embodiment, the selection unit (125) may be connected to the conversion unit (123). For example, the selection unit (125) may be placed between the conversion unit (123) and the battery unit (10). According to an embodiment, the DC current converted by the conversion unit (123) may be transmitted to the battery cell (12) according to the operation of the selection unit (125).

[0116] According to an embodiment, the selection unit (125) may energize or cut off electrical connections related to the balancing target cell based on the cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell determined by the controller (130). For example, if the cell balancing mode is determined to be an active balancing mode, the controller (130) may control the selection unit (125) so that balancing power among the power converted by the conversion unit (123) is applied to the balancing target cell. In addition, if the cell balancing mode is determined to be a passive balancing mode, the controller (130) may control the selection unit (125) so that the balancing target cell is connected to a balancing resistor.

[0117] According to an embodiment, the selection unit (125) can switch between active balancing and passive balancing. In another aspect, the controller (130) can control the selection unit (125) to switch the active balancing mode to the passive balancing mode, or the passive balancing mode to the active balancing mode. Here, the selection unit (125) can include one or more switches for selecting a balancing target cell and a cell balancing mode.

[0118] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can control the selection unit (125) to conduct or interrupt the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and the balancing resistor. Through this, the controller (130) can switch the balancing target cell that is the target of passive balancing. In addition, the controller (130) can control the selection unit (125) to conduct or interrupt the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and the conversion unit (123). Through this, the controller (130) can switch the balancing target cell that is the target of active balancing.

[0119] According to an embodiment, the selection unit (125) may include a plurality of passive resistors (R1, R2, R3, and R4) for passive balancing and a plurality of passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13). Here, each of the plurality of passive resistors (R1, R2, R3, and R4) may be connected in parallel to each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4). In addition, the plurality of passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13) may switch electrical connections between the plurality of passive resistors (R1, R2, R3, and R4) and each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4).

[0120] According to an embodiment, a plurality of passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13) may be arranged between one terminal of each of a plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and one terminal of a plurality of passive resistors (R1, R2, R3, and R4). Here, the plurality of passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13) illustrated in FIG. 4 are exemplary, and the plurality of passive switches are not limited thereto and may be arranged at other locations.

[0121] According to an embodiment, the selection unit (125) may include a plurality of active switches (S1 to S15) for active balancing. Here, the plurality of active switches (S1 to S15) may be connected between each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and the conversion unit (123). Accordingly, the plurality of active switches (S1 to S15) may switch the application of balancing power to each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4). According to an embodiment, some (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13) of the active switches (S1 to S15) may be configured as the same switches as the passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13).

[0122] The selection unit (125) illustrated in FIG. 4 is exemplary and the configuration of the selection unit (125) is not limited thereto, and the plurality of passive resistors, the plurality of passive switches, and the plurality of active switches may be replaced with other configurations. According to an embodiment, the plurality of passive switches and the plurality of active switches may include at least one relay, a magnetic contactor, and / or a transistor.

[0123] FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing the operation of a cell balancing unit in an active balancing mode according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the operation of a cell balancing unit in a passive balancing mode according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0124] Referring to FIG. 7, if the cell balancing mode is determined to be an active balancing mode, the controller (130) can control the selection unit (125) to actively balance the balancing target cell (e.g., C4). For example, the controller (130) can control the selection unit (125) to charge the balancing target cell (C4) using balancing power.

[0125] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can short-circuit the active switches (S1, S2, S5, and S15) connected between the balancing target cell (C4) and the conversion unit (123) among the plurality of active switches (S1 to S15). In addition, the controller (130) can open the remaining active switches and passive switches, except for the short-circuited active switches (S1, S2, S5, and S15), among the active switches and passive switches included in the selection unit (125). Through this, the controller (130) can charge the balancing target cell (C4) using the balancing power.

[0126] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can perform active balancing until the voltage of the balancing target cell (C4) among the battery units (10) becomes equal to the average voltage of the remaining battery cells (C1, C2, and C3). Through this, the controller (130) can efficiently balance the voltage deviation of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) included in the battery unit (10).

[0127] Referring to FIG. 8, if the cell balancing mode is determined to be a passive balancing mode, the controller (130) can control the selection unit (125) to passively balance the balancing target cell (e.g., C4). For example, the controller (130) can control the selection unit (125) to discharge the power of the balancing target cell (C4) from the passive resistor (R4).

