Charging control method and apparatus for power battery, medium, program product, and vehicle

Abstract

The present application discloses a charging control method and apparatus for a power battery, a medium, a program product, and a vehicle. The method comprises: acquiring a first charging starting moment and an SOC threshold of a power battery, and a user travel time; when a first duration is less than a second duration, controlling the power battery to charge from the first charging starting moment until the SOC threshold is reached and then stop charging, and determining a second charging starting moment of the power battery on the basis of the user travel time; and controlling the power battery to continue charging from the second charging starting moment until a fully charged SOC value is reached, wherein the first duration is the duration required for charging from the first charging starting moment until the fully charged SOC value is reached, and the second duration is the duration from the first charging starting moment to the user travel time.

Description

Power battery charging control methods, devices, media, programs, products, and vehicles Cross-reference of related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202510219539.4, filed on February 26, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of this application relate to, but are not limited to, the field of new energy technology, and in particular to a charging control method, device, medium, program product, and vehicle for a power battery. Background Technology

[0003] With the continuous development of new energy technologies, electric vehicles are increasingly favored by users due to their advantages such as environmental friendliness, low noise, and energy efficiency. As a core component of electric vehicles, the power battery provides the primary power source. Therefore, the performance and quality of the power battery directly affect the vehicle's range, safety, and lifespan, making it a crucial research area. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is an overview of the subject matter described in detail herein. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0005] A first aspect of this application provides a charging control method for a power battery. The method includes: acquiring the initial charging start time, a state of charge (SOC) threshold, and a user's travel time for the power battery; in response to a first duration being less than a second duration, controlling the power battery to stop charging after reaching the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time; determining a second charging start time for the power battery based on the user's travel time; and controlling the power battery to continue charging to a full charge SOC value from the second charging start time; wherein the first duration is the time required for the power battery to charge to the full charge SOC value from the initial charging start time, and the second duration is the duration between the initial charging start time and the user's travel time.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, before stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time, the method further includes: determining whether the predicted time is within a preset travel time range in response to the user's travel time being a predicted time; determining the second charging start time based on the predicted time in response to the determination that the predicted time is within the preset travel time range; and performing the following steps in response to the determination that the predicted time is not within the preset travel time range: determining whether the first duration is less than the third duration; the third duration is the duration between the initial charging start time and a specified time, the specified time being less than the minimum time within the preset travel time range; and determining the second charging start time based on the specified time in response to the determination that the first duration is less than the third duration.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, in response to determining that the first duration is greater than or equal to the third duration, the power battery is controlled to continuously charge from the first charging start time.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, before stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the first charging start time, the method further includes: determining whether the second duration is less than a preset duration in response to the user's travel time being a user-specified time; determining the second charging start time based on the user-specified time in response to the determination that the second duration is less than the preset duration; and performing the following steps in response to the determination that the second duration is not less than the preset duration: determining whether the current SOC value of the power battery is less than a preset value, wherein the preset value is less than the SOC threshold; performing the step of stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the first charging start time and subsequent steps in response to the determination that the current SOC value is not less than the preset value; and performing the step of stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the first charging start time and subsequent steps in response to the determination that the current SOC value is not less than the preset value and after waiting for the current SOC value to decrease to less than the preset value.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, controlling the power battery to continue charging to full charge SOC value from the second charging start time includes: controlling the time when the power battery is charged to the full charge SOC value does not exceed the user's travel time, and the remaining time before the user's travel time is specified.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, controlling the power battery to continue charging to the full charge SOC value from the second charging start time includes: controlling the power battery to start trickle charging from the second charging start time to charge the power battery to the full charge SOC value.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the charging control method for the power battery further includes: acquiring historical charging data of the power battery within a specified period; wherein the historical charging data includes at least energy decay data of the power battery during the time when charging is stopped; and adjusting the SOC threshold based on the historical charging data.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, before obtaining the first charging start time, SOC threshold, and user travel time of the power battery, the method further includes: in response to receiving a scheduled charging instruction, using the charging start time of the scheduled charging instruction as the first charging start time.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, in response to the first duration being greater than or equal to the second duration, the power battery is controlled to continuously charge from the first charging start time.

[0014] A second aspect of this application provides a charging control device for a power battery. The device includes: an acquisition module configured to acquire the initial charging start time, a SOC threshold, and a user's travel time of the power battery; an initial charging control module configured to, in response to a first duration being less than a second duration, control the power battery to charge from the initial charging start time to the SOC threshold and then stop charging; and determine the second charging start time of the power battery based on the user's travel time; and a second charging control module configured to control the power battery to continue charging from the second charging start time to a full-charge SOC value; wherein the first duration is the time required for the power battery to charge from the initial charging start time to the full-charge SOC value, and the second duration is the duration between the initial charging start time and the user's travel time.

[0015] A third aspect of this application provides a charging control device for a power battery, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory stores computer-executable instructions, and the at least one processor is configured to read the computer-executable instructions from the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to implement the charging control method for the power battery.

[0016] A fourth aspect of this application provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, implement a charging control method for the power battery.

[0017] A fifth aspect of this application provides a computer program product, including a computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, wherein when the computer program is executed by at least one processor, it implements a charging control method for the power battery.

