Method and Devices for Making Available Information for the Purpose of Performing Maintenance and Servicing of a Battery

• US 20140350876A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Brochhaus, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 9,702,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health

Abstract

A method makes available information for the purpose of performing maintenance and servicing of a battery, which includes at least one battery module with an assigned module control device and a central control device, wherein at least one module control device has a non-volatile memory. The method comprises detecting and quantizing useful data of battery units, forming a histogram which has frequency values of the occurrence of specific values of the individual quantized useful data or values derived therefrom, transferring the histogram from the central control device to a module control device, and storing the histogram in the non-volatile memory of the module control device. Furthermore, a computer program and a battery management system are specified which are configured to execute the method, as well as a battery and a motor vehicle whose drive system is connected to a battery of this type.

Claims

1. A method for making available information for the purpose of performing maintenance and servicing of a battery having at least one battery module with an assigned module control device and a central control device, wherein at least one module control device has a non-volatile memory, the method comprising:

detecting and quantizing useful data of battery units;

generating a histogram which has frequency values of the occurrence of specific values of the individual quantized useful data or values derived therefrom;

transferring the histogram from the central control device to the module control device; and

storing the histogram in the non-volatile memory of the module control device.

2. The method according to claim 1, the storing of the histogram in the non-volatile memory of the module control device further comprising:

loading an existing histogram from the non-volatile memory of the module control device;

combining the histogram received by the central control device and the existing histogram to generate an updated histogram; and

storing the updated histogram in the non-volatile memory of the module control device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing a total histogram in a non-volatile memory of the central control device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to replacement of an old battery module with a new battery module, initializing the new battery module with an empty histogram.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the useful data with a detection rate having a defined value between 6 per second and 6 per hour.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the useful data of the battery includes one selected from the group consisting of a temperature, a state of charge, an output current, and a voltage which is made available.

7. A programmable computer device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory to implement the method according to claim 1.

8. A battery management system comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect and quantitize useful data of a battery unit;

a histogram unit configured to produce a histogram which has frequency values of the occurrence of specific values of the quantized useful data or values derived therefrom;

a transfer unit configured to transfer the histogram from a central control device to a module control device; and

a storage unit configured to store the histogram in a non-volatile memory of the module control device.

9. A battery comprising:

a plurality of battery cells; and

a battery management system including (i) a detection unit configured to detect and quantitize useful data of a battery unit, (ii) a histogram unit configured to produce a histogram which has frequency values of the occurrence of specific values of the quantized useful data or values derived therefrom, (iii) a transfer unit configured to transfer the histogram from a central control device to a module control device, and (iv) a storage unit configured to store the histogram in a non-volatile memory of the module control device,

wherein the battery system is configured to be connected to a drive system of a motor vehicle.

10. Motor vehicle comprising:

a drive system; and

a battery according to claim 9, which is connected to the drive system of the motor vehicle.