Battery controller and battery level measurement method thereof

A battery controller includes an auxiliary measurement energy-storing component, a control unit, a measuring unit and a protection unit. The auxiliary measurement energy-storing component is coupled in series to a battery module outside the controller, and configured to provide an open-circuited voltage. The control unit is configured to output a power value of the battery module according to the open-circuited voltage or a value of current flowing through the battery module. The measuring unit is configured to measure the current flowing through the battery module and transmit the measuring result to the control unit. The protection unit is configured to limit the value of current measured by the measuring unit to a predetermined value. A battery level measurement method of the battery controller is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 108147173, filed Dec. 23, 2019, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a battery controller. More particularly, the present invention relates to a battery controller and a battery level measurement method thereof.

Description of Related Art

Nowadays, calculation of battery level is the important function for electronic products. The traditional unitary estimation method will cause accumulated errors and gradually decrease the accuracy under the long term measurement, and the traditional unitary estimation method makes the prediction of the state of charge (SOC) misaligned and indirectly affects the related functions of the battery protection. For example, in order to calculate the SOC, the Coulomb counting method is generally used, that is, the charge and discharge current is integrated with time and then the dynamic SOC of the battery could be estimated. However, this method requires high accuracy of the current measurement, and accumulated errors are easily caused by inaccurate calculations of the residual SOC under the long term calculation.

SUMMARY

To solve the aforesaid questions, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a type of the battery controller, coupled between a battery module and a charge and discharge circuit. The battery controller includes an auxiliary measurement energy-storing component, a control unit, a measuring unit and a protection unit.

The battery controller of the present disclosure includes an auxiliary measurement energy-storing component, a control unit, a measuring unit and a protection unit. The control unit is coupled to the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component and the measuring unit respectively. The auxiliary measurement energy-storing component is coupled to the battery module, the measuring unit and the control unit. The auxiliary measurement energy-storing component is coupled in series to the battery module relatively to the charge and discharge circuit. The measuring unit is coupled in series to the battery module relatively to the charge and discharge circuit, and the measuring unit is coupled to the control unit. The protection circuit is coupled to the battery module and the charge and discharge circuit, to limit the current value to be not greater than a predetermined value.

In the present disclosure, the battery module includes at least two lithium batteries and has a first discharge curve.

In the present disclosure, the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component is a lithium battery having a second discharge curve different from the first discharge curve of the battery module.

In the present disclosure, the battery module is charged and discharged through the charge and discharge circuit, the measuring unit measures a current value of current flowing through the battery module and provides the current value to the control unit. The control unit calculates a first SOC value according to the current value.

In the present disclosure, when the battery module is in a static condition, the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component provides an open-circuited voltage to the control unit. The control unit generates a second SOC value according to the open-circuited voltage. The second SOC value is configured to modify or replace the first SOC value.

In this disclosure, the protection circuit is a relay or fuse.

The other aspect of the present disclosure provides a type of battery level measurement method, including the following operations:

1. Determines whether the battery module is in the static condition.

2a. In response to that the battery module not be in a static condition and then performs the following operations: the measuring unit measures the current value of the current through the battery module, the control unit utilizes the Coulomb counting method to calculate and output the first SOC value according to the current value.
2b. In response to that the battery module be in a static condition and then performs the following operations: the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component provides the open-circuited voltage to the control unit. The control unit generates the second SOC value according to the open-circuited voltage and SOC data. The second SOC value is configured to modify or replace the first SOC value.

In summary, the embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component connected in series to the battery module to be measured, and the residual SOC of the battery to be measured can be modified according to the open-circuited voltage of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component in response to the battery as in a static condition, which can avoids the inaccuracy caused by accumulated errors of the traditional method and estimates the residual SOC accurately.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following embodiments are disclosed with accompanying diagrams for detailed description. For illustration clarity, many details of practice are explained in the following descriptions. However, it should be understood that these details of practice do not intend to limit the present disclosure, and descriptions of structure operation do not intend to limit the order of execution, any structure that reassembles the components to produce a device with equal efficacy is within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the illustrations are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to full size. In order to facilitate understanding, the same elements in the following description will be described with the same symbols.

The terms used throughout the specification and the scope of patent applications, unless otherwise specified, they usually have the ordinary meaning of each term used in this field, in the content disclosed here and in special content. Certain terms used to describe this disclosure are discussed below or elsewhere in this specification to provide an additional guidance to those skilled in the art on the description of this disclosure.

In the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the terms “comprise” or “comprising,” “include” or “including,” “have” or “having,” “contain” or “containing” and the like used herein are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to.

In this document, the term “coupled” may also be termed as “electrically coupled,” and the term “connected” may be termed as “electrically connected.” “Coupled” and “connected” may mean “directly coupled” and “directly connected” respectively, or “indirectly coupled” and “indirectly connected” respectively. “Coupled” and “connected” may also be used to indicate that two or more elements cooperate or interact with each other.

