System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Monitoring and Passive Balancing in Battery Pack Charging

A method comprising:

• receiving, with at least one processor, from a plurality of voltage detectors, a plurality of voltage measurements of a plurality voltages across a plurality of batteries connected in series;
• receiving, with the at least one processor, from a passive balance current detector of a passive balancing circuit of a plurality of passive balancing circuits, a passive balance current measurement of a passive balance current through that passive balancing circuit, wherein each passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits is connected in parallel to a battery of the plurality of batteries, and wherein each passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits has an adjustable resistance;
• receiving, with the at least one processor, from a charging current, a charging current measurement of a charging current through the plurality of batteries;
• determining, with the at least one processor, based on at least one of the following:
• a voltage measurement of the plurality of voltage measurements of a voltage of the plurality of voltages measured across a battery of the plurality of batteries, the charging current measurement of the charging current measured through the plurality of batteries, or any combination thereof, whether to activate the passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits connected in parallel to the battery to adjust the adjustable resistance of the passive balancing circuit;
• and
• in response to determining to activate the passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits connected in parallel to the battery to adjust the adjustable resistance of the passive balancing circuit, adjusting, with the at least one processor, based on the passive balance current measurement of the passive balance current through the passive balancing circuit and the voltage measurement of the plurality of voltages measurements of the voltage of the plurality of voltages measured across the battery of the plurality of batteries, the adjustable resistance of the passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits connected in parallel to the battery.

A computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• receive, from a plurality of voltage detectors, a plurality of voltage measurements of a plurality voltages across a plurality of batteries connected in series;
• receive, from a passive balance current detector of a passive balancing circuit of a plurality of passive balancing circuits, a passive balance current measurement of a passive balance current through that passive balancing circuit, wherein each passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits is connected in parallel to a battery of the plurality of batteries, and wherein each passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits has an adjustable resistance;
• receive, from a charging current, a charging current measurement of a charging current through the plurality of batteries;
• determine, based on at least one of the following:
• a voltage measurement of the plurality of voltage measurements of a voltage of the plurality of voltages measured across a battery of the plurality of batteries, the charging current measurement of the charging current measured through the plurality of batteries, or any combination thereof, whether to activate the passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits connected in parallel to the battery to adjust the adjustable resistance of the passive balancing circuit;
• and
• in response to determining to activate the passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits connected in parallel to the battery to adjust the adjustable resistance of the passive balancing circuit, adjust, based on the passive balance current measurement of the passive balance current through the passive balancing circuit and the voltage measurement of the plurality of voltages measurements of the voltage of the plurality of voltages measured across the battery of the plurality of batteries, the adjustable resistance of the passive balancing circuit of the plurality of passive balancing circuits connected in parallel to the battery.