Patent Application
20240085482
The present invention relates to a battery pack charging system and a method therefor, and more particularly, to a power bank having a function of providing a chargeable range of a battery pack, and the battery pack charging system including the same, and the method thereof.
Recently, as the number of people who enjoy camping increases, the demand for a power bank is increasing to use an electronic device in outdoor environments where an electric outlet is not available. In addition, an auxiliary battery is widely used to charge and use various electronic devices including a mobile phone and a notebook computer.
In order to prevent a sudden unusable situation from occurring due to battery exhaustion of the electronic device in outdoor environments, it is important to predict and use how much the power bank or auxiliary battery can charge the electronic device that a charging counterpart.
However, in the case of most current power banks and auxiliary batteries, only the remaining capacity information of the power bank or auxiliary battery is provided through an external LED, and information on how far the charging target (electronic device) can be charged with the current power of the power bank or auxiliary battery is not provided. Accordingly, the user is using the power bank and the auxiliary battery depending on empirical rough information (LED) without knowing exact information about chargeable capacity of the charging counterpart and accordingly, a problem accompanied by inconvenience and anxiety occurs in the process of using it.
As such prior art, there is a following patent document.
The present invention is intended to solve the problems described above, and is to provide information on how far the charging counterpart can be charged through an external display of the power bank (auxiliary battery) based on the remaining capacity of the power bank (auxiliary battery) and the current capacity of the charging counterpart after checking the capacity information through communication between the power bank (auxiliary battery) and the charging counterpart.
The present invention provides a battery pack charging system configured to include a power bank and a battery pack charged by receiving charging power from the power bank, in which the power bank and the battery pack each include a communication unit for mutual data communication, and a battery management system (BMS) of the power bank receives measured capacity information of the battery pack through a communication connection with the battery pack, and provides information (%) of chargeable capacity of the battery pack based on the received measured capacity information of the battery pack and a remaining capacity of the power bank.
In this case, the battery pack may be configured to include a first communication unit connected to the power bank through wired/wireless communication, a capacity information calculation unit that measures a value of open voltage circuit (OCV) of the battery pack and calculates a measured capacity using the measured value of OCV, an information transmitting unit that transmits the measured capacity of the battery pack calculated by the capacity information calculation unit and a capacity and SOC table of a storage unit to the power bank through the first communication unit, and the storage unit that stores the capacity and SOC table in which a capacity for each OCV and a state of charge (SOC, %) is recorded.
In addition, the power bank may be configured to include a second communication unit connected to the battery pack through wired/wireless communication, a remaining capacity calculation unit that calculates the remaining capacity of the power bank, an information receiving unit that receives the measured capacity information of the battery pack and the capacity and SOC table from the battery pack through the second communication unit, a chargeable range determination unit that compares a sum capacity of the measured capacity of the battery pack received by the information receiving unit and the remaining capacity of the power bank calculated by the remaining capacity calculation unit with a buffer capacity of the battery pack to determine a chargeable range of the battery pack according to the comparison result, and a display unit that externally displays the chargeable range of the battery pack determined by the chargeable range determination unit.
In this case, the chargeable range determination unit may be configured to include a capacity comparison unit that compares the sum capacity of the measured capacity of the battery pack received by the information receiving unit and the remaining capacity of the power bank calculated by the remaining capacity calculation unit with the buffer capacity the battery pack, and a chargeable capacity derivation unit that derives a chargeable capacity (%) of the battery pack with power of the power bank according to the comparison result of the capacity comparison unit.
The chargeable capacity derivation unit derives the chargeable capacity of the battery pack as 100% when the sum capacity is equal to or greater than the buffer capacity of the battery pack as a result of the comparison of the capacity comparison unit, and extracts an SOC value corresponding to the sum capacity from the capacity and SOC table obtained from the battery pack to derive the extracted SOC value (%) as the chargeable capacity of the battery pack when the sum capacity is less than the buffer capacity of the battery pack as a result of the comparison of the capacity comparison unit.
