CN112087008B

CN112087008B - Battery pack working state identification method and battery pack

Info

Publication number: CN112087008B
Application number: CN201910506649.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张庆; 邓强
Original assignee: Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd
Current assignee: Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-06-12
Filing date: 2019-06-12
Publication date: 2024-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-12
Also published as: CN112087008A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for identifying the working state of a battery pack, which comprises a communication terminal, wherein the communication terminal is used for establishing communication with external equipment when the battery pack is connected with the external equipment, and the method comprises the following steps of: detecting whether a communication terminal of the battery pack receives a digital signal of the external device; if yes, judging the type of the external equipment according to the digital signal; if not, detecting an analog signal of a communication terminal of the battery pack, judging the type of the external equipment according to the analog signal, and if the external equipment is a charger, the external equipment is in a charging state, and if the external equipment is a tool, the external equipment is in a discharging state. The beneficial effects of the invention are as follows: the battery pack is generally used for external equipment with and without two platforms, has multiple use scenes and high universality, only adopts one terminal to identify the type of the external equipment, and has fewer ports and high integration level.

Description

Battery pack working state identification method and battery pack

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of battery packs, in particular to a battery pack working state identification method and a battery pack.

Background

In the field of power tools, power tools often employ high energy density battery packs as a portable power source to power the power tool. The battery pack consists of a plurality of batteries, and an interface unit can be connected with a tool or a charger, the battery pack discharges the tool when the tool is matched with the battery pack, and the charger charges the batteries in the battery pack when the tool is matched with the charger, so that the battery pack can be reused. Along with the development of technology, a lithium battery pack formed by adopting a lithium battery gradually becomes mainstream, and the lithium battery pack has the advantages of large capacity, small volume and the like due to the advantages of large energy density and the like of the lithium battery, and provides energy sources for hand-held electric tools, even electric automobiles and the like.

The battery pack may be mounted to both the tool and the charger, and typically, the lithium battery pack may be provided with a communication unit for identifying the type of the external device by establishing communication with the external device, and thus the battery pack judges whether it is to be charged or discharged. In this way, it is restricted that the battery pack must have a communication function, and the outside connected to the lithium battery pack must have a communication function, otherwise the type of the external device cannot be recognized. The battery pack with communication can not be installed on external equipment without communication for use, so that the battery pack is low in universality and inconvenient for users.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to overcome the defects of the prior art and solve the problem of low universality of external equipment of a battery pack, one embodiment of the invention provides a method for identifying the working state of the battery pack, wherein the battery pack is connected with the external equipment for charging or discharging, the external equipment comprises an electric appliance and a charger, the working state of the battery pack comprises a charging state and a discharging state, the battery pack comprises a communication terminal, and when the battery pack is connected with the external equipment, the method is communicated with the external equipment and is characterized by comprising the following steps:

Detecting whether a communication terminal of the battery pack receives a digital signal of the external device;

if yes, judging the type of the external equipment according to the digital signal;

if not, detecting an analog signal of a communication terminal of the battery pack, and judging the type of the external equipment according to the analog signal.

When the external device is judged to be a charger, the battery pack is in a charging state;

and when the external equipment is judged to be an electric appliance, the battery pack is in a discharging state.

Further, determining the type of the external device according to the digital signal includes: when the digital signal is a first handshake signal, judging that the external equipment is a charger; and when the digital signal is a second handshake signal, judging that the external equipment is an electric appliance.

Further, determining the type of the external device according to the analog signal includes: judging the type of the external equipment according to the voltage state of the analog signal, wherein when the voltage state is larger than or equal to a preset voltage value, the external equipment is a charger, and when the voltage state is smaller than the preset voltage value, the external equipment is an electric appliance.

Further, when the type of the external device is determined to be a charger according to the digital signal, the method further comprises: receiving a parameter reading instruction sent by the charger; and sending the working parameters and/or the state parameters of the battery pack according to the parameter reading instruction.

Further, when the type of the external device is determined to be a charger according to the digital signal, the method further comprises: and receiving a charging state notification instruction sent by the charger and entering a low power consumption mode, wherein the charging state notification instruction comprises fault information of the charger or full charge information of a battery pack.

Further, the working parameters comprise any one of a maximum allowable charging voltage, a maximum allowable charging current, a maximum allowable charging temperature and a minimum allowable charging temperature; the state parameters include any one of a full pack voltage, a single cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state.

Further, when the type of the external device is judged to be the electric appliance according to the digital signal, the method further comprises: receiving a parameter reading instruction of the electric appliance; and sending the working parameters and/or the state parameters of the battery pack according to the parameter reading instruction.

Further, the working parameters comprise any one of a maximum allowable discharge voltage, a maximum allowable discharge current, a maximum allowable discharge temperature and a minimum allowable discharge temperature; the state parameters include any one of a full pack voltage, a single cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state.

Further, when the external device is the charger, the battery pack only performs overcharge judgment in overcharge judgment and overdischarge judgment, if overcharge occurs, an abnormal signal is output, and the charger receives the abnormal signal and stops charging; when the external device is the electric appliance, the battery pack only executes over-discharge judgment in over-charge judgment and over-discharge judgment, if over-discharge occurs, the abnormal signal is output, and the electric appliance receives the abnormal signal and stops discharging.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a battery pack adopting the identification method of the operating state: comprising the following steps: a control module and a communication terminal; the control module is connected with the communication terminal, the communication terminal is used for accessing external equipment, and the types of the external equipment comprise an electric appliance and a charger; when the battery pack is connected with the external device, the control module is used for detecting whether a digital signal of the external device is received from the communication terminal within preset time; if yes, the control module judges the type of the external equipment according to the digital signal; if not, the control module detects an analog signal at the communication terminal and judges the type of the external equipment according to the analog signal; when the external device is judged to be a charger, the battery pack is in a charging state; and when the external equipment is judged to be an electric appliance, the battery pack is in a discharging state.

Further, the control module comprises a communication unit and a working state identification interface, and the communication unit comprises a sending interface and a receiving interface; the control module detects whether the digital signal of the external device is received from the communication terminal through the receiving interface, and detects the analog signal at the communication terminal through the working state identification interface.

Further, the communication unit is a serial communication unit, the communication terminal is a half-duplex serial interface, and the communication unit performs serial communication with the external device through the communication terminal so as to receive the digital signal.

Further, the digital signal includes a first handshake signal and a second handshake signal; when the digital signal received by the control module is a first handshake signal, judging the type of the external equipment as a charger; and when the digital signal received by the control module is a second handshake signal, judging the type of the external equipment as an electric appliance.

Further, the digital signal includes a parameter reading instruction, and when the control module receives the parameter reading instruction from the communication terminal, the control module sends the working parameter and/or the state parameter of the battery pack to an external device through the communication terminal.

Further, when the external device is a charger, the working parameters include any one of a maximum allowable charging voltage, a maximum allowable charging current, a maximum allowable charging temperature, and a minimum allowable charging temperature; the state parameters include any one of a full pack voltage, a single cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state.

Further, when the external device is an electric appliance, the working parameters include any one of a maximum allowable discharge voltage, a maximum allowable discharge current, a maximum allowable discharge temperature and a minimum allowable discharge temperature;

the state parameters include any one of a full pack voltage, a single cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state.

Further, the digital signal includes a state of charge awareness instruction, the battery pack has a low power consumption mode and a normal power consumption mode, the low power consumption mode has a first power consumption, the normal power consumption mode has a second power consumption, and the first power consumption is less than the second power consumption; when the control module receives the charging state informing instruction from the communication terminal, the control module controls the battery pack to be switched from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode.

Further, the charge state notification instruction includes failure information of the charger or full charge information of the battery pack, and is sent by the charger.

Further, the control module is characterized in that a preset value is stored in the control module, when the control module judges that the voltage state of the analog signal is larger than or equal to the preset value, the external device is a charger, and when the control module judges that the voltage state of the analog signal is smaller than the preset value, the external device is an electric appliance.

Further, the battery pack further includes a battery pack and a status indication terminal, the status indication terminal being connected to the control module and to the external device, the battery pack including a plurality of battery cells connected in series;

the control module is connected with each section of the battery cell and is used for collecting single-section voltage of the battery cell, and a first voltage and a second voltage are preset in the control module, wherein the first voltage is larger than the second voltage;

when the external equipment is a charger, the control module compares the single-section voltage with the first voltage and does not compare the single-section voltage with the second voltage, if the single-section voltage of any section of the battery core is larger than the first voltage, the battery pack is judged to be in an overcharged state, the control module controls the state indication terminal to output an abnormal signal, and the charger receives the abnormal signal and stops charging; when the external equipment is an electric appliance, the control module compares the single-section voltage with the second voltage and does not compare the single-section voltage with the first voltage, if the single-section voltage is smaller than the second voltage, the battery pack is judged to be in an overdischarge state, the control module controls the state indication terminal to output the abnormal signal, and the electric appliance receives the abnormal signal and stops discharging.

Compared with the prior art, the battery pack working state identification method and the battery pack provided by the embodiment have the beneficial effects that: the battery pack can be used for external equipment with communication function and external equipment with communication function, has multiple use scenes and high universality, and only one port is needed to receive digital signals and analog signals to identify the types of the external equipment with communication and the external equipment without communication, so that the number of ports is small and the integration level is high.

Drawings

The above-mentioned objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention can be achieved by the following drawings:

fig. 1 is a flowchart of a method for identifying an operating state of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 7 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 9 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 10 is a schematic view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

In order that the above objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to the appended drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in many other forms than described herein and similarly modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, whereby the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and the like are used herein for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be the only embodiment.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

As shown in fig. 1, one embodiment of the present application provides a method for identifying an operating state of a battery pack, in which the battery pack is connected to an external device to be charged or discharged. The external device comprises an electric appliance and a charger, and the working state comprises a charging state and a discharging state. The battery pack includes a communication terminal that establishes communication with an external device when the battery pack is connected to the external device. The method comprises the following steps:

s100: it is detected whether a digital signal of an external device is received by a communication terminal of the battery pack.

The battery pack is powered on to start the communication function and communicate with the external device, and in the communication process, the external device is used as a host to send digital signals, and the battery pack is used as a slave to receive the digital signals and reply. In this embodiment, the digital signal may be a handshake signal. Firstly, the battery pack needs to judge whether the external device has a communication function, namely, after the battery pack is electrified, a control module in the battery pack detects whether a digital signal sent by the external device is received within a certain time.

S300: if yes, judging the type of the external equipment according to the digital signal.

The digital signal carries information of the external device, for example, type information of the external device, different types of external devices can send different digital signals, and the battery pack can identify the difference of the digital signals to judge whether the external device is an electric appliance or a charger. For example, the digital signal may be a handshake signal transmitted by an external device having a communication function. The source address information carried by the handshake signals sent by different external devices is also different, so that after the battery pack receives the handshake signals, the type of the external device can be determined according to the source address of the handshake signals.

S500: if not, detecting an analog signal at a communication terminal of the battery pack, and judging the type of the external equipment according to the analog signal.

If the battery pack does not receive the digital signal within a certain time, the external device is judged to have no communication function, namely the battery pack cannot acquire data through the communication function to acquire the type of the external device. At this time, the control module of the battery pack turns off the communication function and detects an analog signal at the communication terminal of the battery pack to judge the type of the external device. In this embodiment, the analog signal may be a voltage state at the communication terminal. In other embodiments, the control module of the battery pack may choose not to turn off the communication function, because the battery pack is in a receiving state by default as a communication slave, does not actively transmit data to the communication terminal, and does not affect detecting the analog signal of the communication terminal.

The communication terminal of the battery pack is used for connecting an external device, the external device comprises a charger or a charger, when the charger or the charger is respectively connected with the battery pack, the analog circuits in the charger or the charger, which are connected with the communication terminal of the battery pack, are different, and the analog signals reflected on the communication terminal are different, so that the battery pack can judge the type of the external device by detecting the analog signals at the communication terminal

S700: when the external device is judged to be a charger, the battery pack is in a charging state.

S900: when the external device is judged to be an electric appliance, the battery pack is in a discharging state.

According to the battery pack working state identification method and the battery pack, the battery pack is communicated with the external equipment through detecting the digital signal at the communication terminal to judge whether the external equipment is connected with the charger or the electric appliance, and then whether the battery pack is to be charged or discharged is judged. When the external device does not have a communication function, the battery pack can also judge the type of the external device by detecting the analog signal at the communication terminal, namely, the battery pack can be used for the external device with no communication function and also can be used for the external device with the communication function, the use scene is more, and the battery pack only needs one port to receive the digital signal and the analog signal to judge the type of the external device, so that the number of the ports is small and the integration level is high.

With continued reference to fig. 1, in one embodiment, the digital signals include a first handshake signal and a second handshake signal. Judging the type of the external device according to the digital signal comprises:

s320: and if the digital signal is the first handshake signal, judging that the external equipment is a charger.

When the handshake signal is a first handshake signal, after the battery pack receives the first handshake signal, detecting a source address of the first handshake signal, and judging that the external connection is a charger. After the battery pack recognizes the first handshake signal, the battery pack replies the first handshake signal. After the battery pack identifies that the external device is a charger, the battery pack only performs overcharge judgment and overcharge judgment among the overdischarge judgment. In this embodiment, the battery pack performs overcharge judgment, that is, the battery pack collects the voltage of the battery pack to judge whether the battery pack is overcharged or not, if the battery pack is overcharged, an abnormal signal is output, the charger receives the abnormal signal and stops charging, and if the battery pack is not overcharged, the battery pack enters a charging state.

