Battery monitoring system

• US 10,202,041 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kudo, Akihiko, Kikuchi, Mutsumi, Shibahara, Gosuke, Emori, Akihiko, Uemura, Yasuo, Yamauchi, Tatsumi, Kubo, Kenji, Sonehara, Masahito, Amano, Masahiko, Aoshima, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US15/195,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20160303977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 324434
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/54 Testing for continuity
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery monitoring system, comprises a battery state detection circuit that detects battery states of a plurality of battery cells that are connected in series, based on respective cell voltages of the plurality of battery cells, and a control circuit that monitors state of a battery cell, based on each cell voltage of the plurality of battery cells. The control circuit inputs pseudo voltage information to the battery state detection circuit, and thereby diagnoses whether or not the battery state detection circuit is operating normally.

Claims

1. A battery monitoring device, comprising:

a selection circuit that has a plurality of input terminals provided in correspondence with a positive electrode and a negative electrode of each of a plurality of battery cells that are electrically connected in series, selects input terminals that correspond to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a battery cell that is to be the subject of measurement, and outputs potentials, that are respectively inputted to the selected input terminals, of the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery cell that is to be the subject of measurement;

a voltage measurement circuit, to which the potentials outputted from the selection circuit are inputted, that measures a battery cell voltage that is to be the subject of measurement based on the potentials that are inputted;

a current source that is used for inputting a potential to the input terminals that are selected by the selection circuit in order that a voltage that is measured by the voltage measurement circuit is to be different from the voltage of the battery cell; and

a control circuit that monitors a state of the battery cell based on the voltage that is measured by the voltage measurement circuit, wherein;

in case that a voltage measurement for diagnosing whether or not a selection by the selection circuit is performed correctly is executed

a potential when using the current source is inputted to the input terminals that are selected by the selection circuit,

the selection circuit outputs the potential to the voltage measurement circuit, and

the voltage measurement circuit measures a voltage that is different from the battery cell voltage; and

the control circuit diagnoses whether or not the selection by the selection circuit is performed correctly based on the voltage, that is different from the battery cell voltage, measured by the voltage measurement circuit.

2. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein

the voltage measurement for diagnosing whether or not the selection by the selection circuit is performed correctly is executed according to a diagnosis command from the control circuit within a time period when the battery cell voltage is measured.

3. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a resistor, wherein

when the battery cell voltage is measured for diagnosing whether or not the selection by the selection circuit is performed, the voltage that is different from the battery cell voltage measured by the voltage measurement circuit is retained in the resistor as a diagnosis data.

4. The battery monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein:

the voltage measurement for diagnosing whether or not the selection by the selection circuit is performed correctly is executed within a time period when the battery cell voltage is measured according to a diagnosis command by the control circuit; and

if a time period that is longer than the time period to measure the battery cell voltage and a predetermined time period to retain the diagnosis data to the resistor after having output the diagnosis command elapse, the control circuit outputs a command for requesting return of the diagnosis data that is retained in the resistor.

5. The battery monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein:

the selection circuit, the voltage measurement circuit and the current source is constructed by an integrated circuit;

a signal transmission path is provided between the integrated circuit and the control circuit; and

the diagnosis command is transmitted from the control circuit to the integrated circuit via the signal transmission path.

6. The battery monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein:

the selection circuit, voltage measurement circuit, the current source and the resistor are constructed by an integrated circuit;

a signal transmission path is provided between the integrated circuit and the control circuit;

the diagnosis command and the command for requesting return of the diagnosis data are transmitted from the control circuit to the integrated circuit via the signal transmission path; and

the diagnosis data is transmitted from the integrated circuit to the control circuit via the signal transmission path.

7. The battery monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein:

in a case where a plurality of the battery cells each of a plurality of battery cell groups which are electrically connected in series, the integrated circuit is provided to each of the plurality of the battery cell groups;

the signal transmission path includes a first signal transmission path that connects a plurality of the integrated circuits in series so as to enable serial transmission of a signal among the plurality of the integrated circuits and a second signal transmission path that connects a plurality of the integrated circuits connected in series and the control circuit so as to enable transmission of a signal between a plurality of the integrated circuits connected in series and the control circuit.

8. The battery monitoring device according to claim 7, wherein:

the battery monitoring device comprises a plurality of the signal transmission paths each of which includes the first signal transmission path and the second signal transmission path;

one of the plurality of the signal transmission paths is a signal transmission path that transmits the diagnosis command and the diagnosis data; and

another one of the plurality of the signal transmission paths is a signal transmission path that transmits an anomaly signal when any anomaly of the battery cell is detected.