Battery-pack voltage detection apparatus

• US 20060012336A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Fujita, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US11/178,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/119
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• 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

In a battery-pack voltage detection apparatus, a voltage detection circuit is connected to N+1 potential terminals. N+1 switches each has at least first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions with alternating conductivity type. The N+1 switches are configured to individually open/close the connections of the N+1 potential terminals and the voltage detection circuit. N+1 driving units are connected to at least one of the N+1 potential terminals and configured to apply at least one potential at at least one of the N+1 potential terminals to each of the N+1 switches to drive each of the N+1 switches.

Claims

1. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus connected to a battery pack, the battery pack comprising N series connected battery modules, the N being an integer equal to or more than 2;

and N+1 potential terminals corresponding to a highest potential, a lowest potential, and N−

1 intermediate potentials of the N series battery modules, the battery-pack voltage detection apparatus comprising;

a voltage detection circuit connected to the N+1 potential terminals;

N+1 switches each having at least first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions with alternating conductivity type, the N+1 switches being configured to individually open/close the connections of the N+1 potential term als and the voltage detection circuit; and

N+1 driving units connected to at least one of the N+1 potential terminals and configured to apply at least one potential at at least one of the N+1 potential terminals to each of the N+1 switches to drive each of the N+1 switches.

2. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the N+1 potential terminals include a highest potential terminal corresponding to the highest potential of the N series battery modules, a lowest potential terminal corresponding to the lowest potential of the N series battery modules, and N-1 intermediate potential terminals corresponding to N-1 intermediate potentials of the N series battery modules, the N+1 switches include:

a first switch connected to the highest potential terminal;

a second switch connected to the lowest potential terminal; and

the remaining N-1 switches connected to the N-1 intermediate potential terminals, respectively,

and wherein each of the N-1 switches comprises a pair of switching elements each having a charge carrier emitting region, a control region, and a charge carrier collection region, which correspond to the first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively, the charge carrier emitting region of one of the pair of switching elements and that of the other of the pair of switching elements being commonly connected to each other.

3. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first switch comprises a pair of switching elements each having a charge carrier emitting region, a control region, and a charge carrier collection region, which correspond to the fist, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively, the charge carrier emitting region of one of the pair of switching elements and that of the other of the pair of switching elements being commonly connected to each other.

4. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second switch comprises a pair of switching elements each having a charge carrier emitting region, a control region, and a charge carrier collection region, which correspond to the first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively, the charge carrier emitting region of one of the pair of switching elements and that of the other of the pair of switching elements being commonly connected to each other.

5. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to 1, wherein at least one of the N+1 switches is a P-channel MOSFET, the P-channel MOSFET is connected to at least one of the N+1 potential terminals, and wherein at least one of the N+1 driving units is configured to bring the at least one of the N+1 potential terminals and another at least one of the N+1 potential terminals higher in potential than the at least one of the N+1 potential terminals into conduction to apply the potential at another at least one of the N+1 potential terminals to the gate of the P-channel MOSFET.

6. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the N+1 switches is an N-channel MOSFET, the N-channel MOSSES is connected to at least one of the N+1 potential terminals, and wherein at least one of the N+1 driving units is configured to bring the at least one of the N+1 potential terminals and another at least one of the N+1 potential terminals higher in potential than the at least one of the N+1 potential terminals into conduction to apply the potential at another at least one of the N+1 potential terminals to the gate of the N-channel MOSFET.

7. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the N+1 switches comprises a switching element having a charge carrier emitting region, a control region, and a charge carrier collection region, which corresponds to the first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively, and wherein at least one of the N+1 driving units comprises:

a discharging element arranged between the charge carrier emitting region and the control region of the switching element of at least one of the N+1 switches; and

a control switch connected between the at least one of the N+1 potential terminals and the control region of the switching element of at least one of the N+1 switches.

8. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the switching element of at least one of the N+1 switches is PNP transistor, the PNP transistor of the at least one of the N+1 switches is connected to at least one of the N+1 potential terminals, and wherein the control switch is arranged between the control region of the PNP transistor of the at least one of the N+1 switches and another one of the N+1 potential terminals, another one of the N+1 potential terminals being lower in potential than at least one of the N+1 potential terminals.

9. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the switching element of at least one of the N+1 switches is NPN transistor, the NPN transistor of the at least one of the N+1 switches is connected to at least one of the N+1 potential terminals, and wherein the control switch is arranged between the control region of the NPN transistor of the at least one of the N+1 switches and another one of the N+1 potential terminals, another one of the N+1 potential terminals being lower in potential than at least one of the N+1 potential terminals.

10. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control switch of at least one of the N+1 driving units is an optically electrical-isolation element.

11. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control switches of at least two of the N+1 driving units have first and second control terminals, respectively, the first control terminals of the control switches being commonly connected to one of the N+1 potential terminals, the second control terminals of the control switches being connected to the control regions of at least two of the N+1 switches, respectively, and wherein at least two of the N+1 driving units are configured to individually apply a predetermined on voltage based on a potential of the one of the N+1 potential terminals to the discharging elements in at least two of the N+1 switches, the applied on voltage causing a voltage drop across each of the discharging elements, the voltage drop being higher than a threshold voltage of each of at least two of the N+1 switches, thereby tuning on each of the at least two of the N+1 switches.

12. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the N is an odd number, the first switch comprises at least one switching element having a p-type charge carrier emitting region, an n-type control region, and a p-type charge carrier collection region, which correspond to the first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively, and the second switch comprises at least one switching element having an n-type charge carrier emitting region, a p-type control region, and an n-type charge carrier collection region, which corresponds to the first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively.

13. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the N is an even number, and the first switch comprises at least one switching element having a p-type charge carrier emitting region, an n-type control region, and a p-type charge carrier collection region, which corresponds to the first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively.

14. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the N is an even number, and the second switch comprises at least one switching element having an n-type charge carrier emitting region, a p-type control region, and an n-type charge carrier collection region, which correspond to the first, second, and third continuous semiconductor regions, respectively.

15. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus connected to a battery pack, the battery pack comprising a plurality of battery modules connected in series, and a plurality of voltage output terminals connected to positive terminals of the battery modules, respectively, the battery-pack voltage detection apparatus comprising:

a voltage detection circuit connected to the plurality of voltage output terminals;

a plurality of switches each having at least a charge carrier emitting region, a control region, and a charge carrier collection region continuously arranged with alternating conductivity type; and

a plurality of current path fox circuits including charge carrier pull-out elements, each of the charge carrier pull-out elements connecting between the charge carrier emitting region and the control region of each of the switches, the current path forming circuits forming a plurality of current paths from the plurality of voltage output terminals through the plurality of charge carrier pull-out elements, respectively.

16. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each of the current path forming circuits includes a control switch operative to open/close the corresponding current path.

17. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus connected to a battery pack, the battery pack comprising a plurality of battery modules connected in series;

and a plurality of pairs of terminals, each pair of the terminals corresponding to a voltage output terminal of each of the battery modules, the battery-pack voltage detection apparatus comprising;

a voltage detection circuit with first and second input terminals, the voltage detection circuit being configured to detect a potential difference between the first and second terminals;

a voltage applying circuit having a plurality of switching elements connected between the terminals and any one of the first and second input terminals of the voltage detection circuit, respectively, each of the switching element having a control terminal connected to any one of the first and second input terminals thereof and operating to turn on/off based on a voltage applied to the control terminal, the voltage applying circuit being configured to;

selectively turn on any one pair of the switching elements to select any one pair in the plurality of pairs of terminals of the battery pack; and

connect the selected pair of the terminals to the first and second input terminals to apply a voltage of one of the battery modules corresponding to the selected pair of terminals to the voltage detection circuit; and

a reference voltage applying circuit connected to the first and second input terminals of the voltage detection circuit and configured to fix any one of the first and second input terminals to a predetermined reference voltage when the voltage applying circuit connects the selected pair to the first and second input terminals of the voltage detection circuit.

18. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the reference voltage applying circuit is configured to select any one of the first and second input terminals of the voltage detection circuit based on which swatches are selected by the voltage applying circuit.

19. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each of the switching elements includes a pair of MOS transistors each having a charge carrier emitting region, a control region, and a charge carrier collection region with alternating conductivity type, and the charge carrier collection region of one of the pair MOS transistors is connected to any one of the first and second input terminals of the of the voltage detection circuit, and wherein the reference voltage applying circuit is configured to apply the reference voltage to the charge carrier collection region of one of the paired MOS transistors.

20. A battery-pack voltage detection apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a driving circuit configured to apply a control voltage to each of the switching elements, a voltage difference between the control voltage and the reference voltage allowing each of the switching elements to turn on.