In other embodiments, after the battery pack receives the handshake signal, if the handshake signal cannot be identified, the battery pack replies an unrecognizable signal, and at this time, the external device fails to handshake with the battery pack, and the battery pack determines the type of the external device by detecting the analog signal at the communication terminal.

S340: and receiving a parameter reading instruction sent by the charger.

When the battery pack and the charger handshake successfully, the battery pack can establish a communication relationship with the charger, and when in communication, the charger is used as a host to send a command, and the battery pack is used as a slave to receive the command. The charger sends a parameter reading instruction every first preset time, and the battery pack receives the parameter reading instruction of the charger every first preset time.

S360: and sending the working parameters and/or the state parameters of the battery pack according to the parameter reading instruction.

After the battery pack receives the parameter reading instruction, analyzing information carried by the parameter reading instruction, and sending corresponding working parameters and/or state parameters to the charger.

The working parameters are fixed parameters determined by the selection of battery cells of the battery pack, the serial-parallel connection structural characteristics of the battery cells and the like, reflect the limit value of the allowable work of the battery pack, and are stored in the battery pack in advance. In this embodiment, since the external device is a charger, the working parameters corresponding to charging include preset charging parameters, and the types of the charging parameters include preset voltage information, preset current information and preset temperature information. The preset voltage information may be a maximum allowable charge voltage of the battery pack, the preset current information may be a maximum allowable charge current, and the preset temperature information may be a maximum allowable charge temperature and a minimum allowable charge temperature. The state parameter is a parameter which reflects the current state of the battery pack in the working process of the battery pack and can change in real time, and is a change quantity. In this embodiment, the state parameters include any one of a full pack voltage, a single cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state. The fault state may be an overcharge fault, an overdischarge fault, an overtemperature fault, an unbalanced fault, etc. The charger may adjust the state of charge based on the received operating parameters and/or state parameters.

S380: and receiving a charging state notification instruction sent by the charger, and entering a low power consumption mode, wherein the charging state notification instruction comprises fault information of the charger or full charge information of the battery pack.

It is understood that the battery pack has a normal power consumption mode and a low power consumption mode. The low power consumption mode has first power consumption, the normal power consumption mode has second power consumption, and the first power consumption is smaller than the second power consumption. The first power consumption or the second power consumption may be a value or a range of values.

The charger can judge whether the battery pack is full according to the whole pack voltage of the battery pack in the state parameters received by the communication terminal or by directly detecting the whole pack voltage of the battery pack or other judging conditions, if the battery pack is full, a charging state notification instruction is sent, and the charging state notification instruction carries full charge information of the battery pack. After the battery pack receives the charging state notification instruction, the control module controls the battery pack to enter a low-power consumption mode from a normal power consumption mode after knowing that the battery pack is full.

In another embodiment, if the charger determines that the charger itself fails, a state of charge notification instruction is also sent, where the state of charge notification instruction carries failure information of the charger, and at the same time, the charger stops charging the battery pack. After the battery pack receives the charging state notification instruction, the battery pack enters a low-power consumption mode if the battery pack is informed that the charger fails and cannot be recharged.

Further, referring to fig. 1, in one embodiment, after determining the type of the external device according to the digital signal, the method further includes:

s310: and when the digital signal is the second handshake signal, judging that the external equipment is an electric appliance.

After the battery pack receives the second handshake signal, the external connection is judged to be the electric appliance according to the source address carried by the second handshake signal. The battery pack replies the second handshake signal, and the handshake is successful. After the battery pack identifies that the external device is an electrical appliance, only the overcharge judgment and the overdischarge judgment in the overdischarge judgment are executed, in this embodiment, the battery pack acquires the battery pack voltage to judge whether the battery pack is overdischarged or not, if overdischarge occurs, an abnormal signal is output to the outside, and the electrical appliance receives the abnormal signal and stops discharging.

When the battery pack is communicated with the electric appliance, the electric appliance firstly transmits a second handshake signal every preset time, the battery pack replies the second handshake signal every preset time, and after the handshake is successful, the electric appliance retransmits the parameter reading instruction, namely the electric appliance circularly transmits the second handshake signal and the parameter reading instruction. Of course, the electric appliance can also only send the second handshake signal once, and after the handshake is successful, the parameter reading instruction is sent in a recycling mode.

In other embodiments, after the battery pack receives the second handshake signal, if the second handshake signal cannot be identified, the battery pack replies an unrecognizable signal, and at this time, the external device fails to handshake with the battery pack, and the battery pack determines the type of the external device by detecting the analog signal at the communication terminal.

S330: and receiving a parameter reading instruction of the electric appliance.

And after the battery pack and the electric appliance handshake are successful, the battery pack can receive and analyze the parameter reading instruction sent by the electric appliance.

S350: and sending the working parameters and/or the state parameters of the battery pack according to the parameter reading instruction.

And the battery pack sends corresponding working parameters and/or state parameters to the electric appliance according to the analyzed instruction information. In this embodiment, the working parameters are fixed parameters determined by the selection of the battery cells of the battery pack, the serial-parallel connection structural characteristics of the battery cells, and the like, reflect the limit value of the allowable working of the battery pack, and are stored in the battery pack in advance. In this embodiment, since the external device is an electrical apparatus, the working parameters corresponding to the discharge include preset discharge parameters, and the types of the discharge parameters also include preset voltage information, preset current information, and preset temperature information. The preset voltage information may be a minimum allowable discharge voltage of the battery pack, the preset current information may be a maximum allowable discharge current, and the preset temperature information may be a maximum allowable discharge temperature and a minimum allowable discharge temperature. The state parameter is a parameter which reflects the current state of the battery pack in the working process of the battery pack and can change in real time, and is a variable quantity. In this embodiment, the state parameter includes any one of the full pack voltage, the cell voltage, the battery pack temperature, and the fault state. The fault state may be an overcharge fault, an overdischarge fault, an overtemperature fault, an unbalanced fault, etc. The electric appliance can adjust the working state according to the received working parameters and/or state parameters.

The method for identifying the working state of the battery pack provided by the embodiment can be used for judging the type of the external equipment by establishing a communication relationship with the external equipment and by using the digital signal number acquired by the communication terminal, and can also be used for identifying the type of the external equipment by detecting the analog signal of the communication terminal. Therefore, the method for detecting the battery pack provided by the embodiment not only can detect the type of the external device with the communication function, but also can detect the type of the external device without the communication function by detecting the signals on the same terminal and adopting two different identification methods, and the method is simple, good in effect, low in number of ports of dependent hardware, high in integration level, and high in universality, and the battery pack adopting the method is universal for the external devices without two different platforms of communication and communication, and has multiple use scenes.

In another embodiment, if the battery pack does not detect the digital signal at the communication terminal for a period of time, it indicates that the external device does not have a communication function, and the type of the external device is determined by detecting the analog signal at the communication terminal.

In this embodiment, the battery pack may determine the connection state of the communication terminal and the external device based on the analog signal. The charger not having the communication function includes a port adapted to the communication terminal of the battery pack, and the electric appliance not having the communication function does not include a port adapted to the communication terminal. Therefore, when the external device is a device having no communication function, the battery pack is connected to the charger and the electric appliance, respectively, the voltage state of the analog signal at the communication terminal is different, and the connection state of the communication terminal is different, and the battery pack can determine the type of the external device by detecting the voltage state of the analog voltage of the communication terminal or the connection state at the communication terminal. The battery pack stores a preset voltage value, and if the battery pack detects that the voltage state of the analog signal at the communication terminal is greater than or equal to the preset voltage value, the connection state at the communication terminal is connected, and the battery pack can judge that the external equipment is a charger. If the battery pack detects that the voltage state of the analog signal at the communication terminal is smaller than the preset voltage value, the connection state at the communication terminal is unconnected, and the battery pack can judge that the external equipment is an electric appliance.

In another embodiment, the charger and the electric appliance which do not have the communication function are provided with ports matched with the communication terminals, but the charger and the electric appliance are respectively different from analog circuits at the ports connected with the communication terminals of the battery pack, and the battery pack judges the type of the external equipment by detecting the analog signals at the communication terminals when the voltage states of the analog signals displayed on the communication terminals are different. If the voltage state of the analog signal is larger than or equal to the preset voltage value, the external device is judged to be a charger, and if the voltage state of the analog signal is smaller than the preset voltage value, the external device is judged to be an electric appliance. For example, the charger provides a pull-up voltage of 5V and a pull-up resistor with R1 resistance to the communication terminal of the battery pack, and the electrical appliance provides a pull-up resistor with R1 resistance and a pull-up voltage of 3.3V, so that the voltage states when the charger and the electrical appliance are connected at the communication terminal of the battery pack are different.

The battery pack provided in the above embodiment can be used for external devices with or without communication function, and when used for external devices without communication function, the battery pack can be used for external devices with or without ports adapted to communication terminals, and has wide application fields.

Referring to fig. 2, still another embodiment of the present application provides a battery pack including a control module 110 and a communication terminal 120. Among them, the communication terminal 120 is used to connect external devices, the types of which include a power consumer and a charger. In this embodiment, the control module 110 may be an MCU (Microcontroller Unit, micro control unit).

When the battery pack is connected to an external device, the control module 110 is used to detect whether a digital signal is received from the communication terminal 120 within a preset time. In this embodiment, the digital signal may be a handshake signal sent by the external device. When the control module 110 detects a digital signal through the communication terminal 120, the type of the external device may be judged according to the digital signal.

When the control module 110 does not detect the digital signal within the preset time, the control module 110 determines that the external device does not have the communication function. At this time, the control module 110 detects the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 to determine the type of the external device.

When the control module 110 determines that the external device is a charger, the battery pack is in a charged state. When the external device is judged to be an electric appliance, the battery pack is in a discharging state.

The battery pack provided in the above embodiment is used for determining whether the external device is connected with the charger or the electric appliance by detecting the digital signal at the communication terminal, and further determining whether the external device is to be charged or discharged. When the external device does not have a communication function, the battery pack can also judge the type of the external device by detecting the analog signal at the communication terminal, namely, the battery pack can be used for the external device with no communication function and also can be used for the external device with the communication function, the use scene is more, and the battery pack only needs one port to receive the digital signal and the analog signal to judge the type of the external device, so that the number of the ports is small and the integration level is high.

In one embodiment, the control module 110 further comprises a communication unit 111 and an operating state identification interface 119. Wherein the communication unit 111 comprises a transmitting interface 112 and a receiving interface 113. The transmission interface 112, the reception interface 113, and the operation state identification interface 119 are all connected to the communication terminal 120. The battery pack further includes a conversion module 130, wherein one end of the conversion module 130 is connected to the transmission interface 112, and the other end is connected to the communication terminal 120. The conversion module 130 is configured to transmit the signal sent by the communication unit 111 to an external device, and prevent the signal of the external device from flowing to the communication unit 111 through the transmission interface 112, so that the signal sent by the external device can only flow to the communication unit 111 through the communication terminal 120 and the reception interface 113. In this embodiment, the conversion module 130 may be a switch controlled by the communication unit 111.

The communication unit 111 may be set in a transmission state in which the communication unit 111 transmits data to be transmitted from the communication terminal 120 through the transmission interface 112, or in a reception state in which the communication unit 111 obtains data from the communication terminal 110 through the reception interface 113. It will be appreciated that the communication unit 111 also includes a register therein, which may be used to register the received digital signal or digital signals to be transmitted. The control module 110 can determine whether an external digital signal is received by detecting a register of the communication unit 111. When the digital signal is received, the type of the external device can be determined according to the digital signal, and if the digital signal is not received, the control module 110 detects the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 to determine the type of the external device.

In this embodiment, the communication unit 111 may be a serial communication unit, and the communication terminal 120 may be a half-duplex serial interface. The communication unit 111 performs serial communication with an external device through the communication terminal 120 to receive a digital signal of the external device.

In one embodiment, if the communication unit 111 receives the digital signal within a preset time, the external device has a communication function, and the communication unit 111 can identify the type of the external device according to the digital signal. In this embodiment, the digital signal may be a handshake signal. The handshake signals sent by different external device types are also different. When the communication unit 111 receives the first handshake signal, it can determine that the external connection is the charger by analyzing the source address carried by the first handshake signal. When the communication unit 111 receives the second handshake signal, it can determine that the external connection is an electrical appliance by analyzing the source address carried by the second handshake signal. After receiving the handshake signal and replying to the agreement, the communication unit 111 successfully handshakes, and the battery pack can enter a charging state or a discharging state and communicate with the external device in real time in the charging and discharging process. When the battery pack communicates with an external device, the communication terminal 120 is one terminal that can transmit and receive data, but cannot transmit and receive simultaneously, and the communication unit 111 communicates with the external device through the communication terminal 120 in serial.

In one embodiment, when the external device has a communication function, the digital signal sent to the battery pack includes a parameter reading instruction after the external device and the battery pack are successfully held by the hand. When the control module 110 of the battery pack receives the parameter reading instruction from the communication terminal 120, the corresponding working parameter and/or state parameter is sent to the external device through the communication unit 120 to the charger. The external device may control the charging process or the discharging process of the battery pack after receiving the operation parameter and/or the status parameter.

