# US 2021/0242830 A1 · Dc-dc converter for solar-related energy storage system, and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0242830 A1 - Document ID: US20210242830A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/054,294 - Filed: 2018-10-26 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-01 - Assignees: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Applicants: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ju Young JANG; Jeong Heum LEE; Ui Seon HWANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242830A1 ## CPC - H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells - H02S 40/38: Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02J 7/63: against overdischarge - H02J 7/933: {the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters} - H02J 2101/24: Photovoltaics - H02J 2101/25: {involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources} - Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers - Y02E 70/30: Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin - Y02P 90/50: Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract One embodiment discloses a DC-DC converter which, in a solar-related energy storage system, cuts-off the over-discharging of a battery, and a control method thereof. Specifically, disclosed are a DC-DC converter which protects a battery by appropriately switching between a sleep mode which minimizes battery consumption by maintaining only minimized functions and a cut-off mode which prevents the battery from over-discharging by physically cutting off a circuit connected to the battery, and a control method thereof. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-10. (canceled) ### Claim 11 A DC-DC converter comprising: an input unit receiving power; an output unit converting the power of the input unit and supplying it to a battery; a processor configured to determine a mode according to a state of the battery; and a circuit breaker electrically connecting to or disconnecting from the battery according to the mode, wherein the processor is configured to: measure a first remaining amount value of the battery in a first operation mode, switch the first operation mode to a sleep mode when the first remaining amount value is less than or equal to a first value, switch the sleep mode to a second operation mode to measure a second remaining amount value of the battery, and switch the second operation mode to a cut-off mode when the second remaining amount value is less than or equal to a second value, wherein the circuit breaker separates the battery from the output unit electrically in the cut-off mode of the processor, and wherein the second value is smaller than the first value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the second operation mode is switched to the sleep mode when the second remaining amount value of the battery is greater than the second value and less than or equal to the first value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the first operation mode is switched to the cut-off mode when the first remaining amount value of the battery is less than or equal to the second value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The DC-DC converter according to claim 13, wherein the second operation mode is switched to the first operation mode when the second remaining amount value of the battery is greater than the first value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the sleep mode is a mode to reduce power consumption by deactivating functions other than a function required for communication with an inverter among a plurality of functions activated in the first operation mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The DC-DC converter according to claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to switch to the first operation mode and supply power to the battery when the current state is a state in which the battery is chargeable based on communication with the inverter while the battery is operating in the sleep mode or the cut-off mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The DC-DC converter according to claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine the current state as the state in which the battery is chargeable when more than a predetermined amount of power is supplied from the solar power supply. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The DC-DC converter according to claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to switch a state of the circuit breaker in cut-off state into a connected state to supply power to the battery when the current state is the state in which the battery is chargeable while operating in the cut-off mode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to switch the sleep mode to the second operation mode according to a preset time interval. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the second value is a remaining amount value of the battery when the displayed remaining amount value of the battery is 0. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the second operation mode is a mode to deactivate at least one of an analog-digital converter (ADC) sensing function, a pulse width modulation (PWM) sensing function, and a protection function. ### Claim 22 A control method of a DC-DC converter comprising: determining a first remaining amount value of a battery in a first operation mode; switching the first operation mode to a sleep mode when the first remaining amount value is less than or equal to a first value; switching the sleep mode to a second operation mode to measure a second remaining amount value of the battery; switching the second operation mode to a cut-off mode when the second remaining amount value is less than or equal to a second value; and separating the battery electrically, wherein the second value is smaller than the first value. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The control method of a DC-DC converter according to claim 22, comprising switching the second operation mode to the sleep mode when the second remaining amount value of the battery is greater than the second value and less than or equal to the first value. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The control method of a DC-DC converter according to claim 22, comprising switching the first operation mode to the cut-off mode when the first remaining amount value of the battery is less than or equal to the second value. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The control method of a DC-DC converter according to claim 22, comprising switching the second operation mode to the first operation mode when the second remaining amount value of the battery is greater than the first value. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The control method of a DC-DC converter according to claim 22, wherein the sleep mode is a mode to reduce power consumption by deactivating functions other than a function required for communication with an inverter among a plurality of functions activated in the first operation mode. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The control method of a DC-DC converter according to claim 26, comprising switching the sleep mode or the cut-off mode to the first operation mode and supplying power to the battery when the battery is chargeable based on communication with the inverter. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The control method of a DC-DC converter according to claim 22, comprising connecting the battery electrically when the battery is chargeable while operating in the cut-off mode. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The control method of a DC-DC converter according to claim 22, comprising switching the sleep mode to the second operation mode according to a preset time interval. ### Claim 30 A DC-DC converter comprising: an input unit receiving power; an output unit supplying the power of the input unit to a battery; and a processor configured to: measure a first remaining amount value of the battery in a first operation mode, switch the first operation mode to a sleep mode when the first remaining amount value is less than or equal to a first value, switch the sleep mode to a second operation mode to measure a second remaining amount value of the battery, and switch the second operation mode to a cut-off mode when the second remaining amount value is less than or equal to a second value, wherein the battery is separated electrically from the output unit in the cut-off mode of the processor.