Several embodiments of this disclosure will be disclosed graphically below. For clarity, many practical details will be explained in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be applied to limit the disclosure. That is, in some embodiments of this disclosure, these practical details are unnecessary. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings, some conventional structures and elements will be shown in the drawings in a simple and schematic manner.

FIG.1Ais a schematic diagram illustrating a type of a battery control system100A in accordance with one of the embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG.1A, the battery control system100A includes a battery controller105A, wherein the battery controller is configured to be coupled between a battery module110and a charge and discharge circuit115. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery controller105A includes an auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, a control unit130, a measuring unit140and a protection unit150. The auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120is coupled to the battery module110and the measuring unit140. The auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120is also coupled to the control unit130. The auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120is coupled in series to the battery module110relatively to the charge and discharge circuit115. The measuring unit140is coupled in series to the battery module110relatively to the charge and discharge circuit115. The measuring unit140is coupled to the control unit130, and the measuring unit140is configured to measure a current value of current flowing through the battery module110and transmit a measured result to the control unit130. The protection unit150is coupled between the battery module110and the charge and discharge circuit115, and further coupled to the measuring unit140and the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120.

As the embodiment shown inFIG.1A, the battery module110is coupled in series to the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and the measuring unit140relatively to the charge and discharge circuit115, and the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120is located between the battery module110and the measuring unit140.

Referring toFIG.1A, the battery module110includes at least one battery (not shown), and a state of charge (SOC) of battery module110has the corresponding changes in response to that the battery module110is charged or discharged.

In the present disclosure, the battery module110includes at least one lithium battery. The at least one lithium battery of the battery module110is connected in serial or parallel to each other according to the consideration of outputting the voltage or the current.

Reference is made toFIG.2A,FIG.2Ais a first discharge curve of the battery module110of the present embodiment. That is, the two-dimensional schematic diagram is the open-circuited voltage OV of the battery module110relatively to the SOC. Referring toFIG.2A, vertical axis unit is voltage (V), horizontal axis unit is milliamp hours (mAh). In some embodiments, the curve ofFIG.2Aillustrates the change between the aforesaid open-circuited voltage OV and the SOC of the battery module110. Wherein the aforesaid voltage of the battery module may be expressed as the first SOC value SOC1. Furthermore, the change of voltage relatively to the change of battery capacity (mAh) of the battery module110is not obviously in response to that the battery module110is discharged for a long term. That is, the slope of the first discharge curve is small, thus the errors are easily caused while estimating the SOC.

Reference is also made toFIG.2B,FIG.2Bis a second discharge curve of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120in accordance with the present embodiment. Different fromFIG.2A, in response to that the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120is discharged for the long term, the change of the voltage relatively to the change of the battery capacity (mAh) in the second discharge curve is obviously. That is, the slope of the second discharge curve is large, thus the errors are not easily caused while estimating the SOC.

In response to that the battery module110is coupled in series to the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, while the battery module110and the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120are discharging, both of them have the same decreasing ratio of the SOC. In the case of the battery module110coupled in series to the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120is also configured to provide the corresponding open-circuited voltage OV.

In the present embodiment, the composition of the lithium battery of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120is different from that of the at least one of the lithium batteries of the battery module110, and both of they have the different discharge curves.

In the present embodiment, the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120may be following constituent components, but not in the limit: a lithium cobalt oxide battery (LiCoO2), lithium manganese oxide battery (LiMn2O4), lithium nickel oxide battery (LiNiO2), lithium nickel manganese oxide battery (Li(NixCoyMnz)O2), electric double-layer capacitor (electric double layer capacitor) or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, a maximum value of the capacity of the battery module110is equal to or less than a maximum value of the capacity of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120. In other words, the maximum first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110is not greater than the maximum second SOC value SOC2of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120.

As the embodiment shown inFIG.1A, the control unit130is coupled to the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, configured to measure the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, and the open-circuited voltage OV is utilized to estimate the second SOC value SOC2of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120by using lookup table. In some embodiments, the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120can be operated as the specific energy-storing component of the main circuit of the battery controller105A connected in series, and is configured to be operated as an aligned element to estimate the residual SOC of the battery control system100A. As the aforementioned, the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storage component120and the second SOC value SOC2have an obvious identifiability of the slope. Therefore, in some embodiments, the two-dimension curve and the slope of the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120versus the second SOC value SOC2can be recorded as the SOC data D which can be stored in the memory (such as the memory as shown inFIG.1C) so that the first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110can be calculated by measuring the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and performing the lookup table estimation with the SOC data D stored in the memory. In some embodiments, the control unit130may further calculates the second SOC value SOC2according to the lookup table, such that the first SOC value SOC1can be estimated, and the current residual SOC of the battery module110can be accurately estimated without generating accumulated errors.

