BATTERY MANAGEMENT APPARATUS

• US 20120049621A1
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: SHINODA, Kokichi
• Application Number:
  US13/192,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20120049621A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4221 with battery type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A vehicle carries a battery package as its power source. Each of plural battery modules in the battery package has a memory device for memorizing identification information that proves authenticity of each of the battery modules. A battery control unit in the vehicle has an authentication unit. The authentication unit determines whether or not each of the battery modules is compliant to specification. When the battery module is determined as non-compliant, a control unit drives the vehicle by using a power source other than the non-compliant battery. As the power source other than the non-compliant battery, an internal combustion engine, a supplemental battery, or a compliant battery can be used, thereby preventing damage of the vehicle due to use of the non-compliant battery without deteriorating user convenience of a user of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A battery management apparatus comprising:

a battery checker that determines if a battery used in a battery-driven device is a compliant battery or a non-compliant battery; and

a control unit that operates the battery-driven device by using a power source other than the non-compliant battery, when the battery checker determines that the battery is a non-compliant battery.

2. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery-driven device is a vehicle that uses the battery as a power source.

3. The battery management apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a charge prohibition unit that prohibits the non-compliant battery from being charged.

4. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit operates the battery-driven device by an internal combustion engine without using the non-compliant battery.

5. The battery management apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the battery includes a plurality of sub-battery-components;

the battery checker determines the compliance of selected sub-battery-components of the battery; and

the control unit operates the battery-driven device with sub-battery-components other than the non-compliant sub-battery-components.

6. The battery management apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

a selection unit that selects the sub-battery-components based on information received from the control unit, to provide the battery-driven device with electric power from sub-battery-components other than the non-compliant sub-battery-components.

7. The battery management apparatus of claim 5, wherein

one of the sub-battery-components is a primary battery;

one of the sub-battery-components is a supplemental battery;

the battery checker determines if the primary battery is compliant or non-compliant; and

the control unit operates the battery-driven device by using only the supplemental battery when the battery checker determines that the primary battery is non-compliant.

8. The battery management apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the sub-battery-components is a plurality of battery modules;

the battery checker determines the compliance of each of the battery modules; and

the control unit operates the battery-driven device by only using the compliant battery modules.