[0128] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can short-circuit the passive switches (S1 and S3) connected between the balancing target cell (C4) and the passive resistor (R4) among the plurality of passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13). In addition, the controller (130) can open the remaining active and passive switches, except for the short-circuited passive switches (S1 and S3), among the active and passive switches included in the selection unit (125). Through this, the controller (130) can discharge the power of the balancing target cell (C4) through the passive resistor (R4).

[0129] According to an embodiment, the controller (130) can perform passive balancing until the voltage of the balancing target cell (C4) among the battery units (10) becomes equal to the average voltage of the remaining battery cells (C1, C2, and C3). Through this, the controller (130) can efficiently balance the voltage deviation of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) included in the battery unit (10).

[0130] FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing a selection unit according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 9, the plurality of passive switches (S1, S6, S8, and S13) may be positioned at different positions from the plurality of passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13) illustrated in FIGS. 4, 7, and 8. Here, the plurality of passive switches (S1, S6, S8, and S13) may switch electrical connections between the plurality of passive resistors (R1, R2, R3, and R4) and the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4), respectively.

[0132] According to an embodiment, each of the plurality of passive switches (S1, S6, S8, and S13) may be connected in series with each of the plurality of passive resistors (R1, R2, R3, and R4). Accordingly, the plurality of passive switches (S1, S6, S8, and S13) may switch the current flowing through the plurality of passive resistors (R1, R2, R3, and R4). Through this, the controller (130) may control a smaller number of the plurality of passive switches (S1, S6, S8, and S13) than the plurality of passive switches (S1, S3, S6, S8, S11, and S13) illustrated in FIG. 4 to switch the passive balancing mode and the balancing target cells.

[0133] According to an embodiment, the selection unit (125) may include a plurality of active switches (S2, S4, S5, S7, S9, S10, S12, S14, and S15) for active balancing. Here, the plurality of active switches (S2, S4, S5, S7, S9, S10, S12, S14, and S15) may be connected between each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) and the conversion unit (123). Accordingly, the plurality of active switches (S2, S4, S5, S7, S9, S10, S12, S14, and S15) may switch whether to apply balancing power to each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4). Through this, the controller (130) can switch the active balancing mode and the balancing target cells by controlling a smaller number of active switches (S2, S4, S5, S7, S9, S10, S12, S14 and S15) than the number of active switches (S1 to S15) illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0134] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a battery management device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document.

[0135] The operations illustrated in FIG. 10 may be performed by the battery management device (100) of FIG. 2. While the operations in the following embodiments may be performed sequentially, they are not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. Furthermore, at least one of the operations below may be omitted depending on the embodiment.

[0136] Referring to FIG. 10, a battery management device (100) obtains the voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells included in a battery unit (S101), controls the turn-on or turn-off state of the switch by applying a control signal to a switch connected to the battery unit (S102), converts the power of the battery unit into balancing power through a conversion unit (S103), determines a cell balancing mode including an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode and a balancing target cell based on the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells (S104), and manages the balancing target cell using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell based on the determined cell balancing mode (S105).

[0137] In operation S101, the acquisition unit (110) of the battery management device (100) can acquire the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) included in the battery unit (10) (S101).

[0138] In operation S102, the controller (130) of the battery management device (100) can control the turn-on or turn-off state of the switch (121) by applying a control signal to the switch (121) connected to the battery unit (10) (S102). Here, the controller (130) can control the switch (121) through a PWM signal.

[0139] In operation S103, the battery management device (100) may convert the power of the battery unit (10) into balancing power through the conversion unit (123) (S103). According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) may convert the power of the battery unit into the balancing power in the first conversion unit (123A). Here, the balancing power may be less than the power of the battery unit. According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) may convert the power of the battery unit into reserve power in the second conversion unit (123B). Here, the reserve power may be less than the power of the battery unit. According to an embodiment, the battery management device (100) may simultaneously convert the power of the battery unit into the balancing power and the reserve power.

[0140] In operation S104, the controller (130) of the battery management device (100) can determine a cell balancing mode including an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode and a balancing target cell based on the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells (C1, C2, C3, and C4) (S104).

