Method and apparatus for identifying battery pack types

• US 10,099,570 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chen, Elaine Y., Callicoat, Deborah E., Bolduc, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US15/250,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20160362017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00043 using switches, contacts or markings, e.g. optical, magnetic or barcode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for analyzing a vehicle battery system of a hybrid or electric vehicle that includes a battery pack and a battery controller. More specifically, a battery controller is disclosed for determining battery identification information of the battery pack based on a configuration of active and non-active pins in a connection module between the battery pack and the battery controller. It follows that the battery controller may identify the battery pack type in an efficient manner that does not require any additional components. The battery controller may further reference the battery identification to implement a battery operational strategy that may better realize an efficiency or durability of the identified battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

(i) a battery pack comprising;

battery cells;

battery cell sensors, each of the battery cell sensors corresponding to and in communication with one of the battery cells, to;

measure attributes of each of the battery cells; and

generate battery cell sensor signals for each of the battery cells based on the measured attributes;

connecting wires, each connecting wire being in communication with (a) one or more of the battery cells, or (b) one or more of the battery cell sensors to transmit the battery cell sensor signals; and

a connection module comprising a plurality of active connection module pins, each of the active connection module pins being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of connecting wires;

(ii) a port configured to interface with the connection module, the port comprising a plurality of port pins configured to respectively engage with the plurality of active connection module pins and thereby receive the battery cell sensor signals from the connecting wires via the port pins; and

(iii) processor(s) configured to;

receive the battery cell sensor signals via the port pins;

determine an arrangement of the active connection module pins based on the battery cell sensor signals;

load a database that relates arrangements of active connection module pins to battery pack identification information;

determine, by looking up the determined arrangement of the active connection module pins in the database, identification information corresponding to the battery pack;

select an operational strategy for the vehicle based on the determined identification information of the battery pack; and

implement the selected operational strategy on the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a total number of the port pins exceeds a total number of the active connection module pins such that when the port interfaces with the connection module, at least one of the port pins fails to engage with any of the active connection module pins.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

determine the arrangement of active connection module pins based on determining a location of the at least one of the port pins that has failed to engage with any of the active connection module pins.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the loaded database comprises a plurality of entries, each entry relating one possible arrangement of active connection module pins to one set of battery pack identification information.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the set of battery pack identification information of each entry includes at least one of a battery type, a battery make, a battery model, and a battery manufacturer.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein each entry relates one possible arrangement of (a) active connection module pins and (b) missing or inactive connection module pins to one set of possible attributes of the battery pack.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein, for each entry:

a sum of (a) a total number of active connection module pins and (b) a total number of missing or inactive connection module pins equals a total number of the plurality of port pins; and

the total number of missing or inactive connection module pins is at least one.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the sum is the same for each entry.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the database is loaded from a plurality of databases.

10. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the total number of port pins exceeds the total number of the active connection module pins by at least two.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor(s) are configured to determine the identification information of the battery pack without reference to content of the battery cell sensor signals.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the measured attributes include at least one of a temperature or a voltage.

20. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to implement the selected operational strategy, the processor is configured to control the battery pack in response to the measured attributes according to the selected operational strategy.

12. A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising:

(i) a battery pack comprising;

battery cells;

battery cell sensors, each of the battery cell sensors corresponding to and in communication with one of the battery cells, to;

measure attributes of each of the battery cells; and

generate battery cell sensor signals for each of the battery cells based on the measured attributes;

connecting wires, each connecting wire being in communication with (a) one or more of the battery cells, or (b) one or more of the battery cell sensors to transmit the battery cell sensor signals; and

a connection module comprising a plurality of active connection module pins, each of the active connection module pins being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of connecting wires;

(ii) a port configured to interface with the connection module, the port comprising a plurality of port pins configured to engage with the plurality of active connection module pins and thereby receive the battery cell sensor signals from the connecting wires via the port pins; and

(iii) processor(s);

wherein the method comprises, via the processor(s);

receiving the battery cell sensor signals via the port pins;

determining an arrangement of the active connection module pins based on the battery cell sensor signals;

loading a database that relates arrangements of active connection module pins to battery pack identification information;

determining, by looking up the determined arrangement of the active connection module pins in the database, identification information corresponding to the battery pack;

selecting an operational strategy for the vehicle based on the determined one or more actual attributes of the battery pack; and

implementing the selected operational strategy on the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a total number of the port pins exceeds a total number of the active connection module pins such that when the port interfaces with the connection module, at least one of the port pins fails to engage with any of the active connection module pins;

and

wherein the method comprises determining the arrangement of active connection module pins based on determining a location of the at least one of the port pins that has failed to engage with any of the active connection module pins.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising determining the identification information of the battery pack without reference to content of the battery cell sensor signals.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the loaded database comprises a plurality of entries, each entry relating one possible arrangement of active connection module pins to one set of battery pack identification information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each entry relates one possible arrangement of (a) active connection module pins and (b) missing or inactive connection module pins to one set of battery pack identification information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, for each entry, a sum of (a) a total number of active connection module pins and (b) a total number of missing or inactive connection module pins equals a total number of the plurality of port pins;

the total number of missing or inactive connection module pins is at least one; and

the sum is the same for each entry.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the database is loaded from a plurality of databases;

and

the total number of port pins exceeds the total number of the active connection module pins by at least two.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the measured attributes include at least one of a temperature or a voltage.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein implementing the selected operational strategy on the vehicle includes controlling the battery pack in response to the measured attributes according to the selected operational strategy.