When the external device is a charger, wherein the working parameters comprise preset charging parameters, and the types of the charging parameters comprise preset voltage information, preset current information and preset temperature information. The preset voltage information may be a maximum allowable charge voltage of the battery pack, the preset current information may be a maximum allowable charge current, and the preset temperature information may be a maximum allowable charge temperature and a minimum allowable charge temperature. The state parameters include any one of a pack voltage of the battery pack, a cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state.

When the external equipment is an electric appliance, wherein the working parameters comprise preset discharge parameters, and the types of the discharge parameters comprise preset voltage information, preset current information and preset temperature information. The preset voltage information may be a maximum allowable discharge voltage of the battery pack, the preset current information may be a maximum allowable discharge current, and the preset temperature information may be a maximum allowable discharge temperature and a minimum allowable discharge temperature. The state parameters include any one of a pack voltage of the battery pack, a cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state.

In the above embodiment, when the battery pack identifies that the types of the external devices are different, the battery pack may make different controls, for example, the data transmitted to the outside through the communication terminal is different, so that the battery pack is more intelligent, the battery pack is prevented from executing redundant control actions, and the efficiency is improved.

In one embodiment, when the external device is a charger with a communication function, the digital signal sent to the battery pack further includes a charge state notification instruction after the external device and the battery pack are successfully held. After the charger receives the whole package voltage of the battery package from the communication terminal 120 or collects the positive and negative poles of the battery package to obtain the whole package voltage of the battery package, the charger can judge whether the battery package is full according to the preset full charge cut-off voltage. When the charger judges that the battery pack is full, the charger sends a charging state notification instruction, and the charging state notification instruction carries full charge information of the battery pack. When the charger detects the self fault, the charger sends a charging state notification instruction which carries the charger fault information and stops charging the battery pack. The battery pack has a low power consumption mode and a normal power consumption mode, the low power consumption mode has a first power consumption, the normal power consumption mode has a second power consumption, and the first power consumption is smaller than the second power consumption. The first power consumption or the second power consumption may be a value or a range of values. When the control module 110 receives a charge state notification instruction from the communication terminal, it controls the battery pack to switch from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode, so as to reduce the power consumption of the battery pack when not in use.

Specifically, referring to fig. 2, in this embodiment, the control module 110 may be an MCU, and the power switch 114 and the voltage stabilizing unit 115 are disposed inside the MCU. One end of the power switch 114 is connected with the positive electrode of the battery pack 150, the other end of the power switch is connected with the voltage stabilizing unit 115, and the voltage stabilizing unit 115 is used for converting the voltage of the battery pack 150 into a working power supply, wherein the working power supply supplies power for the MCU on one hand, and the working power supply is output through a pin of the MCU and supplies power for other working circuits in the battery pack on the other hand. After the control module 110 receives the charge state notification instruction, the power switch 114 is controlled to be turned off, so that the voltage stabilizing unit 115 cannot output the working power, and therefore the MCU and other working circuits in the battery pack do not work, and the battery pack can enter the low power consumption mode from the normal power consumption mode. When the battery pack enters the low power consumption mode, the internal power consumption of the battery pack is close to 0.5uA and is almost zero because the battery of the battery pack always has self-discharge loss. Therefore, the battery pack enters a low power consumption mode after being fully charged, so that the power consumption of the battery pack can be reduced, and the energy is saved.

Of course, in other embodiments, the power switch 114 and the voltage stabilizing unit 115 may also be disposed outside the MCU, and the operating power output by the voltage stabilizing unit 115 supplies power to the peripheral operating circuits of the MCU and the battery pack. When the MCU receives the charge status notification instruction, the power switch 114 is controlled to be turned off, so that the voltage stabilizing unit 115 cannot output the working power, and the MCU and other working circuits are powered off, and the power consumption in the battery pack is 0.

In one embodiment, the control module 110 may also transmit a battery pack type signal to an external device through the communication unit 111. After receiving the battery pack type signal, the external device identifies the type of the battery pack and adjusts the corresponding charging current or discharging current to adapt to the battery pack.

In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a temperature detection module 140 connected to the control module 110 for collecting temperature information of the battery pack and transmitting the temperature information of the battery pack to an external device through the communication terminal 120. The external device can judge whether the battery pack is over-heated according to the received temperature information, and if the battery pack is over-heated, the external device cuts off the connection with the battery pack, so that the battery pack stops charging and discharging.

In one embodiment, when the communication unit 111 does not receive the digital signal of the external device for a preset time, the control module 110 detects the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 to determine the type of the external device.

It should be noted that, the charger without communication function has a port adapted to the communication terminal 120 of the battery pack, and the port of the charger is provided with a peripheral power source and a pull-up resistor, and when the charger is connected to the battery pack, the battery pack can detect an analog signal through the communication terminal 120. The electrical device without communication function does not have a port adapted to the communication terminal 120 of the battery pack, and when the electrical device is connected to the battery pack, the communication terminal 120 of the battery pack is suspended. As can be seen, when the battery pack is connected to the charger and the electric appliance, the voltage states of the analog signals at the communication terminals are different, and the connection states of the communication terminals are different, so the control module 110 can determine the type of the external device by detecting the voltage state of the analog voltage of the communication terminal or the connection state at the communication terminal 120. If the battery pack detects that the voltage state of the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 is greater than or equal to the preset voltage value, the connection state at the communication terminal 120 is connected, and the battery pack can determine that the external device is a charger. If the battery pack detects that the voltage state of the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 is smaller than the preset voltage value, the connection state at the communication terminal 120 is unconnected, and the battery pack can determine that the external device is an electrical appliance.

In another embodiment, the charger and the electric appliance which do not have the communication function have ports matched with the communication terminal 120, but the charger and the electric appliance are respectively different from the analog circuits at the ports connected with the communication terminals of the battery pack, and the battery pack judges the type of the external device by detecting the analog signals at the communication terminal 120 when the voltage states of the analog signals displayed on the communication terminals are different. If the voltage state of the analog signal is larger than or equal to the preset voltage value, the external device is judged to be a charger, and if the voltage state of the analog signal is smaller than the preset voltage value, the external device is judged to be an electric appliance. For example, the charger provides a pull-up voltage of 5V and a pull-up resistor with R1 resistance to the communication terminal of the battery pack, and the electrical appliance provides a pull-up resistor with R1 resistance and a pull-up voltage of 3.3V, so that the voltage states when the charger and the electrical appliance are connected at the communication terminal of the battery pack are different.

Specifically, the battery pack further includes a type identification element 180, one end of which is connected to the communication terminal 120, and the other end of which is grounded, the type identification element 180 preferably has a resistance, which indicates type information of the battery pack, the type identification elements 180 of different types of battery packs are different, and the resistance is different, and the external device can detect the type identification element 180 through the communication terminal 120, thereby knowing the type of the battery pack.

The battery pack provided by the embodiment not only can be used for external equipment without a communication function, but also can be used for external equipment with the communication function, and has wide universality. The battery pack can identify the type of the external equipment with the communication function and the type of the external equipment without the communication function through one port, so that the number of ports is small, and the functions are multiple. After the battery pack and the external equipment with the communication function are communicated, the battery pack can transmit various data outwards according to a parameter reading instruction of query data sent by the external equipment, guide a charging or discharging process when the battery pack is matched with different external equipment platforms, the universality is high, and the battery pack can enter a low-power-consumption state according to a charging state informing instruction which is fed back by a charger and carries full charging information or charger fault information, so that the power consumption of the battery pack when the battery pack is not used is reduced, and the energy is saved.

Referring to fig. 3, in one embodiment, the battery pack includes a battery pack 150, a control module 110, a first terminal 120, and a second terminal 160. The first terminal 120 is the communication terminal 120, and the second terminal 160 is a status indication terminal. The first terminal 120 and the second terminal 160 are connected to the control module 110 and are each used to connect to an external device, the type of which includes an electric appliance or a charger.

The battery pack 150 includes a plurality of cells connected in series, and the control module 110 has a plurality of pins respectively connected to two ends of each cell for collecting a single voltage of each cell. The control module 110 is preset with a first voltage and a second voltage, and the first voltage is greater than the second voltage. The control module 110 is configured to compare the collected single voltage with the first voltage or the second voltage, and determine whether the battery pack 150 is overcharged or overdischarged. In this embodiment, the control module 110 may be an MCU (Microcontroller Unit, micro control unit). The MCU is internally provided with a data processing unit which is used for processing data of the acquired single voltage.

The control module 110 also detects the type of the external device through the first terminal 120. When the external device is a charger, the control module 110 only determines whether the battery pack is in an overcharged state, and does not determine whether the battery pack is in an overdischarged state, that is, the control module 110 compares the collected single voltage with the first voltage and does not compare the collected single voltage with the second voltage, and if the single voltage of any power cell is greater than the first voltage, the battery pack is in an overcharged state, and the control module 110 outputs an abnormal signal through the second terminal 160. The control module 110 controls the battery pack to enter a charged state even if there is a single voltage less than the second voltage.

When the control module 110 detects that the external device is an electric appliance through the communication terminal 120, the control module 110 only determines whether the battery pack is in an overdischarge state, and does not determine whether the battery pack is in an overcharge state, that is, the control module 110 compares the collected single-section voltage with the second voltage and does not compare the collected single-section voltage with the first voltage. If the single voltage of any one of the battery cells is less than the second voltage, the battery pack is in an overdischarge state, and the control module 110 outputs an abnormal signal through the second terminal 160. The control module 110 controls the battery pack to enter a discharge state even if there is a single voltage greater than the first voltage.

In the battery pack provided in the above embodiment, the control module 110 has a function of judging whether the battery pack is in an overcharged or overdischarged state, and when the battery pack is overcharged or overdischarged, the control module 110 outputs an abnormal signal from the same port, so that a plurality of ports are not required, and the port integration level is improved. Compared with the prior art, when the control module is connected with the external equipment, the overcharge and overdischarge judgment is carried out simultaneously, and the same abnormal signal is output, and the external equipment cannot judge whether the external equipment is overcharged or overdischarged according to the abnormal signal, so that the battery pack cannot be charged by the charger due to the fact that the abnormal signal is received when the charger is overdischarged and connected with the charger in the prior art, and the battery pack cannot be discharged by the electric appliance due to the fact that the abnormal signal is received when the charger is overcharged and connected with the electric appliance. The type of the external equipment is judged firstly, if the type of the external equipment is a charger, the overcharge judgment is only carried out, the overdischarge judgment is not carried out, if the type of the external equipment is an electric appliance, the overdischarge judgment is only carried out, the overdischarge judgment is not carried out, and the intelligent degree of the battery pack is improved.

It will be appreciated that there is a step of identifying the type of external device before the overcharge determination or the overdischarge determination is made. In this embodiment, the control module 110 may determine the type of the external device by detecting whether the communication unit 111 receives the digital signal of the external device, if the digital signal is received, determining the type of the external device according to the digital signal, and if the digital signal is not received, the control module 110 determines the type of the external device by detecting the analog signal at the communication terminal 120. The specific judgment mode is as described above, and will not be described in detail here. Further, the digital signals further include a parameter reading command and/or a state of charge notification command, and the control module receives the digital signals, and performs corresponding control-outputs the working parameters and/or the state parameters, and enters low power consumption, and specific control processes and effects are as described above and are not described in detail herein.

Referring to fig. 4, in one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a switch module 170, and the switch module 170 includes a control end, a first end, and a second end. The control end of the switch module 170 is connected to the control module, and is configured to receive a control signal of the control module 110, and turn on or off according to the control signal. A first end of the switch module 170 is connected to the second terminal 160, and a second end of the switch module 170 is grounded.

When the control module 110 detects that the external device is a charger through the first terminal 120 and detects that the battery pack is in an overcharged state through detecting the single voltage, or when the control module 110 detects that the external device is an electric appliance through the first terminal 120 and detects that the battery pack is in an overdischarged state through detecting the single voltage, the control module 110 sends a first control signal to a control end of the switch module 170 and controls the switch module 170 to be disconnected, so that the external device detects that the second terminal 160 is suspended, that is, the second terminal 160 outputs an abnormal signal. When the external device detects that the second terminal 160 is hung in the air, the connection with the battery pack is disconnected, and the charging or discharging process is stopped.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the switch module 170 may include at least one transistor, and the transistor may be an N-type transistor or a P-type transistor. The control end of the N-type transistor is a grid electrode, the first end is a drain electrode, and the second end is a source electrode. The control terminal of the N-type transistor is connected to the control module 110, the drain is connected to the second terminal 160, and the source is grounded. When the battery pack is connected with the charger and the control module 110 detects that the battery pack is overcharged, or the battery pack is connected with the electric appliance and the control module 110 detects that the battery pack is overdischarged, the control signal sent by the control module 110 is a low-level signal, and the N-type transistor is disconnected under the control of the low-level signal, so that the path from the second terminal 160 to the control module 110 is disconnected. When the external device detects an infinite signal at the second terminal 160 and it can be judged that the battery pack is faulty, the external device disconnects the battery pack and stops charging and discharging the battery pack.

