# US 10,320,204 B2 · Electric storage apparatus and electric-storage controlling method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,204 B2 - Document ID: US10320204B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/797,567 - Filed: 2017-10-30 - Published: 2018-08-02 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-31 - Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited - Applicants: Fujitsu Ten Limited - Inventors: Yukio Ishikawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320204B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/54: Passive balancing, e.g. using resistors or parallel MOSFETs - B60L 58/19: Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules - B60L 58/22: Balancing the charge of battery modules - H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)} - H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) - H01M 10/441: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H02J 7/52: for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries - H02J 7/56: Active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters - H02J 7/61: against overcharge - H02J 7/63: against overdischarge - H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC] - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An electric storage apparatus according to one exemplary aspect of an embodiment of the disclosure includes a battery unit, a determination unit, and a connection controlling unit. In the battery unit, a plurality of storage batteries is connected in parallel. Each of the storage batteries includes serially connected electric storage elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric storage apparatus comprising: a battery unit in which a plurality of storage batteries are configured to be connected in parallel, each of the plurality of storage batteries including serially connected electric storage elements; a determination unit that determines, based on electric potentials of the plurality of storage batteries and the electric storage elements; (i) whether or not one or more storage batteries to be discharged by connecting in parallel the plurality of storage batteries include one or more electric storage elements, of the electric storage elements, to be over-discharged, and (ii) whether or not one or more storage batteries to be charged by connecting in parallel the plurality of storage batteries include one or more electric storage elements, of the electric storage elements, to be over-charged; and a connection controlling unit that excludes, from target storage batteries to be equalized, (i) the one or more storage batteries to be discharged, which are determined by the determination unit to include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-discharged and (ii) the one or more storage batteries to be charged, which are determined by the determination unit to include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-charged, when connecting in parallel the plurality of storage batteries in a non-charge/discharge period of the battery unit to equalize the electric potentials of the plurality of storage batteries. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when charge or discharge performed by the battery unit is terminated, the determination unit determines: (i) whether or not the one or more storage batteries to be discharged include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-discharged, and (ii) whether or not the one or more storage batteries to be charged include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-charged. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines, in a time interval for equalizing the electric potentials of the plurality of storage batteries; (i) whether or not the one or more storage batteries to be discharged include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-discharged, and (ii) whether or not the one or more storage batteries to be charged include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-charged. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a computing unit that computes an equalizing time interval from a time point at which charge or discharge performed by the battery unit is terminated to a time point at which the electric potentials of the plurality of storage batteries are equalized; and a time counting unit that counts an elapsed time interval from the time point at which the charge or the discharge performed by the battery unit is terminated, wherein the connection controlling unit disconnects all of the plurality of storage batteries connected in parallel when the equalizing time interval has elapsed from a time point at which the time counting unit starts to count the elapsed time interval. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electric storage apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in a case where the charge or the discharge to be performed by the battery unit is started; when a time interval obtained by excepting the equalizing time interval from the elapsed time interval is equal to or more than a time interval for eliminating polarization of the plurality of storage batteries, the connection controlling unit connects in parallel the plurality of storage batteries in a connection order based on charge states of the plurality of storage batteries. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The electric storage apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a storage that stores charge states of the plurality of storage batteries when the charge or the discharge performed by the battery unit is terminated, wherein in a case where the charge or the discharge to be performed by the battery unit is started; when a time interval obtained by excepting the equalizing time interval from the elapsed time interval is less than a time interval for eliminating polarization of the plurality of storage batteries, the connection controlling unit connects in parallel the plurality of storage batteries in a connection order based on the charge states stored in the storage. ### Claim 7 An electric-storage controlling method to be executed by a computer, the method comprising: while a plurality of storage batteries are configured to be connected in parallel in a battery unit, and each of the plurality of storage batteries includes serially connected electric storage elements; determining, based on electric potentials of the plurality of storage batteries and the electric storage elements; (i) whether or not one or more storage batteries to be discharged by connecting in parallel the plurality of storage batteries include one or more electric storage elements, of the electric storage elements, to be over-discharged, and (ii) whether or not one or more storage batteries to be charged by connecting in parallel the plurality of storage batteries include one or more electric storage elements, of the electric storage elements, to be over-charged; and excluding, from target storage batteries to be equalized, (i) the one or more storage batteries to be discharged, which are determined in the determining, to include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-discharged and (ii) the one or more storage batteries to be charged, which are determined in the determining to include the one or more electric storage elements to be over-charged, when connecting in parallel the plurality of storage batteries in a non-charge/discharge period of the battery unit to equalize the electric potentials of the plurality of storage batteries.