Battery RUL Prediction Using Population Usage Correlations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Accurately determining the remaining useful life (RUL) of batteries in secondary markets is challenging due to missing usage information and the infeasibility of separately acquiring comprehensive battery management system (BMS) data, which leads to unreliable value assessments.

Innovation Solution

A system that aggregates usage information from a population of batteries using a machine-learning model to infer missing attributes and generate correlation coefficients, allowing for efficient determination of RUL without explicit analysis on each battery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If comprehensive BMS data is separately acquired for each battery, then measurement precision of RUL is improved, but device complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveRUL determination accuracyVSAvoiddata acquisition complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines data from multiple batteries into a population-level dataset, aggregating usage information across many batteries to derive collective patterns. This merging approach allows the system to determine RUL for individual batteries without separately acquiring comprehensive BMS data for each one, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision through population-based correlations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis by training machine learning models on population-level battery data beforehand. This preliminary action creates pre-trained models that can quickly determine RUL for individual batteries without requiring complex real-time data acquisition, thus improving measurement precision while reducing the complexity and time of actual RUL determination operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive BMS data is separately acquired for each battery, then measurement precision of RUL is improved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveRUL determination accuracyVSAvoidassessment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By merging data from multiple batteries into a population dataset and training models collectively, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming separate data acquisition for each battery. The population-level analysis is performed once, and the resulting models can quickly assess individual batteries, significantly reducing assessment time while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary model training on population data before actual RUL assessments. This preliminary action creates ready-to-use models that can rapidly determine RUL for individual batteries without requiring time-consuming separate data acquisition and analysis for each battery, thus reducing loss of time while preserving measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If population-level analysis is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassessment system complexityVSAvoidRUL determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the analysis into two distinct levels: population-level analysis for model training and individual-battery analysis for RUL determination. The population-level analysis identifies general patterns and trains machine learning models, while the individual-battery analysis applies these models to specific batteries using their unique usage information. This segmentation allows the system to reduce device complexity through population-level generalization while maintaining measurement precision through individualized application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The machine learning models serve as intermediaries between population-level analysis and individual battery assessment. These models are trained on population data to learn general RUL patterns, then act as mediators that apply these learned patterns to individual batteries based on their specific usage information. This intermediary approach allows the system to reduce complexity through population-level generalization while maintaining precision through individualized assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If population-level analysis is used, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassessment throughputVSAvoidRUL determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the assessment process into population-level model training and individual-battery RUL determination. This segmentation enables high productivity at the population level through batch processing and model training, while maintaining measurement precision at the individual level through specialized application of learned models to each battery's unique usage information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Machine learning models act as intermediaries that enable high-productivity population-level analysis while preserving individual battery assessment precision. The models are trained efficiently on population data to learn general patterns, then serve as mediators that can quickly and accurately assess individual batteries by applying these learned patterns to specific usage information, thus achieving both high productivity and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12510604B2Systems and methods for determining indica for remaining useful life of a battery
Publication Date: 2025.12.30 TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA INC
  • US12510604B2 patent drawing
  • US12510604B2 patent drawing
  • US12510604B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to determining salient attributes of batteries for characterizing battery value. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring usage information about batteries that indicates aspects about prior use of the batteries. The method includes analyzing, using a predictor, the usage information to generate battery indicators about at least remaining useful life (RUL) for separate ones of the batteries. The method includes generating correlation values that specify an extent of correlation between the usage information and the RUL. The method includes providing a correlating subset of the usage information according to the correlation values to identify which parameters of the usage information specify the RUL for the batteries.