In addition, the present invention provides a method for charging a battery pack configured to include a communication connection step of connecting mutual data communication between a power bank and a battery pack charged by receiving charging power from the power bank, a capacity and SOC table obtaining step of obtaining, by the power bank, a capacity and SOC table in which a capacity for each open circuit voltage (OCV) and a SOC (%) are recorded from the battery pack which is communicatively connected in the communication connection step, a measured capacity information receiving step of receiving, by the power bank, a measured capacity according to an OCV measured value of the battery pack from the battery pack which is communicatively connected in the communication connection step, a remaining capacity information calculation step of calculating, by the power bank, a remaining capacity of the power bank, a chargeable range determination step of comparing, by the power bank, a sum capacity of the calculated remaining capacity of the power bank and the measured capacity of the battery pack received from the battery pack with a buffer capacity of the battery pack to determine a chargeable range of the battery pack according to the comparison result, and an information display step of displaying, by the power bank, the determined chargeable range (%) of the battery pack on an external display.
In this case, the chargeable range determination step may be configured to include a capacity comparison step of comparing the sum capacity of the remaining capacity of the power bank calculated in the remaining capacity information calculation step and the measured capacity of the battery pack received in the measured capacity information receiving step with the buffer capacity of the battery pack, and a chargeable capacity derivation step of deriving the chargeable capacity of the battery pack according to the comparison result in the capacity comparison step.
In this case, in the chargeable capacity derivation step, when the sum capacity of the remaining capacity of the power bank and the measured capacity of the battery pack is equal to or greater than the buffer capacity of the battery pack as the result of the comparison in the capacity comparison step, the chargeable capacity of the battery pack is derived as 100%, and when the sum capacity of the remaining capacity of the power bank and the measured capacity of the battery pack is less than the buffer capacity of the battery pack as the result of the comparison of the capacity comparison step, an SOC value corresponding to the sum capacity is extracted from the capacity and SOC table, in which a capacity for each OCV and an SOC (%) are recorded, obtained from the battery pack and the extracted SOC value (%) is derived as the chargeable capacity of the battery pack.
The present invention can improve user convenience by providing information on the chargeable capacity of the charging target (battery pack) to the external display of the power bank (auxiliary battery) based on the remaining capacity of the power bank after checking the capacity information through communication between the power bank and the charging target.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1. Battery Pack Charging System According to the Present Invention
Referring to
1.1. Battery Pack 100
The battery pack 100 is a configuration that is charged by receiving charging power from the power bank 200 through a charging terminal (not illustrated and functions as a power driving source for an electronic device (e.g., a mobile phone, a laptop, etc.) in which the battery pack 100 is mounted.
The battery pack 100 of the present invention may be configured to include the following detailed configurations.
1.1.1. First Communication Unit 110
The first communication unit 110 is a configuration for mutual data communication with the power bank (200). More specifically, it is communicatively connected to a second communication unit 210 of the power bank 200 to be described later. The data communication connection may be made in a wired or wireless connection method.
1.1.2. Capacity Information Calculation Unit 120
The capacity information calculation unit 120 measures an open voltage circuit (OCV, open voltage) value of the battery pack 100, and calculates a measured capacity by using the measured OCV value.
A known technique is used in calculating the measured capacity according to the OCV measured value.
1.1.3. Information Transmitting Unit 130
The information transmitting unit 130 is a configuration that transmits the measured capacity of the battery pack 100 calculated by the capacity information calculating unit 120, a capacity, and an SOC table stored in a storage unit 140 to be described later to the power bank 200 through the first communication unit 110.
1.1.4. Storage Unit 140
The storage unit 140 is a configuration that stores a capacity and SOC table in a capacity for each open voltage circuit (OCV) and a state of charge (SOC, %) corresponding thereto is recorded, prepared in advance through an experiment.
