# US 12,000,900 B2 · Apparatus and method for controlling turn-on operation of switch units included in parallel multi-battery pack > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,900 B2 - Document ID: US12000900B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/435,188 - Filed: 2020-10-15 - Published: 2022-05-12 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-22 - Assignees: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Applicants: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Inventors: Su-Won Kang; Han-Sol Kim; Bum-Hee Lee; Sang-Ki Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000900B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/3842: combining voltage and current measurements - H02J 7/56: Active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters - G01R 31/396: Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery - H02J 7/80: including monitoring or indicating arrangements - B60L 58/22: Balancing the charge of battery modules - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - 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 ## Abstract Disclosed is an apparatus and method for controlling a turn-on sequence of switches included in a parallel multi battery pack, including a processor that receives a switch voltage value from a voltage sensor coupled to a kth sequence switch unit (k is a turn-on sequence index, which is a natural number of 2 to n) before turning on the kth sequence switch, then turns on the kth sequence switch, subsequently receives a switch current value from a current sensor connected to the kth sequence switch, counts a watt energy value consumed in the kth sequence switch from the switch voltage value and the switch current value and determines the turn-on sequence of the first to nth switches in descending order from a switch having a greatest watt energy count value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A turn-on operation control apparatus of a switch unit included in a parallel multi battery pack, which controls a turn-on operation of switches included in first to nth battery packs connected in parallel through a parallel link node, the turn-on operation control apparatus comprising: first to nth switches respectively installed on power lines of the first to nth battery packs; first to nth current sensors connected to the switches respectively installed on the power lines of the first to nth battery packs to measure currents flowing through the corresponding switches; first to nth voltage sensors respectively coupled to the first to nth switches to measure both-end voltages of the corresponding switches; and a processor operatively coupled to the first to nth switches, the first to nth current sensors and the first to nth voltage sensors, wherein the processor is configured to: connect the first to nth battery packs in parallel by turning on the first to nth switches according to a preset turn-on sequence before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated, receive a switch voltage value from a voltage sensor coupled to a kth sequence switch (k is a turn-on sequence index, which is a natural number of 2 to n) before turning on the kth sequence switch, then turn on the kth sequence switch, subsequently receive a switch current value from a current sensor connected to the kth sequence switch, and count a watt energy value consumed in the kth sequence switch from the switch voltage value and the switch current value, and determine the turn-on sequence of the first to nth switches in descending order from a switch having a greatest watt energy count value by referring to watt energy count values respectively corresponding to the first to nth switches before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The turn-on operation control apparatus of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 1, wherein each of the first to nth switches includes a high-potential switch and a low-potential switch, and the processor is configured to receive a switch voltage value from a voltage sensor coupled to the high-potential switch included in the kth sequence switch (k is a turn-on sequence index, which is a natural number of 2 to n) before turning on the kth sequence switch, and then turn on the kth sequence switch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The turn-on operation control apparatus of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to receive a switch current value from a current sensor connected to the high-potential switch included in the kth sequence switch, and count a watt energy value consumed in the kth sequence switch from the switch voltage value and the switch current value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The turn-on operation control apparatus of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising: a memory in which the switch voltage values and the switch current values of the first to nth switches and the watt energy count values consumed in the first to nth switches are recorded, wherein the processor is configured to determine the turn-on sequence of the first to nth switches in descending order from a switch having the greatest watt energy count value by referring to the watt energy count values respectively corresponding to the first to nth switches from the memory before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The turn-on operation control apparatus of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 3, further comprising: a memory in which the switch voltage values of the high-potential switches respectively included in the first to nth switches, the switch current values flowing through the high-potential switches respectively included in the first to nth switches and the watt energy count values consumed in the first to nth switches are recorded, wherein the processor is configured to determine the turn-on sequence of the first to nth switches in descending order from a switch having the greatest watt energy count value by referring to the watt energy count values respectively corresponding to the first to nth switches before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The turn-on operation control apparatus of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first to nth switches are relay switches. ### Claim 7 A turn-on operation control method of a switch included in a parallel multi battery pack, which controls a turn-on operation of switches included in first to nth battery packs connected in parallel through a parallel link node, the turn-on operation control method comprising: (a) providing first to nth switches respectively installed on power lines of the first to nth battery packs; first to nth current sensors connected to the switches respectively installed on the power lines of the first to nth battery packs to measure currents flowing through the corresponding switches; and first to nth voltage sensors respectively coupled to the first to nth switches to measure both-end voltages of the corresponding switches; and (b) connecting the first to nth battery packs in parallel by turning on the first to nth switches according to a preset turn-on sequence before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated, receiving a switch voltage value from a voltage sensor coupled to a kth sequence switch (k is a turn-on sequence index, which is a natural number of 2 to n) before turning on the kth sequence switch, then turning on the kth sequence switch, subsequently receiving a switch current value from a current sensor connected to the kth sequence switch, and counting and storing a watt energy value consumed in the kth sequence switch from the switch voltage value and the switch current value, wherein the turn-on sequence of the first to nth switches is determined in descending order from a switch having a greatest watt energy count value by referring to watt energy count values respectively corresponding to the first to nth switches before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The turn-on operation control method of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 7, wherein each of the first to nth switches includes a high-potential switch and a low-potential switch, and in the step (b), a switch voltage value is received from a voltage sensor coupled to the high-potential switch included in the kth sequence switch (k is a turn-on sequence index, which is a natural number of 2 to n) before turning on the kth sequence switch, and then the kth sequence switch is turned on. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The turn-on operation control method of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 8, wherein in the step (b), a switch current value is received from a current sensor connected to the high-potential switch included in the kth sequence switch, and a watt energy value consumed in the kth sequence switch is counted based on the switch voltage value and the switch current value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The turn-on operation control method of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 9, further comprising: storing in memory the switch voltage values and the switch current values of the first to nth switches and the watt energy count values consumed in the first to nth switches, wherein in the step (b), the turn-on sequence of the first to nth switches is determined in descending order from a switch having the having a greatest watt energy count value by referring to the stored watt energy count values respectively corresponding to the first to nth switches before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The turn-on operation control method of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 9, further comprising: storing in memory the switch voltage values of the high-potential switches respectively included in the first to nth switches, the switch current values flowing through the high-potential switches respectively included in the first to nth switches and the watt energy count values consumed in the first to nth switches, wherein in the step (b), the turn-on sequence of the first to nth switches is determined in descending order from a switch having the greatest watt energy count value by referring to the stored watt energy count values respectively corresponding to the first to nth switches before charging or discharging of the parallel multi battery pack is initiated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The turn-on operation control method of switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the first to nth switches are relay switches. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A battery management system, comprising the turn-on operation control apparatus of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An electric driving mechanism, comprising the turn-on operation control apparatus of the switch included in the parallel multi battery pack according to claim 1.