In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes the aforementioned temperature detection module 140, and a first end of the temperature detection module 140 is connected to a first end of the switch module 170. The second end is connected to the second terminal 160, when the battery pack is connected to the charger and the control module 110 detects that the battery pack is not overcharged, or the battery pack is connected to the electrical appliance, and the control module 110 detects that the battery pack is not overdischarged, the control module 110 controls the switch module 170 to be turned on, so that the external device is connected to the temperature detection module 140 through the second terminal 160 to read the temperature information of the battery pack. The first end of the temperature detection module 140 is further connected to the control module 110, and is configured to send the collected temperature information of the battery pack to the control module 110.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the temperature detecting module 140 may be a thermistor, and the switching module 170 may be an N-type transistor. One end of the thermistor is connected with the drain electrode of the N-type transistor, the source electrode of the N-type transistor is grounded, and the other end of the thermistor is connected with the second terminal 160. When the external device is connected with the battery pack, a peripheral power supply and a pull-up resistor are arranged at the port where the external device is connected with the second terminal 160, the peripheral power supply and the pull-up resistor are grounded through the thermistor and the N-type transistor, and the external device can read the temperature information of the battery pack by reading the resistance value of the thermistor. When the external device judges that the battery pack is over-temperature, the connection with the battery pack is disconnected, so that the battery pack stops charging or discharging.

The battery pack provided in the above embodiment includes the second terminal 160 to which an external device can be connected. When the battery pack is connected to the external device, the battery pack may output an abnormality signal through the second terminal 160, so that the external device receives the abnormality signal and then disconnects from the battery pack. Meanwhile, the battery pack can also output the temperature of the battery pack to an external device through the second terminal 160, and thus, two signals can be output through one port, port multiplexing is achieved, and the number of ports of the battery pack is reduced.

In one embodiment, the control module 110 further includes the communication unit 111 and the working state identification interface 119, and the connection circuit and the implementation function of the communication unit 111 and the working state identification interface 119 are the same as those of the foregoing embodiment, and are not repeated.

In one embodiment, when the control module 110 determines that the battery pack is in an overcharged state or an overdischarged state, an abnormal signal is further output from the first terminal 120 through the communication unit 111, and the external device receives the abnormal signal and stops charging or discharging. Thus, when the battery pack fails in the over-charge or over-discharge mode, the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 160 double-backup output abnormal signals to inform the peripheral battery pack that the battery pack fails, so that safety is guaranteed.

Referring to fig. 5, in one embodiment, a battery pack includes a battery pack 150, a status indication terminal 160, and a control module 110. The status indication terminal 160 is the second terminal 160 described above. The status indication terminal is connected to the control module 110 and is used to connect an external device. The control module 110 is respectively connected to each battery cell in the battery pack 150, and is configured to collect a single voltage of each battery cell, and determine whether the battery pack 150 is in an unbalanced state according to the single voltage. When the battery pack 150 is in an unbalanced state, the control module controls the state indication terminal 160 to output an abnormal signal. The external device stops charging or discharging after receiving the abnormality signal.

Specifically, the control module 110 stores a first preset difference value. In the charge-discharge stage, the control module 110 is further configured to determine a maximum voltage value and a minimum voltage value according to the collected single power voltage, calculate a voltage difference between the maximum voltage value and the minimum voltage value, and when the voltage difference between the maximum voltage value and the minimum voltage value is greater than or equal to a first preset difference value, the control module 110 determines that the battery pack is in an unbalanced state, and the battery pack is in a fault state at this time, so that the control module 110 controls the switch module 170 to be turned off to enable the second terminal 160 to output an abnormal signal. After the external device receives the abnormal signal, the connection with the battery pack can be disconnected, and the charging or discharging can be stopped.

The battery pack provided by the embodiment can collect the single voltage of each battery cell, judge whether the battery pack is in an unbalanced state according to the single voltage, and output an abnormal signal to the outside when the battery pack is in the unbalanced state, so that the external equipment can control to stop charging or discharging after receiving the abnormal signal. Therefore, the charging and discharging process is not required to be disconnected in the battery pack, the structure of the battery pack is simplified, and the cost of the battery pack is reduced.

In one embodiment, after the control module 110 collects the single voltage, the single voltage may be compared with the pre-stored first voltage and the pre-stored second voltage, and if the single voltage is greater than the first voltage, the battery pack is in an overcharged state, and the control module 110 outputs an abnormal signal from the second terminal 160. If the single voltage is less than the second voltage, the battery pack is in an over-discharge state, and the control module 110 outputs an abnormal signal from the second terminal 160.

In the battery pack provided in the above embodiment, when the battery pack has an overcharge failure, an overdischarge failure, or an imbalance failure, the abnormal signals are output from the same port, that is, the second terminal 160, to the external device, so that one port can output signals in various states, and the integration level of the port is improved.

In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a switch module 170, and the control module 110 is connected to the status indication terminal 160 through the switch module 170. The switch module 170 includes a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The control end of the switch module 170 is connected to the control module, and is configured to receive a control signal of the control module 110, and turn on or off according to the control signal. A first end of the switch module 170 is connected to the second terminal 160, and a second end of the switch module 170 is grounded.

When the control module 110 detects that the battery pack is in the overcharged state by detecting the single voltage, or when the control module 110 detects that the battery pack is in the overdischarged state by detecting the single voltage, or the control module 110 determines that the battery pack is in the unbalanced state, the control module 110 sends a first control signal to the control end of the switch module 170 and controls the switch module 170 to be disconnected, so that the external equipment detects that the second terminal 160 is suspended, that is, the second terminal 160 outputs an abnormal signal. When the external device detects that the second terminal 160 is hung in the air, the connection with the battery pack is disconnected, and the charging or discharging process is stopped. In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes the aforementioned temperature detection module 140, and the connection circuit and the control manner of the temperature detection module 140 and the switch module 170 are as described above, which are not described again.

In one embodiment, further, the first end of the temperature detection module is further connected to the control module, and is configured to send the collected temperature information of the battery pack to the control module. In this way, the first terminal transmits temperature data to external equipment and also transmits temperature data to the control module inside the battery pack.

In one embodiment, the control module 110 is further configured to compare the individual voltage levels during the charging phase and determine a minimum voltage value. Meanwhile, the control module 110 is further configured to calculate a voltage difference between a single voltage of each battery cell and a minimum voltage value, and determine whether the capacities of the battery cells in the battery pack are balanced according to the voltage difference and a pre-stored second preset difference. If the voltage difference between each battery cell and the minimum capacity battery cell is smaller than the second preset difference, the capacities of the battery cells in the battery pack are balanced. If the difference between the capacity of at least one battery cell and the minimum capacity battery cell is larger than the second preset difference, the capacities of all the battery cells in the battery pack are unbalanced, at the moment, the battery cell needing to be subjected to electric quantity balancing is set as a target battery cell, and the battery cell needing not to be subjected to electric quantity balancing is set as a normal battery cell. The voltage difference value between the single-section voltage of the target battery cell and the minimum voltage value is larger than or equal to a second preset difference value, and the voltage difference value between the voltage difference value of the normal battery cell and the minimum voltage value is larger than or equal to the second preset difference value. In this embodiment, the second preset difference is 30mV, and of course, the second preset difference may also be other values, which may be set by the user according to the user's own needs.

And after the target battery cell is determined, discharging the target battery cell according to a preset balancing period. Wherein each equalization period comprises an equalization phase and a detection phase after the equalization phase. And in the equalization stage, discharging the target battery cell determined for the first time. In the detection phase, the control module 110 again detects a single voltage of each battery cell, and again determines a minimum voltage value according to the single voltage. It should be noted that the minimum voltage value is obtained by comparing the individual voltages in real time. Since the equalization stage discharges the target cell while each cell is in a charged state, the minimum voltage value for each detection stage may be different, requiring a determination of the minimum voltage value again by comparing the individual voltages. And comparing the voltage difference between the target battery cell and the minimum voltage value, and controlling the target battery cell to be a normal battery cell by the control module when the voltage difference is smaller than a third preset difference. And meanwhile, the control module compares the voltage difference value of the single-section voltage and the minimum voltage value of the normal battery cell in the previous stage, and when the voltage difference value is larger than or equal to a second preset difference value, the normal battery cell is converted into the target battery cell. And repeating the equalization period until the control module 110 detects that the target battery core does not exist in the battery core when the detection stage is finished, finishing equalization, and entering the next equalization period if the target battery core exists. In this embodiment, the third preset difference is smaller than the second preset difference, and specifically, the third preset difference may be 10mV, which may be selected by the user according to the requirement.

Further, referring to fig. 5, in one embodiment, the control module 110 further includes at least one drainage unit 116, where each drainage unit 116 is connected to each power core in a one-to-one correspondence. Each bleeder unit 116 comprises a bleeder switch and a bleeder resistor, wherein one end of the bleeder switch is connected with one end of the battery core and one end of the previous stage bleeder resistor, and the other end of the bleeder switch is connected with one end of the bleeder resistor corresponding to the battery core. After the equalization period, the control module 110 determines the target battery cell, and controls the drain switch correspondingly connected with the target battery cell to be closed, so that the target battery cell discharges through the drain resistor. In the detection period, the control module 110 controls the bleeder switch corresponding to the target cell to be turned off so as to stop discharging of the target cell.

In the battery pack provided in the above embodiment, the control module of the battery pack may further detect whether each battery cell of the battery pack is balanced in voltage during charging and discharging, and if not, discharge the target battery cell in a periodic discharging manner to make the voltage balanced.

In one embodiment, with continued reference to fig. 5, the battery pack further includes a switch activation circuit 190 and a peripheral operating circuit 220, and the control module 110 is further connected to the status indication terminal 160 through the switch activation circuit 190. The control module 110 includes a power switch 114, and the power switch 114 is connected to the battery pack 150, so that the battery pack 150 supplies power to the control module 110 and the peripheral operating circuit 220 through the power switch 114. When the switch activating circuit 190 obtains an activating signal of the external device through the status indication terminal 160, the switch activating circuit 190 controls the power switch to be turned on, the battery pack 150 can supply power to the control module 110 and the peripheral operating circuit 220, and the battery pack can be switched from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode.

In another embodiment, referring to fig. 5, the control module 110 has a connection status recognition interface thereon, through which the control module 110 is directly connected to the status indication terminal 160. The control module 110 stores a connection identification preset voltage for determining whether the external device is connected to the battery pack.

The external device has a port adapted to the status indication terminal 160, and a power supply and a pull-up resistor are provided at the port of the external device. The state indicating terminal 160 has a voltage state when the external device is connected to the battery pack, and is suspended when the external device is disconnected from the battery pack.

Specifically, the control module 110 detects the voltage state at the state indication terminal 160 to determine whether to intervene in the external device. When the voltage state of the state indicating terminal 160 is equal to or greater than the connection identification preset voltage, the battery pack is connected with the external device. When the voltage state at the state indicating terminal 160 is less than the connection preset identification voltage, the battery pack is disconnected from the external device, and at this time, the battery pack enters the low power consumption mode from the low normal power consumption mode.

Referring to fig. 6, in one embodiment, a battery pack includes a battery pack 150 and a circuit module 210 connected to the battery pack. The circuit module 210 is a working circuit of the battery pack, and may be composed of a hardware circuit, a chip and a peripheral circuit thereof. The circuit module 210 operates by supplying power through the battery pack 150. The circuit module 210 has a low power consumption mode and a normal power consumption mode. The low power consumption mode has first power consumption, the normal power consumption mode has second power consumption, and the first power consumption is smaller than the second power consumption. It is understood that the first power consumption or the second power consumption may be a value or a range of values, for example, the first power consumption is a, the second power consumption is B, a > B, for example, the first power consumption is A1-A2, the second power consumption is B1-B2, A2> A1> B2> B1, for example, the first power consumption is a, the second power consumption is B1-B2, a > B2> B1. It is understood that when the circuit module 210 enters the low power mode, i.e., the entire battery pack enters the low power mode, the circuit module 210 enters the normal power mode, i.e., the entire battery pack enters the normal power mode. The circuit module 210 is powered up in the normal power mode, and the circuit module 210 can enter various detection and control modes as follows.

When the circuit module 210 knows that the battery pack 150 is full, the circuit module 210 switches from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode to reduce power consumption when the battery pack is not operating.

The battery pack has a plurality of conditions for entering the low power consumption mode in parallel, and when any one of them occurs, the circuit module 210 will switch from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode, as will be listed one by one.

With continued reference to fig. 6, in one embodiment, the battery pack includes the aforementioned first terminal 120, and the first terminal 120 is connected to the circuit module 210 for connecting to an external device.

When the external equipment is a charger and the charger has a communication function, after the charger and the battery pack are successfully handshaking, a parameter reading instruction is sent. And after the battery pack receives the parameter reading instruction, the corresponding working parameters and/or state parameters are sent to the charger. In this embodiment, the state parameters include any one of a full pack voltage, a single cell voltage of the battery cell, a battery pack temperature, and a fault state. After receiving the whole voltage of the battery pack, the charger can judge whether the battery pack is full or not according to the preset full charge cut-off voltage. If the full pack voltage is greater than the full charge cut-off voltage and the battery pack is full, the charger sends a state of charge notification instruction carrying the full charge information of the battery pack to the first terminal 120 and stops charging the battery pack. Upon receiving the state of charge notification instruction, the circuit module 210 knows that the battery pack is full, and further controls to enter the low power consumption mode from the normal power consumption mode.

In one embodiment, the battery pack 150 further includes cells connected in series, and the circuit module 210 is connected to each cell for collecting a single voltage of each cell and determining whether the battery pack is full according to the single voltage. When the battery pack is judged to be full, i.e., the circuit module 210 knows that the battery pack is full, the circuit module 210 switches from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode.

