Slave battery management system at a boundary of metal housing and battery system including the same

A communication method by a slave battery management system installed partly inside a metal housing of a battery pack and partly outside the metal housing and including a first antenna inside the metal housing and a second antenna outside the metal housing, the metal housing accommodating a plurality of battery modules, the communication method comprising:

• measuring a battery state of at least one of the plurality of battery modules;
• transmitting/receiving, via the first antenna inside the metal housing, a signal to/from each of a plurality of other slave battery management systems installed in the metal housing and configured to manage at least one other of the plurality of battery modules;
• and
• transmitting/receiving a signal to/from a master battery management system installed outside the metal housing via the second antenna outside the metal housing,
• wherein, in transmitting a signal to the master battery management system, a signal received from the plurality of other slave battery management systems inside the metal housing and a signal related to the measured battery state are transmitted together to the master battery management system outside the metal housing.

A battery system, comprising:

• a battery pack comprising a metal housing capable of accommodating a plurality of battery modules;
• a plurality of slave battery management systems configured to manage the plurality of battery modules, respectively;
• and
• a master battery management system installed outside the metal housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with a first slave battery management system, among the plurality of slave battery management systems, configured to manage a respective battery module corresponding to the first slave battery management system among the plurality of battery modules,
• wherein the first slave battery management system, which is configured to wirelessly communicate with the master battery management system, is installed partly inside the metal housing and partly outside the metal housing so as not to be shielded with the metal housing, and other slave battery management systems among the plurality of battery management systems are disposed within the metal housing, and
• wherein the first slave battery management system includes:
• a first antenna disposed within the metal housing for wirelessly communicating with the other slave battery management systems in the metal housing;
• and
• a second antenna disposed outside the metal housing for wirelessly communicating with the master battery management system outside the metal housing.