SYNCHRONIZED DATA SAMPLING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100161260A1
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: WANG, Xiaofeng, HOU, Xiaohua, KAO, Han-Jung
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• 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: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery management system with synchronized data sampling for a battery pack including multiple battery cells is disclosed. The battery management system includes a plurality of local monitors coupled to a plurality of battery cells and operable for sampling status information for the battery cells. The battery management system further includes a central controller coupled to the local monitors and operable for broadcasting a sample command to the local monitor synchronously, wherein the local monitors start to sample the status information for the battery cells in response to the sample command.

Claims

1. A battery management system comprising:

a plurality of local monitors coupled to a plurality of battery cells and operable for sampling status information for said battery cells; and

a central controller coupled to said local monitors and operable for broadcasting a sample command to said local monitor synchronously;

wherein said local monitors start to sample said status information for said battery cells in response to said sample command.

2. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein said status information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

voltages of said battery cells, currents of said battery cells, and temperatures of said battery cells.

3. The battery management system of claim 1, further comprising a bus coupled between said central controller and said local monitors, said bus being operable for transferring said sample command from said central controller to said local monitors synchronously.

4. The battery management system of claim 3, wherein said local monitors send said status information for said battery cells to said central controller via said bus.

5. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein said local monitors sample said status information for said battery cells during a same sample period and send said status information to said central controller at the end of said sample period.

6. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein said central controller estimates a state of said battery cells according to said status information for said battery cells.

7. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein said local monitors start to sample said status information for said battery cells during continuous sample periods controlled by local clocks when said battery management system starts to operate, and stop a current sample period in said continuous sample periods and start to sample said status information for said battery cells during a new sample period in response to said sample command.

8. The battery management system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of upper controllers coupled between said central controller and said local monitors, wherein each of said upper controllers is operable for estimating a state of at least one battery cell in said battery cells according to said status information for said at least one battery cell.

9. The battery management system of claim 8, wherein said upper controllers receive said command from said central controller and broadcast said command to said local monitors synchronously.

10. A method for managing a plurality of battery cells, comprising:

broadcasting a sample command from a central controller to a plurality of local monitors synchronously; and

starting to sample status information for a plurality of battery cells using said local monitors in response to said sample command.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

estimating a state of said battery cells according to said status information for said battery cells.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said status information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

voltages of said battery cells, currents of said battery cells, and temperatures of said battery cells.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transferring said sample command from said central controller to said local monitors synchronously via a bus.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending said status information for said battery cells to said central controller via said bus.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sampling said status information for said battery cells during a same sample period; and

sending said status information to said central controller at the end of said sample period.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

starting to sample said status information for said battery cells during continuous sample periods controlled by local clocks when said battery management system starts to operate; and

stopping a current sample period in said continuous sample periods and starting to sample said status information for said battery cells during a new sample period in response to said sample command.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

estimating a state of at least one battery cell in said battery cells according to said status information for said at least one battery cell.

18. A circuit for monitoring a plurality of battery cells, comprising:

a plurality of local monitors operable for sampling status information for said battery cells; and

a bus coupled to said local monitors and operable for transferring a sample command to said local monitors synchronously;

wherein said local monitors start to sample said status information for said battery cells in response to said sample command.

19. The circuit of claim 18, wherein said status information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

voltages of said battery cells, currents of said battery cells, and temperatures of said battery cells.

20. The circuit of claim 18, wherein said local monitors sample said status information for said battery cells during a same sample period.

21. The circuit of claim 18, further comprising a central controller coupled to said local monitors and operable for estimating a state of said battery cells according to said status information for said battery cells.

22. The circuit of claim 21, wherein said central controller broadcasts said sample command to said local monitors via said bus synchronously.

23. The circuit of claim 18, wherein said local monitors start to sample said status information for said battery cells during continuous sample periods controlled by local clocks when said circuit starts to operate, and stop a current sample period in said continuous sample periods and start to sample said status information for said battery cells during a new sample period in response to said sample command.