[0141] In operation S105, the controller (130) of the battery management device (100) can manage the balancing target cell using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell based on the determined cell balancing mode (S105). For example, if the cell balancing mode is determined to be the active balancing mode, the controller (130) can short-circuit an active switch connected between the balancing target cell and the converter among the plurality of active switches. In addition, if the cell balancing mode is determined to be the passive balancing mode, the controller (130) can short-circuit a passive switch connected between the balancing target cell and the passive resistor among the plurality of passive switches.

[0142] FIG. 11 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.

[0143] Referring to FIG. 11, a computing system (200) according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document may include an MCU (210), a memory (220), an input / output I / F (230), and a communication I / F (240).

[0144] The MCU (210) may be a processor that executes various programs (e.g., a battery data collection program, a data analysis program, a data processing program, etc.) stored in the memory (220), processes various information including battery data through these programs, and performs the functions of the battery management device (100) shown in the aforementioned FIGS. 1 to 10.

[0145] The memory (220) can store various programs such as a battery data collection program, a data analysis program, and a data processing program.

[0146] Such memories (220) may be provided in multiple numbers as needed. The memories (220) may be volatile memories or non-volatile memories. As volatile memories (220), RAM, DRAM, SRAM, etc. may be used. As non-volatile memories (220), ROM, PROM, EAROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memories, etc. may be used. The examples of the memories (220) listed above are merely examples and are not limited to these examples.

[0147] The input / output I / F (230) 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 (210).

[0148] The communication I / F (240) 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 (100) can transmit and receive various information, including battery data, from a separately provided external server via the communication I / F (240).

[0149] In this way, a computer program according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be implemented as a module that performs each function illustrated in FIG. 2, for example, by being recorded in a memory (220) and processed by an MCU (210).

[0150] Although all components constituting the embodiments disclosed in this document have been described as being combined or operating in combination as one, the embodiments disclosed in this document are not necessarily limited to such embodiments. That is, within the scope of the purpose of the embodiments disclosed in this document, all of the components may be selectively combined and operated one or more times.

[0151] In addition, terms such as "include," "comprise," or "have" described above, unless specifically stated otherwise, mean that the corresponding component can be included, and therefore should be interpreted to include other components rather than excluding other components. All terms, 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, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as terms defined in a dictionary, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless explicitly defined in this document.

[0152] The foregoing disclosure outlines features of several embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present disclosure can be readily used as a basis for designing or modifying other structures to achieve the same purposes or advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that such equivalent structures do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0153] [Explanation of symbols]

[0154] 1: Battery pack

[0155] 10: Battery unit

[0156] 12: Battery cell

[0157] 14: Sensor section

[0158] 16: Switching section

[0159] 20: Battery Management System

[0160] 100: Battery management device

[0161] 110: Acquisition Department

[0162] 120: Cell balancing unit

[0163] 121: Switch

[0164] 123: Conversion section

[0165] 123A: First conversion unit

[0166] 123B: Second Conversion Unit

[0167] 125: Selection section

[0168] 130: Controller

[0169] 200: Computing Systems

[0170] 210: MCU

[0171] 220: Memory

[0172] 230: Input / Output I / F

[0173] 240: Communication I / F

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells included in the battery unit; A switch connected to the above battery unit and turned on or off in response to a control signal; A conversion unit that converts the power of the above battery unit into balancing power; and Based on the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells, a cell balancing mode including an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode and a balancing target cell are determined, A battery management device including a controller that manages the balancing target cell using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell based on a determined cell balancing mode.

2. In claim 1, A battery management device wherein the above control signal includes a PWM signal.

3. In claim 1, The above conversion part, A battery management device that converts the power of the battery unit when the switch is turned on.

4. In claim 1, The above conversion part, A first conversion unit that converts the power of the battery unit into the balancing power; and A battery management device including a second conversion unit that converts power of the above battery unit into reserve power.

5. In claim 4, A battery management device wherein each of the balancing power and the reserve power is smaller than the power of the battery unit.

6. In claim 4, A battery management device wherein the above reserve power is supplied to an electronic device insulated from the above battery unit.

7. In claim 4, The first converter includes a primary winding (L2) that receives power from the battery unit and a first secondary winding (L1) that is magnetized with the primary winding, A battery management device wherein the second converter includes the primary winding (L2) and a second secondary winding (L3) that is magnetized with the primary winding.

