Battery System for Vehicle, On-Vehicle Battery Module, and Cell Controller

• US 20120133370A1
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: KUBO, Kenji, KUDO, Akihiko, KIKUCHI, Mutsumi, EMORI, Akihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/433
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/19 Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/388 involving voltage 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 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery system for vehicle comprises a battery unit that is constituted with a plurality of serially connected cell groups each include a plurality of serially connected battery cells, integrated circuits that are each disposed in correspondence to one of the cell groups of the battery unit and each measure terminal voltages at the battery cells in the corresponding cell group, and a signal transmission path through which one of the integrated circuits is connected to another one of the integrated circuits or to a circuit other than that of the integrated circuits.

Claims

1. A battery system for vehicle, comprising:

a battery unit that is constituted with a plurality of serially connected cell groups each include a plurality of serially connected battery cells;

integrated circuits that are each disposed in correspondence to one of the cell groups of the battery unit and each measure terminal voltages at the battery cells in the corresponding cell group; and

a signal transmission path through which one of the integrated circuits is connected to another one of the integrated circuits or to a circuit other than that of the integrated circuits, wherein;

the integrated circuits each comprise;

a selection circuit that selects a terminal voltage of a battery cell that is a measurement target from among the terminal voltages at the individual battery cells in the corresponding cell group;

an analog/digital converter that converts the terminal voltage selected by the selection circuit to a digital value;

an abnormality diagnosis circuit that diagnoses an abnormality in a selection operation by the selection circuit;

a timing control circuit that outputs a measurement phase instruction signal for instructing a measurement phase during which the terminal voltage is measured, and, in synchronization with the output of the measurement phase instruction signal, outputs a diagnosis phase instruction signal for instructing a diagnosis phase during which the diagnosis is executed by the abnormality diagnosis circuit;

a communication circuit that transmits via the signal transmission path the terminal voltage converted to the digital value by the analog/digital converter and a diagnosis result by the abnormality diagnosis circuit; and

a constant voltage generation circuit that generates a diagnosis voltage to be input to the selection circuit, wherein;

based upon the measurement phase instruction signal, the analog/digital converter executes analog-to-digital conversion upon the terminal voltage selected by the selection circuit; and

based upon the diagnosis phase instruction signal, the abnormality diagnosis circuit compares, in synchronization with the measurement of the terminal voltage, an output from the selection circuit to which the diagnosis voltage has been input with a predetermined judgment value so as to diagnose the abnormality in the selection circuit.