POWER STORAGE DEVICE, POWER SYSTEM AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20150008931A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugeno, Naoyuki, Sato, Morihiko, Umetsu, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 9,669,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/434
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• 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: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An electronic storage module includes a plurality of batteries, a primary monitoring circuit configured to detect an operating state of the plurality of batteries, a microcontroller unit connected to the primary monitoring circuit via a primary communication path, and a secondary monitoring circuit connected to the microcontroller unit via a secondary communication path. The secondary monitoring circuit is configured to detect the operating state of the plurality of batteries when a determination is made of an abnormality in the primary communication path, or an abnormality in the operating state of the primary monitoring circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic storage module comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

a primary monitoring circuit configured to detect an operating state of the plurality of batteries;

a microcontroller unit connected to the primary monitoring circuit via a primary communication path; and

a secondary monitoring circuit connected to the microcontroller unit via a secondary communication path, the secondary monitoring circuit configured to detect the operating state of the plurality of batteries when a determination is made of an abnormality in the primary communication path, or an abnormality in the operating state of the primary monitoring circuit.

2. An electronic storage module according to claim 1, wherein the primary communication path is a wireless communication path.

3. An electronic storage module according to claim 1, wherein the primary monitoring circuit and/or the second monitoring circuit detects a normal or abnormal operating state of the plurality of batteries by determining whether or not voltage data, temperature data, and/or current data of the plurality of batteries are within predetermined ranges.

4. An electronic storage module according to claim 3, wherein the primary monitoring circuit includes:

a communication unit; and

a first A/D converter and comparator unit connected to the communication unit, the first A/D converter and comparator unit configured to

receive the voltage data of the plurality of batteries from a cell voltage multiplexer, and output the voltage data and comparison results between the voltage of each battery and a voltage threshold value, and

receive the temperature data of the plurality of batteries from a cell temperature multiplexer, and output the temperature data and comparison results between the temperature of each battery and a temperature threshold value.

5. An electronic storage module according to claim 4, wherein the primary monitoring circuit further includes:

a resistor connected to the plurality of batteries; and

a second A/D converter and comparator unit connected to the communication unit, the second A/D converter and comparator unit configured to

receive the current data of the plurality of batteries that is output from the resistor, and output the current data and comparison results between the current of battery and a current threshold value.

6. An electronic storage module according to claim 3, wherein the primary monitoring circuit and/or the second monitoring circuit is configured to transmit a detection signal to the microcontroller unit via the primary communication path, the detection signal indicating a normal or abnormal operating state of the plurality of batteries based on one or more of the voltage data, the temperature data, and the current data.

7. An electronic storage module according to claim 3, further comprising:

a power line; and

a shutdown switch connected to the primary monitoring circuit and/or the second primary circuit, and inserted on the power line,

wherein when the shutdown switch receives a signal indicating the abnormal operating state of the plurality of batteries, the shutdown switch turns off a power from the power line.

8. An electronic storage module according to claim 1, wherein the primary monitoring circuit includes a self-diagnosis circuit configured to perform an integrated circuit test to determine an operating state of a circuit block in the primary monitoring circuit.

9. An electronic storage module according to claim 8, wherein the self-diagnosis circuit is configured to initiate a monitoring and controlling operation of the electronic storage module by the secondary monitoring circuit if a predetermined number of integrated circuit test results have determined that the operating state of the circuit block is abnormal.

10. An electronic storage module according to claim 1,

wherein the primary monitoring circuit includes a communication unit configured to communicate data regarding the operating state of the plurality of batteries with the microcontroller unit via the primary communication path, and

wherein the microcontroller unit is configured to determine an abnormality in the primary communication path by

a determination that data has not been communicated from the communication unit for a predetermined amount of time, or

a determination that the microcontroller unit has not received a response from the communication unit after a request for said data has been made.

11. An electronic storage module according to claim 1, wherein an electronic configuration of the secondary monitoring circuit is the same as an electronic configuration of the primary monitoring circuit.

12. A battery system comprising:

an electronic control unit;

a plurality of main microcontroller units connected to the electronic control unit; and

a plurality of electronic storage modules connected to each of the main microcontroller units, each electronic storage module including

a plurality of batteries,

a primary monitoring circuit configured to detect an operating state of the plurality of batteries,

a sub-microcontroller unit connected to the primary monitoring circuit via a primary communication path, and

a secondary monitoring circuit connected to the module controller via a secondary communication path, the secondary monitoring circuit configured to detect the operating state of the plurality of batteries when a determination is made of an abnormality in the primary communication path, or an abnormality in the operating state of the primary monitoring circuit.

