AI Battery Cell Sorting Using Standardized Cross-Tray Criteria

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery manufacturing processes inefficiently sort low-voltage battery cells due to lack of a universal determination criterion across trays, requiring extensive tray-by-tray inspections and degrading efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A low-voltage battery cell sorting apparatus using an artificial intelligence model to standardize derived variable data sets, considering both intra-tray and inter-tray deviations, by training on normal battery cell data to determine a universal sorting criterion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If tray-by-tray inspection is performed to detect low-voltage battery cells, then detection reliability is improved, but inspection time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidinspection time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes a universal determination criterion that applies across all trays by standardizing derived variable data sets using average and standard deviation from the entire batch. This universal criterion eliminates the need for separate tray-by-tray inspections while maintaining detection reliability, as the standardized data can be compared against a common threshold established from all trays collectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the inspection criteria across multiple trays by combining their derived variable data sets and calculating batch-level average and standard deviation. This merging creates a unified determination criterion that simultaneously evaluates all trays, reducing total inspection time while maintaining the reliability of detecting low-voltage cells across the entire batch.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If a universal determination criterion is established across all trays, then inspection efficiency is improved, but the ability to detect tray-specific deviations is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinspection efficiencyVSAvoidtray-specific deviation detection
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms tray-specific deviation detection into a higher-dimensional analysis by standardizing data across all trays using batch-level statistics. Instead of examining each tray in isolation, the system creates a multi-dimensional view where tray-specific deviations are captured through standardized scores that reflect both intra-tray and inter-tray variations simultaneously, enabling efficient universal screening without losing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameters for evaluation by introducing standardized derived variables that are normalized using batch-level average and standard deviation. This parameter transformation allows tray-specific deviations to be detected through standardized scores that account for both within-tray and between-tray variations, maintaining measurement precision while achieving universal applicability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If derived variable data sets are standardized using batch average and standard deviation, then universal applicability is achieved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniversal applicabilityVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary computation by pre-calculating the batch average and standard deviation of derived variable data sets before applying the universal determination criterion. This preliminary action simplifies subsequent inspections, as the standardized scores can be directly compared against pre-established thresholds without requiring complex real-time computations, thus achieving universal applicability with reduced computational burden during actual inspection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4644929A1Low-voltage battery cell selecting apparatus and operating method thereof
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4644929A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4644929A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4644929A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A low-voltage battery cell sorting apparatus according to an embodiment disclosed herein includes a data obtaining unit configured to obtain processing data sets of battery cells included in each of a plurality of battery trays, a data pre-processing unit configured to generate derived variable data sets comprising at least two types of derived variables for each of the battery cells, by using the processing data sets, and standardize the derived variable data sets, and a sorting unit configured to sort, as a low-voltage battery cell, a battery cell having a standardized derived variable data set out of a designated range among the standardized derived variable data sets, by using an artificial intelligence model.