Patent Description:
As environmental regulation such as CO<NUM> regulation or the like has been recently strengthened, interest in an environmentally-friendly vehicle has increased. Accordingly, automobile companies are actively conducting research and product development on a pure electric vehicle or a hydrogen vehicle as well as a hybrid vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

A high-voltage battery pack is applied to the environmentally-friendly vehicle to store electric energy obtained from various energy sources. A high-voltage electrical system of the vehicle uses high-voltage electric energy provided from a high-voltage battery as driving or electrical energy of the vehicle.

An output of the high-voltage battery pack may be transferred to or blocked from a load by a high-voltage switch such as a relay, a contactor, or the like. An abnormal operation of the high-voltage switch such as chattering or the like may cause welding of a contact to greatly affect lifespan of the high-voltage switch. The abnormal operation of the high-voltage switch may be monitored and detected by a controller such as a microcontroller or the like. However, when the controller abnormally operates due to a reset or the like, there is a problem in which the abnormal operation of the high-voltage switch may not be detected.

<CIT> discloses a system and a method in which a contactor coil control unit, which applies an operation signal to a contactor coil (relay coil) that opens or connects contact points of a contactor (Relay), during a travelling of a vehicle applies an abnormal signal to the contactor coil by an external reason or a failure, the abnormal signal is detected in real time, so that it is possible to prevent the contact point of the contactor from being unintentionally opened by the abnormal signal.

A problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a switch control device capable of detecting a malfunction of a high-voltage switch occurring in a section where a controller abnormally operates, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the switch control device.

A switch control device, a battery pack, and a vehicle, according to an embodiment for solving the above problem are defined in the appended claims.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with accompanying drawings. Effects and characteristics of embodiments, and a realization method thereof will now be described in detail with accompanying drawings. In the drawings, same reference numerals indicate same constituent elements, and no repeated descriptions thereof will be provided. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments are provided as examples to assist the understanding of the invention by a person skilled in the art.

Hence, for the purpose of understanding the present disclosure, processes, factors, and skills that may be part of the common general knowledge of a person of ordinary skill in the art may not be described. In the drawings, relative sizes of elements, layers, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

In the present specification, the term "and/or" includes all of or any combination of a plurality of items that are related and arranged. When the embodiments of the present disclosure are described, the use of "can" or "may" signifies at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Regarding the description on an embodiment of the present disclosure, a singular term may include a plural form unless stated in another way.

In the present specification, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second will be used only to describe various components, and are not to be interpreted as limiting these components. The terms are only used to differentiate one component from other components. For example, a first constituent element could be termed a second constituent element, and similarly, a second constituent element could be termed a first constituent element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that when a constituent element or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected to," or "coupled to" another constituent element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other constituent element or layer, or one or more intervening constituent elements or layers may be present. In addition, it will also be understood that when a constituent element or layer is referred to as being "between" two constituent elements or layers, it can be the only constituent element or layer between the two constituent elements or layers, or one or more intervening constituent elements or layers may also be present.

Electrically connecting two constituent elements includes directly connecting two constituent elements, and connecting the same with another constituent element therebetween. The other constituent element may include a switch, a resistor, a capacitor, or the like. When the embodiments are described, an expression of connection signifies electrical connection when an expression of direct connection is not provided.

Hereinafter, a switch control device according to an embodiment, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the switch control device will be described in detail with reference to necessary drawings.

<FIG> schematically illustrates the switch control device according to the embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, the switch control device <NUM> according to the embodiment may include a controller <NUM>, a switch driver <NUM>, and a counter <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> may output a control signal for controlling opening and closing of the switch <NUM> to the switch driver <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may output a state signal (e.g., a reset signal) indicating an operating state of the controller <NUM> to the counter <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may be configured as a processor having a physically structured circuit to perform a function represented by a code or a command included in a program such as a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like.

The state of the controller <NUM> may be monitored by a watchdog component inside the controller <NUM> or a watchdog circuit outside the controller <NUM>. The watchdog component or the watchdog circuit may reset the controller <NUM> if an abnormal state of the controller <NUM> is detected. As reset, the controller <NUM> may output the state signal indicating an abnormal state until it returns to the normal state.