In some embodiments, the control unit130calculates the current power consumption of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120according to the maximum SOC value of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and the current second SOC value SOC2. And then the control unit130calculates the residual SOC of battery module110according to the SOC of the power consumption of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and the maximum SOC value of the battery module110. In some embodiments, the battery module110is coupled in series to the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120. Therefore, the value of current flowing through the battery module110will be same as the current of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, the battery module110and the auxiliary measurement energy-storing will have the same power consumption at the same time.

As the embodiments shown inFIG.1A, the measuring unit140is coupled to the control unit130and the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, and is configured to measure the current flowing through the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120for calculating the residual SOC by the control unit130. In some embodiments, the measuring unit140is implemented with the current sensor or the other suitable current sensing element, but the disclosure should not be limited by these terms.

The protection unit150is coupled to the measuring unit140and the battery module110, and is configured to limit the aforesaid current value to be not greater than the predetermined value to keep the battery controller105A in safe. In some embodiments, the protection unit150is implemented with the over current protection, the relay, the fuse or other similar elements, but the disclosure should not be limited by these terms. The protection unit150turns off the circuit or sends out the warning to alert the user in response to that the value of current flowing through the battery controller105A exceeds the aforesaid predetermined value.

Reference is made toFIG.1B.FIG.1Bis a schematic diagram of the battery control system100B in accordance with other embodiments of the disclosure. The battery control system100B shown inFIG.1Bis similar to the battery control system100A shown inFIG.1A. The difference is that the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120shown inFIG.1Bis not coupled in series to the measuring unit140. Furthermore, the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and the measuring unit140are respectively disposed on different current paths coupled to the battery module110, and the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and the measuring unit140are coupled between the battery module110and the protection unit150.

As the embodiment shown inFIG.1B, the measuring unit140is coupled to the control unit130and the battery module110, and is configured to measure the current value of the current flowing through the battery module110for calculating the residual SOC by the control unit130. In some embodiments, the measuring unit140is implemented with the current sensor or the other suitable current sensing element, but the disclosure should not be limited by these terms. In some embodiments, the function of the individual element or the unit of the battery control system100B are similar to the corresponding function of the individual element or the unit of the battery control system100A, so no more tautology here.

Reference is made toFIG.1C.FIG.1Cis a schematic diagram of the control unit130in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG.1C, the control unit130includes the memory170, the processor180and the display unit190, wherein the processor180is coupled between the memory170and the display unit190.

The memory170is configured to store the SOC data D related to the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120. In some embodiments, the SOC data D is a ratio constituted by both the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and the SOC. In other words, the SOC data D is constituted by both the open-circuited voltage OV and the SOC, and the value of these two parameters could be drawn as a curve in the two dimensional coordinate plane (as shown inFIG.2B). Consequently, the change of the slope can be recorded.

In some embodiments, the memory170is implemented with non-transitory computer-readable medium. In some embodiments, the computer readable mediums can be the electrical, magnetic, optical, infrared and/or semiconductor system (or the equipment or device.) Such as, the computer-readable medium includes the semiconductor or the solid-state memory, the magnetic tape, the removable computer disk, the random access memory (RAM), the read-only memory (ROM), hard disk and/or optical disk. In one or multiple embodiments of using the optical disk, the computer readable medium includes compact read-only memory disc (CD-ROM), compact rewritable disc (CD-R/W) and/or digital video disc (DVD).

The processor180is configured to determine the condition of battery module110according to the current measured by the measuring unit140. In response to that the current value is not equal to zero, the processor180determines the battery module110as in a dynamic condition, this represents the battery module110is supplying with the power. Meanwhile, the processor180utilizes the Coulomb counting method to calculate the present residual SOC of the battery module110according to the current value, and outputs the first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110to the display unit190.

In response to that the current value is equal to zero, the processor180determines the battery module110as in a static condition, which represents the battery module110be in an idle state and does not supply the power. Meanwhile, processor180measures the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and performs the lookup table operations with the SOC data D stored in the memory to estimate the present residual SOC of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, and the estimated value is marked as the second SOC value SOC2.

In some embodiments, the Coulomb counting method also known as current integration method, which is performed the current value-time integration via the current value measured directly by the control unit130to calculate the value of SOC. The Coulomb counting method is an intuitive way to estimate the values of SOC, and it may calculate the consumed or replenished power to estimate the residual SOC of the battery.

In some embodiments, the processor180is further configured to estimate the first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110according to the second SOC value SOC2of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and output the first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110as a battery level, and the battery level is transmitted to the display unit190, such that the display unit190can display the battery level.

In each of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor180can be implemented by the central processing unit, application-specific integrated circuit, the multiprocessor, the decentralized processing system or the suitable processing circuit, these elements should not be limited by these terms.

