Method for diagnosing a battery of a vehicle and a system thereof

• US 6,472,879 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Sun-Soon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US10/012,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/128, 320/134, 320/136, 324/426, 324/429, 324/430, 324/433
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

When charging of a battery is started, a voltage of each module being charged is detected, and then an average voltage and at least one of a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage of the modules are calculated. Subsequently, if an absolute value of a difference between the average voltage and at least one of the maximum and the minimum voltages is greater than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the battery may be malfunctioning. If it is determined that the battery may be malfunctioning, a charging mode is changed to a safer mode and a warning of the possible malfunction is given.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing a battery of a vehicle, the battery including a plurality of modules, the method comprising:

starting charging of the battery;

detecting voltage of each module being charged;

calculating an average voltage and at least one of a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage of the modules;

calculating an absolute value of a difference between the average voltage and at least one of the maximum and the minimum voltages; and

determining whether the battery may be malfunctioning by comparing the absolute value with a predetermined reference value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing a charging mode to a predetermined safer mode if it is determined that the battery may be malfunctioning.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

warning of the possibility of a malfunction of the battery if it is determined that the battery may be malfunctioning.

4. A system for diagnosing a battery of a vehicle, the battery including a plurality of modules, the system comprising:

a battery charging part;

a charging control part for controlling the battery charging part in order to charge the battery to a predetermined voltage;

a battery voltage detecting part for detecting voltages of the modules of the battery; and

a display part for displaying a current state of the battery;

wherein the charging control part, after receiving the module voltages from the battery voltage detecting part, calculates an average voltage and at least one of a maximum and a minimum voltage of the modules, and an absolute value of a difference between the average voltage and at least one of the maximum and the minimum voltages, and then determines whether the battery may be malfunctioning by comparing the absolute value with a predetermined reference value.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the charging control part changes a charging mode to a predetermined safer mode if it is determined that the battery may be malfunctioning.