Switching device including data communication function

Abstract

The present invention relates to a switching device including a data communication function. The switching device, according to the present invention, comprises: a relay; a sensor unit for measuring a state of a circuit to which the relay is connected; a communication unit; and a control unit for controlling the relay, wherein the control unit transmits data measured using the sensor unit via the communication unit, thereby enabling removal of a wire harness for sensor data transmission, which reduces assembly complexity and reduces system defects caused by damage to the wire harness.

Description

Switching device including data communication function

[0001] The present invention relates to a switching device for connecting or cutting off power, and more particularly to a direct current switching device capable of data communication on its own.

[0002] In the fields of eco-friendly (electric, hydrogen, hybrid) vehicles and e-mobility, technology that safely supplies or cuts off battery power to the motor is very important in terms of providing safety and stability.

[0003] The battery pack system for this can be composed of a BMA (Battery Module Assembly), BMU (Battery Management Unit), CMU (Cell Monitoring Unit), and BDU (Battery Disconnect Unit).

[0004] Among these, the BDU (Battery Disconnect Unit) is generally placed between the battery and the motor inverter and serves to supply or cut off power from the battery to the motor.

[0005] The BDU can be configured to include a switch and a precharge resistor, etc., and a main relay (switch) is connected to the plus and minus terminals of the battery to supply or cut off battery power, and a precharge switch and precharge resistor are connected in parallel with the main relay to charge the DC-link capacitor before driving the motor.

[0006] The BMU measures the voltage or current inside the BDU to control these BDUs, and for this, a wire harness must be connected to each part of the relay.

[0007] However, when using such wire harnesses, the wire harness must be fastened using ring terminals, etc. during assembly, which increases the complexity of assembly. In addition, if the wire harness is damaged due to interference between parts during assembly, there is a problem that it may cause a malfunction of the entire system due to short circuits or open circuits.

[0008] In addition, the BDU's precharge resistor is very large and has a heat generation problem, and the main switch is composed of a mechanical relay, which has the disadvantages of a short lifespan and generating operating noise.

[0009] The inventors of the present invention have been researching and working to address the problems associated with switching in BDUs and voltage or current sensing in BMUs, as described in the prior art. After extensive research and development, they have completed the present invention. This involves replacing the BDU's mechanical relay with a semiconductor relay to reduce weight and noise, and providing a switching device that includes communication capabilities capable of directly transmitting sensing values ​​to the BMU for voltage or current sensing.

[0010] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a switching device that replaces a mechanical relay by using an electronic relay that applies a semiconductor to a BDU, and does not require a wire harness by including a voltage and current sensing unit.

[0011] In addition, another object of the present invention is to minimize wires for data transmission by including a communication unit that can directly transmit sensed voltage or current data to a BMU or upper control unit.

[0012] Meanwhile, other unspecified purposes of the present invention will be additionally considered within a range that can be easily inferred from the detailed description and effects thereof below.

[0013] A switching device including a data communication function according to the present invention,

[0014] A relay; a sensor unit for measuring the state of a circuit to which the relay is connected; a communication unit; and a control unit for controlling the relay, wherein the control unit is characterized in that it transmits data measured using the sensor unit through the communication unit.

[0015] The above communication unit is characterized in that it is capable of power line communication through a power line connected to the relay.

[0016] The above communication unit is characterized in that it is connected to another switching device or control device in a daisy chain manner.

[0017] The above communication unit is characterized by being capable of isolated SPI communication.

[0018] The above relay is characterized in that it is a semiconductor relay including a semiconductor switch element.

[0019] The above semiconductor relay is characterized by a back-to-back structure in which a pair of semiconductor switches are connected in opposite current directions.

[0020] The above sensor unit is characterized by including at least one of a current sensor, a voltage sensor, and a temperature sensor.

[0021] It is characterized by further including an ADC (Analog to Digital Convertor) that converts the measurement value of the above sensor unit into digital data.

[0022] According to the present invention, by replacing the mechanical relay included in the BDU with a semiconductor relay, the volume and weight of the switching device can be reduced, and heat generation and noise can also be reduced.