In one embodiment, the circuit module 210 is further configured to detect at least one operation parameter of the battery pack 150, and determine whether the battery pack 150 is in a fault state according to the operation parameter of the battery pack 150. When the battery pack 150 is in a fault state, the circuit module 210 switches from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode.

Specifically, the circuit module 210 may determine whether the battery pack 150 is in a fault state according to the single voltage. Wherein the fault condition may be an overcharge condition, an overdischarge condition, or an imbalance condition. The circuit module 210 has a first voltage and a second voltage stored therein, and the first voltage is greater than the second voltage. During charging, the circuit module 210 compares the collected single voltage with the first voltage, and if any single voltage is greater than the first voltage, the battery pack fails to be overcharged. During discharging, the circuit module 210 compares the collected single voltage with the second voltage, and if the single voltage of any single battery is smaller than the second voltage, the battery pack fails to discharge excessively. During charging and discharging, the circuit module 210 calculates a maximum voltage value and a minimum voltage value according to the collected single voltage, and if the voltage difference between the maximum voltage value and the minimum voltage value is greater than a first preset difference in the circuit module 210, an unbalanced fault occurs in the battery pack. When the battery pack fails as described above, the circuit module 210 switches from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode.

In one embodiment, if the charger detects a self-failure, a charging state notification instruction carrying the charger failure information is sent to the first terminal 120, and charging of the battery pack is stopped. Upon receiving the state of charge notification instruction, the circuit module 210 enters a low power mode from a normal power mode.

With continued reference to fig. 6, in one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a second terminal 160 (i.e., the aforementioned status indication terminal) connected to the circuit module 210. When the battery pack is connected to an external device, the second terminal 160 is also connected to the external device.

The circuit module 210 may also determine whether to connect an external device by checking the voltage state at the second terminal 160. Wherein the voltage state is the magnitude of the voltage at the second terminal 160. When the second terminal 160 is connected to an external device, the external device may provide an external power source and a pull-up resistor such that a bias voltage exists at the second terminal 160. When the second terminal 160 is not connected to an external device, the second terminal 160 is suspended. Accordingly, the circuit module 210 may determine whether to connect the peripheral by detecting the voltage state at the second terminal 160.

When the circuit module 210 detects that the voltage state at the second terminal 160 is greater than or equal to the pre-stored connection identification preset voltage, it is determined that the battery pack is connected with the external device, and the circuit module 210 does not change the current normal power consumption mode according to the determination result. When the circuit module 210 detects that the voltage state at the second terminal 160 is less than the connection identification preset voltage, it is determined that the battery pack is disconnected from the external device, and at this time, the circuit module 210 actively enters the low power consumption mode from the normal power consumption mode. In this embodiment, the circuit module 210 includes a control module 110, the connection identification preset voltage is stored in the control module 110, and the connection identification preset voltage may be the same as the identification preset voltage in the control module 110 or different from the identification preset voltage in the control module 110.

In one embodiment, when the circuit module 210 determines that the external device is a charger through the first terminal 120, the battery pack enters a charging state and starts a timer in the circuit module 210. The timer is preset with a first time. When the time of the timer reaches the preset first time, the circuit module 210 defaults to full battery pack, and the circuit module 210 enters the low power mode from the normal power mode.

It should be noted that, in the above embodiment, when the battery pack enters the low power consumption mode, the power consumption in the battery pack is at the microampere level, and is close to zero power consumption.

When the charger cannot judge whether the battery pack is full or not, enough charging time can be preset through the battery pack, and when the preset time is up, the battery pack automatically enters low power consumption, so that the intelligent degree of the battery pack is improved.

In summary, the above embodiments propose six conditions for entering the low power mode: 1. knowing full from the charger; 2, self-checking and filling the battery pack; 3. self-checking faults of the battery pack; 4. a charger failure; 5. the external equipment is disconnected; 6. charging reaches a preset time. The battery pack provided by the embodiment automatically enters the low-power consumption mode when any one of the conditions occurs, so that the intelligentization of the battery pack is improved, and the power consumption of the battery pack when not in use is reduced. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above six conditions may be applied to one battery pack independently, or may be applied to the battery packs in combination with each other, so as to form a plurality of different embodiment battery packs, and the combination application is simple and easy to implement, and not described in detail, and belongs to the protection scope of the present invention.

With continued reference to fig. 6, in one embodiment, the circuit module 210 is connected to the power switch 114, the power switch is connected to the battery pack 150, and the battery pack 150 supplies power to the circuit module 210 through the power switch. When the circuit module 210 controls the power switch 114 to be turned off, the power supply of the circuit module 210 is turned off, and the circuit module 210 is switched from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode.

Referring to fig. 7, in one embodiment, the circuit module 210 includes the control module 110 and a peripheral operation circuit 220 connected to the control module 110.

The control module 110 includes a power switch 114, a voltage stabilizing unit 115, and an internal operating circuit 116. The positive electrode of the battery pack 150 is connected to one end of the power switch 114, and the other end of the power switch 114 is connected to one end of the voltage stabilizing unit 115. The voltage stabilizing unit 115 is used to convert the power of the battery pack 150 and output the operating power and supply power to the internal operating circuit 116 and the peripheral operating circuit 220. The circuitry within the control module 110 excluding the power switch 114 and the voltage regulator unit 115 described above is internal to the internal operating circuitry 116. The internal operation circuit includes the aforementioned communication unit 111, and performs operations of the aforementioned plurality of functions of communication, overcharge failure, overdischarge failure, unbalance failure, electric quantity balance, and the like, and realizes the judgment of the above-described six conditions for entering the low power consumption mode. When the power switch 114 is closed, the internal operation circuit 116 and the peripheral operation circuit 220 are powered to operate, and the circuit module 210 is in the normal power consumption mode, that is, the battery pack is in the normal power consumption mode.

When the power switch 114 is turned off, the input of the voltage stabilizing unit 115 is cut off and the operating power cannot be output, and at this time, the internal operating circuit 116 and the peripheral operating circuit 220 are powered off, and the circuit module 210 enters the low power mode from the normal power mode.

In this embodiment, the control module 110 may be an MCU.

Further, the circuit module 210 further includes a switch activation circuit 190, the battery pack includes at least one terminal, the at least one terminal is connected to the circuit module, and the battery pack is connected to the external device through the at least one terminal; the switch activation circuit 190 has one end connected to the at least one terminal and the other end connected to the power switch 114 within the control module 110. The switch activation circuit 190 is configured to control on or off of a power switch according to connection or disconnection of an external device, and when the battery pack is connected to the external device, the at least one terminal receives an activation signal from the external device and passes the activation signal to the switch activation circuit, the switch activation circuit controls the power switch to be turned on, and the circuit module switches from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode. It will be appreciated that at least one terminal, i.e., one or more terminals, may each receive an activation signal and pass it to the switch activation circuit 190 to control the power switch 114 to conduct. When the plurality of terminals, for example, two different terminals are included, any one of the terminals obtains an activation signal, that is, the switch activation circuit can receive the activation signal, and control the power switch 114 to be turned on. In summary, the at least one terminal is a terminal having a function of activating a normal power consumption mode.

Further, when the power switch 114 is turned on, the internal operating circuit 116 may send a control signal to the power switch 114 to control the on/off of the power switch after power is supplied to start operation. In this embodiment, when the control signal is at a high level, the power switch 114 is controlled to be turned on, and when the control signal is at a low level, the power switch 114 is controlled to be turned off. When the internal operation circuit 116 determines that any one of the above six conditions for entering the low power consumption mode is satisfied, the internal operation circuit 116 sends a low level control signal immediately or after a time delay, and controls the power switch 114 to be turned off, so that the circuit module is switched to the low power consumption mode.

Further, the switch activation circuit 190 includes a charging unit and an activation switch 193. The activation switch 193 includes a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The control terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to one terminal of the charging unit, and the other terminal of the charging unit is connected to the at least one terminal. A first terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to the power supply of the battery pack, and a second terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to the power switch 114.

The external device is provided with a port matched with the at least one terminal, and the port is provided with a pull-up resistor and a peripheral power supply. When the external device is connected to the battery pack, the voltage state at the at least one terminal of the battery pack is raised from the first voltage to the second voltage, that is, the external device inputs an activation signal through the terminal. And the external device may charge the charging unit through the at least one terminal. The charging unit may control the activation switch 193 to be turned on, the activation switch 193 controls the power switch 114 to be turned on, and the voltage stabilizing unit 115 may receive the power voltage of the battery pack 150 and convert the power voltage of the battery pack 150 into an operating power to supply power to the internal operating circuit 116 and the peripheral operating circuit 220, so that the circuit module 210 is switched from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode.

Specifically, when the at least one terminal includes a plurality of terminals, for example, N, in one embodiment, the charging unit is a charging unit, and is connected to N terminals at the same time, and if an activation signal is provided on any one of the terminals, the charging unit is charged; another embodiment is that the charging unit includes a plurality of (N) as many as a plurality of at least one terminal and is connected to one terminal, respectively, and the charging unit connected to one terminal is charged when one terminal has an activation signal.

Specifically, referring to fig. 7, in one embodiment, the at least one terminal includes the aforementioned first terminal 120, i.e., the communication terminal 120, and the charging unit includes a first charging unit. The first terminal 120 is connected to the switch activation circuit 190, and the switch activation circuit 190 may receive an activation signal of an external device from the first terminal 120 and control the power switch 114 to be turned on to switch the circuit module 210 from the low power mode to the normal power mode. As can be appreciated, according to the foregoing embodiment, the communication unit 11 is connected to the first terminal 120, and the communication unit 11 communicates with an external device through the first terminal 120; and, the kind identification element 180 is connected to the first terminal 120, and the external device may detect the kind identification element 180 through the first terminal 120 to obtain the type information of the battery pack. In summary, the first terminal 120 has both a communication function and a type identification function, and has a function of activating a normal power consumption mode. Specifically, the activation switch 193 includes a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The control terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to one end of the first charging unit 191, and the other end of the first charging unit 191 is connected to the status indication terminal 160. A first terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to the power supply of the battery pack, and a second terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to the power switch 114.

When the external device is a charger or an electrical apparatus with a communication function, the charger or the electrical apparatus with the communication function has a port adapted to the first terminal 120, and the port has a pull-up resistor and a peripheral power supply. When the external device is connected to the first terminal 120, the voltage state at the first terminal 120 is raised from the first voltage to the second voltage, that is, the external device inputs an activation signal through the first terminal 120. And the external device may charge the first charging unit 191 through the first terminal 120. The first charging unit 191 may control the activation switch 193 to be turned on, the activation switch 193 controls the power switch 114 to be turned on, and the voltage stabilizing unit 115 may receive the power voltage of the battery pack 150 and convert the power voltage of the battery pack 150 into an operating power to supply power to the internal operating circuit 116 and the peripheral operating circuit 220, so that the circuit module 210 is switched from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode.

Further, the at least one terminal further includes the aforementioned second terminal 160, i.e., the status indication terminal 160, and the charging unit includes a second charging unit. When the battery pack is connected to an external device, the battery pack may receive an activation signal of the external device through the second terminal 160 and transmit the activation signal to the switch activation circuit 190, and the switch activation circuit 190 controls the power switch 114 to be turned on according to the activation signal, so that the circuit module 210 is switched from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode. It may be appreciated that, according to the above embodiment, the circuit module detects at least one operation parameter of the battery pack, and determines whether the battery pack is in a fault state according to the operation parameter, and when it is determined that the battery pack is in the fault state, the circuit module controls the second terminal to output an abnormal signal, where the operation parameter includes any one of voltage, temperature, and the like, and the fault state includes any one of overcharge fault, overdischarge fault, overtemperature fault, unbalanced fault, and the like; the circuit module stores a connection identification preset voltage, the circuit module detects a voltage state at the second terminal and compares the voltage state with the connection identification preset voltage, and when the voltage state is greater than or equal to the connection identification preset voltage, the battery pack is connected with the external equipment; when the voltage state is smaller than the connection identification preset voltage, the battery pack is disconnected from the external device, and the circuit module is switched from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode, namely the first terminal has the functions of communication and type identification. In summary, the second terminal 160 has both a function of outputting a fault and a function of recognizing that the peripheral is disconnected into low power consumption, and has a function of activating a normal power consumption mode.

Specifically, the second charging unit 192 has one end connected to the second terminal 160 and the other end connected to the control end of the activation switch 193. Since the external device is provided with the external power source and the pull-up resistor at the port where the external device is connected to the second terminal 160, when the external device is connected to the second terminal 160, the voltage state at the second terminal 160 is raised from the first voltage to the second voltage, that is, the external device inputs the activation signal through the second terminal 160. The external device may charge the second charging unit 192 through the second terminal 160. The second charging unit 192 may control the activation switch 193 to be turned on such that the activation switch 190 controls the power switch 114 to be turned on, and the circuit module 210 may be switched from the low power mode to the normal power mode.

In the above embodiment, the activation switch 193 may be a transistor, and the type of the transistor may be N-type or P-type, which may be selected by the user according to the requirement.

In another embodiment, the at least one terminal of the battery pack includes only the first terminal 120, and the functions of communication, type identification and activating the normal power consumption mode are provided.

In another embodiment, the at least one terminal of the battery pack includes only the second terminal 160, which has the function of outputting the fault, the function of identifying that the peripheral is disconnected into the low power consumption mode, and the function of activating the normal power consumption mode, and the specific manner will not be repeated.

