VOLTAGE MONITORING DEVICE FOR ASSEMBLED BATTERY

• US 20100308835A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuura, Kimihiro, Ishikawa, Satoshi, SEKIZAKI, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,885,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/434
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• 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: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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

There is provided a voltage monitoring apparatus for monitoring an output voltage of an assembled battery. The voltage monitoring apparatus comprises: voltage monitoring sections, each section monitoring a voltage of each block of the plurality of blocks into which the plurality of unit cells are divided, wherein the voltage monitoring sections are connected one another through communication lines; and a control unit which is connected to the voltage monitoring section through the communication lines. The voltage monitoring section compares the respective detected voltages of the unit cells with the threshold voltage to determine a result of the comparison, and transmits the comparison result to the control unit. In a case where the threshold voltage is changed, the control unit transmits a registration signal indicating the changed threshold voltage, and when received the registration signal, the voltage monitoring section changes the stored threshold voltage to the changed threshold voltage.

Claims

1. A voltage monitoring apparatus for monitoring an output voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series, the voltage monitoring apparatus comprising:

voltage monitoring sections, each section monitoring a voltage of each block of the plurality of blocks into which the plurality of unit cells are divided, wherein the voltage monitoring sections are connected one another through communication lines; and

a control unit which is connected to the voltage monitoring section through the communication lines, wherein

each of the voltage monitoring sections includes;

a memory section for storing a threshold voltage therein;

a voltage detection section which is configured to detect respective voltages of the unit cells in a corresponding block;

a voltage comparison section which is configured to compare the respective detected voltages of the unit cells with the threshold voltage to determine a result of the comparison; and

a communication section which is configured to transmit the determination result of the voltage comparison section to the control unit,

in a case where the threshold voltage is changed, the control unit transmits a registration signal indicating the changed threshold voltage, and

when received the registration signal, the communication section of each voltage monitoring section changes the threshold voltage stored in the memory section to the changed threshold voltage.

2. The voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the threshold voltage stored in the memory section includes an upper limit threshold voltage indicating an upper limit of the voltage of the unit cell and a lower limit threshold voltage indicating a lower limit of the voltage of the unit cell, and

the voltage comparison section transmits, as the determination result to the control unit, that the voltage of the unit cell detected by the voltage detection section is smaller than the lower limit threshold voltage, is greater than the upper limit threshold voltage, or alternatively within a range between the lower limit threshold voltage and the upper limit threshold voltage.

3. The voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the voltage comparison section transmits, as the determination result to the control unit, an abnormality determination signal when it is determined that the detected voltage of the unit cell is smaller than the lower limit threshold voltage, or is greater than the upper limit threshold voltage, and a normality determination signal when it is determined that the detected voltage of the unit cell is within the range between the lower and upper limit threshold voltages.

4. The voltage monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voltage monitoring apparatus is divided into a high voltage side device and a low voltage side device connected via an insulation interface to the high voltage side device, and

the voltage monitoring sections are provided in the high voltage side device, and the control unit is provided in the low voltage side device.