Apparatus and method for controlling charge capacity balancing operation of secondary battery cell

• US 9,142,980 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henze-Gongola, David V
• Application Number:
  US14/289,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• 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

Provided is an apparatus and method for controlling a charge capacity balancing operation of a secondary battery cell. According to the present disclosure, the charge capacity balancing operation starts under the consideration of an environment condition suitable to perform the charge capacity balancing operation, so that sufficient time for the charge capacity balancing operation of the secondary battery cells may be ensured. Accordingly, this may reduce the possibility of the balancing operation being interrupted.

Claims

1. A balancing control apparatus that controls charge capacity balancing of at least two secondary battery cells included in a battery pack, the balancing control apparatus comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) module to output current geographical location data of the battery pack using a signal received from a GPS satellite;

a real-time clock to store a present time; and

a control unit, for when the current geographical location data of the battery pack received from the GPS module matches any one geographical location information among at least one preset geographical location information and a battery management system (BMS) managing and controlling the battery pack is in a sleep mode, a real-time clock is used to calculate a sleep mode duration of the BMS, and when the calculated duration is more than or equal to a preset reference period, outputs a control signal for a charge capacity balancing operation of the secondary battery cells included in the battery pack.

2. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control signal outputted from the control unit is a signal for switching the BMS from a sleep mode to an awake mode.

3. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control signal outputted from the control unit is a signal for controlling the apparatus for charge capacity balancing of the secondary battery cells.

4. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the geographical location data matches the geographical location information, by determining whether the geographical location data is included in a preset radius from the geographical location information.

5. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preset geographical location information is information inputted by a user of the battery pack through a user interface.

6. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preset geographical location information is location information associated with a place where the battery pack is charged.

7. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit stores, as charging location data, the geographical location data received from the GPS module when the battery pack is charged, calculates a number of charge cycles for a same region in the stored charging location data, and sets, as the geographical location information, charging location data exceeding a preset number of charge cycles among the calculated number of charge cycles.

8. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit stores, as charging location data, the geographical location data received from the GPS module when the battery pack is charged, calculates a charging ratio for a same region in the stored charging location data, and sets, as the geographical location information, charging location data exceeding a preset charging ratio among the calculated charging ratio.

9. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit stores, as charging location data, the geographical location data received from the GPS module when the battery pack is charged, calculates a charging ratio for a same region in the stored charging location data, and sets, as the geographical location information, charging location data corresponding to a preset number of highest ratios among the calculated charging ratio.

10. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the current geographical location data of the battery pack received from the GPS module matches the at least one preset geographical location information or calculates the sleep mode duration of the BMS, when the control unit receives a charge capacity balancing request signal outputted from the BMS before the BMS has switched to the sleep mode.

11. The balancing control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory unit to store the geographical location data, the preset geographical location information, and the preset reference period.

12. A battery management system comprising a balancing control apparatus according to claim 1.

13. A battery pack comprising:

a battery management system according to claim 12; and

at least two secondary battery cells.

14. A balancing control method that controls charge capacity balancing of at least two secondary battery cells included in a battery pack, the balancing control method comprising:

(a) determining whether current geographical location data of the battery pack received from a global positioning system (GPS) module matches any one geographical location information among at least one preset geographical location information;

(b) determining whether a battery management system (BMS) managing and controlling the battery pack is in a sleep mode when the geographical location data matches the geographical location information;

(c) calculating a sleep mode duration of the BMS when the BMS is in the sleep mode, and determining whether the calculated sleep mode duration of the BMS is more than or equal to a preset reference period; and

(d) outputting a control signal for a charge capacity balancing operation of the secondary battery cells when the sleep mode duration of the BMS is more than or equal to the preset reference period.

15. The balancing control method according to claim 14, wherein the control signal for the charge capacity balancing operation of the secondary battery cells is a signal for switching the BMS from a sleep mode to an awake mode.

16. The balancing control method according to claim 14, wherein the control signal for the charge capacity balancing operation of the secondary battery cells is a signal for controlling an apparatus for charge capacity balancing of the secondary battery cells.

17. The balancing control method according to claim 14, wherein the step (a) comprises determining whether the geographical location data is included in a preset radius from the geographical location information.

18. The balancing control method according to claim 14, wherein the preset geographical location information is information inputted by a user of the battery pack through a user interface.

19. The balancing control method according to claim 14, wherein the preset geographical location information is location information associated with a place where the battery pack is charged.

20. The balancing control method according to claim 14, further comprising:

storing, as charging location data, the geographical location data received from the GPS module when the battery pack is charged, calculating a number of charge cycles for a same region in the stored charging location data, and setting, as the geographical location information, charging location data exceeding a preset number of charge cycles among the calculated number of charge cycles.

21. The balancing control method according to claim 14, further comprising:

storing, as charging location data, the geographical location data received from the GPS module when the battery pack is charged, calculating a charging ratio for a same region in the stored charging location data, and setting, as the geographical location information, charging location data exceeding a preset charging ratio among the calculated charging ratio.

22. The balancing control method according to claim 14, further comprising:

storing, as charging location data, the geographical location data received from the GPS module when the battery pack is charged, calculating a charging ratio for a same region in the stored charging location data, and setting, as the geographical location information, charging location data corresponding to a preset number of highest ratios among the calculated charging ratio.

23. The balancing control method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether a charge capacity balancing request signal outputted from the BMS is received before the BMS has switched to the sleep mode,

wherein the step (a) or (b) is performed when the charge capacity balancing request signal is received.

24. The balancing control method according to claim 14, further comprising:

storing the geographical location data, the preset geographical location information, and the preset reference period.