Battery pack, control device, control method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11489355-B2
Application number	US-201816644056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 4, 2017
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A battery pack (2000) includes a secondary battery (2020), a sensor (2040), and a control device (2060). The secondary battery (2020) supplies electric power to a flying object (10). The sensor (2040) outputs a measurement value related to a force applied to the secondary battery (2020) or a periphery of the secondary battery. The control device (2060) has a determination unit (2062). The determination unit (2062) determines a danger level of the secondary battery (2020) based on the measurement value of the sensor (2040).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery pack comprising:
a secondary battery that supplies electric power to a flying object;
a sensor that outputs a measurement value related to a force applied to the secondary battery or a periphery of the secondary battery; and
a control device,
wherein the control device includes a determination unit that determines a danger level of the secondary battery based on the measurement value of the sensor,
wherein the control device includes a control unit that controls discharge performed by the secondary battery so that residual energy of the secondary battery is exhausted in a case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined danger level,
wherein the control unit outputs the electric power of the secondary battery to a load which is different from the flying object in the case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined danger level, and
wherein the control unit, in a case where the flying object is falling, performs:
estimating energy required until the flying object lands; and
deciding a magnitude of the electric power to be output from the secondary battery to the load based on a value acquired by subtracting the estimated energy from residual energy of the secondary battery.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination unit estimates a magnitude of a pressure, an impact, or a vibration applied to the secondary battery or the periphery of the secondary battery based on the measurement value of the sensor, and determines the danger level of the secondary battery based on a difference between a result of the estimation and a reference value.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination unit estimates a pose of the flying object based on the measurement value of the sensor, and determines the danger level of the secondary battery based on the estimated pose.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination unit estimates whether or not the flying object is falling based on the measurement value of the sensor, and determines the danger level of the secondary battery based on a result of the estimation.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit cuts a fuse provided on an electric power line for connecting the secondary battery to an outside of the battery pack in the case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined danger level.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a notification unit that notifies that the secondary battery is in a dangerous state to an outside of the battery pack in the case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined danger level.

7. A control device that is comprised in the battery pack according to claim 1 .

8. A control method executed by a control device,
wherein the control device controls a battery pack, the battery pack including a secondary battery that supplies electric power to a flying object, and a sensor that outputs a measurement value related to a force applied to the secondary battery or a periphery of the secondary battery,
the control method comprising:
determining a danger level of the secondary battery based on the measurement value of the sensor,
wherein the control device includes a control unit that controls discharge performed by the secondary battery so that residual energy of the secondary battery is exhausted in a case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined danger level,
wherein the control method further comprises:
outputting the electric power of the secondary battery to a load which is different from the flying object in the case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined danger level, and
in a case where the flying object is falling:
estimating energy required until the flying object lands; and
deciding a magnitude of the electric power to be output from the secondary battery to the load based on a value acquired by subtracting the estimated energy from residual energy of the secondary battery.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program causing the control device that controls the battery pack to execute the control method according to claim 8 .

10. A battery pack comprising:
a secondary battery that supplies electric power to a flying object;
a sensor that outputs a measurement value related to a force applied to the secondary battery or a periphery of the secondary battery; and
a control device,
wherein the control device includes a determination unit that determines a danger level of the secondary battery based on the measurement value of the sensor,
wherein the control device includes a control unit that controls discharge performed by the secondary battery so that residual energy of the secondary battery is exhausted in a case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined danger level,
wherein the control unit outputs the electric power of the secondary battery to a load which is different from the flying object in the case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined danger level,
wherein the control unit outputs the electric power of the secondary battery to the load in both a case where the flying object is falling and a case after the flying object lands, and
wherein a first magnitude of the electric power to be output from the secondary battery to the load after the flying object lands is larger than a second magnitude of the electric power to be output from the secondary battery to the load while the flying object is falling.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10 ,
wherein the determination unit estimates a magnitude of a pressure, an impact, or a vibration applied to the secondary battery or the periphery of the secondary battery based on the measurement value of the sensor, and determines the danger level of the secondary battery based on a difference between a result of the estimation and a reference value.

12. The battery pack according to claim 10 ,
wherein the determination unit estimates a pose of the flying object based on the measurement value of the sensor, and determines the danger level of the secondary battery based on the estimated pose.

13. The battery pack according to claim 10 ,
wherein the determination unit estimates whether or not the flying object is falling based on the measurement value of the sensor, and determines the danger level of the secondary battery based on a result of the estimation.

14. The battery pack according to claim 10 ,
wherein the control unit cuts a fuse provided on an electric power line for connecting the secondary battery to an outside of the battery pack in the case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined danger level.

15. The battery pack according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a notification unit that notifies that the secondary battery is in a dangerous state to an outside of the battery pack in the case where the danger level of the secondary battery is equal to or higher than the predetermined danger level.

Assignees

• Envision Aesc Japan Ltd
• Envision Aesc Energy Devices Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Hiroshi

Classifications

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/60

  including safety or protection arrangements · CPC title

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title