Method for controlling a charging state of a battery for an electric vehicle

• US 6,710,575 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Youn, Kil-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Tibbits, Pia
• Application Number:
  US10/011,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/132, 320/149, 320/DIG.18, 320/DIG.21, 324/427, 324/429, 340/636.1, 340/636.15, 340/455, 429/90, 429/91, 701/22, 702/63, 702/64, 290/40.C, 290/4.R, 290/4.A, 290/4.B, 322/10, 322/16, 322/17, 180/65.1
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

In order to diagnose a fail possibility and to compensate a charging state of a battery of an electric vehicle, by detecting an operating state of a battery while driving a vehicle that is equipped with a rechargeable battery, the present invention provides a method for controlling the charging state of a battery.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a charging state of a battery of an electric vehicle, the battery including a plurality of battery modules, the method comprising:

(a) collecting data of the charging state of each battery module and individually storing the collected data by control means, during a charging mode of the battery of the vehicle;

(b) collecting data of the charging state of each battery module and individually storing the collected data by control means, in a driving mode of the vehicle; and

(c) the charging state of the electric vehicle being controlled by the control means, and comprising detecting a data row allotted to each module from storage, displaying a high state for a battery charging state at a predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a high voltage in the driving mode and in the charging mode, displaying a normal or good state for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a high voltage in driving mode and a low voltage in charging mode, displaying a low state for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a low voltage in the driving mode and in the charging mode, and overcharging the corresponding battery by a predetermined value during a next charging state, and displaying a failure possibility state for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a low voltage in the driving mode and a high voltage in charging mode, and warning of maintenance service of the corresponding battery during a next charging or discharging state; and

wherein

(a) step comprises steps carried out by the control means of;

(a1) setting a critical value of an allowable charging voltage difference between the battery modules during charging, and charging the battery based on a predetermined charging mode;

(a2) reading a voltage value of each module, individually storing the voltage value of each module, and calculating an average value of the stored voltage values;

(a3) displaying a predetermined indication at the data row of a corresponding module if a difference between a voltage value of any battery module and the average voltage value is greater than a predetermined critical value of the allowable charging voltage difference value; and

determining if a charging of the battery is completed;

waiting for a predetermined time and then returning to step (a2) if the charging of the battery is not completed; and

storing a predetermined number of data rows that have the predetermined indication if the charging of the battery is completed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data frame comprises:

a module number column, cells of which are individually allotted to each battery module within the battery;

a voltage value column for displaying detected voltage values of the corresponding battery modules;

a voltage column for designating high or low voltages of the corresponding modules by comparing a difference between a displayed value of the voltage value column and the average voltage value with the predetermined critical value; and

a battery state column for designating fail capability of the battery.

3. A method for controlling a charging state of a battery of an electric vehicle, the battery including a plurality of battery modules, the method comprising:

(a) collecting data of the charging state of each battery module and individually storing the collected data by control means, during a charging mode of the battery of the vehicle;

(b) collecting data of the charging state of each battery module and individually storing the collected data by control means, in a driving mode of the vehicle; and

(c) the charging state of the electric vehicle being controlled by the control means, and comprising detecting a data row allotted to each module from storage, displaying a high state for a battery charging state at a predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a high voltage in the driving mode and in the charging mode, displaying a normal or good state for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a high voltage in the driving mode and a low voltage in charging mode, displaying a low state for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a low voltage in the driving mode and in the charging mode, and overcharging the corresponding battery by a predetermined value during a next charging state, and displaying a failure possibility state for a battery charging state at the predetermined range of the data row corresponding to a battery module having a low voltage in the driving mode and a high voltage in the charging mode, and warning of maintenance service of the corresponding battery during a next charging or discharging state; and

wherein

(a) step comprises steps carried out by the control means of;

(a1) setting a critical value of an allowable charging voltage difference between the battery modules during charging, and charging the battery based on a predetermined charging mode;

(a2) reading a voltage value of each module, individually storing the voltage value of each module, and calculating an average value of the stored voltage values;

(a3) displaying a predetermined indication at the data row of a corresponding module if a difference between a voltage value of any battery module and the average voltage value is greater than a predetermined critical value of the allowable charging voltage difference value; and

determining if a charging of the battery is completed;

waiting for a predetermined time and then returning to step (a2) if the charging of the battery is not completed; and

storing a predetermined number of data rows that have the predetermined indication if the charging of the battery is completed; and

wherein

(b) step is carried out by the control means and comprises;

(b1) determining whether a measured discharging electric current of the battery falls within a predetermined discharging electric current range;

(b2) individually storing a voltage value of each battery module if the battery satisfies following within the predetermined discharging electric current range, and calculating an average value of the stored voltage values;

(b3) displaying a predetermined indication at the data row of the corresponding module if a difference between a voltage value of any battery module and the average voltage value is greater than a predetermined critical value of a discharging voltage difference value; and

(b4) returning to the (a1) step if driving is not completed, and storing a predetermined displayed data frame only a predetermined number of times if driving is completed.