Battery pack

• US 9,350,186 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Ju, Ri-A, Kim, Hyun, Lim, Ji-Hong, Kim, Suk-Kyum, Park, Seong-Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/748,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112, 320/120, 320/136, 320/105, 320/106, 320/137
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0825 related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/101 for preventing engine starter actuation or engagement
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/06 said parameters being related to the power supply or driving circuits for the starter
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/064 Battery temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/06 Two-wire systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00719 in response to degree of gas development in the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A battery pack includes a battery for supplying power to a starter motor of a vehicle, and a battery management unit for monitoring a condition of the battery, and for blocking the supply of power from the battery to the starter motor when a stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a battery for supplying power to a starter motor of a vehicle;

an engine management unit for controlling an engine of the vehicle; and

a battery management unit for monitoring a condition of the battery, wherein the battery management unit is configured to generate a control signal when a stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied and to detect a response of the engine management unit to the control signal, and to block the supply of power from the battery to the starter motor when no response from the engine management unit is detected after a period of time.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery is coupled to a vehicle supporting an Idle Stop &

Go (ISG) mode, and

wherein the control signal is for preventing starting of the ISG mode or for terminating the ISG mode.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a recovery process unit for restoring the battery to normal operating conditions when the stability condition requirement is not satisfied.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the stability requirement corresponds to at least one of a battery temperature, a cooling water temperature, a vehicle speed, a degree of battery swelling, a presence or an absence of gas in the battery, a battery over-charge, a battery over-discharge, or an internal short of battery.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery management unit is further configured to generate a control signal for alerting a user of the vehicle.

6. A battery pack control method comprising:

monitoring a condition of a battery by a battery management unit;

generating a control signal when a stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied;

transmitting the control signal to an engine management unit;

detecting a response of the engine management unit to the control signal; and

blocking power supplied from the battery to a starter motor of a vehicle when no response of the engine management unit is detected after a period of time.

7. The battery pack control method of claim 6, wherein

the battery is coupled to a vehicle supporting an Idle Stop &

Go (ISG) mode, and

the control signal is generated when the stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied for preventing start of the ISG mode or for terminating the ISG mode.

8. The battery pack control method of claim 6, wherein

the stability requirement corresponds to at least one of a battery temperature, a cooling water temperature, a vehicle speed, a degree of battery swelling, a presence or an absence of gas in the battery, a battery over-charge, a battery over-discharge, or an internal short of battery.

9. The battery pack control method of claim 6, further comprising generating a control signal to alert a user of the vehicle when the stability condition requirement is not satisfied.

10. A battery pack comprising:

a battery for supplying power to a starter motor of a vehicle; and

a battery management unit for monitoring a condition of the battery and for communicating with an engine management unit for controlling starting of an Idle Stop &

Go (ISG) mode of the vehicle, wherein the battery management unit is configured to;

transmit a control signal to the engine management unit based on the condition of the battery, the control signal being for preventing starting of the ISG mode or for terminating the ISG mode,

detect a response of the engine management unit to the control signal, and

block the supply of power from the battery to the starter motor of the vehicle when there is no response from the engine management unit after a period of time.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the condition of the battery corresponds to at least one of a battery temperature, a cooling water temperature, a degree of battery swelling, a presence or an absence of gas in the battery, a battery over-charge, a battery over-discharge, or an internal short of battery.

12. The battery pack of claim 10, further comprising a recovery process unit for restoring the battery to normal operating conditions when a stability condition requirement of the battery is not satisfied.

13. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the battery management unit is further configured to generate a control signal for alerting a user of the vehicle.

14. A battery pack control method comprising:

monitoring a condition of a battery by a battery management unit;

generating a control signal when a stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied, to prevent starting of an Idle Stop &

Go (ISG) mode or to terminate the ISG mode;

transmitting the control signal to an engine management unit;

detecting a response of the engine management unit to the control signal; and

blocking supply of power from the battery to a starter motor of a vehicle when the engine management unit does not respond within a period of time.

15. The battery pack control method of claim 14, wherein

the stability condition requirement corresponds to at least one of a battery temperature, a cooling water temperature, a vehicle speed, a degree of battery swelling, a presence or absence of gas in the battery, a battery over-charge, a battery over-discharge, or an internal short of battery.

16. The battery pack control method of claim 14, further comprising restoring the battery to normal operating conditions when the stability condition requirement is not satisfied.

17. The battery pack control method of claim 14, further comprising generating a control signal to alert a user of the vehicle when the stability condition requirement is not satisfied.

18. A battery pack comprising:

a battery for supplying power to a starter motor of a vehicle; and

a battery management unit for monitoring a condition of the battery, and for generating a control signal when a stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied, the control signal being for preventing starting of an Idle Stop &

Go (ISG) mode or for terminating the ISG mode, wherein the battery management unit is configured to detect the starting of the ISG mode or the terminating of the ISG mode in response to the control signal, and to block the supplying of power to the starter motor when the starting of the ISG mode or the terminating of the ISG mode is not detected after a period of time.

19. A battery pack control method comprising:

monitoring a condition of a battery by a battery management unit;

generating a control signal when a stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied, to prevent starting of an Idle Stop &

Go (ISG) mode or to terminate the ISG mode;

transmitting the control signal to an engine management unit;

detecting the starting of the ISG mode or the terminating of the ISG mode in response to the control signal; and

blocking supply of power from the battery when the starting of the ISG mode or the terminating of the ISG mode is not detected after a period of time.