In another embodiment, the at least one terminal of the battery pack includes a first terminal having the aforementioned function of activating the normal power consumption mode and having the aforementioned function of communication and/or type identification, and/or a second terminal having the function of outputting a fault and/or the function of identifying that the peripheral is disconnected into low power consumption in addition to the function of activating the normal power consumption mode.

It is understood that the device has at least one terminal for activating the normal power consumption mode, and a person skilled in the art can select one or more of a function of multiplexing communication, a function of identifying a type, a function of outputting a fault, and a function of identifying that the peripheral is disconnected into low power consumption according to actual design requirements, and the number of the at least one terminal can be selected according to requirements, for example, up to 4, and each of the functions can be multiplexed. The combination selection can construct a plurality of different embodiments, which are simple and easy to realize, and all belong to the protection scope of the invention.

In the above embodiment, the first charging unit 191 and the second charging unit 192 are preferably capacitive elements, and the voltage at the second ends of the first charging unit 191 and the second charging unit 192 is changed due to the charging characteristics of the capacitive elements, specifically, a rising and then decreasing process. The activation switch 193 has a turn-on voltage, which in this embodiment is assumed to be 0.7V, and the activation switch 193 is controlled to turn on only when the voltage at the second end of the activation switch 193 is greater than the turn-on voltage, so that the power switch 114 is turned on and the battery pack is powered up into the normal power consumption mode. The activation signal that the switch activation circuit 190 obtains from the first terminal 120 or the second terminal 160 is an instantaneous signal, and the high voltage (i.e., the second voltage in this embodiment) that persists at the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 160 is not the activation signal and does not turn on the activation switch. When the switch activating circuit 190 obtains the instantaneous activating signal, the activating switch 193 is turned on instantaneously, the power switch 114 is turned on instantaneously, the voltage stabilizing unit 115 outputs the working power instantaneously, the internal working circuit 116 is powered on instantaneously, the battery pack enters the normal power consumption mode, and the internal working circuit 116 outputs a high-level control signal to the power switch 114 to maintain the conduction of the battery pack while being powered on, at this time, the battery pack realizes the power on activation (i.e. activating the normal power consumption mode) and power supply self-locking, and is locked in the normal power consumption mode, and the battery pack can start to work and continuously work.

In the above embodiment, the internal working circuit 116 performs the various actions of the circuit module 210 in fig. 6, namely, knowing that the battery pack is full, judging that the battery pack is faulty, knowing that the charger is faulty, detecting the second terminal, knowing that the battery pack is disconnected from the external device, counting the timer when charging, and then the internal working circuit 116 outputs a low-level control signal to the power switch 114 to disconnect the power switch, so that the battery pack interrupts the self-locking of the power supply, and the normal power consumption mode is switched to the low power consumption mode.

In one embodiment, the terminal is the aforementioned first terminal 120 (communication terminal), which can enable the activation switch 193 to be closed, and the first terminal 120 is connected to the communication unit and/or the type identification element, and the specific connection circuit and control manner are as described above, and are not repeated.

In one implementation, the terminal is the aforementioned second terminal 160 (status indication terminal), which can cause the aforementioned activation switch 193 to be closed, and the specific function of the second terminal is as described above, for example, the circuit module detects at least one operating parameter of the battery pack, and determines whether the battery pack is in a fault state according to the operating parameter; when the battery pack is judged to be in a fault state, the circuit module controls the terminal to output an abnormal signal, wherein the fault state comprises the overcharge fault, the overdischarge fault, the unbalance fault and other battery faults; if a connection identification preset voltage is stored in the circuit module, the circuit module detects the voltage state at the terminal and compares the voltage state with the connection identification preset voltage, and when the voltage state is greater than or equal to the connection identification preset voltage, the battery pack is connected with the external equipment; when the voltage state is smaller than the connection identification preset voltage, disconnecting the battery pack from the external device, and switching the circuit module from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode; and other functions of the aforementioned second terminal 160 are not described in detail.

The battery pack provided in the above embodiment may be activated from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode through the first terminal 120, or may be activated from the second terminal 160 to the normal power consumption mode. Meanwhile, the second terminal 160 can also output abnormal signals, temperature signals and the like, so that the port integration level is improved, the number of ports is reduced, and the volume of the battery pack is further reduced. In another embodiment, referring still to fig. 6, the battery pack further includes a key 101, and the switch activation circuit 190 may be grounded through the key 101. The switch activation circuit may control the on or off of the switching power supply 114 according to the closing or opening of the key 101.

The peripheral operation circuit 220 further includes an electric quantity display module connected to the key 101. When the user presses the key 101, the key 101 is closed, and the switch activation circuit 190 may control the activation switch 193 to be turned on to cause the circuit module 210 to enter the normal power consumption mode from the low power consumption mode. At the same time, the charge display module is also activated to display the charge of the battery pack 150. Likewise, the battery pack can be powered on, activated and powered on and self-locked by the key 101, and the principle is the same, and specific steps are not repeated.

The battery pack provided in the above embodiment may enter the low power consumption mode from the normal power consumption mode when the battery pack fails, the battery pack is fully charged, the charger fails, or the battery pack is disconnected from the external device, so that the power consumption of the battery pack may be reduced. When the battery pack is connected with external equipment, the battery pack can automatically enter a normal power consumption mode, and the intellectualization of the battery pack is realized.

Referring to fig. 8, in one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a storage unit 117, where the storage unit 117 may be disposed in the control module 110 of the battery pack, and the storage unit 117 stores the operating parameters of the battery pack, specifically, the charging parameter and the discharging parameter.

The control module further comprises a communication unit 111 connected to the storage unit 117. When the communication unit 111 of the battery pack is connected to and establishes communication with an external device through the communication terminal 120, the communication unit 111 may transmit a charge parameter or a discharge parameter from the communication terminal 120 to the external device. The external device may control the charging process according to the charging parameter or the discharging process according to the discharging parameter.

In one embodiment, the charging parameter includes a maximum allowable charging current. When the battery pack is connected with the charger, the charger can accept the maximum allowable charging current of the battery pack and set a constant current charging current value according to the maximum allowable charging current so as to control the constant current charging process. For example, the maximum output charging current of the charger connected to the battery pack is 4A, the default constant current charging current is 4A, and the maximum allowable charging current that the battery pack can receive is only 2A, so if the charger defaults to 4A as the constant current charging value, it is obviously unsuitable, and the battery pack will be damaged immediately. In the above embodiment, the charger will know the maximum allowable charging current of the battery pack, compare with the self-generated maximum output charging current, and take the smaller value 2A as the constant current value in the charging process of the battery pack. Thus, the battery pack can be effectively protected.

In one embodiment, the charging parameters further include a maximum allowable charging temperature, a minimum allowable charging temperature. The charger can set a charging over-temperature protection value after receiving the maximum allowable charging temperature and the minimum allowable charging temperature. When the charger receives the temperature of the battery pack through communication or receives the temperature of the battery pack through the second terminal 160 of the battery pack, the received battery pack temperature is compared with the charge over-temperature protection value. When the temperature of the battery pack exceeds the charging over-temperature protection value, the battery pack is indicated to have an over-temperature fault, and at the moment, the charger control stops charging.

In one embodiment, the charging parameters further include a maximum allowable charging voltage. When the charger is connected to the battery pack, the charger may set a constant voltage charging voltage value according to a maximum allowable charging voltage to control a constant voltage charging process. In the above embodiment, as in the principle of the maximum allowable charging current, there is a mismatch between the maximum output charging voltage of the charger and the maximum allowable charging voltage of the battery pack, and the two are compared, and a smaller value is taken as the constant voltage value of the charger for constant voltage charging of the battery pack, so that the battery pack can be effectively protected.

In one embodiment, the discharge parameter comprises a maximum allowable discharge current. When the electric appliance is connected with the battery pack, the electric appliance sets an overcurrent protection value according to the received maximum allowable discharge current. When the electric appliance detects the discharging current of the battery pack, the discharging current of the battery pack is compared with the over-current protection value, and if the over-discharging current is larger than the over-current protection value, the electric appliance controls the battery pack to stop charging.

In one embodiment, the discharge parameters further include a maximum allowable discharge temperature, a minimum allowable discharge temperature. And after the electric appliance receives the maximum allowable discharge temperature and the minimum allowable discharge temperature, the discharge over-temperature protection value can be set. When the electrical consumer receives the temperature of the battery pack through communication or receives the temperature of the battery pack through the second terminal 160 of the battery pack, the received battery pack temperature is compared with the discharge over-temperature protection value. When the temperature of the battery pack exceeds the discharge over-temperature protection value, the over-temperature fault of the battery pack is indicated, and at the moment, the electric appliance is used for controlling the battery pack to stop discharging.

In one embodiment, the discharge parameters further include a minimum allowable discharge voltage. The power consumer may set the over-discharge protection value, i.e., the aforementioned second voltage, according to the minimum allowable discharge voltage of the battery pack. When the electric appliance obtains the discharge voltage of the battery pack, the discharge voltage of the battery pack is compared with the over-discharge protection value. When the discharging voltage of the battery pack is smaller than or equal to the over-discharging protection value, the over-discharging fault of the battery pack is indicated, and then the electric appliance is used for controlling the battery pack to stop discharging.

In the prior art, an external device can be adapted to multiple kinds of battery packs at the same time, and the charging conditions and discharging conditions of the different kinds of battery packs have certain differences, such as the improved charging parameters and discharging parameters, and in order to realize better charge and discharge control/protection, the battery packs are provided with different identification elements of representative types, and the external device can detect the identification elements, so that different battery pack types are identified, and different control parameters, such as the constant current charging value, the discharge over-temperature protection value and the like, are set for the different kinds of battery packs. However, this method has a limitation that the external device can recognize only several kinds of preset recognition elements, and can only adapt to the several fixed types of battery packs, and the battery packs can be controlled more easily only by being mounted on the adapted external device. The battery pack provided by the embodiment is connected with the external device through communication, and can send the preset charging parameters and discharging parameters to the external device through the communication unit, so that the external device can directly control the charging process or discharging process according to the charging parameters or discharging parameters, and is not limited by the identification element any more, so long as the external device has a basic communication function. Compared with the prior art that the battery pack can only be adapted to external equipment of a fixed model, the external equipment can only be adapted to several types of battery packs, and the battery pack and the external equipment in the application have wider adaptation range and ensure good charge and discharge control.

One embodiment of the present application provides a charging system including a charger and the above battery pack. The battery pack is detachably mounted on the charger. The battery pack includes a storage unit 117 and a communication unit 111. The storage unit 117 stores therein the charging parameters of the battery pack. The communication unit 117 may be connected to and establish communication with the charger through the communication terminal 120, and a specific process of establishing communication is described above and will not be repeated here. The communication unit 111 may transmit the charging parameters stored in the storage unit 117 to the charger. The charging parameters may include, among other things, a maximum allowable charging current, a maximum allowable charging temperature, a minimum allowable charging temperature, and a maximum allowable charging voltage. Further, the charger may control the charging process of the battery pack according to the received charging parameters. Specific control procedures are described in the foregoing, and are not repeated here. It is understood that different battery packs may have different charging parameters, and the charger controls the charging of the corresponding battery pack according to the received different charging parameters.

In the charging system provided by the embodiment, the charging parameters are pre-stored in the battery pack, when the battery pack is connected with the charger, the charger can control the process of the battery pack according to the received charging parameters, and then one charger can be matched with a plurality of battery packs with different charging parameters, so that the application range of the battery pack is expanded.

One embodiment of the present application provides a discharge system comprising an electrical consumer and the aforementioned battery pack. The battery pack is detachably mounted on the electric appliance to perform discharging. The battery pack includes a storage unit 117 and a communication unit 111. The storage unit 117 stores therein the discharge parameters of the battery pack. The communication unit 117 may be connected to and establish communication with the electric appliances through the communication terminal 120, and a specific process of establishing communication is described above and will not be repeated here. The communication unit 111 may transmit the discharge parameter stored in the storage unit 117 to the electric consumer. The discharge parameters may include a maximum allowable discharge current, a maximum allowable discharge temperature, a minimum allowable discharge temperature, and a minimum allowable discharge voltage, among others. Further, the courage electric appliance can control the discharging process of the battery pack according to the received discharging parameters. Specific control procedures are described in the foregoing, and are not repeated here. It is understood that different battery packs may have different discharge parameters, and the electrical appliance controls the charging of the corresponding battery pack according to the received different charge parameters.

In the discharging system provided by the embodiment, the discharging parameters are pre-stored in the battery pack, when the battery pack is connected with the electric appliance, the electric appliance can control the discharging process of the battery pack according to the received discharging parameters, and then the electric appliance can be matched with various battery packs with different discharging parameters, so that the application range of the battery pack is expanded.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 9, the battery pack includes a monitoring unit 118, a communication unit 111, and a communication terminal 120. Wherein the monitoring unit 118 and the communication unit 111 may be both provided in the control module 110 of the battery pack. The monitoring unit 118 may collect and acquire the state parameters of the battery pack. The state parameter is a real-time parameter when the battery pack works, and specifically the state parameter can comprise any one of the whole pack voltage, the single-cell voltage of the battery cell, the battery pack temperature and the fault state. The communication unit 111 is connected to the monitoring unit 118, and is configured to receive the status parameter collected by the monitoring unit 118. The communication unit 111 is also connected to an external device through the communication terminal 120, and receives a parameter reading instruction transmitted from the external device through the communication terminal 120 and transmits it to the monitoring unit 118. The communication unit 111 transmits the state parameters of the battery pack to the external device through the communication terminal 120 according to the parameter reading instruction.