The capacity and SOC table may be, for example, in the form of the table shown in
1.2. Power Bank or Auxiliary Battery 200
The power bank or auxiliary battery 200 is a device for charging a connected electronic device (e.g., the mobile phone, laptop, etc.) (not illustrated) by applying power stored in a battery provided therein to the battery pack 100 built in the connected electronic device.
The power bank 200 of the present invention is configured to receive capacity information of the battery pack 100 through a communication connection with the battery pack 100, and provide information on a chargeable capacity of the battery pack 100 based on the received capacity information of the battery pack 100 and a remaining capacity of the power bank 200.
Such a power bank 200 includes a power bank battery, and may be configured to further include the following detailed configuration.
1.2.1. Second Communication Unit 210
The second communication unit 210 is a configuration for mutual data communication with the charging target battery pack 100 to be charged. More specifically, it is communicatively connected to the first communication unit 110 of the battery pack 100 described above. The data communication connection may be made in a wired or wireless connection method.
1.2.2. Remaining Capacity Calculation Unit 220
The remaining capacity calculation unit 220 is a configuration that calculates a remaining capacity of the power bank 200, specifically, the remaining capacity of a power bank battery (not illustrated) built in the power bank 200.
A known technique is used in calculating the remaining capacity.
1.2.3. Information Receiving Unit 230
The information receiving unit 230 is a configuration that receives the measured capacity information of the battery pack 100 and the capacity SOC table from the battery pack 100 through the second communication unit 210.
1.2.4. Chargeable Range Determination Unit 240
The chargeable range determination unit is a configuration that compares a sum capacity of the measured capacity of the battery pack 100 received by the information receiving unit 230 and the remaining capacity of the power bank 200 calculated by the remaining capacity calculation unit 220 with a buffer capacity of the battery pack 100 to determine a chargeable range of the battery pack 100 with the power of the power bank 200 according to the comparison result.
The chargeable range determination unit 240 may be configured to include the following detailed configuration.
a. Capacity Comparison Unit 242
The capacity comparison unit 242 is a configuration that compares the sum capacity of the measured capacity of the battery pack 100 received by the information receiving unit 230 and the remaining capacity of the power bank 200 calculated by the remaining capacity calculation unit 220 with the buffer capacity of the battery pack 100.
b. Chargeable Capacity Derivation Unit 244
The chargeable capacity derivation unit 244 is a configuration that derives the chargeable capacity of the battery pack 100 with the power of the power bank 200 according to the comparison result of the capacity comparison unit 242.
Specifically, as a result of the comparison, when the sum capacity is equal to or greater than the buffer capacity of the battery pack 100, the chargeable capacity of the battery pack 100 may be derived as 100%.
On the other hand, as a result of the comparison, when the sum capacity is less than the buffer capacity of the battery pack 100, an SOC value corresponding to the sum capacity may be extracted from the capacity and SOC table in which the capacity for each OCV from the battery pack 100 and the SOC (%) is recorded, and the extracted SOC value (%) may be derived as the chargeable capacity of the battery pack.
For example, when described with reference to the table of
1.2.5. Display Unit 250
The display unit 250 is a configuration that displays the chargeable range of the battery pack 100 determined by the chargeable range determination unit 240 so that the user can check the chargeable range.
More specifically, when the chargeable capacity derived from the chargeable capacity derivation unit 244 of the chargeable range determination unit 240 is 90%, the display unit displays it externally. The display unit of the present invention may include a first display unit displaying the remaining capacity of the power bank and a second display unit that numerically displays how much the battery pack 100, that is, a counterpart to be charged, can be charged.
Such configurations of the power bank 200 may be implemented in a battery management system (BMS) of the power bank 200.
2. Battery Pack Charging Method According to the Present Invention
Referring to
2.1. Communication Connection Step S100
The communication connection step S100 is a step of connecting data communication between the power bank or the auxiliary battery 200 and the battery pack 100 charged by receiving charging power from the power bank 200.
