Battery Management Unit Addressing for Parallel CMC Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery management systems face challenges in effectively communicating with cell monitoring circuits (CMCs) in a parallel communication network, particularly in assigning unique chain-identifier parameters to each CMC.
Innovation Solution
A battery management unit (BMU) is configured to communicate with multiple CMCs in parallel, performing a chain-identifier parameter assignment procedure. This involves sending request messages to CMCs to report their unique IDs, assigning different chain-identifier parameters to each CMC using their unique IDs, and ensuring that messages are processed correctly based on the assigned parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a parallel communication network is used to connect BMU with multiple CMCs, then communication speed and efficiency are improved, but message routing and addressing become complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication addressing system into two distinct parts: a permanent unique ID that identifies each CMC individually, and a configurable chain-identifier parameter that enables logical grouping. This segmentation allows the BMU to route messages efficiently in parallel by using the chain-identifier for broad addressing and the unique ID for precise identification, thereby reducing routing complexity while maintaining high communication speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the chain-identifier parameter as an intermediary element between the BMU and CMCs. This intermediary enables the BMU to address groups of CMCs collectively without needing to individually address each CMC, thereby simplifying message routing in parallel communication while maintaining the ability to communicate with specific CMCs when needed.
2Ease of operation
If chain-identifier parameters are assigned to CMCs in a parallel network, then individual addressing capability is improved, but the initialization and assignment procedure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having CMCs pre-configured with a default chain-identifier parameter value before system operation begins. During initialization, the BMU detects which CMCs have not yet been assigned a unique chain-identifier and only performs the assignment procedure for those specific CMCs. This preliminary configuration simplifies the overall initialization process while ensuring individual addressing capability is established for all CMCs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic initialization procedure where the BMU adapts its addressing strategy based on the current state of CMCs. The system dynamically determines which CMCs need chain-identifier assignment by checking their current parameter values, and selectively performs assignment only for unassigned CMCs. This dynamic approach reduces initialization complexity compared to a static procedure that would require sequential addressing of all CMCs regardless of their state.
3Measurement precision
If unique IDs are used to select CMCs during parameter assignment, then assignment accuracy is improved, but communication protocol complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the identification system into two functional layers: unique IDs for precise CMC selection during parameter assignment, and chain-identifiers for general message routing. This segmentation allows the communication protocol to use simple chain-identifier matching for most messages while reserving unique ID-based selection for the specific task of parameter assignment, thereby maintaining assignment accuracy without unnecessarily increasing overall protocol complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different identification mechanisms in different contexts: unique IDs are used locally and specifically during the parameter assignment phase where high precision is needed, while chain-identifiers are used for general-purpose message routing where high precision is less critical. This context-dependent approach maintains assignment accuracy while avoiding the need for the complex unique ID mechanism to be used throughout the entire communication protocol.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery management unit, BMU, configured to communicate, in parallel, with a plurality of cell monitoring circuits, CMCs, configured to provide for monitoring of battery cells and store a chain-identifier parameter initially comprising a predetermined default value, wherein the BMU is configured to perform a chain-identifier parameter assignment procedure comprising assigning a different chain-identifier parameter to each of the plurality of CMCs, wherein said assigning comprises using a unique ID of each CMC to individually select each one of the plurality of CMCs when assigning the respective different chain-identifier parameter, wherein the unique ID of each CMC is received by the BMU in response to the BMU being configured to send, in parallel to the CMCs using the predetermined default value, one or more request messages requesting that they report their unique IDs to the BMU.