[0023] Additionally, by including the communication device itself, the wire harness required for communication can be reduced, which in turn has the effect of reducing defects or failures caused by the wire harness.

[0024] Meanwhile, even if the effect is not explicitly mentioned herein, it is added that the effect and its provisional effect described in the following specification expected by the technical features of the present invention are treated as described in the specification of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a switching device capable of data communication according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor relay included in a switching device capable of data communication according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery system including a switching device capable of data communication according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor relay included in a switching device capable of data communication according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery system including a switching device capable of data communication according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery system according to the prior art.

[0031] ※ It is to be noted that the attached drawings are provided for reference only to help understand the technical concept of the present invention, and the scope of the rights of the present invention is not limited thereby.

[0032] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the configuration of the present invention, guided by various embodiments thereof, and the effects resulting from such configurations will be examined. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related, well-known functions that are obvious to those skilled in the art and that may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

[0033] Terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms may only be used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a "first component" may be referred to as a "second component," and similarly, a "second component" may also be referred to as a "first component." Furthermore, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms used in the embodiments of the present invention may be interpreted as having meanings commonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art, unless otherwise defined.

[0034] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the configuration of the present invention guided by various embodiments of the present invention and the effects resulting from the configuration will be examined.

[0035] Figure 6 is a general structural diagram of a battery system that supplies power from the battery to the motor.

[0036] The battery system may include an inverter (2) for driving a motor (1), a battery (5) for supplying power to the motor (1), a cell monitoring unit (CMU) (6) for managing cells of the battery (5), a battery management unit (BMU) (4) for managing the battery system, and a BDU (10) for managing the connection between the battery (5) and the motor (1).

[0037] The BDU (10) may include a main switch (13) and a negative switch (15) connected to the positive side of the battery (5) to supply or cut off power to the inverter (2), a precharge resistor (11) for initially charging the DC-link capacitor (3), and a precharge switch (12).

[0038] In order to drive the motor (1) using the power of the battery (5), first, the negative side switch (15) is controlled to be closed, and when the precharge switch (12) is controlled to be closed, the high voltage of the battery (5) is transmitted through the precharge resistor (11), and initial charging begins.

[0039] The reason for performing initial charging through the precharge resistor (11) is to limit the inrush current and stably charge the DC-link capacitor (3).

[0040] When the initial charging of the DC-link capacitor (3) is completed, the precharge switch (12) is controlled to be open, and the main switch (13) is controlled to be closed, so that the high voltage of the battery (5) is supplied directly to the inverter (2) without passing through the precharge resistor (11).

[0041] In order to determine the status of the entire system, the BMU (4) must determine whether there is an abnormality in the current flowing in the circuit through the current sensor (14) in the BDU (10), or measure the voltage of the inverter (2) and DC-link capacitor (3).

[0042] To do this, the voltage must be measured by connecting a wire harness to the main switch (13) and the negative switch (15), and the measured value must be transmitted through the wire harness using CAN (Control Area Network) communication.

[0043] Therefore, there is a problem that the complexity of work increases due to wire harness connection, and the risk of failure such as short circuit or disconnection of the entire system due to damage to the wire harness also increases.

[0044] To improve these problems, the switching device according to the present invention includes a voltage or current sensor and enables the sensor value to be transmitted to the BMU through a communication function, thereby eliminating the sensor or additional wire harness for current or voltage sensing.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a switching device capable of data communication according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] A switching device (100) capable of data communication according to the present invention may include a relay (110), a sensor unit (120), a communication unit (130), and a control unit (140).

[0047] The relay (110) is used to connect or cut off power to the load under the control of the control unit (140).

[0048] The relay (110) may be a mechanical relay or a semiconductor relay.

[0049] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a relay (110) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] When a semiconductor relay is used as the relay (110), the relay (110) may include a semiconductor switch element. The relay (110) may include a first semiconductor switch (112) and a second semiconductor switch (114).

[0051] The first semiconductor switch (112) and the second semiconductor switch (114) may be MOSFETs (Si, SiC, IGBT, etc.) for implementing a bidirectional electronic relay.

