# US 2014/0152232 A1 · Systems and methods for balancing a vehicle battery system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152232 A1 - Document ID: US20140152232A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,270 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: KURT M. JOHNSON; ROBERT C. BARASZU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152232A1 ## CPC - H02J 7/52: for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 58/14: Preventing excessive discharging - B60L 58/15: Preventing overcharging - B60L 58/22: Balancing the charge of battery modules - B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells - B60L 2200/10: Air crafts - B60L 2200/32: Waterborne vessels - B60L 2240/545: Temperature - B60L 2240/547: Voltage - B60L 2240/549: Current - B60L 2260/44: by parameter estimation - H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing} - H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells - 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 System and methods for balancing a vehicle battery system are presented. In certain embodiments, a method for balancing battery system having multiple battery sections may include receiving estimated states of charge of the battery sections. Based on the estimated states of charge, a determination may be made whether the battery sections have states of charge within one of plurality of regions included in a state of charge window. Based on the determination, one of a plurality of different balancing algorithms may be utilized to control transfer energy between the battery sections to balance the battery sections. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a battery system comprising a plurality of battery sections, each section of the plurality of sections comprising a plurality of cells; a plurality of sensors coupled to the plurality of cells configured to estimate states of charge for each of the plurality of sections; a cell balancing system coupled to the plurality of sections configured to redistribute energy between the plurality of cells; and battery control electronics communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors and the cell balancing system, the battery control electronics being configured to cause the cell balancing system to balance the battery sections according to one of a plurality of different balancing algorithms based on estimated states of charge for the plurality of sections provided by the plurality of sensors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the battery control electronics are further configured to determine whether estimated states of charge for the plurality of sections are each within one a first state of charge region, a second state of charge region, and a third state of charge region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of resistance estimation sensors coupled to the plurality of sections and the battery control electronics configured to estimate an internal resistance of each of the plurality of sections; wherein the battery control electronics are further configured to identify a weak section of the plurality of battery sections based on the estimate internal resistance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the first state of charge region comprises states of charge above a first threshold and includes a charge termination level for the battery system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein battery control electronics are configured to cause the cell balancing system to balance the plurality of sections according a first balancing algorithm of the plurality of balancing algorithms when the estimated states of charge are within the first state of charge region, the first balancing algorithm comprising balancing the plurality of sections together. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the second state of charge region comprises states of charge below a second threshold and includes a charge sustaining level for the battery system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the battery control electronics are configured to cause the cell balancing system to balance the plurality of sections according a second balancing algorithm of the plurality of balancing algorithms when the estimated states of charge are within the second state of charge region, the second balancing algorithm comprising: balancing the weak section of the plurality of sections together with sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge lower than the weak section; and balancing sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge higher than the weak section independently. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the third state of charge region comprises states of charge between the first state of charge region and the second state of charge region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the battery control electronics are configured to cause the cell balancing system to balance the plurality of sections according a third balancing algorithm of the plurality of balancing algorithms when the estimated states of charge are within the third state of charge region, the third balancing algorithm comprising balancing each of the plurality of sections independently. ### Claim 10 A method for balancing a plurality of sections included in a battery system comprising: receiving estimated states of charge of the plurality of sections of the battery system; determining that the plurality of sections of the battery system are unbalanced; determining whether the estimated states of charge are within one of a first state of charge region, a second state of charge region, and a third state of charge region; and based on the determination, balancing the plurality of sections of the battery system according to one of a plurality of different balancing algorithms. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving estimated internal resistances of the plurality of battery sections. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising identifying, based on the estimated internal resistances, a weak section of the plurality of battery sections. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the weak section comprises a section of the plurality of battery sections having a highest estimated internal resistance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first state of charge region comprises states of charge above a first threshold and includes a charge termination level for the battery system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sections of the battery system are balanced according to a first balancing algorithm of the plurality of balancing algorithms when the estimated states of charge are within the first state of charge region, the first balancing algorithm comprising balancing the plurality of sections together. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the second state of charge region comprises states of charge below a second threshold and includes a charge sustaining level for the battery system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sections of the battery system are balanced according to a second balancing algorithm of the plurality of balancing algorithms when the estimated states of charge are within the second state of charge region, the second balancing algorithm comprising: balancing the weak section of the plurality of sections together with sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge lower than the weak section; and balancing sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge higher than the weak section independently. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the third state of charge region is between the first state of charge region and the second state of charge region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of sections of the battery system are balanced according to a third balancing algorithm of the plurality of balancing algorithms when the estimated states of charge are within the third state of charge region, the third balancing algorithm comprising balancing each of the plurality of sections of the battery system independently. ### Claim 20 A method for balancing a plurality of sections included in a battery system comprising: receiving estimated states of charge of the plurality of sections of the battery system; determining that the plurality of sections of the battery system are unbalanced; determining whether the estimated states of charge are below a threshold; and based on the determination, balancing a weak section of the plurality of sections together with sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge lower than the weak section; and balancing sections of the plurality of sections having a state of charge higher than the weak section independently.