[0018] A sixth aspect of this application provides a vehicle comprising: a charging control device for a power battery as described in the second aspect above; or a charging control device for a power battery as described in the third aspect above; or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in the fourth aspect above; or a computer program product as described in the fifth aspect above; or at least one processor configured to implement a charging control method for a power battery as described in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0019] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this specification. Other aspects will become clear after reading and understanding the accompanying drawings and detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the technical solutions of this application, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of this application, but do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of this application.

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a charging control method for a power battery provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a charging control method for a power battery provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another power battery charging control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a charging control method for a power battery provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of data interaction between the vehicle and the cloud provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power battery charging control device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power battery charging control device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 60 is the acquisition module, 61 is the first charging control module, 62 is the second charging control module, 70 is the memory, 71 is the processor, 72 is the display screen, 73 is the input / output interface, 74 is the communication interface, 75 is the power supply, 76 is the communication bus, 701 is the computer program, 702 is the operating system, and 703 is the data. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any one or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0031] When charging the power battery, users often fail to disconnect the charging gun in time after the battery is fully charged, causing the power battery to remain in a high-charge state (SOC) for an extended period, meaning it is in a state close to or fully charged for a prolonged time. This increases the internal pressure and stress of the power battery, activates the chemical substances, and thus accelerates battery aging, affecting its lifespan. In other words, it leads to a decline in battery capacity and performance, ultimately impacting the overall vehicle performance.

[0032] Therefore, how to avoid the power battery being in a high SOC state for a long time, which would lead to capacity degradation and performance decline, and thus ensure the service life of the power battery and improve the overall vehicle performance, is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art.

[0033] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a charging control method, device, medium, program product, and vehicle for a power battery, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a charging control method for a power battery provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the method includes steps S10 to S12.

[0035] In step S10, the initial charging time of the power battery (e.g., the vehicle power battery), the SOC threshold, and the user's travel time are obtained.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, after the user connects the vehicle to the charging gun, the vehicle automatically detects and confirms that the charging gun is connected. At this time, the initial charging start time and SOC threshold of the vehicle's power battery are obtained, along with the user's travel time. It can be understood that the initial charging start time refers to the first time the power battery begins charging after the charging gun is connected.

[0037] In this embodiment, the SOC threshold is used as the stopping condition for the power battery to start its first charge. The user's travel time can be a time specified by the user or a time predicted by obtaining the vehicle's historical travel data from the cloud. This application does not limit this.

[0038] It should be noted that the charging control method provided in this application can be executed by either a vehicle controller or a domain controller, and this application does not limit it in this regard. In fact, in practical applications, the charging control method provided in this application can be applied to charging control in other fields.

[0039] Furthermore, it should be noted that the methods provided in this application embodiment can be applied to vehicles including but not limited to sedans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), off-road vehicles, pickup trucks, or other power-driven non-rail-borne vehicles, and the above vehicles can be vehicles powered by power batteries.

[0040] In step S11, when the first duration is less than the second duration, the power battery is controlled to stop charging after being charged to the SOC threshold from the first charging start time; and the second charging start time of the power battery is determined according to the user's travel time; wherein, the first duration is the time required to charge to the full SOC value from the first charging start time, and the second duration is the duration between the first charging start time and the user's travel time.

[0041] In this embodiment, a first duration is determined, which is the time required to charge to full SOC value from the initial charging start time. That is, the duration required for the power battery to continuously charge until fully charged from the moment the vehicle is connected to the charger is determined, and this duration is recorded as the first duration. Simultaneously, a second duration is determined, which is the time between the initial charging start time and the user's next travel time. That is, the time between the moment the power battery is connected to the charger and the user's next travel time is determined, and this time is recorded as the second duration.

[0042] If the first duration is shorter than the second duration, it indicates that the time required for the power battery to be continuously charged to full charge is less than the time between the charging time and the user's travel time. In other words, this indicates that the power battery can be fully charged before the user's travel.

[0043] At this time, in order to avoid the power battery being charged to a full SOC value and then left idle for a long time before the user uses the vehicle, that is, to avoid the power battery being in a fully charged state for a long time, in an optional embodiment, after determining that the first time is less than the second time, the power battery is first controlled to charge to the SOC threshold and then stop charging, that is, the power battery is controlled to disconnect the charging connection after being connected to the charging and charged until the SOC threshold is reached.

[0044] In this embodiment, the SOC threshold is less than the full-charge SOC value. That is, the charging of the power battery is divided into two stages, and charging is stopped and the battery is left idle for a period of time between the two stages. Furthermore, the sum of the charging duration and the idle time of the two stages is less than the second duration.

[0045] In a specific embodiment, during the first phase, the power battery is first charged to reach the SOC threshold; that is, during the first phase, the power battery is not fully charged, but charging is stopped after reaching the SOC threshold. Simultaneously, the timing for the second charging of the power battery is determined based on the user's travel time. In other words, the time for initiating the second charging of the power battery is determined based on the user's travel time.

[0046] In a specific embodiment, it is necessary to determine the target time required to charge the power battery from the SOC threshold to the full SOC value, and combine this with the user's travel time and the target time to determine the time to start the second charging phase. That is, to determine the time node for the second stage of charging to begin.

[0047] Understandably, in order to achieve a full charge of the power battery and avoid the power battery remaining at its full SOC value for an extended period, the timing of the second charging start must be determined to ensure that the power battery is charged to its full SOC value from the start of the second charging start time before the user's travel time has elapsed. In other words, the power battery must reach its full SOC value close to the user's travel time.

