Battery Monitoring TDMA Hierarchy for Low-Latency Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
As battery systems scale to larger sizes, latency issues arise due to measurements and communications traveling greater distances within the battery management system, necessitating an improved communication system for accurate monitoring and regulation.
Innovation Solution
A three-level communications system utilizing Time-Division-Multiple-Access (TDMA) protocol, with electronic devices on the first level, radio manager units on the second level, and a radio director unit on the third level, ensures synchronized measurement reporting and instruction messaging across the system, minimizing latency and maintaining reliable data connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If battery systems scale to larger sizes, then power output and capacity are improved, but latency increases due to measurements and communications traveling greater distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery management system into multiple hierarchical levels (battery cell level, module level, pack level, and system level), with each level handling measurements and communications locally before aggregating data upward. This segmentation reduces communication distances at each tier, thereby reducing overall latency while maintaining the ability to scale power output across multiple battery cells.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a single TDMA protocol is used across the entire communications system, then synchronization is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for coordinated scheduling across multiple levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the single TDMA protocol implementation into hierarchical levels, where each level operates its own TDMA schedule independently. This reduces coordination complexity because each level only needs to synchronize with its immediate children and parents, rather than all devices coordinating globally. Synchronization is maintained through hierarchical time synchronization from upper to lower levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the TDMA protocol structure, transforming a flat single-protocol system into a multi-level hierarchical system. This dimensional change allows synchronization to propagate through levels rather than requiring direct coordination between all devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining synchronization stability.
3Measurement precision
If measurements are taken at the battery cell level with individual CMDs, then measurement precision is improved, but the quantity of devices and communication overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple battery cell measurements at higher hierarchical levels (module level, pack level, system level) after individual CMDs take precise cell-level measurements. This combining approach maintains measurement precision by preserving detailed cell data while reducing the total number of devices transmitting data independently, as aggregated measurements are taken at upper levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The hierarchical measurement system provides multi-functionality by enabling both detailed cell-level monitoring (for precision) and aggregated system-level monitoring (for reduced device quantity). Each measurement point serves multiple purposes: individual cell monitoring, module-level aggregation, and system-wide oversight, thereby reducing the need for separate dedicated devices at each level.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a communications system for monitoring an electrical battery system. The communications system is a multitiered system with distinct Time-Division-Multiple-Access (TDMA) for respective levels.