The battery pack provided by the embodiment is only used as a data acquisition end, data is not actively transmitted outwards through the communication unit, and the data is transmitted outwards when the external equipment has a demand, so that the line conflict of the battery pack and the external equipment for actively transmitting the data is avoided, and the battery pack is used as a communication slave machine, and the battery pack information is transmitted outwards only when the demand exists, so that the battery pack is prevented from actively transmitting the data to execute useless operation continuously and actively, and the energy of the battery pack is wasted.

In one embodiment, the battery pack includes a type identification element 180, the type identification element 180 being connected to the communication terminal. When the battery pack identifies the external device, the external device detects the type identification element 180 through the communication terminal to identify the type of the battery pack. In this embodiment, the type identification element 180 may be an identification resistor, one end of which is connected to the communication terminal, and the other end of which is grounded. When the external device is connected to the communication terminal 120, the external device may detect the size of the identification resistor, and the identification resistors of different sizes correspond to the battery packs of different specifications, so the external device may detect the type of the battery pack by detecting the size of the identification resistor, thereby controlling the charging process or the discharging process.

If the battery pack is used as a communication host, the communication unit continuously transmits data to the outside through the communication terminal, and the voltage variation is continuously generated on the communication terminal, and the communication terminal can only be used for communication and has a limitation. The battery pack provided in the above embodiment, when communicating with an external device, acts as a slave, and its communication terminal will send data outwards only when receiving an instruction from the external device, and this period of time transmits data inwards or outwards, is affected by communication and continues voltage fluctuation, and the communication unit waits in a receiving state in the rest of time, and there is no data transmission on the communication terminal, and the communication terminal is actually idle, and its voltage state is stable and unchanged. In the present embodiment, by connecting the type identification element 180 to the communication terminal 120, the communication terminal 120 can be made to multiplex a new function, and the external device detects the type identification element of the communication terminal 120 to identify the type of the battery pack. Therefore, during the rest of the above time, the external device can accurately detect the type identification element 180 through the communication terminal 120 to identify the type of the battery pack, without being affected by communication. Thus, the battery pack can be used as a communication slave machine, the communication terminal can be used for multiplexing multiple functions, the number of the battery pack terminals is small, the structure is compact, and the communication function is preferably configured.

In one embodiment, when the battery pack is connected to an external device, the communication unit 111 may receive a digital signal of the external device from the communication terminal 120 and transmit the digital signal to the monitoring unit 118. The monitoring unit 118 is configured to detect whether a digital signal is received from the communication unit 111 within a preset time, that is, detect whether a digital signal sent from the external device is received from the communication terminal 120. In this embodiment, the digital signal includes a handshake signal, a parameter reading instruction, and the like sent by the external device. When the communication unit 111 detects a digital signal through the communication terminal 120, the monitoring unit 118 may determine the type of the external device according to the digital signal.

When the communication unit 111 does not detect the digital signal within the preset time, the monitoring unit 118 determines that the external device does not have the communication function. At this time, the monitoring unit 118 detects the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 to determine the type of the external device. When the external device is judged to be a charger, the battery pack is in a charging state. When the external device is judged to be an electric appliance, the battery pack is in a discharging state. Here, the monitoring unit 118 is disposed in the control module 110, and the manner in which the monitoring unit 118 determines the type of the external device according to the digital signal or the analog signal is the same as that in the foregoing manner in which the control module 110 determines the type of the external device according to the digital signal or the analog signal, which is not described herein.

Assuming the battery pack as a communication host, the communication unit 111 continuously transmits data to the outside through the communication terminal 120, and there is a continuous voltage variation on the communication terminal 120, which is limited only for communication alone. The battery pack provided in the above embodiment, when communicating with an external device, is used as a slave, the communication terminal 120 of the battery pack transmits data to the outside only when receiving an instruction from the external device, the data is transmitted to the inside or the outside during the period, the battery pack is affected by the communication and continues to fluctuate in voltage, the communication unit 111 is in a reception waiting state during the rest of the time, no data is transmitted to the communication terminal 120, the communication terminal 120 is actually idle, and the voltage state is stable and unchanged. In the present embodiment, a new function is multiplexed at the communication terminal 120—the type of the external device without communication is identified from the communication terminal. Therefore, during the rest of the time described above, the battery pack can accurately identify the type of the external device without communication through the communication terminal 120, without being affected by the communication. In this way, the battery pack can be used as a communication slave and the communication terminal 120 can be used for multiplexing a plurality of functions, and the battery pack has a small number of terminals and a compact structure, and the communication functions are preferably configured.

The following provides a specific application scenario of the present application:

referring to fig. 10, one embodiment of the present application provides a battery pack including a battery pack 150 and a control circuit board including a control module 110, a temperature detection module 140, a communication terminal 120, and a status indication terminal 160. The communication terminal 120 is the first terminal, and the status indication terminal 160 is the second terminal. The communication terminal 120 and the status indication terminal 160 are used to connect external devices, the types of which include a consumer and a charger. When the battery pack is connected to an external device, the control module 110 is used for detecting whether the communication terminal 120 receives a digital signal of the external device within a preset time. Wherein the digital signal may be a handshake signal. When the control module 110 does not receive the digital signal within the preset time, the control module 110 determines that the external device does not have the communication function. At this time, the control module 110 determines the type of the external device by detecting the analog signal at the communication terminal 120. It should be noted that, the charger without communication function has a port adapted to the communication terminal 120 of the battery pack, and the port of the charger is provided with a peripheral power source and a pull-up resistor, and when the charger is connected to the battery pack, the battery pack can detect an analog signal through the communication terminal 120. The electrical device without communication function does not have a port adapted to the communication terminal 120 of the battery pack, and when the electrical device is connected to the battery pack, the communication terminal 120 of the battery pack is suspended. Accordingly, the control module 110 may determine the type of the external device by detecting the connection state at the communication terminal 120. If the battery pack detects that the voltage state of the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 is greater than or equal to the preset voltage value, the connection state at the communication terminal 120 is connected, and the battery pack can determine that the external device is a charger. If the battery pack detects that the voltage state of the analog signal at the communication terminal 120 is smaller than the preset voltage value, the connection state at the communication terminal 120 is unconnected, and the battery pack can determine that the external device is an electrical appliance.

When the external device is a charger, the control module 110 only determines whether the battery pack is in an overcharged state, and does not determine whether the battery pack is in an overdischarged state. The battery pack is internally preset with a first voltage and a second voltage, and the first voltage is larger than the second voltage. When the external device is a charger, the control module 110 compares the collected single-section voltage with a preset first voltage and does not compare the collected single-section voltage with a preset second voltage, if any single-section voltage is greater than the first voltage, the battery pack is in an overcharged state, an overcharging fault occurs, and the control module 110 outputs an abnormal signal through the state indication terminal 160. The control module 110 controls the battery pack to enter a charged state even if there is a single voltage less than the second voltage.

When the external device is an electric appliance, the battery pack enters a discharging state. At this time, the control module 110 only determines whether the battery pack is in an overdischarge state, and does not determine whether the battery pack is in an overcharge state, i.e., the control module 110 compares the collected single voltage with a preset second voltage and does not compare the collected single voltage with the first voltage. If any one of the voltage levels is less than the second voltage, the battery pack is in an overdischarge state, an overdischarge fault occurs, and the control module 110 outputs an abnormal signal through the state indication terminal 160. The control module 110 controls the battery pack to enter a discharge state even if there is a single voltage greater than the first voltage.

During charging and discharging, the control module 110 also calculates a maximum voltage value and a minimum voltage value according to the collected single voltage, and if the voltage difference between the maximum voltage value and the minimum voltage value is greater than a first preset difference in the control module 110, an unbalanced fault occurs to the battery pack. When an imbalance fault occurs in the battery pack, the control module 110 also outputs an abnormal signal from the status indication terminal 160. When the battery pack has the faults (overcharge faults, overdischarge faults and unbalance faults), the battery pack enters a low-power-consumption mode from a normal-power-consumption mode.

Specifically, the battery pack further includes a circuit module 210, and the circuit module 210 includes the control module 110 and a peripheral operation circuit 220 connected to the control module 110.

The control module 110 includes a power switch 114, a voltage stabilizing unit 115, and an internal operating circuit 116. The circuitry within the control module 110 excluding the power switch 114 and the voltage regulator unit 115 described above is internal to the internal operating circuitry 116. The positive electrode of the battery pack 150 is connected to one end of the power switch 114, and the other end of the power switch 114 is connected to one end of the voltage stabilizing unit 115. The voltage stabilizing unit 115 is used to convert the power of the battery pack 150 and output the operating power and supply power to the internal operating circuit 116 and the peripheral operating circuit 220. When the power switch 114 is closed, the internal operation circuit 116 and the peripheral operation circuit 220 are powered to operate, and the circuit module 210 is in a normal power consumption mode, that is, the battery pack is in a normal power consumption mode.

When the power switch 114 is turned off, the input of the voltage stabilizing unit 115 is cut off and the operating power cannot be output, and at this time, the internal operating circuit 116 and the peripheral operating circuit 220 are powered off, the circuit module 210 enters the low power mode from the normal power mode, that is, the battery pack enters the low power mode. When the battery pack enters a low power consumption mode, the power consumption in the battery pack is at the microampere level and is close to zero power consumption.

In one embodiment, when the control module 110 of the circuit module 210 detects that the voltage state at the state indicating terminal 160 is equal to or greater than the connection identification preset voltage, the battery pack is connected to the external device. When the battery pack is in the normal power consumption mode, the circuit module 210 detects that the voltage state at the state indication terminal 160 is smaller than the connection identification preset voltage, and determines that the battery pack is disconnected from the external device, at this time, the control module 110 cuts off the power switch 114, and the circuit module 210 enters the low power consumption mode from the normal power consumption mode.

In one embodiment, the control module 110 of the circuit module 210 determines that the external device is a charger through the communication terminal 120, and the battery pack enters a charging state and starts a timer in the control module 210. The control module is preset with a first time. When the time of the control module reaches the preset first time, the control module 210 defaults to full battery pack, and the circuit module 210 enters the low power mode from the normal power mode.

In one embodiment, the control module 110 of the circuit module 210 determines that the battery pack is full according to the operating parameter—single-cell voltage/full-pack voltage, and the circuit module 210 enters the low-power mode from the normal-power mode.

In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a temperature detection module 140 having one end connected to the status indication terminal 160 and the other end connected to a first end of the switch module 170. When the single-section voltage of any one of the battery cells detected by the control module 110 is greater than the over-discharge voltage or less than the over-charge voltage, the control module 110 controls the switch module 170 to be turned on, so that the external device is connected with the temperature detection module 140 through the status indication terminal 160 to read the temperature information of the battery pack.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the temperature detecting module 140 may be a thermistor, and the switching module 170 may be an N-type transistor. One end of the thermistor is connected with the drain electrode of the N-type transistor, the source electrode of the N-type transistor is grounded, and the other end of the thermistor is connected with the state indicating terminal 160. When the external device is connected with the battery pack, a peripheral power supply and a pull-up resistor are arranged at the port where the external device is connected with the state indicating terminal 160, the peripheral power supply and the pull-up resistor are grounded through the thermistor and the N-type transistor, and the external device can read the temperature information of the battery pack by reading the resistance value of the thermistor. When the external device judges that the battery pack is over-temperature, the connection with the battery pack is disconnected, so that the battery pack stops charging or discharging.

In another embodiment, the temperature detection module 140 is further connected to the control module 110, and after the control module 110 collects the temperature information of the battery pack, the temperature information of the battery pack is sent to the external device through the communication unit 111. The external device can judge whether the battery pack is over-heated according to the received temperature information, and if the battery pack is over-heated, the external device cuts off the connection with the battery pack, so that the battery pack stops charging and discharging.

When the external device is connected to the battery pack and the control module 110 of the battery pack detects that the communication unit 111 receives the digital signal within the preset time, the external device has a communication function, and the communication unit 111 can identify the type of the external device according to the digital signal transmitted by the external device. The digital signal may be a handshake signal sent by the external device. The handshake signals sent by different external device types are also different. When the communication unit 111 receives the first handshake signal, it can determine that the external connection is the charger by analyzing the source address carried by the first handshake signal. When the communication unit 111 receives the second handshake signal, it can determine that the external connection is an electrical appliance by analyzing the source address carried by the second handshake signal. After receiving the handshake signal and replying to the agreement, the communication unit 111 successfully handshakes, and the battery pack can enter a charging state or a discharging state and communicate with the external device in real time in the charging and discharging process. When the battery pack communicates with an external device, the communication unit 111 may be a serial communication unit, the communication terminal 120 may also be a half duplex serial port, and the communication unit 111 communicates with the external device through the communication terminal 120 in serial.