[0048] In step S12, the power battery is controlled to continue charging from the second charging start time to the full charge SOC value.

[0049] In this embodiment of the application, after the power battery completes the first stage of charging and reaches the SOC threshold, charging is stopped and the battery is left to stand still until the second charging start time. Then, the second stage of charging begins from the second charging start time. In the second stage of charging, the power battery continues to charge from the SOC threshold until it reaches the full charge SOC value.

[0050] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a charging control method for a power battery provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of understanding, the following explanation will be provided in conjunction with Figure 2.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, in charging strategy 1, point A1 is the initial charging start time of the power battery, A2 is the time when the power battery reaches its full charge SOC value, and A3 is the user's travel time. Under charging strategy 1, the power battery begins uninterrupted charging from point A1, that is, it continues charging until it reaches the full charge SOC value at point A2. At this time, the power battery remains at its full charge SOC value from point A2 to point A3.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, in charging strategy 2 (i.e., the charging strategy corresponding to the charging control method for the power battery provided in this application), point B1 is the initial charging start time of the power battery, which is the same time as point A1 in charging strategy 1. Point B2 is the time when the power battery is charged to the SOC threshold, that is, the SOC of the power battery is equal to the SOC threshold at this time. Point B3 is the second charging start time, and point B4 is the time when the power battery reaches the full charge SOC value. Point B5 is the user's travel time, which is the same time as point A3 in charging strategy 1.

[0053] In charging strategy 2, the power battery first undergoes the first stage of charging, that is, charging from the initial charging start point B1 to point B2 when the SOC threshold is reached, and then stopping charging after point B2, remaining idle for the period from B2 to B3. Then, the second stage of charging begins from the second charging start point B3, until the power battery is charged to the full SOC value at point B4.

[0054] As can be clearly seen from Figure 2, compared to charging strategy 1, charging the power battery using charging strategy 2 according to the embodiments of this application results in the power battery being fully charged at point B5, which corresponds to the user's travel time. That is, the duration of the power battery being at full charge (SOC) using charging strategy 2 (B5-B4) is shorter than the duration of the power battery being at full charge (SOC) using charging strategy 1 (A3-A2).

[0055] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of another power battery charging control method provided in an embodiment of this application. To make the technical solution of this application clearer to those skilled in the art, examples will be provided below in conjunction with Figure 3.

[0056] As shown in Figure 3, for example, in one optional embodiment, the user's travel time is 8:00 AM, and the vehicle is connected to the charging gun at 8:00 PM, that is, the first charging start time is 8:00 PM, at which time the vehicle's remaining SOC value is 30%. The vehicle's SOC threshold is 90%, and the time required to charge from the SOC threshold to the full SOC value (i.e., the SOC value is 100%) is 2 hours.

[0057] In a specific charging embodiment, the vehicle starts charging at 8:00 PM and continues charging continuously for 6 hours. At 2:00 AM, the State of Charge (SOC) reaches the SOC threshold, that is, the SOC changes from 30% to 90%. At this time, in order to reduce the duration of the power battery being fully charged, the power battery is controlled to stop charging.

[0058] Since it takes 2 hours to charge from the SOC threshold to the full SOC value, the second charging start time is 5:00 AM. That is, the vehicle stops charging at 2:00 AM and remains stationary until 5:00 AM, and enters the second stage of charging of the power battery at 5:00 AM. After charging for 2 hours, the SOC changes from 90% to 100% at 7:00 AM.

[0059] Therefore, if a user uses the vehicle at 8:00 AM, the vehicle will be fully charged by 7:00 AM, meaning that the vehicle's SOC will reach 100% at 7:00 AM. As a result, the battery will be fully charged for one hour. The time when the battery reaches its full SOC value is close to the user's travel time, reducing battery capacity loss and ensuring the battery's lifespan.

[0060] Therefore, the power battery charging control method provided in this application embodiment, by combining the user's travel time, stops charging the power battery after it is charged to the SOC threshold, and then lets it stand for a period of time until the second charging time, and then charges the power battery again until it reaches full charge SOC. This makes the time when the power battery reaches full charge SOC closer to the user's travel time, reduces the time the power battery is at full charge SOC, and extends the service life of the power battery.

[0061] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a charging control method for a power battery according to another embodiment of this application. As an optional embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, before stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time, the charging control method for the power battery further includes steps S40 to S43.

[0062] In step S40, when the user's travel time is the predicted time, it is determined whether the predicted time is within the preset travel time range; in response to determining that the predicted time is within the preset travel time range, step S41 is executed; in response to determining that the predicted time is not within the preset travel time range, steps S42 and S43 are executed.

[0063] In one optional embodiment, the user's travel time can be set by the user themselves, that is, the user can specify a time. In another optional embodiment, the user's travel time can also be a predicted time based on the user's historical travel data.

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of data interaction between the vehicle and the cloud provided in an embodiment of this application. In an optional embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, when the vehicle determines that the first duration is less than the second duration between the initial charging start time and the user's travel time, it will send a signal to the cloud indicating that the intermittent charging control method of this application can be implemented. The intermittent charging method refers to the charging method provided in this embodiment of the application, which divides the charging of the power battery into two stages and stops charging for a period of time between the two stages.

