Method and device for identifying master and slave battery packs

• US 10,862,172 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2018
• Issued: 12/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Runzhi Software Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wei, Zhili
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/988,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20180342772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 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: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a method and device for identifying a master and slave battery packs. The method includes a first battery pack obtaining, after it is connected to a battery cabinet, its identifier, and obtaining identifiers of other battery packs in the battery cabinet through a communication bus. The total number of the battery packs is N, where N is a positive integer. The method may sort the identifiers of the first battery pack and of the other battery pack to obtain a sorted result. The method may identify the master battery pack and slave battery packs among the first battery pack and the other battery packs according to the sorted result. Each of the battery packs connected to a battery cabinet may automatically identify the master battery pack and slave battery packs according to their identifiers, eliminating manual configuration by a user, and improving configuration efficiency.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a master battery pack, comprising:

obtaining, by a first battery pack, an identifier of the first battery pack after the first battery pack is connected to a battery cabinet of a power cabinet;

obtaining, by the first battery pack, identifiers of one or more other battery packs in their respective battery cabinets of the power cabinet through a communication bus, wherein a number of the one or more other battery packs plus the first battery pack is N, wherein N is a positive integer;

sorting, by the first battery pack, the identifier of the first battery pack and the identifiers of the one or more other battery packs to obtain a sorted result;

identifying, by the first battery pack, the master battery pack and one or more slave battery packs among the first battery pack and the one or more other battery packs according to the sorted result;

detecting, by the first battery pack, that the master battery pack is removed from its battery cabinet;

detecting, by the first battery pack, that a new battery pack is not connected to any of the battery cabinets within a time period after the master battery pack is removed, wherein the time period indicates a longest time that the power cabinet continues to operate in its current configuration after the master battery pack is removed; and

identifying, by the first battery pack, a new master battery pack and new slave battery packs according to the sorted result when the new battery pack is not connected to any of the battery cabinets within the time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the master battery pack controls operations of the one or more slave battery packs.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier of the first battery pack and the identifiers of the one or more other battery packs are each a unique address, or

the identifier of the first battery pack and the identifiers of the one or more other battery packs are each a unique serial number.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sorting, by the first battery pack, the identifier of the first battery pack and the identifiers of each of the one or more other battery packs, comprises:

sorting, by the first battery pack, all of the identifiers according to an ascending order of all of the identifiers to obtain the sorted result;

or

sorting, by the first battery pack, all of the identifiers according to a descending order of all of the identifiers to obtain the sorted result.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said identifying, by the first battery pack, the master battery pack and the one or more slave battery packs among the first battery pack and the one or more other battery packs, comprises:

identifying, by the first battery pack, a battery pack with a largest identifier as the master battery pack, and other battery packs as the one or more slave battery packs according to the sorted result;

or

identifying, by the first battery pack, a battery pack with a smallest identifier as the master battery pack, and other battery packs as the one or more slave battery packs according to the sorted result.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said identifying, by the first battery pack, the new master battery pack and the new slave battery packs according to the sorted result, comprises:

identifying, by the first battery pack, a battery pack with a largest identifier excluding the removed master battery pack as the new master battery pack, and other battery packs as the new slave battery packs according to the sorted result;

or

identifying, by the first battery pack, a battery pack with a smallest identifier excluding the removed master battery pack as the new master battery pack, and other battery packs as the new slave battery packs according to the sorted result.