[0052] The MOSFET is a structure that includes a diode to block current when switched off, and since reverse current can flow through this diode, the relay (110) is formed with a back-to-back structure of a first semiconductor switch (112) and a second semiconductor switch (114).

[0053] The sensor unit (120) may include one or more of a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a temperature sensor to measure the status of the battery system.

[0054] The communication unit (130) is used to transmit data measured by the sensor unit (120) to an upper controller such as another switching device or BMU.

[0055] For this purpose, the communication unit may use CAN communication and SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communication methods, but is not limited to these.

[0056] Alternatively, the communication unit (130) may perform wireless communication such as 5G (5th generation communication), LTE-A (long term evolution-advanced), LTE (long term evolution), Bluetooth, BLE (Bluetooth low energy), NFC (near field communication), WiFi communication, or wired communication such as cable communication, but is not limited thereto.

[0057] The control unit (140) can transmit sensor data acquired through the sensor unit (120) to an upper controller such as a BMU through the communication unit (130), or directly control the relay (110) to supply or cut off power.

[0058] For this purpose, the control unit (140) may include one or more processors and memories.

[0059] The memory may store instructions, data structures, and program code that can be read by the processor. In embodiments, at least the operations performed by the processor may be implemented by executing instructions or codes of the program stored in the memory.

[0060] The memory may include a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), and may include a non-volatile memory including at least one of a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk, and a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory).

[0061] The memory can store one or more instructions or programs that the processor can use to control semiconductor relays or transmit and receive data through a communication unit.

[0062] The processor controls the overall operations of the switching device (100). For example, the processor can control the overall operations of the switching device (100), such as supplying or cutting off power, by executing one or more instructions stored in memory.

[0063] The processor may be configured as at least one of, but is not limited to, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a graphic processing unit, an application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a digital signal processor (DSPs), a digital signal processing device (DSPDs), a programmable logic device (PLDs), a field programmable gate array (FPGAs), an application processor, a neural processing unit, or an artificial intelligence processor designed as a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models.

[0064] The control unit (140) transmits data measured by the sensor unit (120) as digital data through the communication unit (130).

[0065] Therefore, the switching device (100) according to the present invention may further include an ADC (Analog to Digital Convertor) (150) for converting voltage, current or temperature measured by the sensor unit (120) into digital data.

[0066] As the number of electrical components within a vehicle increases, the resulting internal noise also increases. Furthermore, the vehicle is affected by noise generated not only by the vehicle itself but also by nearby vehicles. Therefore, converting analog sensor data into digital data for initial transmission can reduce the impact of noise, thereby enabling more stable measurement of the relay (110) status.

[0067] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a battery system including a switching device (100) capable of data communication according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] The battery system for driving the motor (1) includes an inverter (2) that drives the motor (1) and a DC-link capacitor (3) connected in parallel.

[0069] The CMU (6) and BMU (4) for managing the cells of the battery (5) manage the battery cells and the entire battery system, respectively.

[0070] For example, the BMU (4) can connect or disconnect the switching devices (101, 102, 103) depending on the current and voltage of the battery system.

[0071] A BDU (20) is included between the battery (5) and the inverter (2) to supply or cut off power from the battery (5) to the inverter (2).

[0072] The BDU (20) may include a first switching device (101), a second switching device (102), and a third switching device (103) capable of data communication according to the present invention.

[0073] The first switching device (101) can be used for initial charging of the DC-link capacitor (3), and for this purpose, a precharge resistor connected in series with the switching device can be further included. However, since the first switching device (101) according to the present invention has the characteristic of being configured as a semiconductor relay, the initial voltage transmitted to the DC-link capacitor can be adjusted by the control of the control unit included in the BMU (4) or the first switching device (101) itself without the need for a precharge resistor.

[0074] The second switching device (102) is used to directly transfer power from the battery (5) to the inverter (2) after the initial charging by the first switching device (101) is completed.

[0075] The third switching device (103) is connected to the negative pole of the battery (5) and is used to transmit power to the negative pole of the inverter (2).