[0065] After receiving a signal from the vehicle indicating that intermittent charging is possible, the cloud sends the user's historical travel data to the vehicle. This historical travel data may include, but is not limited to, user profiles, travel date attributes, travel time attributes, travel weather, historical travel habits, and the time the user disconnected the charging cable before departure. Travel date attributes refer to labels such as whether the travel date is a weekday or a holiday, while travel time attributes refer to labels such as whether the travel time falls during rush hour. This multi-dimensional tagging improves the accuracy of predicting user travel time.

[0066] In one optional embodiment, user travel time can be predicted using a time series regression model. It is worth noting that, in a specific embodiment, the prediction of user travel time can be performed by the cloud, as shown in Figure 5. After obtaining the predicted user travel time, the predicted time is sent to the vehicle so that the vehicle can plan the charging of its power battery. Of course, in another optional embodiment, the user's historical travel data can also be sent to the vehicle. Since the prediction is performed by the vehicle, this application does not limit this approach.

[0067] Furthermore, after obtaining the user's travel time (i.e., the predicted time), the vehicle determines whether the user's travel time (i.e., the predicted time) is within the preset travel time range. It is understandable that the predicted user travel time may be inaccurate, or the predicted travel time may be many days in advance, and charging the power battery based on an inaccurate predicted time will inevitably affect the reliability of the power battery charging.

[0068] Therefore, to solve this technical problem, in a specific embodiment, when the user's travel time is the predicted time, it is necessary to determine whether the predicted time is within the preset travel time range. In an optional embodiment, the time difference between the preset travel time range and the first charging time of the power battery can be set to be less than 24 hours, thereby ensuring that the predicted time will not be many days later. In the embodiments of this application, the time difference between the preset travel time range and the first charging time of the power battery can refer to the time difference between the minimum time within the preset travel time range and the first charging time of the power battery, the time difference between the maximum time within the preset travel time range and the first charging time of the power battery, or the time difference between any time within the preset travel time range and the first charging time of the power battery; this application does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0069] If the predicted time is within the preset travel time range, it indicates that the current predicted user travel time is highly reliable, i.e., with high confidence. At this time, the power battery can be charged using the intermittent charging method provided in this application, and step S41 can be executed.

[0070] However, if the predicted time is outside the preset travel time range, it indicates that the reliability of the currently predicted user travel time is low, i.e., the confidence level is low. In this case, to ensure the reliability of power battery charging, as shown in Figure 4, step S42 is executed.

[0071] In step S41, the second charging start time is determined based on the predicted time.

[0072] When the predicted time is reliable, the second charging start time needs to be determined based on the user's travel time to ensure that the time when the power battery reaches its full charge SOC value is close to the user's travel time. Specifically, the calculation of the second charging start time is based on the principle that the time from the second charging start time to the full charge SOC value does not exceed the predicted time.

[0073] In step S42, it is determined whether the first duration is less than the third duration; wherein the third duration is the duration between the initial charging time and the specified time, and the specified time is less than the minimum time within the preset travel time range; in response to the first duration being less than the third duration, step S43 is executed. In some embodiments, the specified time here may refer to a time set by the user (e.g., the user sets the time through a mobile terminal application or through an in-vehicle display) or a time provided by the in-vehicle system or the cloud.

[0074] In step S43, the time for the second charging start is determined according to the specified time.

[0075] In another alternative embodiment, if the predicted time is unreliable, the battery can be charged using an alternative method to avoid the power battery being in a fully charged state for a long time while ensuring the reliability of power battery charging.

[0076] Specifically, first determine whether the first time required for the power battery to charge to full SOC value from the first charging start time is less than the third time between the first charging start time and the specified time, where the specified time is less than the minimum time of the preset travel time range.

[0077] The scheme of charging according to a specified time can be understood as a fallback scheme when the confidence of the predicted time is low. Under this scheme, the power battery must complete intermittent charging before the specified time, that is, the power battery must be charged to the full SOC value at or before the specified time.

[0078] In one optional embodiment, if the first duration is less than the third duration between the initial charging start time and the specified time, it indicates that the power battery can be charged before the specified time using the intermittent charging method provided in this application. In this case, the second charging start time of the power battery is calculated based on the specified time.

[0079] When calculating the second charging start time based on a specified time, it is necessary to ensure that the time when the power battery reaches the full charge SOC value is close to the specified time. That is, the time from the start of the second charging to the full charge SOC value does not exceed the specified time.

[0080] In another optional embodiment, if the first duration is not less than the third duration, it indicates that even if the power battery is continuously charged from the initial charging start time, it cannot reach the full charge SOC value before the specified time. Therefore, intermittent charging cannot be performed before the specified time. In this case, the power battery is controlled to charge to the full charge SOC value from the current time, that is, the power battery is continuously charged from the initial charging start time (step S44) until the full charge SOC value is reached or the user's travel time is reached.

[0081] In another optional embodiment, the case where the predicted time is outside the preset travel time range can be further divided into two cases: the predicted time being less than the minimum time within the preset travel time range and the predicted time being greater than the maximum time within the preset travel time range. When the predicted time is less than the minimum time within the preset travel time range, step S41 can be executed. When the predicted time is greater than the maximum time within the preset travel time range, steps S42 and S43 can be executed.