Further, the control module 110 further includes a transmitting interface 112 and a receiving interface 113, the transmitting interface 112 and the receiving interface 113 belong to the communication unit 111 and are respectively connected to the communication terminals, the communication unit 111 transfers a signal to be transmitted from the transmitting interface 112 to the communication terminals and then transmits the signal to the external device, and the communication unit receives a signal transmitted from the external device to the communication terminals 120 through the interface unit 113. The battery pack further includes a conversion module 130, wherein one end of the conversion module 130 is connected to the transmission interface 112, and the other end is connected to the communication terminal 120. The conversion module 130 is configured to transmit the signal generated by the communication unit 111 to an external device, and prevent the signal of the external device from flowing to the communication unit 111 through the transmission interface 112, so that the signal transmitted by the external device can only flow to the communication unit from the communication terminal 120 and the reception interface 130. In this embodiment, the conversion module 130 may be a switch controlled by the communication unit 111. In this embodiment, the communication unit is a serial communication unit, a serial communication protocol is adopted, the transmitting interface 112 is a Tx pin, the receiving interface 113 is an Rx pin, and the communication terminal 120 is a half-duplex serial port through the conversion module 130, so that the communication unit can transmit data and receive data, but cannot simultaneously transmit data, and the communication unit 111 performs serial port communication with an external device through the communication terminal 120.

When the external equipment is a charger with a communication function, after the charger and the battery pack are successfully handshaking, a parameter reading instruction is sent. And after the battery pack receives the parameter reading instruction, the battery pack sends the corresponding working parameter and/or state parameter to the charger. The working parameters comprise preset charging parameters, and the types of the charging parameters comprise preset voltage information, preset current information and preset temperature information. The preset current information may be a maximum allowable charge current, the preset voltage information may be a maximum allowable charge voltage of the battery pack, and the preset temperature information may be a maximum allowable charge temperature and a minimum allowable charge temperature. The charger can set a corresponding constant-current charging current value, a constant-voltage charging voltage value and a charging over-temperature protection value according to the charging parameters after receiving the charging parameters.

Real-time parameters in the working process of the state parameter digital battery pack. In this embodiment, the state parameter includes any one of the full pack voltage, the cell voltage, the battery pack temperature, and the fault state. The fault state may be an overcharge fault, an overdischarge fault, an overtemperature fault, an unbalanced fault, etc. After receiving the whole voltage of the battery pack, the charger can judge whether the battery pack is full or fails according to the preset full charge cut-off voltage. If so, the charger stops charging the battery pack. When the charger knows that the battery pack is full, the charger sends a charging state notification instruction carrying the full charging information of the battery pack and stops charging the battery pack. After receiving the charge state notification instruction, the control module 110 controls the battery pack to enter a low power consumption mode.

If the charger detects the self fault, a charging state notification instruction carrying the charger fault information is sent, and the charging of the battery pack is stopped. After the battery pack receives the charge state notification instruction, the power switch 114 is controlled to be turned off, so that the battery pack enters a low power consumption mode from a normal power consumption mode, and the power consumption of the battery pack when the battery pack is not in use is reduced.

When the external equipment is an electric appliance with a communication function, after the electric appliance and the battery pack are successfully handshaked, a parameter reading instruction is sent. After the battery pack receives the parameter reading instruction, the corresponding working parameters and/or state parameters are sent to the electric appliance. The working parameters comprise preset discharge parameters, namely preset voltage information, preset current information and preset temperature information. The preset current information may be a maximum allowable discharge current, the preset voltage information may be a minimum allowable discharge voltage of the battery pack, and the preset temperature information may be a maximum allowable discharge temperature and a minimum allowable discharge temperature. And after the electric appliance receives the discharge parameters, setting corresponding over-current protection values, over-discharge protection values and discharge over-temperature protection values according to the discharge parameters.

Because battery package and external equipment send preset operating parameter through the communication, external equipment sets up corresponding charge value or discharge value according to the parameter received, compares in the prior art that the charger can only charge for specific battery package or battery package can only charge for the electrical apparatus of specific model, and in this application, the adaptation scope of battery package is wider.

When the battery pack and the external equipment establish communication, the battery pack is used as a slave to receive data, the external equipment is used as a host to send data, and the battery pack can send data outwards only after receiving an instruction of the external equipment, so that line conflict of the battery pack and the external equipment for actively sending data simultaneously is avoided, and useless operation of continuously actively sending data outwards by the battery pack can also be avoided, and energy of the battery pack is wasted.

In one embodiment, the battery pack 100 includes a switch activation circuit 190, one end of the switch activation circuit 190 is connected to the communication terminal 120 and the status indication terminal 160, and the other end is connected to the control module 110. The switch activation circuit 190 is used for receiving an activation signal transmitted by the external device through the switch activation circuit 190 and switching from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode when the external device is connected to the battery pack.

In this embodiment, when the battery pack is not connected to the external device, the battery pack is in the low power consumption mode, and the internal operation circuit does not operate. When the battery pack is connected to the external device, the battery pack can be switched from the low power consumption mode to the normal power consumption mode after detecting the external device.

Specifically, the switch activation circuit 190 includes a first charging unit 191 and an activation switch 193. The activation switch 193 includes a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The control terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to one end of the first charging unit 191, and the other end of the first charging unit 191 is connected to the status indication terminal 160. The first terminal of the activation switch 193 is connected to the power supply, and the second terminal of the activation switch 192 is connected to the control module 110.

When an external device is connected to the battery pack, the external device is connected to the status indication terminal 160. Since the external device is provided with the external power source and the pull-up resistor at the port where the external device is connected to the status indication terminal 1600, the external device may charge the first charging unit 191 through the status indication terminal 160. The first charging unit 191 may control the activation switch 193 to be turned on, and the control module 110 may detect the power source connected to the activation switch 192, so that the control module 110 switches from the low power mode to the normal power mode.

Further, in another embodiment, the switch activation circuit 190 may further include a second charging unit 192, where one end of the second charging unit 192 is connected to the communication terminal 120, and the other end is connected to the control end of the activation switch 193. When the external device is connected to the communication terminal 120, the external device has a port adapted to the communication terminal 120, and a pull-up resistor and a peripheral power source are provided at the port. Accordingly, the external device may charge the second charging unit 192 through the communication terminal 120. The second charging unit 192 may control the activation switch 193 to be turned on, so that the control module 110 detects the operating power source connected to the activation switch 193, i.e., may switch from the low power mode to the normal power mode.

In this embodiment, the activation switch 193 may be a transistor, and the type of the transistor may be N-type or P-type, and the user may select the transistor according to his own requirement.

The battery pack provided by the embodiment outputs the battery pack fault signal and the temperature information of the battery pack through the state indication terminal, activates the battery pack to power on, detects the disconnection of the battery pack and external equipment to enter low-power consumption power saving, identifies the types of the external equipment with different platforms through the communication terminal, communicates with the external equipment with a communication function, activates the battery pack to power on, and identifies the battery pack type through the external equipment, and multiplexes a plurality of functions through one port, thereby reducing the number of ports of the battery pack and improving the port integration level. The battery pack can be used for external equipment with a communication function or external equipment without the communication function, and has a wide application platform. In addition, the battery pack can enter the low power consumption mode from the normal power consumption mode when the battery pack fails, the battery pack is fully charged, the charger fails and the battery pack is disconnected from the external device, so that the power consumption of the battery pack can be reduced. When the battery pack is connected with external equipment, the battery pack can automatically enter a normal power consumption mode, and the intellectualization of the battery pack is realized.

The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined, and all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are not described for brevity of description, however, as long as there is no contradiction between the combinations of the technical features, they should be considered as the scope of the description.

The above examples illustrate only a few embodiments of the invention, which are described in detail and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that several variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which are all within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present invention is to be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of identifying an operating state of a battery pack, the battery pack being connected to an external device for charging or discharging, the external device including an electric appliance and a charger, the operating state of the battery pack including a charged state and a discharged state, the battery pack including a communication terminal for establishing communication with the external device when the battery pack is connected to the external device, comprising the steps of:

if not, detecting an analog signal of a communication terminal of the battery pack, and judging the type of the external equipment according to the analog signal;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the type of the external device based on the digital signal comprises:

when the digital signal is a first handshake signal, judging that the external equipment is a charger; and when the digital signal is a second handshake signal, judging that the external equipment is an electric appliance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the type of the external device based on the analog signal comprises:

judging the type of the external equipment according to the voltage state of the analog signal, wherein when the voltage state is larger than or equal to a preset voltage value, the external equipment is a charger, and when the voltage state is smaller than the preset voltage value, the external equipment is an electric appliance.

4. The method for recognizing the operation state of the battery pack according to claim 2, further comprising, after judging that the type of the external device is a charger based on the digital signal:

receiving a parameter reading instruction sent by the charger;

and sending the working parameters and/or the state parameters of the battery pack according to the parameter reading instruction.

5. The method for identifying an operating state of a battery pack according to claim 2 or 4, further comprising, after determining from the digital signal that the type of the external device is a charger:

and receiving a charging state notification instruction sent by the charger and entering a low power consumption mode, wherein the charging state notification instruction comprises fault information of the charger or full charge information of a battery pack.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the operation parameters include any one of a maximum allowable charge voltage, a maximum allowable charge current, a maximum allowable charge temperature, and a minimum allowable charge temperature;

7. The method for recognizing the operation state of the battery pack according to claim 2, further comprising, after judging that the type of the external device is an electric appliance based on the digital signal:

receiving a parameter reading instruction of the electric appliance;

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the operating parameters include any one of a maximum allowable discharge voltage, a maximum allowable discharge current, a maximum allowable discharge temperature, and a minimum allowable discharge temperature;

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the external device is the charger, the battery pack performs only the overcharge judgment of the overcharge judgment and the overdischarge judgment, and if the overcharge occurs, an abnormality signal is output, and the charger receives the abnormality signal and stops charging;

when the external device is the electric appliance, the battery pack only executes over-discharge judgment in over-charge judgment and over-discharge judgment, if over-discharge occurs, the abnormal signal is output, and the electric appliance receives the abnormal signal and stops discharging.

10. A battery pack, comprising: a control module and a communication terminal;

the control module is connected with the communication terminal, the communication terminal is used for accessing external equipment, and the types of the external equipment comprise an electric appliance and a charger;

when the battery pack is connected with the external device, the control module is used for detecting whether a digital signal of the external device is received from the communication terminal within preset time;

if yes, the control module judges the type of the external equipment according to the digital signal;

if not, the control module detects an analog signal at the communication terminal and judges the type of the external equipment according to the analog signal;

when the external device is judged to be a charger, the battery pack is in a charging state; and when the external equipment is judged to be an electric appliance, the battery pack is in a discharging state.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the control module comprises a communication unit and an operating state identification interface, the communication unit comprising a transmit interface and a receive interface;

the control module detects whether the digital signal of the external device is received from the communication terminal through the receiving interface, and detects the analog signal at the communication terminal through the working state identification interface.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, wherein the communication unit is a serial communication unit, the communication terminal is a half-duplex serial interface, and the communication unit performs serial communication with the external device through the communication terminal to receive the digital signal.

13. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the digital signal comprises a first handshake signal and a second handshake signal;

when the digital signal received by the control module is a first handshake signal, judging the type of the external equipment as a charger;

and when the digital signal received by the control module is a second handshake signal, judging the type of the external equipment as an electric appliance.

14. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells,

the digital signal comprises a parameter reading instruction, and when the control module receives the parameter reading instruction from the communication terminal, the control module sends working parameters and/or state parameters of the battery pack to external equipment through the communication terminal.

15. The battery pack of claim 14, wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells,

when the external equipment is a charger, the working parameters comprise any one of maximum allowable charging voltage, maximum allowable charging current, maximum allowable charging temperature and minimum allowable charging temperature;

16. The battery pack according to claim 14, wherein when the external device is an electric appliance,

the working parameters comprise any one of maximum allowable discharge voltage, maximum allowable discharge current, maximum allowable discharge temperature and minimum allowable discharge temperature;

17. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells,

the digital signal comprises a charge state notification instruction, the battery pack has a low power consumption mode and a normal power consumption mode, the low power consumption mode has a first power consumption, the normal power consumption mode has a second power consumption, and the first power consumption is smaller than the second power consumption; when the control module receives the charging state informing instruction from the communication terminal, the control module controls the battery pack to be switched from the normal power consumption mode to the low power consumption mode.

18. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells,

the charge state notification instruction includes fault information of a charger or full charge information of a battery pack, and is sent by the charger.

19. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells,

the control module is stored with a preset value, when the control module judges that the voltage state of the analog signal is larger than or equal to the preset value, the external equipment is a charger, and when the control module judges that the voltage state of the analog signal is smaller than the preset value, the external equipment is judged to be an electric appliance.

20. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells,

the battery pack further comprises a battery pack and a state indicating terminal, wherein the state indicating terminal is connected with the control module and the external equipment, and the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells connected in series; the control module is connected with each section of the battery cell and is used for collecting single-section voltage of the battery cell, and a first voltage and a second voltage are preset in the control module, wherein the first voltage is larger than the second voltage;

when the external equipment is a charger, the control module compares the single-section voltage with the first voltage and does not compare the single-section voltage with the second voltage, if the single-section voltage of any section of the battery core is larger than the first voltage, the battery pack is judged to be in an overcharged state, the control module controls the state indication terminal to output an abnormal signal, and the charger receives the abnormal signal and stops charging;

When the external equipment is an electric appliance, the control module compares the single-section voltage with the second voltage and does not compare the single-section voltage with the first voltage, if any section of single-section voltage is smaller than the second voltage, the battery pack is judged to be in an overdischarge state, the control module controls the state indication terminal to output the abnormal signal, and the electric appliance receives the abnormal signal and stops discharging.