7. A method for identifying a new master battery pack and new slave battery packs, comprising:

detecting, by an i^th one of a plurality of first battery packs, that a master battery pack is removed from a battery cabinet of a power cabinet of the master battery pack, wherein i ranges from 1 to N, wherein N is a positive integer, wherein N is a total number of the first battery packs connected to their respective battery cabinets of the power cabinet, and wherein the first battery packs have respective identifiers;

detecting, by the i^th one of the first battery packs, that a new battery pack is connected to one of the battery cabinets within a time period after the master battery pack is removed, wherein the time period indicates a longest time that the power cabinet continues to operate in its current configuration after the master battery pack is removed;

obtaining, by the i^th one of the first battery packs, an identifier of the new battery pack through a communication bus;

sorting, by the i^th one of the first battery packs, the identifiers of the first battery packs and the identifier of the new battery pack to obtain a sorted result; and

identifying, by the i^th one of the first battery packs, the new master battery pack and the new slave battery packs among the first battery packs and the new battery pack according to the sorted result.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the identifiers of the first battery packs and the identifier of the new battery pack are each a unique address, or the identifiers of the first battery packs and the identifier of the new battery pack are each a unique serial number.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said identifying, by the i^th one of the first battery packs, the new master battery pack and the new slave battery packs among the first battery packs and the new battery pack, comprises:

identifying, by the i^th one of the first battery packs, a battery pack with a largest identifier as the new master battery pack, and other battery packs as the new slave battery packs according to the sorted result;

or

identifying, by the i^th one of the first battery packs, a battery pack with a smallest identifier as the new master battery pack, and other battery packs as the new slave battery packs according to the sorted result.

10. A device adapted to be arranged in a first battery pack, comprising:

an obtaining module configured to obtain an identifier of the first battery pack after the first battery pack is connected to a battery cabinet of a power cabinet, the obtaining module is further configured to obtain identifiers of one or more other battery packs in their respective battery cabinets of the power cabinet through a communication bus, wherein a number of the one or more other battery packs plus the first battery pack is N, wherein N is a positive integer;

a sorting module configured to sort the identifier of the first battery pack and the identifiers of the one or more other battery packs to obtain a sorted result; and

an identifying module configured to identify a master battery pack and one or more slave battery packs among the first battery pack and the one or more other battery packs according to the sorted result;

characterized in that the identifying module is further configured to;

detect that the master battery pack is removed from its battery cabinet;

detect that a new battery pack is not connected to any of the battery cabinets within a time period after the master battery pack is removed, wherein the time period indicates a longest time that the power cabinet continues to operate in its current configuration after the master battery pack is removed; and

identify a new master battery pack and new slave battery packs according to the sorted result when the new battery pack is not connected to any of the battery cabinets within the time period.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the identifier of the first battery pack and the identifiers of the one or more other battery packs are each a unique address, or

the identifier of the first battery pack and the identifiers of the one or more other battery packs are each a unique serial number.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the sorting module is further configured to

sort all of the identifiers according to an ascending order of all of the identifiers to obtain the sorted result, or to sort all of the identifiers according to a descending order of all of the identifiers to obtain the sorted result.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the identifying module is further configured to identify a battery pack with a largest identifier as the master battery pack, and other battery packs as the one or more slave battery packs according to the sorted result, or to identify a battery pack with a smallest identifier as the master battery pack, and other battery packs as the one or more slave battery packs according to the sorted result.

14. The device according to claim 10, wherein the identifying module is further configured to:

identify a battery pack with a largest identifier excluding the removed master battery pack as the new master battery pack, and other battery packs as the new slave battery packs according to the sorted result, or

identify a battery pack with a smallest identifier excluding the removed master battery pack as the new master battery pack, and other battery packs as the new slave battery packs according to the sorted result.

15. The device according to claim 10, wherein the identifying module is further configured to:

detect that the new master battery pack is removed from the battery cabinet of the new master battery pack;

detect that another new battery pack is connected to one of the battery cabinets within the time period after the new master battery pack is removed; and

obtain an identifier of the another new battery pack,

and wherein the sorting module is further configured to sort all of the identifiers including the identifier of the another new battery pack to obtain another sorted result, and wherein the identifying module is further configured to identify another new master battery pack and new slave battery packs among all of the battery packs including the another new battery pack according to the another sorted result.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the identifiers of all of the battery packs including the identifier of the another new battery pack are each a unique address, or the identifiers of all of the battery packs including the identifier of the another new battery pack are each a unique serial number.