[0076] The general operation is that when a 12 V voltage is supplied from the low voltage side and the first to third switching devices (101, 102, 103) are controlled and connected by the BMU (4), the current and voltage of the high voltage side by the battery (5) are measured using the sensor unit included in the first to third switching devices (101, 102, 103) and transmitted to the BMU (4) through the communication unit, thereby performing the OVP (Over Voltage Protection) or OCP (Over Current Protection) function.

[0077] For this purpose, the BMU (4) and the first to third switching devices (101, 102, 103) can be connected in a daisy chain manner.

[0078] For example, when the CMU (6), the first switching device (101), the second switching device (102), the third switching device (103), and the BMU (4) are sequentially connected and the BMU (4) is again connected to the CMU (6), the BMU (4) can receive data even from the sensors of the switching devices to which it is not directly connected, and therefore, a wire harness for measuring voltage or current and receiving data is not required.

[0079] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a switching device (200) capable of data communication according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] A switching device (200) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a relay (210), a sensor unit (220), a communication unit (230), and a control unit (240).

[0081] The relay (210) may be a mechanical relay or a semiconductor relay, and when a semiconductor relay is used, the relay (210) may include semiconductor switches in a back-to-back structure as described above.

[0082] The sensor unit (220) is used to measure current, voltage, or temperature, and the control unit (240) is used to transmit the measured data to an upper controller such as a BMU through a communication unit (230) or to directly control a relay (210).

[0083] Additionally, it may further include an ADC (250) for converting voltage, current or temperature measured by the sensor unit (220) into digital data.

[0084] In this embodiment, the communication unit (230) can use a power line communication (PLC) method.

[0085] That is, the communication unit (230) can transmit data sensed by the sensor unit (220) to another switching device or BMU, etc., through a power line for transmitting the power of the battery to the inverter.

[0086] If the communication unit (230) uses a power line communication method, there is an advantage in that the system can be configured more simply because no lines for communication are required.

[0087] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a battery system including a switching device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the first to third switching devices (201, 202, 203) perform power line communication.

[0089] Therefore, there is no need for a communication line or wire harness that directly connects the first to third switching devices (201, 202, 203) and the BMU (4).

[0090] However, since the first to third switching devices (201, 202, 203) are connected to the battery (5), CMU (6), and BMU (4) via a power line, sensor data can be transmitted and received via the power line, and semiconductor relays included in the first to third switching devices (201, 202, 203) can be controlled from the BMU (4).

[0091] According to the data communication-capable switching device according to the present invention as described above, a sensor for measuring voltage or current or a wire harness for transmitting sensor data can be eliminated, thereby reducing the assembly complexity of a battery system and preventing system failure due to damage to the wire harness.

[0092] The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the description and expression of the embodiments explicitly described above. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of protection of the present invention may not be limited by obvious modifications or substitutions within the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

Claims

1. Relay; A sensor unit for measuring the status of a circuit to which the above relay is connected; Department of Communications; and A control unit for controlling the above relay; Including, but not limited to, A switching device including a data communication function, characterized in that the control unit transmits data measured using the sensor unit through the communication unit.

2. In paragraph 1, A switching device including a data communication function, characterized in that the communication unit is capable of power line communication through a power line connected to the relay.

3. In paragraph 1, A switching device including a data communication function, characterized in that the above communication unit is connected in a daisy chain manner with another switching device or control device.

4. In paragraph 1, The above communication unit is a switching device including a data communication function, characterized in that it is capable of isolated SPI communication.

5. In paragraph 1, A switching device including a data communication function, characterized in that the above relay is a semiconductor relay including a semiconductor switch element.

6. In paragraph 5, The semiconductor relay is a switching device including a data communication function, characterized in that a pair of semiconductor switches have a back-to-back structure in which the current conducting directions are opposite to each other.

7. In paragraph 1, A switching device including a data communication function, characterized in that the sensor unit includes at least one of a current sensor, a voltage sensor, and a temperature sensor.

8. In paragraph 1, ADC (Analog to Digital Convertor) that converts the measurement value of the above sensor unit into digital data; A switching device comprising a data communication function, characterized in that it further comprises:

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