US-12620637-B2 - System and method for battery management with multiple battery monitoring devices

US12620637B2US 12620637 B2US12620637 B2US 12620637B2US-12620637-B2

Abstract

A battery management system includes a battery, monitoring devices and a controller. The monitoring devices are arranged in a housing accommodating the battery. The monitoring devices monitor the battery and acquire battery monitoring information that includes information indicating a state of the battery. The controller performs wireless communication with the monitoring devices and executes a predetermined process that controls voltage of the battery based on the battery monitoring information. The controller executes a wireless communication process with each of the monitoring devices individually. The wireless communication process includes a connection process, and a periodic communication process in which each of the monitoring devices periodically transmits the battery monitoring information to the controller after completion of the connection process. The controller executes the wireless communication process with the monitoring devices in order of predetermined priority to ensure all connection processes are completed prior to commencing the periodic communication processes.

Inventors

Tsuyoo Moriya
Shogo Shigemori
Tatsuhiro NUMATA
Tetsuya Watanabe

Assignees

DENSO CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220826
Priority Date: 20210830

Claims (17)

1 . A battery management system comprising: a battery; monitoring devices arranged in a housing accommodating a battery and configured to monitor the battery and acquire battery monitoring information that includes information indicating a state of the battery; and a controller configured to perform wireless communication with the monitoring devices and execute a predetermined process controlling a voltage of the battery based on the battery monitoring information, wherein the controller is configured to execute a wireless communication process with each of the monitoring devices individually, the wireless communication process including: a connection process of the wireless communication; and a periodic communication process in which the each of the monitoring devices periodically transmits the battery monitoring information to the controller after completion of the connection process, and the controller is configured to execute the wireless communication process with the monitoring devices in order of predetermined priority to ensure that the connection processes are completed prior to commencing the periodic communication processes of transmitting the battery monitoring information.
2 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to prioritize the connection process with an arbitrary one of the monitoring devices over the periodic communication process with at least a part of the monitoring devices except the arbitrary one of the monitoring devices.
3 . The battery management system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to, at time of activation of the controller and the monitoring devices, wait for the periodic communication process with one of the monitoring devices that has completed the connection process until at least two of the monitoring devices have completed the connection process.
4 . The battery management system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to, at time of interruption of the wireless communication between the controller and an arbitrary one of the monitoring devices, stop the periodic communication process with the monitoring devices except the arbitrary one of the monitoring devices until the connection process with the arbitrary one of the monitoring devices is completed.
5 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller executes the connection process with each of the monitoring devices in order of priority of the connection process with the monitoring devices.
6 . The battery management system according to claim 5 , wherein the controller sets the order of priority of the connection process based on the state of the battery and/or an external command.
7 . The battery management system according to claim 5 , for being mounted on a mobile body, the battery management system comprising an external device configured to execute a wireless communication process with each of the monitoring devices individually, the wireless communication process including: a connection process of wireless communication between the external device and the each of the monitoring devices; and a periodic communication process in which the each of the monitoring devices periodically transmits the battery monitoring information to the external device after completion of the connection process, wherein the external device is configured to prioritize the connection process with a specific one of the monitoring devices over the connection process with the monitoring devices except the specific one of the monitoring devices.
8 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller executes the periodic communication process with each of the monitoring devices in order of priority of the periodic communication process.
9 . The battery management system according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to, when the battery is predicted to be in an abnormal state, prioritize the periodic communication process with one of the monitoring devices corresponding to the battery over the periodic communication process with the monitoring devices except the one of the monitoring devices.
10 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , for being mounted on a mobile body, wherein the monitoring devices and the battery are removed from the mobile body, the battery management system comprising an inspection device configured to execute a wireless communication process with each of the monitoring devices individually, the wireless communication process including: a connection process of wireless communication between the inspection device and the each of the monitoring devices; and a periodic communication process in which the each of the monitoring devices periodically transmits the battery monitoring information and/or manufacturing history information to the inspection device after completion of the connection process, wherein the inspection device executes the wireless communication process with the monitoring devices in order of predetermined priority.
11 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein the battery includes battery cells, and the predetermined process is equalizing voltages of the battery cells.
12 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the monitoring devices is four or more.
13 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a star network communication with the monitoring devices being nodes in the star network communication.
14 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein in the connection process, the controller is configured to perform one of a scanning operation and an advertising operation, and the monitoring devices are configured to perform an other of the scanning operation and the advertising operation.