8. In claim 7, A battery management device in which the second secondary winding of the second converter is connected to an electronic device insulated from the battery unit.

9. In claim 1, Further comprising a selection unit for conducting or blocking at least one of the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and the balancing resistor and the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and the converter, A battery management device in which the controller controls the selection unit based on the cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell to manage the balancing target cell.

10. In claim 9, The above selection section, A plurality of passive resistors connected in parallel to each of the plurality of battery cells; A plurality of passive switches for switching electrical connections between the plurality of passive resistors and each of the plurality of battery cells; and A battery management device comprising a plurality of active switches connected between each of the plurality of battery cells and the converter, and switching the application of the balancing power to each of the plurality of battery cells.

11. In claim 10, The above controller, If the above cell balancing mode is determined as the above active balancing mode, Among the plurality of active switches, the active switch connected between the balancing target cell and the conversion unit is short-circuited, A battery management device that opens the remaining active switches and remaining passive switches, excluding the shorted active switch among the above active switches and the above passive switches.

12. In claim 10, The above controller, If the above cell balancing mode is determined as the above passive balancing mode, Short-circuiting a passive switch connected between the balancing target cell and the passive resistor among the plurality of passive switches, A battery management device that opens the remaining active switches and remaining passive switches, excluding the shorted passive switches among the above active switches and the above passive switches.

13. A step of obtaining the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells included in the battery unit; A step of controlling the turn-on or turn-off state of the switch by applying a control signal to the switch connected to the battery unit; A step of converting the power of the battery unit into balancing power through a conversion unit; A step of determining a cell balancing mode including an active balancing mode and a passive balancing mode and a balancing target cell based on the voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells; and A battery management method comprising a step of managing the balancing target cell using the balancing power or the power of the balancing target cell based on the determined cell balancing mode.

14. In claim 13, A battery management method wherein the above control signal includes a PWM signal.

15. In claim 13, The above conversion step is, A battery management method for converting power of the battery unit when the switch is turned on.

16. In claim 13, The above conversion unit includes a first conversion unit and a second conversion unit, The above conversion step is, A step of converting the power of the battery unit into the balancing power in the first conversion unit; and A battery management method comprising a step of converting power of the battery unit into reserve power in the second conversion unit.

17. In claim 16, A battery management method wherein each of the balancing power and the reserve power is smaller than the power of the battery unit.

18. In claim 16, After the above conversion step, A battery management method further comprising the step of supplying the reserve power to an electronic device insulated from the battery unit.

19. In claim 16, The first converter includes a primary winding (L2) that receives power from the battery unit and a first secondary winding (L1) that is magnetized with the primary winding, A battery management method wherein the second converter includes the primary winding (L2) and a second secondary winding (L3) that is magnetized with the primary winding.

20. In claim 16, A battery management method for simultaneously converting the power of the above battery unit into the balancing power and the reserve power.

21. In claim 13, The steps for managing the above balancing target cells are: Based on the above cell balancing mode and the balancing target cell, A battery management method comprising a step of controlling a selection unit that conducts or cuts off at least one of the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and a balancing resistor and the electrical connection between each of the plurality of battery cells and the converter.

22. In claim 21, The above selection section, A plurality of passive resistors connected in parallel to each of the plurality of battery cells; A plurality of passive switches for switching electrical connections between the plurality of passive resistors and each of the plurality of battery cells; and A battery management method comprising a plurality of active switches connected between each of the plurality of battery cells and the converter, and switching the application of the balancing power to each of the plurality of battery cells.

23. In claim 22, The step of controlling the above selection unit is: If the above cell balancing mode is determined as the above active balancing mode, A step of short-circuiting an active switch connected between the balancing target cell and the conversion unit among the plurality of active switches; and A battery management method comprising a step of opening the remaining active switches and remaining passive switches, excluding the shorted active switch among the above active switches and the above passive switches.

24. In claim 22, The step of controlling the above selection unit is: If the above cell balancing mode is determined as the above passive balancing mode, A step of short-circuiting a passive switch connected between the balancing target cell and the passive resistor among the plurality of passive switches; and A battery management method comprising a step of opening the remaining active switches and remaining passive switches, excluding the short-circuited passive switches among the above active switches and the above passive switches.

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