Flexible bus architecture for monitoring and control of battery pack

• US 8,015,452 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Li, Guoxing, Zeng, Xiaojun, Hou, Xiaohua, Xiao, Anquan
• Primary Examiner(s): Guyton; Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/872,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 714/22, 714/43, 713/340, 320/116
• US Class Current: 714/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/221 to test buses, lines or interfaces, e.g. stuck-at or open line faults
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a control system which is used for a stacked battery of a plurality of battery packs. Each battery pack has a plurality of battery cells coupled in series. The control system is capable of reconfiguring communication among the battery packs in the stacked battery, and comprises a plurality of processors, a plurality of controllers, and a monitoring unit. The processors are coupled to the battery packs. Two adjacent processors among the processors are able to communicate with each other though a first bus. The controllers are coupled to the battery packs. Two adjacent controllers among the controllers are able to communicate with each other through a second bus. The processors are capable of communicating with the controllers through a third bus. The monitoring unit is used for monitoring communications among the plurality of processors and communications among the plurality of controllers. The monitoring unit is capable of detecting communication problems on the first bus and/or the second bus. The monitoring unit further is capable of reconfiguring communication paths among the plurality of processors and communication path among the plurality of controllers.

Claims

1. A control system for a stacked battery of a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack having a plurality of battery cells coupled in series, the control system being capable of reconfiguring communication among the battery packs in the stacked battery, comprising:

a plurality of processors coupled to said battery packs, wherein two adjacent processors of said plurality of processors are able to communicate with each other through a first bus;

a plurality of controllers coupled to said battery packs, wherein two adjacent controllers of said plurality of controllers are able to communicate with each other through a second bus, the plurality of processors being capable of communicating with the plurality of controllers through a third bus;

a first set of plurality of isolators coupled to said plurality of processors, wherein two adjacent processors of said plurality of processors are able to communicate with each other through one of the plurality of isolators; and

a monitoring unit for monitoring communications among the plurality of processors and communications among the plurality of controllers, the monitoring unit being capable of detecting communication problems on the first bus, the monitoring unit further being capable of reconfiguring communication paths among the plurality of processors and communication path among the plurality of controllers,

wherein said first set of plurality of isolators are coupled in a star fashion.

2. The control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central electronic control unit coupled to a lowest one of said plurality of processors and a lowest one of said plurality of controllers for controlling said plurality of processors and said plurality of controllers.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of processors each have an analog digital converter coupled to said plurality of battery packs for monitoring conditions of said plurality of battery packs.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of controllers are active balancing controllers and wherein each of said active balancing controllers is used for balancing loads of said plurality of battery cells within one of said plurality of battery packs.

5. The control system of the claim 1, further comprising:

a second set of plurality of isolators coupled to said plurality of controllers, and wherein two adjacent controllers of said plurality of controllers are able to communicate with each other through one of said second set of plurality of isolators.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of processors each comprise a plurality of top buses and a plurality of bottom buses, a higher one of said two adjacent processors comprises one bottom bus, a lower one of said two adjacent processors comprises one top bus, and said one bottom bus and said one top bus are coupled to each other to form said first bus.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of controllers each comprise a plurality of top buses and a plurality of bottom buses, a higher one of said two adjacent controllers comprises one bottom bus, a lower one of said two adjacent controllers comprises one top bus, and said one bottom bus and said one top bus are coupled to each other to form said third bus.

8. A control system for a stacked battery of a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack having a plurality of battery cells coupled in series, the control system being capable of reconfiguring communication among the battery packs in the stacked battery, comprising:

a plurality of processors coupled to said battery packs, wherein two adjacent processors of said plurality of processors are able to communicate with each other through a first bus;

a plurality of controllers coupled to said battery packs, wherein two adjacent controllers of said plurality of controllers are able to communicate with each other through a second bus, the plurality of processors being capable of communicating with the plurality of controllers through a third bus;

a first set of plurality of isolators coupled to said plurality of processors, and wherein two adjacent processors of said plurality of processors are able to communicate with each other through one of the plurality of isolators; and

a monitoring unit for monitoring communications among the plurality of processors and communications among the plurality of controllers, the monitoring unit being capable of detecting communication problems on the first bus, the monitoring unit further being capable of reconfiguring communication paths among the plurality of processors and communication path among the plurality of controllers,

wherein said first set of plurality of isolators are coupled in a cascade connection.

