# US 12,007,445 B2 · Battery apparatus, battery management system, and method of diagnosing supply voltage of contactor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,445 B2 - Document ID: US12007445B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/634,677 - Filed: 2021-07-06 - Published: 2022-08-25 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-22 - Assignees: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Applicants: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Inventors: Sookwon Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007445B2 ## CPC - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - G01R 31/364: Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements - G01R 19/16542: {for batteries (charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36)} - G01R 19/16566: {Circuits and arrangements for comparing voltage or current with one or several thresholds and for indicating the result not covered by subgroups G01R19/16504, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533} - G01R 31/3278: {of relays, solenoids or reed switches (measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002)} - G01R 31/3835: involving only voltage measurements - H01H 47/002: {Monitoring or fail-safe circuits} - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - 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 - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A plurality of driving circuits drive a plurality of contactors for connecting the battery pack and an external apparatus, respectively, based on a supply voltage. A processing circuitry control the plurality of driving circuits to sequentially close the plurality of contactors in a predetermined order, and check the supply voltage before closing each of the contactors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery apparatus, comprising: a battery pack; a plurality of contactors configured to connect the battery pack and an external apparatus; a plurality of driving circuits configured to drive the plurality of contactors based on a supply voltage, respectively; and a processing circuitry configured to control the plurality of driving circuits to sequentially close the plurality of contactors in a predetermined order, and check the supply voltage before closing each of the plurality of contactors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contactors includes: a first contactor connected between a negative terminal of the battery pack and a negative link terminal for connection with the external apparatus; a second contactor for pre-charging, connected between a positive terminal of the battery pack and a positive link terminal for connection with the external apparatus; and a third contactor connected between the positive terminal of the battery pack and the positive link terminal, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: close the plurality of contactors in an order of the first contactor, the second contactor, and the third contactor; check the supply voltage before closing the first contactor; check the supply voltage before closing the second contactor; and check the supply voltage before closing the third contactor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: compare the supply voltage with a predetermined voltage before closing each of the plurality of contactors; and close a corresponding one of the plurality of contactors in response to the supply voltage being equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The battery apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, in response to the supply voltage being lower than the predetermined voltage, compare the supply voltage with the predetermined voltage after waiting for a predetermined time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The battery apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, in response to a number of times of comparing the supply voltage with the predetermined voltage reaching a predetermined number of times, diagnose that there is a fault in the supply voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The battery apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: count a counter each time the supply voltage is compared with the predetermined voltage; and diagnose that there is the fault in the supply voltage in response to a count value of the counter reaching a predetermined value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of contactors includes a switch and a relay coil, and wherein the supply voltage is a voltage that drives the relay coil of each of the plurality of contactors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry checks whether the supply voltage before closing each of the plurality of contactors is a stable voltage. ### Claim 9 A method of diagnosing a supply voltage configured to drive a plurality of contactors including a first contactor and a second contactor configured to connect a battery pack and an external apparatus, the method comprising: checking the supply voltage before closing the first contactor; comparing the supply voltage checked before closing the first contactor with a predetermined voltage; closing the first contactor in response to the supply voltage checked before closing the first contactor being equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage; checking the supply voltage before closing the second contactor; comparing the supply voltage checked before closing the second contactor with the predetermined voltage; and closing the second contactor in response to the supply voltage checked before closing the second contactor being equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to the supply voltage checked before closing the first contactor being lower than the predetermined voltage, comparing the supply voltage checked after waiting for a predetermined time with the predetermined voltage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising diagnosing that there is a fault in the supply voltage in response to a number of times of comparing the supply voltage with the predetermined voltage reaching a predetermined number of times. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to the supply voltage checked before closing the second contactor being lower than the predetermined voltage, comparing the supply voltage checked after waiting for a predetermined time with the predetermined voltage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising diagnosing that there is a fault in the supply voltage in response to a number of times of comparing the supply voltage with the predetermined voltage reaching a predetermined number of times. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of contactors includes a switch and a relay coil, and wherein the supply voltage is a voltage that drives the relay coil of each of the plurality of contactors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the checking of the supply voltage before closing the second contactor checks whether the supply voltage is a stable voltage. ### Claim 16 A battery management system configured to control a plurality of contactors including a first contactor and a second contactor configured to connect a battery pack and an external apparatus, the battery management system comprising: a first driving circuit configured to drive the first contactor based on a supply voltage; a second driving circuit configured to drive the second contactor based on the supply voltage; and a processing circuitry configured to: check the supply voltage before closing the first contactor; control the first driving circuit to close the first contactor in response to the supply voltage checked before closing the first contactor being equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage; check the supply voltage before closing the second contactor; and control the second driving circuit to close the second contactor in response to the supply voltage checked before closing the second contactor being equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The battery management system of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry checks whether the supply voltage before closing the second contactor is a stable voltage.