Method for monitoring a battery

• US 9,960,462 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Henrici, Fabian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US14/357,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108, 324434
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2205/00 Application of thermometers in motors, e.g. of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage 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: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4235 Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte H01M10/4242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring 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 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 Temperature sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

In a method for monitoring a battery which includes a number of cells, in each instance, at least one electronic unit is situated so as to be in contact with at least two of the cells, in order to record a variable of this cell and forward it to a central receiver.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a battery of a motor vehicle which includes multiple cells, comprising:

providing at least two electronic units;

contacting each of the at least two electronic units with at least two of the multiple cells such that each cell is in contact with at least two of the electronic units, wherein each of the electronic unit is situated in or on a respective multiple cell of at least two of the multiple cells that it is contacting, wherein each cell of the multiple cells has a single electronic unit situated in or on the respective cell; and

recording and transmitting, by at least one of the electronic units, at least one variable of at least one of the cells to a central receiver,

wherein the electronic unit includes an oscillator situated in or on each cell for recording at least one of a temperature and a cell voltage as the at least one variable,

wherein a frequency of the oscillator is a function of the at least one variable,

wherein the at least one variables is transmitted to a central control unit, and

wherein, to distinguish the at least two electronic units, the oscillation frequency is at least one of linked with or modulated to have a unique identification.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one variable is transmitted at a carrier frequency.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the least one variable is transmitted by inductive coupling of oscillations supplied by the electronic units.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one recorded variable is linked to an identifier and subsequently forwarded to the central receiver.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one variable forwarded to the central receiver is evaluated using Fourier analysis.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein current bars of the battery are used for forwarding the at least one variable.

7. A battery monitoring system for a battery of a motor vehicle having multiple cells, comprising:

at least two electronic units, wherein each of the at least two electronic units contacts at least two of the multiple cells such that each cell is in contact with at least two of the electronic units, wherein each of the electronic unit is situated in or on a respective multiple cell of at least two of the multiple cells that it is contacting, wherein each cell of the multiple cells has a single electronic unit situated in or on the respective cell;

wherein the electronic units are configured to record and transmit at least one variable of at least one of the cells to a central receiver,

wherein the electronic unit includes an oscillator situated in or on each cell for recording at least one of a temperature and a cell voltage as the at least one variable,

wherein a frequency of the oscillator is a function of the at least one variable,

wherein the at least one variables is transmitted to a central control unit, and

wherein, to distinguish the at least two electronic units, the oscillation frequency is at least one of linked with or modulated to have a unique identification.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein in each instance, at least one electronic unit is situated inside of at least two of the cells.

9. The battery as recited in claim 7, wherein the central receiver is implemented in a control unit of the battery.

10. The battery as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least two electronic units are connected to the central receiver via current bars of the cells of the battery.

11. The battery as recited in claim 9, wherein each of the at least two electronic units has a dedicated power supply.

12. The battery as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the electronic units is configured to carry out charge balancing.

13. The battery as recited in claim 9, wherein the electronic units include a microchip having a thermal oscillator.