[0082] It is worth noting that regardless of the reliability of the predicted user travel time (i.e., whether the confidence level meets expectations), the intermittent charging method provided in this application embodiment can be used to charge the power battery as long as the first duration is less than the second duration. The difference lies in that when the confidence level of the predicted time is high, the second charging start time can be calculated based on the predicted time; conversely, when the confidence level of the predicted time is low, the second charging start time needs to be calculated based on a specified time. In other words, under the condition that the first duration is less than the second duration, the intermittent charging method can be used to charge the power battery regardless of the reliability of the predicted time; only the starting time of the second stage of charging differs.

[0083] Of course, if the first duration is not less than the second duration, it indicates that intermittent charging cannot be performed before the user's travel time. That is, the time length before the user's travel time is insufficient to complete one intermittent charging. In this case, the power battery is controlled to charge continuously from the first charging start time until it reaches the full charge SOC value or the user's travel time is reached.

[0084] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG4, after determining the second charging start time, when the power battery completes the first stage of charging and is left to stand for a period of time until the second charging start time, the power battery is controlled to start the second stage of charging from the second charging start time until the full charge SOC value is reached.

[0085] Therefore, the charging control method for power batteries provided in this application pre-sets a preset travel time range to avoid affecting the charging reliability of the power battery when the predicted user travel time is unreliable. That is, an alternative charging strategy is set (steps S42 and S43). When the confidence level of the predicted user travel time is low, the alternative charging strategy is used to avoid the power battery being in a fully charged state for a long time while ensuring charging reliability.

[0086] In an optional embodiment, before stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time, the charging control method for the power battery further includes: when the user's travel time is a user-specified time, determining whether a second duration is less than a preset duration; and in response to determining that the second duration is less than the preset duration, determining a second charging start time based on the user-specified time.

[0087] It's understandable that users can specify their travel time, and to ensure a good user experience, charging should be controlled based on this specified time. However, if the user-specified time is many days in advance, it will reduce the reliability of the power battery charging.

[0088] Therefore, in a specific embodiment, it is first determined whether the second duration from the initial charging start time to the user-specified time is less than a preset duration. In an optional embodiment, the preset duration can be set to a duration not exceeding 24 hours, thereby ensuring that intermittent charging is completed within the same day. If the second duration is less than the preset duration, it indicates that the user needs to use the vehicle again within 24 hours. To ensure that the user can use the vehicle normally and to ensure the reliability of the power battery charging, intermittent charging can be adopted.

[0089] At this point, after controlling the power battery to charge for a period of time, that is, charging stops once the SOC threshold is reached, and the time for the second charging start is calculated based on the user-specified time. The calculation of the second charging start time is performed under the condition that the time to reach the full charge SOC value does not exceed the user-specified time. In other words, the time to reach the full charge SOC value is guaranteed to be close to the user-specified travel time.

[0090] If the user's travel time is the time specified by the user, and the second duration is not less than the preset duration, the following steps are executed: determine whether the current SOC value of the power battery is less than the preset value; wherein, the preset value is less than the SOC threshold; in response to determining that the current SOC value of the power battery is less than the preset value, execute the step of controlling the power battery to charge from the first charging start time to the SOC threshold and then stop charging and subsequent steps; in response to determining that the current SOC value of the power battery is not less than the preset value, wait for the current SOC value to decrease to less than the preset value, and then execute the step of controlling the power battery to charge from the first charging start time to the SOC threshold and then stop charging and subsequent steps.

[0091] In another optional embodiment, if the second duration is not less than the preset duration, it indicates that the user-specified travel time is too far from the time the charging gun is inserted, that is, the user-specified time may be many days later. For example, when the preset duration is 24 hours, the second duration not being less than the preset duration indicates that the user's travel time is 24 hours after the charging gun is inserted.

[0092] To ensure the reliability of battery charging, in one optional embodiment, it is first determined whether the current SOC value of the battery is less than a preset value, where the preset value is greater than zero and less than the SOC threshold. The preset value is the minimum limit for battery charging; that is, when the battery charge is less than the preset value, intermittent charging must be performed immediately.

[0093] If the current SOC value is not less than the preset value, charging is delayed to ensure improved battery charging reliability. Charging will only begin intermittently after the current SOC value drops below the preset value. An example will be provided below for clarity.

[0094] For example, if the current SOC value of the power battery is 50% and the preset value is 30%, then charging can be delayed as long as the current SOC value is not less than the preset value. Specifically, after the vehicle is plugged into the charging gun, charging control is not performed until the current SOC value drops to less than 30%, at which point intermittent charging is performed according to the user-specified travel time.

[0095] If the current SOC value of the power battery is 20%, it is lower than the preset value. Therefore, the power battery should be intermittently charged immediately to avoid leaving it idle until the user is about to travel, which could result in complete battery discharge and affect its lifespan. Therefore, when the current SOC value is lower than the preset value, the power battery should be intermittently charged immediately.

[0096] In one optional embodiment, if the user's travel time is the time specified by the user, and the second duration is not less than a preset duration, considering that the discharge rate is slow when the vehicle is stationary, intermittent charging control can also be performed on the power battery immediately after the charging gun is plugged in. Specifically, after charging the power battery to the SOC threshold, it is left to stand until it is close to the user's specified travel time before the second stage of charging is performed, thereby ensuring that the time when the full charge SOC is reached is close to the user's specified travel time.