The switch driver <NUM> may output a driving signal for controlling opening and closing of the switch <NUM> according to the control signal received from the controller <NUM>. The switch <NUM> may be configured as a switch element in which a contact state (a closed state of the switch <NUM>) and a non-contact state (an open state of the switch <NUM>) of contacts are controlled by whether a coil is energized. For example, the switch element may include a relay, a contactor, or the like. In this case, the switch driver <NUM> may be connected to at least one of both ends of the coil for operating the switch <NUM> to control opening and closing of the switch <NUM> by controlling energization of the coil using the driving signal.

The counter <NUM> may receive the state signal of the controller <NUM> from the controller <NUM>. The counter <NUM> may be connected between an output terminal of the switch driver <NUM> and the switch <NUM> (that is, the counter <NUM> may be connected to the output terminal of the switch driver <NUM> or one of both ends of the coil of the switch <NUM>) to count the number of times (hereinafter referred to as the number of switch operations) that the switch <NUM> is operated in an open or closed state in response to the driving signal output from the switch driver <NUM>. In other words, the counter <NUM> counts the number of times that the switch is turned on or off. The counter <NUM> may start or end counting the number of switch operations according to the state signal of the controller <NUM>. The counter <NUM> may start counting the number of switch operations when the state signal received from the controller <NUM> indicates that the controller <NUM> enters an abnormal state (e.g., a reset state). The counter <NUM> may end counting of the number of switch operations when the state signal received from the controller <NUM> indicates that the controller <NUM> returns to a normal state.

The counter <NUM> may output to the controller <NUM> information on the number of switch operations counted while the controller <NUM> operates in the abnormal state. The controller <NUM> receiving information on the number of switch operations may detect an abnormal operation of the switch <NUM> based on the number of switch operations. When the number of switch operations is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the controller <NUM> may determine that a failure occurs in the switch driver <NUM>, and may notify an upper controller (e.g., a controller of a system (e.g., a vehicle) at which the battery pack <NUM> is mounted) of the failure.

If the controller (<NUM>) operates in an abnormal state, the switch driver (<NUM>) may not change the status of the switch (<NUM>) or may change it once. For example, if the controller (<NUM>) operates in an abnormal state, the switch driver (<NUM>) may maintain the previous state of the switch (<NUM>) for a certain period of time. For example, if the controller (<NUM>) operates in an abnormal state, the switch driver (<NUM>) may change the state of the switch (<NUM>) once (for example, changing from a closed state to an open state). The operation of the switch driver (<NUM>) while the controller (<NUM>) operates in an abnormal state may vary depending on the configuration of the switch driver (<NUM>). Therefore, the threshold value may be determined according to the configuration of the switch driver (<NUM>). The threshold value may be set to <NUM> or <NUM>. If chattering occurs, the switch (<NUM>) may operate multiple times, so the threshold value man be set to a value greater than <NUM> to prevent misrecognition.

<FIG> schematically illustrates the vehicle including the switch control device <NUM> according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, the vehicle may include the battery pack <NUM> and a load <NUM> receiving electric power from the battery pack <NUM>. The battery pack <NUM> may include the switch <NUM>, the switch control device <NUM>, and a battery module <NUM>.

The battery module <NUM> may include cells connected in series or parallel to each other.

The switch <NUM> may control electrical connection between the battery module <NUM> and the load <NUM>. The switch <NUM> may include a contactor, a relay, or the like.

The switch control device <NUM> may control an open or closed state of the switch <NUM>. As described with reference to <FIG>, the switch control device <NUM> may include the controller <NUM>, the switch driver <NUM>, and the counter <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> of the switch control device <NUM> may be a battery management system (BMS) of the battery pack <NUM>. In this case, the controller <NUM> may output the state signal indicating the operating state of the controller <NUM>, the control signal for controlling the opening and closing of the switch <NUM>, and the like based on state information of the battery module <NUM>, state information of a system (e.g., the vehicle) at which the battery pack <NUM> is mounted, a driving mode, or the like. For example, the controller <NUM> may determine whether the switch <NUM> is opened or closed according to a state of the battery pack <NUM> or a state of the system (the vehicle) at which the battery pack <NUM> is mounted, and may output the control signal for controlling the opening and closing of the switch <NUM> to the switch.

