Battery monitoring device

• US 9,739,838 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Inventors: Hase, Ryusuke, Tsuzuku, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/127,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20170108555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• 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: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Each of a plurality of monitoring units, when identification information is not set for it, transmits, to a subsequent monitoring unit or a control unit, a fixed unset signal that indicates that identification information has not been set for it, regardless of signal transmitted from the previous monitoring unit or the control unit, and the control unit, upon receiving the unset signal transmitted from a last monitoring unit, shifts to an identification information setting process.

Claims

1. A battery monitoring device comprising:

a plurality of monitoring units that monitor a state of a battery; and

a control unit that is connected to the plurality of monitoring units in series and that communicates with the plurality of monitoring units by using identification information set for the plurality of monitoring units, wherein

each of the plurality of monitoring units, when identification information is not set therefor, transmits, to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit, a fixed unset signal that indicates that identification information has not been set therefor, regardless of signal transmitted from the previous monitoring unit or the control unit, and

upon receiving the unset signal transmitted from the last monitoring unit, the control unit shifts to at least one of an identification information setting process and a communication abnormality detection process.

2. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein

after shifting to the identification information setting process,

the control unit transmits a setting signal to the first monitoring unit, and

each of the plurality of monitoring units assigns, as identification information thereof, a piece of identification information corresponding to the setting signal transmitted from the previous monitoring unit or the control unit, and changes the setting signal so as to transmit the setting signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit.

3. The battery monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein

in a case where it is not possible to receive the setting signal, each of the plurality of monitoring units transmits an abnormal signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit, and when receiving the abnormal signal from the previous monitoring unit, each of the plurality of monitoring units changes the abnormal signal so as to transmit the abnormal signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit, and

the control unit identifies an occurrence location of a communication abnormality in accordance with the abnormal signal transmitted from the last monitoring unit.

4. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein

after shifting to the communication abnormality detection process,

the control unit transmits a detection signal to the first monitoring unit,

upon receiving the detection signal transmitted from the previous monitoring unit or the control unit, each of the plurality of monitoring units transmits the detection signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit, and in a case where it is not possible to receive the detection signal, each of the plurality of monitoring units transmits an abnormal signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit, and upon receiving the abnormal signal transmitted from the previous monitoring unit, each of the plurality of monitoring units changes the abnormal signal so as to transmit the abnormal signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit, and

the control unit identifies an occurrence location of a communication abnormality in accordance with the abnormal signal transmitted from the last monitoring unit.

5. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein

the unset signal is a signal of a fixed DUTY ratio, a frequency, or the number of pulses per unit time.

6. The battery monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein

each of the plurality of monitoring units changes DUTY ratio, frequency, or the number of pulses per unit time of the setting signal so as to transmit the setting signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit.

7. The battery monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein

each of the plurality of monitoring units changes DUTY ratio, frequency, or the number of pulses per unit time of the abnormal signal so as to transmit the abnormal signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit.

8. The battery monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein

each of the plurality of monitoring units changes DUTY ratio, frequency, or the number of pulses per unit time of the abnormal signal so as to transmit the abnormal signal to the subsequent monitoring unit or the control unit.