Battery management system and communication method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10938628-B2
Application number	US-201916540402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a battery management system and a communication method. The method includes: determining, by a main BMU, from a plurality of managed units a fault unit that communicates abnormally with the main BMU, and transmitting, by the main BMU, to a backup BMU a fault frequency at which the fault unit communicates abnormally with the main BMU; selecting, by the backup BMU, from the managed units a managed unit that communicates normally with the backup BMU and the fault unit as a target unit; transmitting, by the backup BMU, frequency-conversion information to the fault unit through the target unit based on the fault frequency; converting, by the fault unit, its frequency to a frequency; transmitting the frequency to the main BMU if the backup BMU communicates normally with the fault unit using the frequency; and communicating, by the main BMU, with the fault unit using the frequency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication method for use in a battery management system comprising a main battery management unit (BMU), a backup BMU and a plurality of managed units, the method comprising:
determining, by the main BMU, from the plurality of managed units a first fault unit that communicates abnormally with the main BMU, and transmitting, by the main BMU, to the backup BMU a fault frequency at which the first fault unit communicates abnormally with the main BMU;
selecting, by the backup BMU, from the plurality of managed units a managed unit that communicates normally with both the backup BMU and the first fault unit as a first target unit;
transmitting, by the backup BMU, first frequency conversion information to the first fault unit through the first target unit based on the fault frequency, wherein the first frequency conversion information is to instruct the first fault unit to convert its frequency to a first frequency;
converting, by the first fault unit, its frequency to the first frequency based on the first frequency conversion information;
transmitting, by the backup BMU, the first frequency to the main BMU if the backup BMU communicates normally with the first fault unit using the first frequency; and
communicating, by the main BMU, with the first fault unit using the first frequency.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting, by the backup BMU, the first frequency to all managed units of the plurality of managed units except the first fault unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting, by the backup BMU, from the plurality of managed units a managed unit that communicates normally with both the backup BMU and the first fault unit as a first target unit comprises:
selecting, by the backup BMU, from the plurality of managed units any managed unit other than the first fault unit as a first managed unit;
determining, by the backup BMU, whether the first managed unit communicates normally with the backup BMU and the first fault unit;
determining, by the backup BMU, the first managed unit as the first target unit, if the first managed unit communicates normally with both the backup BMU and the first fault unit; and
reselecting, by the backup BMU, the first managed unit until the first target unit is selected from the plurality of managed units by the backup BMU, if the first managed unit communicates abnormally with at least one of the backup BMU and the first fault unit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
forwarding, by the main BMU, data between the main BMU and the first fault unit through the backup BMU and the first target unit, if the backup BMU communicates abnormally with the first fault unit using the first frequency.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
performing a timed frequency hopping, by both the backup BMU and the first fault unit, based on a preset first frequency hopping rule if the backup BMU fails to select the first target unit from the plurality of managed units, wherein a second frequency of the backup BMU after the timed frequency hopping is consistent with a frequency of the first fault unit after the timed frequency hopping based on the first frequency hopping rule;
communicating, by the backup BMU, with the first fault unit using the second frequency after the frequency hopping;
transmitting, by the backup BMU, the second frequency after the frequency hopping to the main BMU if the backup BMU communicates normally with the first fault unit using the second frequency after the frequency hopping; and
communicating, by the main BMU, with the first fault unit using the second frequency after the frequency hopping.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises:
reporting, by the backup BMU, fault information of the first fault unit if the backup BMU communicates abnormally with the first fault unit using the second frequency after the frequency hopping.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
communicating, by the backup BMU, with each of the plurality of managed units, if the main BMU operates abnormally and the backup BMU operates normally;
determining, by the backup BMU, from the plurality of managed units a second fault unit that communicates abnormally with the backup BMU;
selecting, by the backup BMU, from the plurality of managed units a managed unit that communicates normally with both the backup BMU and the second fault unit as a second target unit;
forwarding, by the backup BMU, second frequency conversion information to the second fault unit through the second target unit, wherein the second frequency conversion information is to instruct the second fault unit to convert its frequency to a third frequency;
converting, by the second fault unit, its frequency to the third frequency based on the second frequency conversion information; and
communicating, by the backup BMU, with the second fault unit using the third frequency, and transmitting, by the backup BMU, the third frequency to all managed units of the plurality of managed units except the second fault unit.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
forwarding, by the backup BMU, data between the backup BMU and the second fault unit through the second target unit, if the backup BMU communicates abnormally with the second fault unit using the third frequency.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
performing a timed frequency hopping, by both the backup BMU and the second fault unit, based on a preset second frequency hopping rule if the backup BMU fails to select the second target unit from the plurality of managed units, wherein a fourth frequency of the backup BMU after the frequency hopping is consistent with a frequency of the second fault unit after the timed frequency hopping based on the second frequency hopping rule;
communicating, by the backup BMU, with the second fault unit using the fourth frequency after the frequency hopping;
transmitting, by the backup BMU, the fourth frequency after the frequency hopping to all managed units of the plurality of managed units except the second fault unit if the backup BMU communicates normally with the second fault unit using the fourth frequency after the frequency hopping; and
reporting, by the backup BMU, fault information of the second fault unit if the backup BMU communicates abnormally with the second fault unit using the fourth frequency after the frequency hopping.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining, by the main BMU, from the plurality of managed units a third fault unit that communicates abnormally with the main BMU, if the main BMU operates normally and the backup BMU operates abnormally;
selecting, by the main BMU, from the plurality of managed units a managed unit that communicates normally with both the main BMU and the third fault unit as a third target unit;
forwarding, by the main BMU, third frequency conversion information to the third fault unit through the third target unit, wherein the third frequency conversion information is to instruct the third fault unit to convert its frequency to a fifth frequency;
converting, by the third fault unit, its frequency to the fifth frequency based on the third frequency conversion information; and
communicating, by the main BMU, with the third fault unit using the fifth frequency, and transmitting, by the main BMU, the fifth frequency to all managed units of the plurality of managed units except the third fault unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
forwarding, by the main BMU,

Assignees

• Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dan Zhimin
• Lu Wenbin
• Zhang Wei
• Hou Yizhen
• Xu Jia
• Luo Jiechao
• Yu Teng

Classifications

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/40 Primary

  characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04L43/10

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title