The data communication connection may be made in a wired or wireless connection method.
2.2. Capacity and SOC Table Obtaining Step S200
The capacity and SOC table obtaining step S200 is a step of obtaining, by the power bank 200, a capacity and SOC table in which a capacity for each open circuit voltage (OCV) and SOC (%) are recorded from the battery pack 100 which is communicatively connected in the communication connection step S100.
Here, the capacity and SOC table may be, for example, in the form of a table as shown in
2.3. Measured Capacity Information Receiving Step S300
The measured capacity information receiving step S300 is a step of receiving, by the power bank 200, a measured capacity according to an OCV measurement value of the battery pack 100 from the battery pack which is communicatively connected.
Here, in calculating the measured capacity by the battery pack 100, the open voltage circuit (OCV) value of the battery pack 100 is measured and the measured capacity is calculated using the measured OCV value.
A known technique is used in calculating the measured capacity according to the OCV measured value.
2.4. Remaining Capacity Information Calculation Step S400
The remaining capacity information calculation step S400 is a step of measuring/calculating the remaining capacity of the power bank 200. More specifically, the remaining capacity of the battery (not illustrated) built in the power bank 200 is calculated.
A known technique is used in calculating the remaining capacity.
2.5. Chargeable Range Determination Step S500
The chargeable range determination step S500 is a step of comparing, by the power bank 200, a sum capacity of the calculated remaining capacity of the power bank 200 and the measured capacity received from the battery pack 100 with a buffer capacity of the battery pack 100 to determine a chargeable range of the battery pack with the power of the power bank 200 according to the comparison result.
This chargeable range determination step (S500) may be configured to include the following detailed steps.
2.5.1. Capacity Comparison Step S510
The capacity comparison step S510 is a step of comparing the sum of the remaining capacity of the power bank 200 calculated in the remaining capacity information calculation step S400 and the measured capacity of the battery pack 100 received in the measured capacity information receiving step S300 with the buffer capacity of the battery pack 100.
2.5.2. Chargeable Capacity Derivation Step S520
In the chargeable capacity derivation step S520, the chargeable capacity of the battery pack 100 is derived with the power of the power bank 200 according to the comparison result of the capacity comparison step S510.
Specifically, when the sum of the remaining capacity of the power bank 200 and the measured capacity of the battery pack 100 is equal to or greater than the buffer capacity of the battery pack as the result of the comparison in the capacity comparison step S510, the chargeable capacity of the battery pack 100 may be derived as 100%.
On the other hand, when the sum capacity of the remaining capacity of the power bank 200 and the measured capacity of the battery pack 100 is less than the buffer capacity of the battery pack as the result of the comparison of the capacity comparison step S510, an SOC value corresponding to the sum capacity may be extracted from the capacity and SOC table, in which the capacity for each OCV and the SOC (%) are recorded, obtained from the battery pack 100, and the extracted SOC value (%) may be derived as the chargeable capacity of the battery pack 100.
For example, when described with reference to the table of
2.6. Information Display Step S600
The information display step S600 is a step of displaying the chargeable capacity value (%) derived in the chargeable capacity derivation step S520 of the chargeable range determination step S500 on an external display 250 provided in the power bank 200.
In this way, information on how far the battery pack can be charged based the remaining capacity of the power bank and the measured capacity of the battery pack through communication between the power bank (auxiliary battery) and the battery pack built into the charging counterpart (electronic device) is displayed and provided to the user, thereby capable of increasing convenience and satisfaction with use of the user.
Meanwhile, although the technical idea of the present invention has been described in detail according to the above embodiments, it should be noted that the above embodiments are for description and not for limitation. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that various embodiments are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention.
Although the power bank having a function of providing a chargeable range of a battery pack, the battery pack charging system including the same, and the method therefor have been described with reference to the specific embodiments, they are not limited thereto. Therefore, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2021-0145885 | Oct 2021 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2022/016501 | 10/26/2022 | WO |
