Method for controlling a charging state of a battery for an electric vehicle

• US 20020084768A1
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Youn, Kil-Young
• Granted Patent: US 6,710,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

In order to diagnose the fail possibility and to compensate a charging state of a battery of an electric vehicle, by detecting an operating state of a battery while driving a vehicle that is equipped with a rechargeable battery, the present invention provides a method for controlling the charging state of a battery.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a charging state of a battery of an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle being a vehicle using a battery as a driving power source, the method comprising:

(a) collecting data of the charging state of each battery module and individually storing the collected data by control means, during a charging mode of the battery of a vehicle that is equipped with a rechargeable battery;

(b) collecting data of the charging state of each battery module and individually storing the collected data by control means, in a driving mode of the vehicle; and

(c) being controlled by the controls means, wherein the (c) step comprises;

detecting a data row allotted to each module from storage;

displaying “

a high state”

for a battery charging state at a predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a high voltage in driving mode and in charging mode;

displaying “

a normal or good state”

for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a high voltage in driving mode and a low voltage in charging mode;

displaying “

a low state”

for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a low voltage in driving mode and in charging mode, and overcharging the corresponding battery by a predetermined value during the next charging; and

displaying “

a fail possibility state”

for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a low voltage in driving mode and a high voltage in charging mode, and warning of maintenance service of the corresponding battery during the next charging or discharging.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the (a) step comprises steps carried out by the control means:

(a1) setting a critical value of an allowable charging voltage difference between the battery modules during charging, and charging the battery based on a predetermined charging mode;

(a2) reading a voltage value of each module, individually storing them, and calculating an average value of the stored voltage values;

(a3) displaying a predetermined indication at the data row of a corresponding module if a difference between a voltage value of any battery module and the average voltage value is greater than the predetermined critical value of the charging voltage difference value; and

(a4) returning to the (a2) step after passing a predetermined waiting time if charging is not completed, and storing the predetermined displayed data row a predetermined number of times if the charging is completed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data frame comprises:

a module number column, cells of which are individually allotted to each battery module within the battery;

a voltage value column for displaying detected voltage values of the corresponding battery modules;

a high voltage/low voltage column for designating high or low voltages of the corresponding modules by comparing the difference between the displayed value of the voltage value column and the average voltage value with the predetermined critical value; and

a battery state column for designating fail capability of the battery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the (b) step comprises steps carried out by the control means:

(b1) determining whether a measured discharging electric current of the battery falls within a predetermined discharging electric current range;

(b2) individually storing the voltage value of each battery module if the battery satisfies the above condition, and calculating an average value of the stored voltage values;

(b3) displaying a predetermined indication at the data row of the corresponding module if a difference between a voltage value of any battery module and the average voltage value is greater than the predetermined critical value of a discharging voltage difference value;

(b4) returning to the (a1) step if driving is not completed, and storing the predetermined displayed data frame only a predetermined number of times if driving is completed.