Cell monitoring device, method, and computer program product

• US 10,101,398 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshino, Koichi, Okabe, Ryo, Kaneko, Norihiro, Usumori, Takehiro, Kuroda, Kazuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/012,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20160223616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16576 comparing DC or AC voltage with one threshold G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533 and G01R19/1659 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a cell monitoring device that performs monitoring of a cell module under control of a battery management device (BMD), includes a communication controller and a control device. The communication controller is capable of being connected to BMD through a communication line. The control device performs an activation processing of the communication controller at a time of initialization, and controls the cell monitoring device. The control device performs a reboot processing of the communication controller in a period shorter than a period of detecting an error condition of the communication controller by BMD when a second voltage drops to be below an operation allowable voltage of the communication controller in a state in which a first voltage is above a certain operation allowable voltage. The first voltage represents a power supply voltage of the control device. The second voltage represents a power supply voltage of the communication controller.

Claims

1. A cell monitoring device for monitoring a cell module, comprising:

a communication controller in communication with a battery management device; and

a controller for rebooting the communication controller, while a first voltage being a power supply voltage of the controller is above a first operation allowable voltage, when a second voltage being a power supply voltage of the communication controller drops below a second operation allowable voltage and a predetermined time elapses after the drop of the second voltage below the second operation allowable voltage,

wherein the predetermined time is set within a first time period which is used by the battery management device to detect an error condition of the communication controller, and

wherein the first voltage is supplied by a first power supply circuit and the second voltage is supplied by a second power supply circuit.

2. The cell monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, when performing the rebooting, the controller restarts the power supply to the communication controller when the predetermined time elapses and then initializes the communication controller.

3. The cell monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is longer than a second time period so as not to be affected by a momentary power interruption.

4. The cell monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the communication controller transmits temperature data and voltage data of the cell module to the cell battery management device.

5. A battery unit comprising:

a plurality of cell monitoring devices for monitoring cell modules; and

a battery management device for managing the plurality of cell monitoring devices, wherein each of the cell monitoring devices includes;

a communication controller in communication with the battery management device, and

a controller for rebooting the communication controller, while a first voltage being a power supply voltage of the controller is above a first operation allowable voltage, when a second voltage being a power supply voltage of the communication controller drops below a second operation allowable voltage and a predetermined time, which is set within a first time period which is used by the battery management device to detect an error condition of the communication controller, elapses after the drop of the second voltage below the second operation allowable voltage, and

wherein the first voltage is supplied by a first power supply circuit and the second voltage is supplied by a second power supply circuit.

6. The battery unit according to claim 5, wherein, when performing the rebooting, the controller restarts the power supply to the communication controller when the predetermined time elapses and then initializes the communication controller.

7. The battery unit according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined time is longer than a second time period so as not to be affected by a momentary power interruption.

8. The battery unit according to claim 5, wherein the communication controller transmits temperature data and voltage data of a cell module to a cell monitoring device.

9. A method for monitoring a cell module, comprising:

communicating with a battery management device using a communication controller,

rebooting the communication controller with a controller, while a first voltage being a power supply voltage of the controller is above a first operation allowable voltage, when a second voltage being a power supply voltage of the communication controller drops below a second operation allowable voltage and a predetermined time elapses after the drop of the second voltage below the second operation allowable voltage,

wherein the predetermined time is set within a first time period which is used by a battery management device to detect an error condition of the communication controller, and

wherein the first voltage is supplied by a first power supply circuit and the second voltage is supplied by a second power supply circuit.