The switch <NUM> mounted at the battery pack <NUM> may abnormally operate due to various factors such as an inrush current, high current conduction, a power noise, a malfunction of the switch driver <NUM>, and the like even while the controller <NUM> abnormally operates. As described above, the switch control device <NUM> may detect the number of times that the switch <NUM> is abnormally opened or closed while the controller <NUM> abnormally operates, and may detect the abnormal operation of the switch <NUM> based on the detected number of times.

The controller <NUM> of the switch control device <NUM> may detect a malfunction of the switch <NUM> while the controller <NUM> abnormally operates based on the information on the number of switch operations received from the counter <NUM>. When the malfunction of the switch <NUM> is detected, the switch control device <NUM> may provide information on the detected malfunction of the switch to a controller of the system (the vehicle) at which the battery pack <NUM> is mounted. When the number of switch operations counted while the controller <NUM> abnormally operates is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the switch control device <NUM> may determine that a failure occurs in the switch driver <NUM>, and may notify the controller of the system (the vehicle) at which the battery pack <NUM> is mounted of the failure of the switch driver <NUM>.

<FIG> schematically illustrates an operating method of the switch control device <NUM> according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, the switch control device <NUM> according to the embodiment may determine whether the controller <NUM> enters the abnormal state based on the state signal (e.g., the reset signal) output from the controller <NUM> (S11). When the controller <NUM> enters the abnormal state, the switch control device <NUM> may count the number of switch operations (S12). The number of switch operations is the number of times that the switch <NUM> is operated in the open or closed state by the driving signal output from the switch driver <NUM>.

Thereafter, when it is confirmed that the controller <NUM> returns to the normal state based on the state signal output from the controller <NUM> in a step S13, the switch control device <NUM> may end counting the number of switch operations (S14). In addition, the switch control device <NUM> may detect the malfunction of the switch <NUM> while the controller <NUM> operates in the abnormal state based on the counted number of switch operations (S15). When the counted number of switch operations is greater than or equal to the threshold value in a step S16, the switch control device <NUM> may determine that a failure of the switch driver <NUM> has occurred rather than a temporary malfunction of the switch driver <NUM> (S17), and may notify an upper controller (e.g., a controller of a system (e.g., a vehicle) at which the battery pack <NUM> is mounted) of a system at which the switch control device <NUM> is installed of the failure.

Electronic or electrical devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure and/or other related devices or constituent elements may be realized by using appropriate hardware, firmware (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit), software, or combinations of software, firmware, and hardware. For example, various configurations of the above-noted devices may be positioned on one integrated circuit (IC) chip or an individual IC chip. In addition, various configurations of the above-noted devices may be realized on a flexible printed circuit film, a tape carrier package (TCP), a printed circuit board (PCB), or one substrate. The electrical or mutual connections described in the present specification may, for example, be realized by the PCB, wires on different types of circuit carriers, or conductive elements. The conductive elements may, for example, include metallization such as surface metallizations and/or pins, and may include conductive polymers or ceramics.

In addition, the various configurations of the devices may be performed by at least one processor so as to perform the above-described various functions, they may be performed in at least one computing device, and they may be processes or threads for performing computer program instructions and interacting with other system constituent elements. The computer program instruction is stored in a memory realizable in a computing device using a standard memory device such as a random access memory (RAM). The computer program instruction may also be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium such as a CD-ROM or a flash drive.

Claim 1:
A switch control device (<NUM>), comprising:
a controller (<NUM>) configured to output a control signal controlling opening and closing of a switch (<NUM>);
a switch driver (<NUM>) configured to output a driving signal controlling opening and closing of the switch (<NUM>) to the switch (<NUM>) according to the control signal;
characterised in that
a counter (<NUM>) connected between an output terminal of the switch driver (<NUM>) and the switch (<NUM>), configured to receive a state signal indicating an operating state of the controller (<NUM>) from the controller (<NUM>), and to count a number of times that the switch (<NUM>) is operated in an open or closed state by the driving signal when the state signal indicates an abnormal state of the controller (<NUM>),
wherein the controller (<NUM>) is further configured to detect a malfunction of the switch (<NUM>) while the controller (<NUM>) operates in an abnormal state based on the number of times.