13. A battery system according to claim 12, wherein for each electronic storage module, the primary communication path is a wireless communication path.

14. A battery system according to claim 12, wherein for each electronic storage module, the primary monitoring circuit and/or the second monitoring circuit detects a normal or abnormal operating state of the plurality of batteries by determining whether or not voltage data, temperature data, and/or current data of the plurality of batteries are within predetermined ranges.

15. A battery system according to claim 14, wherein for each electronic storage module, the primary monitoring circuit includes:

a communication unit;

a first A/D converter and comparator unit connected to the communication unit, the first A/D converter and comparator unit configured to

receive the voltage data of the plurality of batteries from a cell voltage multiplexer, and output the voltage data and comparison results between the voltage of each battery and a voltage threshold value, and

receive the temperature data of the plurality of batteries from a cell temperature multiplexer, and output the temperature data and comparison results between the temperature of each battery and a temperature threshold value.

16. A battery system according to claim 15, wherein for each electronic storage module, the primary monitoring circuit further includes:

a resistor connected to the plurality of batteries; and

a second A/D converter and comparator unit connected to the communication unit, the second A/D converter and comparator unit configured to

receive the current data of the plurality of batteries that is output from the resistor, and output the current data and comparison results between the current of each battery and a current threshold value.

17. A battery system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a power line; and

a shutdown switch connected to the primary monitoring circuit and/or the second primary circuit, and inserted on the power line,

wherein when the shutdown switch receives a signal indicating the abnormal operating state of the plurality of batteries, the shutdown switch turns off a power from the power line.

18. A battery system according to claim 14, wherein for each electronic storage module, the primary monitoring circuit and/or the second monitoring circuit is configured to transmit a detection signal to the sub-microcontroller unit via the primary communication path, the detection signal indicating a normal or abnormal operating state of the plurality of batteries based on one or more of the voltage data, the temperature date, and the current data.

19. A battery system according to claim 18, wherein the main microcontroller unit is configured to receive detection signals transmitted from one or more of the sub-microcontroller units connected thereto.

20. A battery system according to claim 12, wherein for each main microcontroller unit, the main microcontroller unit is connected to the plurality of sub-microcontroller units by a common communication path, and the main microcontroller unit is configured to detect a fault of the common communication path.

21. A battery system according to claim 20, wherein each of the main microcontroller units are configured to generate a control signal for operating a shutdown switch of the respective electronic storage modules based on a detected fault of the respective common communication path.

22. A battery system according to claim 12, wherein for each electronic storage module, the primary monitoring circuit includes a self-diagnosis circuit configured to perform an integrated circuit test to determine an operating state of a circuit block in the primary monitoring circuit.

23. A battery system according to claim 22, wherein the self-diagnosis circuit is configured to initiate a monitoring and controlling operation of the electronic storage module by the secondary monitoring circuit if a predetermined number of integrated circuit test results have determined that the operating state of the circuit block is abnormal.

24. A battery system according to claim 12,

wherein for each electronic storage module, the primary monitoring circuit includes a communication unit configured to communicate data regarding the operating state of the plurality of batteries with the sub-microcontroller unit via the respective primary communication path, and

wherein each of the sub-microcontroller units are configured to determine an abnormality in the respective primary communication path by

a determination that data has not been communicated from the communication unit for a predetermined amount of time, or

a determination that the sub-microcontroller unit has not received a response from the communication unit after a request for said data has been made.

25. A battery system according to claim 12, wherein an electronic configuration of the secondary monitoring circuit is the same as an electronic configuration of the primary monitoring circuit.

26. An electric vehicle comprising:

an electronic storage module including

a plurality of batteries,

a primary monitoring circuit configured to detect an operating state of the plurality of batteries,

a microcontroller unit connected to the primary monitoring circuit via a primary communication path, and

a secondary monitoring circuit connected to the module controller via a secondary communication path, the secondary monitoring circuit configured to detect the operating state of the plurality of batteries when a determination is made of an abnormality in the primary communication path, or an abnormality in the operating state of the primary monitoring circuit; and

a converter configured to receive and convert a supply of electric power from the electronic storage module, and to supply the converted power to a component of the electric vehicle.