15 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to at time of activation of the controller and the monitoring devices, continue performing the connection process with each of the monitoring devices individually in order of the predetermined priority until the connection process is completed, determine whether the connection process with all of the monitoring devices is completed, and in response to determining that the connection process with all of the monitoring devices is completed, transmit a transition instruction to the monitoring devices to transition to the periodic communication process, and each of the monitoring devices is configured to at time of activation of the controller and the monitoring devices, perform the connection process with the controller until the connection process is completed, and in response to receiving the transition instruction, execute the periodic communication process.
16 . The battery management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, at time of activation of the controller and the monitoring devices, wait for the periodic communication process with one of the monitoring devices that has completed the connection process until at least two of the monitoring devices have completed the connection process.
17 . A method for managing a battery accommodated in a housing by performing wireless communication between monitoring devices and a controller, the monitoring devices being arranged in the housing to monitor the battery and acquire battery monitoring information that includes information indicating a state of the battery, the controller being configured to execute a predetermined process controlling a voltage of the battery based on the battery monitoring information, the method comprising: executing a wireless communication process by the controller with each of the monitoring devices individually, the executing the wireless communication process includes: executing a connection process of the wireless communication; and executing a periodic communication process in which the each of the monitoring devices periodically transmits the battery monitoring information to the controller after completion of the connection process, wherein the wireless communication process is executed by the controller with the monitoring devices in order of predetermined priority to ensure that the connection processes are completed prior to commencing the periodic communication processes of transmitting the battery monitoring information.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-139724 filed on Aug. 30, 2021. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a system and method for battery management. BACKGROUND A battery management system uses wireless communication. SUMMARY According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a battery management system includes monitoring devices and a controller. The monitoring devices are arranged in a housing accommodating a battery. The monitoring devices monitor the battery and acquire battery monitoring information that includes information indicating a state of the battery. The controller performs wireless communication with the monitoring devices and executes a predetermined process based on the battery monitoring information. The controller executes a wireless communication process with each of the monitoring devices individually. The wireless communication process includes a connection process of the wireless communication, and a periodic communication process in which the each of the monitoring devices periodically transmits the battery monitoring information to the controller after completion of the connection process. The controller executes the wireless communication process with the monitoring devices in order of predetermined priority. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle including a battery pack. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the battery pack. FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating an assembled battery. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a battery management system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a timing chart illustrating an example of wireless communication at time of activation. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a controller at time of activation. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a monitoring device at time of activation. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a flow of wireless communication at time of activation according to a comparative example. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a flow of wireless communication at time of activation according to a first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a timing chart illustrating an example of wireless communication at time of reconnection in a battery management system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a controller at time of reconnection. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a connection-target monitoring device. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a non-target monitoring device. FIG. 14 is a timing chart illustrating a connection process in order of priority in a battery management system according to a third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a controller. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a priority-target monitoring device. FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a non-target monitoring device. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a modification. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a modification. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a modification. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a modification. FIG. 22 is a timing chart illustrating a periodic communication process in order of priority in the battery management system according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a controller. FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a priority-target monitoring device. FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a non-target monitoring device. FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an inspection system including a battery management system according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by an inspection device. FIG. 28 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a monitoring device. FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a flow of wireless communication between an inspection device and monitoring devices. FIG. 30 is a block diagram illustrating a battery management system according to a modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION To begin with, examples of relevant techniques will be described. A battery management system according to a comparative example uses wireless communication. The disclosure of the prior art literature (U.S. Pat. No. 8,399,115 B2) is incorporated herein by reference to explain technical elements presented herein. In the battery management system using wireless communication, wireless communication is performed between a controller and each of monitoring devices. Therefore, for example, at the time of activation, conn