BATTERY PACK, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND DRIVING SYSTEM OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20160214501A1
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: YEOM, Gil Choun, SEO, Young Dong
• Granted Patent: US 9,937,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/572 Means for preventing undesired use or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1446 in response to parameters of a vehicle
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

A battery pack includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries, a sensor, and a battery manager. The sensor obtains motion information of the rechargeable batteries. The motion information includes at least one of first information obtained by sensing whether the rechargeable batteries are in a movement state or in a standstill state or second information on a state in which the rechargeable batteries are inclined. The second information may be obtained based on a change in angle when the rechargeable batteries are in the movement state. The battery manager control charging or discharging of the rechargeable batteries in a charge mode or a discharge mode based on the motion information.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable batteries;

a sensor to obtain motion information of the rechargeable batteries, the motion information including at least one of i) first information obtained by sensing whether the rechargeable batteries are in a movement state or in a standstill state or ii) second information on a state in which the rechargeable batteries are inclined, the second information to be obtained based on a change in angle when the rechargeable batteries are in the movement state; and

a battery manager to receive the motion information of the rechargeable batteries from the sensor and to control charging or discharging of the rechargeable batteries in a charge mode or a discharge mode based on the motion information.

2. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the battery manager is to control charging or discharging of the rechargeable batteries based on protection level data for protecting the rechargeable batteries, the battery manager to apply different protection level data in the charge mode and the discharge mode based on the motion information.

3. The battery pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protection level data includes data indicative of at least one of an over-charge reference current, an over-charge reference voltage, an over-discharge reference current, or an over-discharge reference voltage.

4. The battery pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

when the rechargeable batteries are in the movement state and when charge current is received by the rechargeable batteries, the battery manager is to control charging of the rechargeable the batteries in a first charge mode.

5. The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

when the rechargeable batteries are in a standstill state and when charge current is received by the rechargeable batteries, the battery manager is to control charging of rechargeable batteries in a second charge mode.

6. The battery pack as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the protection level data in the first charge mode and the second charge mode include data corresponding to at least one of the over-charge reference voltage or the over-charge reference current, and

the over-charge reference voltage or current value in the first charge mode is larger than the over-charge reference voltage or current value in the second charge mode.

7. The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

charge current is received by the rechargeable batteries when the rechargeable batteries are in a movement state, and

when a slope value of the rechargeable batteries is in a first period, the battery manager is to control charging of the rechargeable batteries in a third charge mode.

8. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

when the rechargeable batteries are in a movement state and when the rechargeable batteries are discharged, the battery manager is to control discharging of the rechargeable batteries based on protection level data that is differently set based on a period in which a slope value of the rechargeable batteries is included.

9. The battery pack as claimed in claim 8, wherein the protection level data includes data corresponding to at least one of an over-discharge reference current or an over-discharge reference voltage.

10. A driving system of an electro-mechanical apparatus, comprising

a motor to drive an electro-mechanical apparatus;

a battery pack to supply driving power to the motor, the battery pack including;

a sensor to obtain motion information of a plurality of batteries and the electro-mechanical apparatus and a battery manager to control charging and discharging of the batteries; and

an inverter, connected between the motor and the battery pack, to convert current generated by the motor to regenerated energy to be provided to the battery pack, wherein the battery manager is to control charging or discharging of the batteries in a charge mode or a discharge mode corresponding to motion information of the electro-mechanical apparatus.

11. The driving system as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

when the electro-mechanical apparatus is in a movement state and when charge current is received by the battery pack, the battery manager is to determine that the battery pack is charged by regenerated energy generated by the motor and is to control charging of the batteries with reference to over-charge preventing protection level data set to correspond to charging by the regenerated energy.

12. The driving system as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

when the electro-mechanical apparatus is in a standstill state and when the charge current is received by the battery pack, the battery manager is to determine that the battery pack is being charged based on external power and is to control charging the batteries with reference to over-charge preventing protection level data set to correspond to charge by the external power.

13. The driving system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the over-charge preventing protection level data set to correspond to charging by the regenerated energy and the over-charge preventing protection level data set to correspond charging by the external power includes data on at least one of the over-charge reference voltage or the over-charge reference current, and

a value of the over-charge preventing protection level data set to correspond to charging by the regenerated energy is larger than the over-charge preventing protection level data set to correspond to charging by the external power source.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface; and

control logic to receive motion information for a plurality of batteries through the interface and to control charging or discharging of the batteries based on the motion the information, the motion information including at least one of;

i) first information corresponding to whether the batteries are in a movement state or in a standstill state, or

ii) second information indicative of an inclined state of the batteries.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control logic is to control charging of the batteries based on first protection level data and is to control discharging of the batteries based on second protection level data, the first protection level data different from the second protection level data.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of the first and second protection level data includes data indicative of at least one of an over-charge reference current, an over-charge reference voltage, an over-discharge reference current, or an over-discharge reference voltage.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein charge current is received by the batteries when the batteries are in the movement state.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control logic is to control charging of the batteries when a slope value of the batteries is in a predetermined range.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control logic is controlled based on instructions stored in a storage area.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the interface includes first code to input the motion information to second code of the control logic.