# US 12,601,789 B2 · Method and apparatus for inspecting battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,601,789 B2 - Document ID: US12601789B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/533,690 - Filed: 2023-12-08 - Published: 2025-02-20 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-14 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Inventors: Sung Ho Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601789B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/389: Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables - G01R 31/388: involving voltage measurements - G01R 31/392: Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health - G01R 31/396: Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A battery inspection method comprises charging a battery to a fully charged state, determining, when the charging is finished while the battery is in a fully charged state, deviation of an open circuit voltage (OCV) value of each of a plurality of cells included in the battery at a first time point after a preset first reference time has elapsed from a time point of finishing the charging while considering polarization voltage, and determining, according to a result of comparing the determined deviation with a preset first reference value, whether an internal short circuit has occurred in the battery on the basis of the open circuit voltage (OCV) value of each of the plurality of cells or a state of charge (SOC) of each of the plurality of cells. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery inspection method comprising the steps of: charging a battery to a fully charged state; determining, when the charging is finished and when the battery is in a fully charged state, a deviation of an open circuit voltage (OCV) value of each of a plurality of cells included in the battery at a first time point after a preset first reference time has elapsed from a time point of finishing the charging; and determining, according to a result of comparing the determined deviation with a preset first reference value, whether an internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on the open circuit voltage (OCV) value of each of the plurality of cells or a state of charge (SOC) of each of the plurality of cells, wherein the step of determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred further includes: determining a change of the open circuit voltage (OCV) of each of the plurality of cells between the first time point and a second time point after a second preset reference time has elapsed from the time point of finishing the charging; and determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on at least one of the determined deviation or the change of the open circuit voltage (OCV). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred further includes: determining a difference between a drop of the open circuit voltage (OCV) in any one cell among the plurality of cells and an average value of the drop of the open circuit voltage (OCV) in remaining cells of the plurality of cells excluding the any one cell; and determining, when there is a cell of which the determined difference is equal to or greater than a preset second reference value, that the internal short circuit has occurred in the cell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred further includes: determining, when the determined deviation is equal to or greater than the first reference value, the state of charge (SOC) of each of the plurality of cells at the first time point; determining a drop of the state of charge (SOC) of each of the plurality of cells between the first time point and a second time point after a preset second reference time has elapsed from the time point of finishing the charging; and determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on the determined drop of the state of charge (SOC). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The battery inspection method according to claim 3, wherein the step of determining the drop further includes determining, in an IG ON state at the second time point, the drop of the state of charge (SOC) in each of the plurality of cells between the first time point and the second time point. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The battery inspection method according to claim 3, wherein the step of determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred further includes determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on a difference between a drop of the state of charge (SOC) in any one cell among the plurality of cells and an average value of the drop of the state of charge (SOC) of remaining cells of the plurality of cells excluding the any one cell. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The battery inspection method according to claim 5, wherein the step of determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred further includes: increasing, when there is a cell of which the difference between the drop of the state of charge (SOC) in any one cell and the average value of the drop of the state of charge (SOC) in the remaining cells exceeds a preset third reference value, a count of the cell; and determining, when there is a cell of which the count is equal to or greater than a preset reference number of times, that the internal short circuit has occurred in the cell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The battery inspection method according to claim 6, wherein the step of increasing the count includes cumulatively increasing, when the cell of which the count is increased corresponds to a cell of which the count is increased previously, the count with respect to a previous count. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The battery inspection method according to claim 7, wherein the step of increasing the count further includes erasing, when the cell of which the count is increased does not correspond to the cell of which the count is increased previously, information on the cell of which the count is increased previously. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The battery inspection method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, after determining whether the internal short circuit has occurred, executing, when it is determined that the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery, diagnosis logic on the plurality of cells. ### Claim 10 A battery inspection apparatus comprising: a charging control unit configured to charge a battery to a fully charged state; and a battery diagnosis unit configured to: determine, when the charging is finished while the battery is in a fully charged state, deviation of an open circuit voltage (OCV) value of each of a plurality of cells included in the battery at a first time point after a preset first reference time has elapsed from a time point of finishing the charging, and determine, according to a result of comparing the determined deviation with a preset first reference value, whether an internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on the open circuit voltage (OCV) value of each of the plurality of cells or a state of charge (SOC) of each of the plurality of cells, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is further configured to: determine, a change of the open circuit voltage (OCV) of each of the plurality of cells between the first time point and a second time point after a preset second reference time has elapsed from the time point of finishing the charging; and determine whether the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on at least one of the determined deviation or the change of the open circuit voltage (OCV). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is further configured to determine a difference between a drop of the open circuit voltage (OCV) in any one cell among the plurality of cells and an average value of the drop of the open circuit voltage (OCV) in remaining cells excluding the any one cell, and to determine, when there is a cell of which the determined difference is equal to or greater than a preset second reference value, that the internal short circuit has occurred in the cell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is further configured to determine the state of charge (SOC) of each of the plurality of cells at the first time point when the determined deviation is equal to or greater than the first reference value, to determine a drop of the state of charge (SOC) of each of the plurality of cells between the first time point and a second time point after a preset second reference time has elapsed from the time point of finishing the charging, and to determine whether the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on the determined drop of the state of charge (SOC). ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is further configured to determine that the drop includes determining, in an IG ON state at the second time point, the drop of the state of charge (SOC) in each of the plurality of cells between the first time point and the second time point. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is further configured to determine whether the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery based on a difference between a drop of the state of charge (SOC) in any one cell among the plurality of cells and an average value of the drop of the state of charge (SOC) of remaining plurality of cells excluding the any one cell. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is configured to increase, when there is a cell of which a difference between the drop of the state of charge (SOC) in any one cell and the average value of the drop of the state of charge (SOC) in the remaining cells exceeds a preset third reference value, a count of the corresponding cell, and to determine, when there is a cell of which the count is equal to or greater than a preset reference number of times, that the internal short circuit has occurred in the cell. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is configured to increase the count including cumulatively increasing, when the cell of which the count is increased corresponds to a cell of which the count is increased previously, the count with respect to a previous count. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the battery diagnosis unit is configured to erase, when the cell of which the count is increased does not correspond to the cell of which the count is increased previously, information on the cell of which the count is increased previously. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The battery inspection apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an execution unit configured to execute, when it is determined that the internal short circuit has occurred in the battery, diagnosis logic on the plurality of cells.