In some embodiments, the display unit190can be implemented by a display device, configured to display images and data, the element should not be limited by these terms. In some embodiments, the display unit190can be implemented by various screens, the control unit130controls screens to display a picture, the picture may include multiple layers, wherein these layers is configured to display different applications, a graphical user interface, a system status bar, a task bar, etc. In some other embodiment, the control unit130can further includes a graphics card (not shown) or a video processing circuit (not shown) and other circuit components. The circuit elements of above mention can be controlled by the processor180, in order to provide a processed image data to the display unit190to display.

The aforesaid structure of the control unit130is illustration purposes only, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The structure of control unit130of the present disclosure can be changed and adjusted without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. For example, in different embodiments, the control unit130can be implemented by a central processing unit, microprocessor or the other suitable processor directly, without the aforesaid display unit190and/or the memory170.

FIG.3is an operation flowchart illustrating measurement method300in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG.3, the measurement method300determines the current usage status of the battery by detecting the whole battery loop current and cooperating with a lookup table and the Coulomb counting method to correct the estimate accuracy of the residual SOC. The below mentioned measurement method300with the battery controller105B shown inFIG.1Bare the illustrations, and the measurement method300is not limited to the application of the battery controller105B as shown inFIG.1B, that is the measurement method300can be applied in any similar circuit.

In the operation S310, the control unit130determines whether the battery module110is in a static condition. In other words, the control unit130determines the operating mode of the battery module110according to the current value. If the measured current value is equal to zero, the battery110is determined as in a static condition and the operation S320is performed. If the measured current value is not equal to zero, the battery110is determined as a dynamic condition. And then, the operation S321is performed.

In the operation S320, the control unit130generates the second SOC value SOC2according to the open-circuited voltage OV and the SOC data D. Specially, the control unit130compares the SOC data D stored in memory170according to the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120, in order to generate the second SOC value SOC2.

In the operation S330, the control unit130modifies or replaces the first SOC value SOC1according to the second SOC value SOC2. Specially, the control unit130estimates the first SOC value SOC1according to the second SOC value SOC2and modifies or replaces the first SOC value SOC1in response to the second SOC value SOC2is different from the first SOC value SOC1. In other words, the second SOC value SOC2of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120will be in contrast with the first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110by the control unit130, the control unit130outputs the second SOC value SOC2to replace the first SOC value SOC1in response to that the second SOC value SOC2is not equal to the first SOC value SOC1. On the other hand, the control unit130outputs the second SOC value SOC2will be substantially the same as the first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110in response to that the second SOC value SOC2is equal to the first SOC value SOC1without affecting the original circuit operation.

Back to the operation S310, the battery module110be in a dynamic condition since the current value is not zero, meanwhile the operation S321is continuously performed by the measuring unit140to measure the current value of the current flowing through the battery module110.

Then, in the operation S322, the control unit130calculates the first SOC value SOC1according to current value by utilizing the Coulomb counting method and outputs the first SOC value SOC1. Specially, the control unit130calculates the first SOC value SOC1of the battery module110according to current value by utilizing the Coulomb counting method, and outputs the first SOC value SOC1.

In the aforesaid operation, in response to that the control unit130determines the battery module110as in a dynamic condition, the control unit130can perform the Coulomb counting method with the current value measured by the measuring unit140to calculate the residual SOC of the battery module110. On the other hand, in response to that the control unit130determines the battery module as in a static condition, the control unit130measures the open-circuited voltage OV of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component120and contrasts the open-circuited voltage OV with the SOC data D stored in the memory170in order to further calculate the residual SOC of the battery module110. Therefore, the battery module110can utilizes different residual SOC estimation methods for different conditions according to the measurement method300, in order to correct the accumulated errors generated by utilizing only the Coulomb counting method.

The aforesaid descriptions of the operations S310to S340may refer to previous figures of the embodiments, so no more tautology here. The multiple operations of aforesaid multiple operations of the measurement method300are examples only and are not limited to the sequential execution of the above examples. Without departing from the operation mode and scope of the embodiments of the present invention, various operations under the measurement method300can be appropriately added, replaced, omitted, or performed in different orders.

In summary, the embodiment of the disclosure is an auxiliary measurement energy-storing component coupled in series to the battery to be measured, and estimating the residual SOC of the battery to be measured according to the open-circuited voltage of the auxiliary measurement energy-storing component in response to that the battery be in a static condition, which can avoid the inaccuracy caused by the accumulated errors of the traditional method and prevent the battery damage caused by the overcharge or discharge and estimates residual SOC accurately, in order to improve user experience.

Although the disclosure has been disclosed as above in the implementation mode, it is not limited to this disclosure. Anyone who is familiar with this skill can make various modifications and retouches without departing from the spirit and scope of this case. Therefore, the scope of protection in this disclosure shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.