[0097] In one optional embodiment, the intermittent charging mode provided in this application (which can also be called the healthy charging mode, and this application is not limited thereto) can be activated via a mobile phone or the vehicle's infotainment system. Upon activation, a pop-up window will display: "Healthy charging mode is now enabled. To slow down battery aging, the vehicle will learn your charging patterns each time and temporarily delay charging to above 90% until you fully charge before using the vehicle at 9:00 AM tomorrow." In some embodiments of this application, the pop-up window can redirect, allowing the user to manually input their travel time according to their preferences. If the user skips the option to voluntarily input their travel time, they can also choose to use the predicted travel time pushed from the cloud. Of course, if neither option is selected, the cloud will send the predicted user travel time data to the vehicle.

[0098] In a specific embodiment, if the predicted user travel time issued by the cloud is delayed and the vehicle does not receive the user travel time within a preset time, it will first charge according to the alternative charging strategy (for example, directly and continuously charging the power battery); if the predicted user travel time is obtained in the middle, the charging mode will be switched from the alternative charging strategy to the healthy charging mode.

[0099] Understandably, when calculating the second charging start time, the power battery can be charged from that time to its full SOC value, just in time for the user's travel time. However, considering potential errors in the charging time calculation, the power battery may not have reached its full SOC value by the time the user's travel time arrives, thus reducing the charging reliability of the power battery. Therefore, in one optional embodiment, a safe redundancy time can be set to ensure that the power battery is fully charged before the user's travel time.

[0100] In a specific embodiment, the time from the second charging start point to the full charge SOC value does not exceed the user's travel time, and there is still a specified time remaining before the user's travel time. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the specified time is the time between point B4 and point B5. Similarly, in the alternative charging strategy in Figure 4, the time to reach the full charge SOC value also has a specified time remaining before the specified time. For example, the specified time can be 1 hour, meaning that when the power battery is charged to the full charge SOC value, there is still 1 hour before the user's travel time.

[0101] Based on the above embodiments, in order to further improve the charging reliability of the power battery, reduce the capacity decay of the power battery, and increase the cycle life of the power battery, in an optional embodiment, when controlling the power battery to continue charging to the full charge SOC value, trickle charging can be used to charge the power battery to the full charge SOC value.

[0102] Trickle charging, also known as float charging, is a low-current charging method used to maintain a battery's full charge state as it approaches full charge, while avoiding overcharging. Once the battery has reached a certain charge level, the charger automatically reduces the charging current, charging at a lower power. This method helps extend battery life because it reduces the stress on the battery's internal structure caused by high voltage and high current.

[0103] It is worth noting that when using trickle charging, the time required to charge the power battery from the SOC threshold to the full SOC value needs to be calculated and determined based on the trickle charging speed.

[0104] In an optional embodiment, the power battery charging control method provided in this application further includes: acquiring historical charging data of the power battery within a specified period; wherein the historical charging data includes at least the energy decay data of the power battery during the period when charging is stopped; and adjusting the SOC threshold based on the historical charging data.

[0105] It is understood that in the power battery charging control method provided in this application embodiment, the SOC threshold corresponding to the first-stage charging stop condition is crucial to the power battery's lifespan and other performance characteristics. When the first-stage charging stop condition corresponds to different SOC values, the power battery's energy decay rate is also different; that is, different SOC thresholds correspond to different energy decay rates. Furthermore, different vehicles correspond to different SOC thresholds.

[0106] To adapt to different vehicle models, expand the application scope, and obtain the optimal SOC threshold for the vehicle, in one optional embodiment, historical charging data of the power battery within a specified period can be acquired. This historical charging data includes, at least, data on the energy decay of the power battery during periods when charging was stopped.

[0107] Furthermore, historical charging data within a specified period is analyzed to determine the energy degradation of the power battery under different SOC threshold conditions, or to determine the performance of the power battery based on other data such as voltage, current, and power.

[0108] After obtaining the analysis results, the SOC threshold is optimized and adjusted based on the analysis results. In this way, the optimal SOC threshold can be obtained through continuous use, thereby further improving the charging reliability of the power battery.

[0109] As an optional embodiment, before obtaining the first charging start time, SOC threshold, and user travel time of the vehicle's power battery, the power battery charging control method further includes: in response to receiving a scheduled charging instruction, taking the start time of the scheduled charging instruction as the first charging start time; and proceeding to the step of obtaining the first charging start time, SOC threshold, and user travel time of the vehicle's power battery, and executing subsequent steps.

[0110] In a specific embodiment, the charging control method for the power battery provided in this application supports users to schedule charging. For example, users can input a scheduled charging command through an in-vehicle display screen. In this case, the start time of the scheduled charging command is taken as the first start time. After determining the first start time, the process proceeds to the step of determining the first duration required to charge to full SOC value from the first start time, and then executes subsequent steps.

[0111] Therefore, the power battery charging control method provided in this application embodiment can combine scheduled charging and intermittent charging to meet the diverse charging needs of users.

[0112] In the above embodiments, the charging control method for the power battery has been described in detail. This application also provides an embodiment of the charging control device for the power battery.

[0113] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a charging control device for a power battery provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the device includes an acquisition module 60, a first-charge control module 61, and a second-charge control module 62.