9. The control system of claim 8, further comprising:

a central electronic control unit coupled to a lowest one of said plurality of processors and a lowest one of said plurality of controllers for controlling said plurality of processors and said plurality of controllers.

10. The control system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of processors each have an analog digital converter coupled to said plurality of battery packs for monitoring conditions of said plurality of battery packs.

11. The control system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of controllers are active balancing controllers and wherein each of said active balancing controllers is used for balancing loads of said plurality of battery cells within one of said plurality of battery packs.

12. The control system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second set of plurality of isolators coupled to said plurality of controllers, and wherein two adjacent controllers of said plurality of controllers are able to communicate with each other through one of said second set of plurality of isolators.

13. The control system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of processors each comprise a plurality of top buses and a plurality of bottom buses, a higher one of said two adjacent processors comprises one bottom bus, a lower one of said two adjacent processors comprises one top bus, and said one bottom bus and said one top bus are coupled to each other to form said first bus.

14. The control system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of controllers each comprise a plurality of top buses and a plurality of bottom buses, a higher one of said two adjacent controllers comprises one bottom bus, a lower one of said two adjacent controllers comprises one top bus, and said one bottom bus and said one top bus are coupled to each other to form said third bus.

15. A method of reconfiguring a communication system having a first plurality of paths capable of communicating a plurality of processors coupled in series, a second plurality of paths capable of communicating a plurality of controllers coupled in series, and a third plurality of paths capable of communicating one of said plurality of processors and one of said plurality of controllers, comprising:

diagnosing said communication system;

confirming one path of said first plurality of paths and said second plurality of paths is not in working condition;

reconfiguring said communication system; and

actuating two third paths of said third plurality of paths, wherein said two third path coupled to two ends of said one path,

wherein diagnosing said communication system further comprising

sending information from a central unit to said plurality of processors through said first plurality of paths,

transmitting said information from a top processor of said plurality of processors to a top controller of said plurality of controllers through one of said third plurality of paths,

transmitting said information from said top controller through said second plurality of paths to said central unit,

comparing said information sent from said central unit with said information received by said central unit, and

indicating a communication problem if said information sent from said central unit is different from said information received by said central unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein when said communication problem is indicated, said diagnosing said communication system further comprises:

sending diagnostic information from said central unit to a diagnostic processor of said plurality of processors through said first plurality of paths;

transmitting said diagnostic information from said diagnostic processor of said plurality of processors to a diagnostic controller of said plurality of controllers through one of said third plurality of paths;

transmitting said diagnostic information from said diagnostic processor of said plurality of processors to a diagnostic controller of said plurality of controllers through one of said third plurality of paths;

transmitting said diagnostic information from said diagnostic controller to said central unit through said second plurality of paths;

comparing said diagnostic information sent from said central unit with said diagnostic information received by said central unit; and

determining that said communication system below said diagnostic processor and said diagnostic controller is in working condition when said diagnostic information sent from said central unit is not different from said diagnostic information received by said central unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein when said communication problem is indicated, said confirming further comprises:

confirming that said path between said diagnostic processor and a processor which is one level higher than said diagnostic processor or said diagnostic controller and a controller which is one level higher than said diagnostic controller is not in working condition when said diagnostic information sent from said central unit is different from said diagnostic information received by said central unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein when said communication problem is indicated, in said actuating, one of said two third paths is a third path which communicates said diagnostic processor and said diagnostic controller.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein when said communication problem is indicated, in said actuating, the other of said two third paths is a third path which communicates said processor which is one level higher than said diagnostic processor and said controller which is one level higher than said diagnostic controller.