Battery Control Device and Battery System

• US 20110193413A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Emori, Akihiko, Kikuchi, Mutsumi, Shibahara, Gosuke, KUDO, Akihiko, Aoshima, Yoshinori, Uemura, Yasuo, Yamauchi, Tatsumi, Kubo, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,829,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/77
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery control device for a battery module includes a plurality of integrated circuits. Each integrated circuit includes: a constant voltage circuit that lowers a total voltage of a battery cell group corresponding to the integrated circuit to an integrated circuit internal voltage; a signal generation circuit that generates, based upon a first signal provided by a higher-order control circuit, a second signal assuming a wave height value different from a wave height value of the first signal and outputs the second signal; and a startup circuit that includes a first comparator assuming a first decision-making threshold value corresponding to the first signal and a second comparator assuming a second decision-making threshold value corresponding to the second signal, and starts up the constant voltage circuit in response to a change in an output from at least either the first comparator or the second comparator.

Claims

1. A battery control device for a battery module including a plurality of battery cell groups connected in series each made up with a plurality of battery cells connected in series, comprising:

a plurality of integrated circuits each of which is provided in correspondence to one of the plurality of battery cell groups, and executes control processing and monitor processing for each of the battery cells in the one of the battery cell groups;

a first transmission path connecting the plurality of integrated circuits in series, through which a signal is transmitted among the integrated circuits;

a second transmission path through which a first signal, including a startup signal or a command signal output from a higher-order control circuit that controls the plurality of integrated circuits, is transmitted via a first insulating circuit to a highest-order integrated circuit among the plurality of integrated circuits connected in series; and

a third transmission path through which a signal sent from a lowest-order integrated circuit among the plurality of integrated circuits connected in series to the higher-order control circuit, is transmitted via a second insulating circuit, wherein

each integrated circuit among the plurality of integrated circuits comprises;

a constant voltage circuit that lowers a total voltage of a battery cell group corresponding to the integrated circuit to an integrated circuit internal voltage;

a signal generation circuit that generates, based upon the first signal provided by the higher-order control circuit, a second signal assuming a wave height value different from a wave height value of the first signal and outputs the second signal; and

a startup circuit that includes a first comparator assuming a first decision-making threshold value corresponding to the first signal and a second comparator assuming a second decision-making threshold value corresponding to the second signal, and starts up the constant voltage circuit in response to a change in an output from at least either the first comparator or the second comparator.

2. A battery control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the startup circuit outputs the startup signal to the constant voltage circuit and also causes the startup signal to be output as the first signal from the integrated circuit.

3. A battery control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal generation circuit generates the second signal by using as a drive voltage a potential difference manifested by the integrated circuit internal voltage relative to a ground potential at the integrated circuit in which the signal generation circuit is located.

4. A battery control device according to claim 3, wherein:

the first decision-making threshold value is set to a value between the total voltage of the integrated circuit that includes the first comparator and the ground potential at the integrated circuit; and

the second decision-making threshold value is set to a value between the total voltage of the integrated circuit that includes the second comparator and a voltage representing a sum of the total voltage and the integrated circuit internal voltage.

5. A battery control device according to claim 1, wherein:

if outputs from the first comparator and the second comparator remain unchanged over a predetermined length of time or longer following a startup, operation at the integrated circuit stops except for operation of the startup circuit.

6. A battery control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the integrated circuit internal voltage is used to power a circuit that executes the control processing and the monitor processing.

7. A battery system, comprising:

a battery module including a plurality of battery cell groups connected in series each made up with a plurality of battery cells connected in series;

a battery control device according to claim 1; and

a higher-order control device that controls a plurality of integrated circuits in the battery control device.