[0114] The acquisition module 60 is configured to acquire the first charging time of the vehicle's power battery, the SOC threshold, and the user's travel time.

[0115] The initial charging control module 61 is configured to control the power battery to charge to the SOC threshold and then stop charging when the first charging time is less than the second charging time; and to determine the second charging time of the power battery based on the user's travel time.

[0116] The secondary charging control module 62 is configured to control the power battery to continue charging from the second charging start time to the full charge SOC value; wherein, the first duration is the duration required to charge to the full charge SOC value from the first charging start time, and the second duration is the duration between the first charging start time and the user's travel time.

[0117] In addition, the charging control device for the power battery provided in this application embodiment also includes a first determination module for the second charging start time and / or a second determination module for the second charging start time.

[0118] The second charging start time determination module is configured to determine whether the predicted time is within the preset travel time range when the user's travel time is the predicted time; in response to determining that the predicted time is within the preset travel time range, determine the second charging start time based on the predicted time; in response to determining that the predicted time is not within the preset travel time range, perform the following steps: determine whether the first duration is less than the third duration; the third duration is the duration between the first charging start time and the specified time, and the specified time is the minimum time that is less than the preset travel time range; in response to determining that the first duration is less than the third duration, determine the second charging start time based on the specified time.

[0119] The second module for determining the second charging start time is configured to: when the user's travel time is the user-specified time, determine whether the second duration is less than a preset duration; in response to determining that the second duration is less than the preset duration, determine the second charging start time according to the user-specified time; in response to determining that the second duration is not less than the preset duration, execute the following steps: determine whether the current SOC value of the power battery is less than a preset value; wherein, the preset value is less than the SOC threshold; in response to determining that the current SOC value of the power battery is less than the preset value, execute the step of controlling the power battery to charge from the first charging start time to the SOC threshold and then stop charging and subsequent steps; in response to determining that the current SOC value of the power battery is not less than the preset value, wait for the current SOC value to decrease to less than the preset value, and then execute the step of controlling the power battery to charge from the first charging start time to the SOC threshold and then stop charging and subsequent steps.

[0120] The secondary charging control module 62 is also configured to control the power battery to trickle charge to full SOC value from the start of the secondary charging.

[0121] In addition, the charging control device for the power battery provided in this application embodiment also includes a historical charging data acquisition module, a SOC threshold adjustment module, and / or a first charging start time determination module.

[0122] The historical charging data acquisition module is configured to acquire historical charging data of the power battery within a specified period; wherein, the historical charging data includes at least the energy decay data of the power battery during the time when charging is stopped.

[0123] The SOC threshold adjustment module is configured to adjust the SOC threshold based on historical charging data.

[0124] The module for determining the first charging start time is configured to take the start time of the scheduled charging instruction as the first charging start time when it receives the scheduled charging instruction; and proceed to the steps of obtaining the first charging start time of the vehicle's power battery, the SOC threshold, and the user's travel time, and then execute the subsequent steps.

[0125] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a charging control device for a power battery according to another embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the charging control device for the power battery includes: at least one memory 70 configured to store a computer program; and at least one processor 71 configured to execute the computer program to implement the charging control method for the power battery as described in the above embodiment.

[0126] The charging control device for the power battery provided in this application embodiment may include, but is not limited to, vehicle controller, domain controller, etc.

[0127] In this embodiment, processor 71 may include one or more processing cores, such as a quad-core processor or an octa-core processor. Processor 71 may be implemented using at least one of the following hardware forms: Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and Programmable Logic Array (PLA). Processor 71 may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor, also known as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), is used to process data in the wake-up state; the coprocessor is a low-power processor used to process data in the standby state. In some embodiments, processor 71 may integrate a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which is responsible for rendering and drawing the content to be displayed on the screen. In some embodiments, processor 71 may also include an Artificial Intelligence (AI) processor, which is used to handle computational operations related to machine learning.

[0128] The memory 70 may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be non-transitory. The memory 70 may also include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices or flash memory devices. In this embodiment, the memory 70 is used to store at least the following computer program 701, which, after being loaded and executed by the processor 71, is capable of implementing the relevant steps of the power battery charging control method disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments. In addition, the resources stored in the memory 70 may also include an operating system 702 and data 703, and the storage method may be temporary storage or permanent storage. The operating system 702 may include Windows, Unix, Linux, etc. The data 703 may include, but is not limited to, relevant data involved in the power battery charging control method.

[0129] In some embodiments, the charging control device for the power battery may further include a display screen 72, an input / output interface 73, a communication interface 74, a power supply 75, and a communication bus 76.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in Figure 7 does not constitute a limitation on the charging control device for the power battery, and may include more or fewer components than shown.

[0131] The power battery charging control device provided in this application includes at least one memory and at least one processor that are communicatively connected to each other. The at least one memory stores computer-executable instructions, and the at least one processor is configured to read the computer-executable instructions from the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to implement the power battery charging control method in the above embodiment.

[0132] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by at least one processor, implements the charging control method for the power battery described above.

[0133] This application also provides a vehicle that may include a charging control device for a power battery as described in any of the above embodiments, or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, or a computer program product, or at least one processor configured to implement the charging control method for a power battery as described in the above embodiments.

