Battery Management System Backup Communication Path

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery management systems with opto-coupler based vertical buses suffer from high cost, high power consumption, and reduced reliability due to potential communication breakdowns if there is a disconnect in the daisy chain architecture.

Innovation Solution

A battery management system that includes a control unit capable of communicating with a destination device via a default path and switching to a backup path if an undesirable condition occurs, utilizing a vertical bus circuit with multiple bus blocks and FETs to translate voltage levels and ensure reliable communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If opto-coupler based vertical bus is used for communication between AFE devices and CECU, then communication reliability is improved, but cost and power consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the opto-coupler component from the communication interface and replaces it with a direct electrical connection using FET-based voltage level translation. This elimination of the opto-coupler removes the high power consumption requirement while maintaining communication reliability through the FET-based level shifting mechanism that translates between different voltage domains without optical conversion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes the optical-mechanical opto-coupler system with an electrical-FET-based voltage level translation system. The FETs act as voltage-controlled switches that translate signal levels between different voltage domains electrically, replacing the optical coupling mechanism and thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining signal integrity and communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Device complexity

If daisy chain architecture with vertical bus is used to reduce costs, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability decreases due to potential communication breakdowns

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the communication bus into multiple independent voltage domains, each managed by FET-based voltage level translators at specific nodes. This segmentation allows the daisy chain architecture to maintain low complexity while improving reliability, as each segment can operate independently and failures in one segment do not necessarily propagate to other segments. The FET-based translators act as isolation barriers between segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces FET-based voltage level translators as intermediary components between different voltage domains in the daisy chain architecture. These intermediaries provide galvanic isolation and voltage level translation, ensuring that communication failures in one segment do not propagate to other segments, thereby improving overall system reliability while maintaining the simple daisy chain structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If multiple opto-couplers are used in each bus block to ensure communication reliability, then reliability is improved, but cost and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidbus block complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the opto-coupler from the bus block design and replaces it with a simplified FET-based voltage level translation circuit. This single FET-based approach provides both voltage level translation and galvanic isolation in one component, eliminating the need for multiple opto-couplers and reducing both complexity and power consumption while maintaining communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the functions of voltage level translation and galvanic isolation into a single FET-based voltage level translator component. This consolidation replaces what would have required multiple separate opto-coupler components, reducing bus block complexity, lowering power consumption, and simplifying the overall communication interface while maintaining reliable communication between different voltage domains.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach reduces power consumption, increases bus signal speed, and enhances the reliability of the battery management system by providing a backup communication path in case of failures.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing a vertical bus circuit with multiple bus blocks and FETs to translate voltage levels

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVoltage level translation:

Data Source

PatentUS8237405B2Battery management system with signal transmission function

Publication Date: 2012.08.07 O2 MICRO INT LTD

AI summary

A battery management system can include a battery having a plurality of cells, a plurality of devices coupled to the battery, and a control unit coupled to a first device of the devices. The devices can assess the statuses of the cells. The control unit can communicate with a destination device of the devices via a default path and can communicate with the destination device via a backup path if an undesirable condition occurs in the default path.