Mobile X-ray Battery Management System for Stable Imaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile X-ray apparatuses face challenges in managing lithium ion battery states during X-ray emission, leading to potential over-discharge, overcurrent, overheating, and cell unbalancing, which can trigger unnecessary protection circuit operations and interfere with X-ray imaging processes.

Innovation Solution

A battery management system (BMS) is implemented to control a protection circuit, adjusting reference values for overcurrent and over-discharge during X-ray emission, and preventing protection against these conditions when necessary, while also managing charging operations to prevent damage from momentary overloads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a protection circuit is implemented to protect the lithium ion battery during X-ray emission, then battery safety is improved, but unnecessary protection circuit operations occur that interfere with X-ray imaging processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery safetyVSAvoidimaging process continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The BMS performs preliminary identification of X-ray emission states through detection signals before the protection circuit is triggered. By anticipating the high-current condition during X-ray emission and adjusting protection thresholds in advance, the system prevents unnecessary protection circuit operations while maintaining battery safety during actual abnormal conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protection circuit's reference values are made dynamic rather than fixed. The BMS adjusts the overcurrent and over-discharge reference values based on the identified X-ray emission state, allowing the protection thresholds to adapt to different operational conditions. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to tolerate expected high currents during imaging while still protecting against genuine abnormalities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If charging operations are performed during X-ray emission, then battery availability is improved, but momentary overloads occur that can damage the battery

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery availabilityVSAvoidbattery damage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The BMS identifies the X-ray emission state in advance through detection signals and performs preliminary adjustments to charging parameters. By detecting the upcoming high-current condition and pre-adjusting charging current limits or voltage thresholds, the system allows charging to continue during X-ray emission without risking momentary overload damage, thus maintaining battery availability while ensuring safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If fixed reference values are used for overcurrent and over-discharge protection, then protection circuit simplicity is improved, but unnecessary protection operations are triggered during high-current X-ray emission

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection circuit simplicityVSAvoidfalse protection activation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The reference values for overcurrent and over-discharge protection are changed from fixed to dynamic parameters. The BMS modifies these reference values based on the detected X-ray emission state, increasing the thresholds during imaging operations to accommodate expected high currents. This dynamic approach maintains relatively simple circuitry while eliminating false protection activations during normal high-current operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The protection reference values are changed as parameters based on operational conditions. During X-ray emission, the BMS adjusts the current and voltage thresholds to higher values, while returning to standard thresholds during normal operations. This parameter change strategy allows the same protection circuit to function appropriately across different operational modes without requiring entirely separate circuits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3416263B1Mobile x-ray apparatus and method of operating the same
Publication Date: 2022.11.23 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3416263B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3416263B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3416263B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Provided are a mobile X-ray apparatus configured to control an operation of a protection circuit for protecting the lithium ion battery during X-ray emission and a method of operating the mobile X-ray apparatus.