[0134] The charging control method, device, medium, program product, and vehicle for a power battery provided in this application embodiment, by combining the user's travel time, stops charging the power battery after it is charged to the SOC threshold, and allows it to rest for a period of time until the second charging time, and then starts charging again until it is fully charged to SOC. This makes the time when the power battery reaches full charge SOC closer to the user's travel time, thereby reducing the time the power battery is at full charge SOC and extending the service life of the power battery.

[0135] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the above methods can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware (e.g., a processor), and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk. Optionally, all or part of the steps in the above embodiments can also be implemented using one or more integrated circuits. Accordingly, each module / unit in the above embodiments can be implemented in hardware, such as by using an integrated circuit to implement its corresponding function, or it can be implemented in the form of a software functional module, such as by a processor executing a program / instruction stored in memory to implement its corresponding function. This application is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0136] It should be noted that although the operations are depicted in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or requiring all illustrated operations to be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system modules and components in the above embodiments should not be construed as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0137] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit this specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this specification should be included within the scope of protection of this specification.

Claims

1. A charging control method for a power battery, comprising: The first charging time, SOC threshold, and user travel time of the power battery are obtained. In response to the first duration being less than the second duration, the power battery is controlled to stop charging after reaching the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time; and the second charging start time of the power battery is determined according to the user's travel time. The power battery is controlled to continue charging from the second charging start time until it reaches the full charge SOC value. Wherein, the first duration is the time required for the power battery to charge to the full SOC value from the first charging start time, and the second duration is the duration between the first charging start time and the user's travel time.

2. The charging control method for a power battery as described in claim 1, wherein, Before stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time, the method further includes: In response to the user's travel time being a predicted time, determine whether the predicted time is within a preset travel time range; In response to determining that the predicted time is within the preset travel time range, the second charging start time is determined based on the predicted time; In response to determining that the predicted time is not within the preset travel time range, the following steps are performed: Determine whether the first duration is less than the third duration; the third duration is the duration between the first charging start time and the specified time, and the specified time is less than the minimum time within the preset travel time range; In response to determining that the first duration is less than the third duration, the second charging start time is determined according to the specified time.

3. The charging control method for a power battery as described in claim 2, wherein, In response to determining that the first duration is greater than or equal to the third duration, the power battery is controlled to start continuous charging from the first charging start time.

4. The charging control method for a power battery as described in claim 1, wherein, Before stopping charging the power battery after it has been charged to the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time, the method further includes: In response to the user's travel time being a time specified by the user, determine whether the second duration is less than a preset duration; In response to determining that the second duration is less than the preset duration, the second charging start time is determined according to the user-specified time; In response to determining that the second duration is not less than the preset duration, the following steps are performed: Determine whether the current SOC value of the power battery is less than a preset value; wherein the preset value is less than the SOC threshold. In response to the current SOC value being less than the preset value, the step of controlling the power battery to stop charging after charging to the SOC threshold from the initial charging start time and subsequent steps are executed. In response to the current SOC value being not less than the preset value, after waiting for the current SOC value to decrease to less than the preset value, the step of controlling the power battery to charge from the initial charging start time to the SOC threshold and then stopping charging, as well as subsequent steps, are executed.

5. The charging control method for a power battery as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The control of the power battery to continue charging to full SOC value from the second charging start time includes: The time when the power battery is charged to the full charge SOC value does not exceed the user's travel time, and the remaining time before the user's travel time is specified.

6. The charging control method for a power battery as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The control of the power battery to continue charging to full SOC value from the second charging start time includes: The power battery is controlled to start trickle charging from the second charging start time to charge the power battery to the full charge SOC value.

7. The charging control method for a power battery as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: Obtain historical charging data of the power battery within a specified period; wherein, the historical charging data includes at least the energy decay data of the power battery during the time when charging is stopped; The SOC threshold is adjusted based on the historical charging data.

8. The charging control method for a power battery as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, Before obtaining the first charging time, SOC threshold, and user travel time of the power battery, the method further includes: In response to receiving a scheduled charging instruction, the start time of the scheduled charging instruction is taken as the first start time of charging.

9. The charging control method for a power battery as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, In response to the first duration being greater than or equal to the second duration, the power battery is controlled to start continuous charging from the first charging start time.

10. A charging control device for a power battery, comprising: The acquisition module is configured to acquire the first charging time of the power battery, the SOC threshold, and the user's travel time; The initial charging control module is configured to, in response to a first duration being less than a second duration, control the power battery to charge from the initial charging start time to the SOC threshold and then stop charging; and determine the secondary charging start time of the power battery based on the user's travel time. The secondary charging control module is configured to control the power battery to continue charging from the secondary charging start time until it reaches the full charge SOC value. Wherein, the first duration is the time required for the power battery to charge to the full SOC value from the first charging start time, and the second duration is the duration between the first charging start time and the user's travel time.

11. A charging control device for a power battery, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, communicatively connected to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions, the at least one processor being configured to read the computer-executable instructions from the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to implement the charging control method for a power battery according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein, The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, implement the charging control method for the power battery according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by at least one processor, implements the charging control method for a power battery as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

14. A vehicle comprising: The charging control device for the power battery as described in claim 10, or The charging control device for the power battery as described in claim 11, or The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in claim 12, or The computer program product as described in claim 13, or At least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to implement the charging control method for a power battery as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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