Battery management system and driving method thereof

• US 20080100268A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Soo-Seok, Park, Ho-Young, Lee, Young-Jo, Kim, Beom-Gyu, Seo, Se-Wook, Lim, Gye-Jong, Yun, Han-Seok, Tae, Yong-Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,796,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• 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: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery management system of a vehicle utilizing electrical energy and a driving method thereof is provided. The battery management system includes a sensing unit and a main control unit (MCU). The sensing unit detects voltage of a battery cell. MCU determines an operation state of a vehicle, and generates a sampling signal depending on the operation state of the vehicle. The sampling control signal transmits to the sensing unit, and controls the detection of the voltage of the battery cell. The operation state of the vehicle includes a running state and a stopping state.

Claims

1. A battery management system coupled to a battery cell of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensing unit coupled to the battery cell, the sensing unit detecting voltage of the battery cell; and

a main control unit coupled to the sensing unit, the main control unit determining an operation state of the vehicle, the main control unit generating one of at least two sampling signals depending on the operation state of the vehicle, the main control unit transmitting the one of at least two sampling signals to the sensing unit.

2. The battery management system of claim 2, comprised of the sampling signals including a first sampling signal and a second sampling signal, wherein the main control unit generates the first sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in a running state, and generates the second sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in a stopping state.

3. The battery management system of claim 2, comprised of each of the first sampling signal and the second sampling signal comprising:

a first control signal having a first level and a second level;

a second control signal having a first level and a second level; and

a third control signal having a first level and a second level, the first level of the third control signal being applied during a time period in which the first control signal is at the second level of the first control signal and the second control signal is at the second level of the second control signal.

4. The battery management system of claim 3, wherein:

the first level of the first control signal of the first sampling signal is applied during a first time period of the first sampling signal, and the first level of the first control signal of the second sampling signal is applied during a first time period of the second sampling signal; and

the first time period of the first sampling signal is shorter than the first time period of the second sampling signal.

5. The battery management system of claim 3, wherein an absolute value of the first level of the first control signal is larger than an absolute value of the second level of the first control signal.

6. The battery management system of claim 3, comprised of the sensing unit comprising:

a cell relay coupled to the battery cell, the cell relay receiving the first control signal from the main control unit;

a first relay coupled to the cell relay, the first relay receiving the second control signal from the main control unit;

a capacitor coupled to the first relay;

a second relay coupled to the capacitor, the second relay receiving the third control signal from the main control unit; and

a differential amplification terminal coupled to the second relay, the differential amplification terminal detecting the voltage of the battery cell and amplifying the voltage of the battery cell.

7. The battery management system of claim 6, wherein:

the cell relay is turned on to electrically connect the battery cell to the first relay whenever the first control signal is at the first level;

the first relay is turned on to electrically connect the cell relay to the capacitor whenever the second control signal is at the first level; and

the second relay is turned on to electrically connect the capacitor to the differential amplification terminal whenever the third control signal is at the first level.

8. A method for using a battery management system coupled to a battery cell of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining an operation state of the vehicle;

generating a first sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in a running state;

generating a second sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in a stopping state; and

detecting voltage of the battery cell by applying either the first sampling signal or the second sampling signal to a sensing unit of the battery management system.

9. The method of claim 8, comprised of the step of detecting voltage of the battery cell comprising:

turning on a cell relay that is coupled to the battery cell during a first time period to electrically connect the battery cell to a first relay;

turning on the first relay during the first time period to electrically connect the cell relay to a capacitor;

turning off the cell relay during a second time period to electrically disconnect the first relay from the battery cell;

turning off the first relay during the second time period to electrically disconnect the capacitor from the cell relay; and

turning on a second relay that is coupled to the capacitor during the second time period to electrically connect the capacitor to a differential amplifying terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, comprised of the step of turning on the cell relay comprising:

applying a first level of a first control signal of the first sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in the running state; and

applying a first level of a first control signal of the second sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in the stopping state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first level of the first control signal of the first sampling signal is applied during a first time period of the first sampling signal, and the first level of the first control signal of the second sampling signal is applied during a first time period of the second sampling signal; and

the first time period of the first sampling signal is shorter than the first time period of the second sampling signal.

12. The method of claim 9, comprised of the step of turning on the first relay comprising:

applying a first level of a second control signal of the first sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in the running state; and

applying a first level of a second control signal of the second sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in the stopping state.

13. The method of claim 9, comprised of the step of turning on the second relay comprising:

applying a first level of a third control signal of the first sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in the running state; and

applying a first level of a third control signal of the second sampling signal whenever the vehicle is in the stopping state.