CIRCUITS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• US 20130042130A1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guoxing Li
• Inventors: LI, Guoxing
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A controller for a battery management system includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and communication circuitry. The first terminal receives power from a battery in the battery management system. The second terminal receives a clock signal. The communication circuitry coupled to the first and second terminals detects the clock signal, and generates a first switching signal according to a result of detecting the clock signal to control the battery management system to switch from operating in a ship mode to operating in a non-ship mode according to the first switching signal. The detecting and generating are performed with the battery management system in the ship mode. The battery management system disables controlling of charging and discharging of the battery in the ship mode, and the battery management system enables controlling of charging and discharging of the battery in the non-ship mode.

Claims

1. A controller for a battery management system, said controller comprising:

a first terminal configured to receive power from a battery in said battery management system;

a second terminal configured to receive a clock signal;

communication circuitry, coupled to said first and second terminals, and operable for detecting said clock signal, and generating a first switching signal according to a result of detecting said clock signal to control said battery management system to switch from operating in a ship mode to operating in a non-ship mode according to said first switching signal, wherein said detecting and generating are performed with said battery management system in said ship mode,

wherein said battery management system disables controlling of charging and discharging of said battery in said ship mode, and wherein said battery management system enables controlling of charging and discharging of said battery in said non-ship mode.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein said communication circuitry generates said first switching signal according to a presence of said clock signal.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises a third terminal for receiving a data signal, and wherein said communication circuitry checks whether a request signal for said battery is received by detecting said clock signal and said data signal, in said non-ship mode.

4. The controller of claim 3, wherein said communication circuitry comprises:

a signal detector that is powered by a battery cell in said battery, and that generates said first switching signal according to a presence of said clock signal in said ship mode;

a regulator that is disabled in said ship mode, and that is enabled, in response to said first switching signal, to generate a reference voltage in said non-ship mode; and

a bus engine that is powered by said reference voltage, and that checks whether said request signal is received by detecting said clock signal and said data signal, in said non-ship mode.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein said communication circuitry further generates said first switching signal according to a data signal.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein said controller further comprises a third terminal for receiving said data signal, and wherein said communication circuitry checks whether a request signal for said battery is received by detecting said clock signal and said data signal, and generates said first switching signal according to a result of checking whether said request signal is received, in said ship mode.

7. The controller of claim 6, wherein said communication circuitry comprises:

a regulator that is disabled in said ship mode, and that is enabled, in response to said first switching signal, to generate a reference voltage in said non-ship mode; and

a bus engine that, in said ship mode, is powered by a battery cell in said battery and generates said first switching signal if said request signal is received, that is powered by said reference voltage in said non-ship mode, and that transfers said clock signal and said data signal for said battery management system in both said ship and non-ship modes.

8. The controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a switching signal generator, coupled to said battery, that compares a terminal voltage of said battery management system and a reference voltage, and that generates a second switching signal based on a variation of a difference between said terminal voltage and said reference voltage, wherein said reference voltage is less than a total of cell voltages in said battery, and wherein said battery management system switches from operating in a ship mode to operating in a non-ship mode according to said second switching signal.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein said switching signal generator generates said second switching signal if said terminal voltage rises from a first voltage level that is less than said reference voltage to a second voltage level that is greater than said reference voltage.

10. The controller of claim 8, further comprising:

a comparator, coupled to said battery, that compares said terminal voltage with said reference voltage; and

an edge detector, coupled to said comparator, that generates said second switching signal if an edge is detected at an output of said comparator.

11. A battery management system, comprising:

a battery that comprises a plurality of battery cells;

a charging switch that controls charging of said battery and a discharging switch that controls discharging of said battery, wherein said battery management system disables said charging switch and said discharging switch in a ship mode to disable charging and discharging of said battery, and wherein said battery management system enables said charging switch and said discharging switch conditionally in a non-ship mode so as to enable charging and discharging of said battery conditionally; and

a controller, coupled to said battery, that detects a clock signal in said ship mode, and generates a first switching signal according to a result of detecting of said clock signal in said ship mode, wherein said battery management system switches from operating in said ship mode to operating in said non-ship mode according to said switching signal.

12. The battery management system of claim 11, wherein said controller generates said first switching signal according to a presence of said clock signal.

13. The battery management system of claim 11, wherein said controller comprises:

a signal detector that is powered by a battery cell in said battery, and that generates said first switching signal by detecting a presence of said clock signal in said ship mode;

a regulator that is disabled in said ship mode, and that is enabled, in response to said first switching signal, to generate a reference voltage in said non-ship mode; and

a bus engine that is powered by said reference voltage, and that checks whether a request signal for said battery to be enabled is received by detecting said clock signal and a data signal, in said non-ship mode.

14. The battery management system of claim 11, wherein said controller further checks, in said ship mode, whether a request signal for said battery to be enabled is received by detecting said clock signal and a data signal, and wherein said controller generates said first switching signal according to a result of checking of said request signal.

15. The battery management system of claim 11, wherein said controller further generates a second switching signal based on a variation of a difference between a terminal voltage of said battery management system and a reference voltage, wherein said reference voltage is less than a total of cell voltages in said battery, and said battery management system switches from operating in said ship mode to operating in said non-ship mode according to said second switching signal.

16. A method for controlling a battery management system, comprising:

detecting a clock signal, in a ship mode, via communication circuitry; and

generating a first switching signal, according to a result of detecting of said clock signal, to control said battery management system to switch from operating in said ship mode to operating in a non-ship mode,

wherein said battery management system disables controlling of charging and discharging of a battery in said battery management system in said ship mode, and wherein said battery management system enables controlling of charging and discharging of said battery in said non-ship mode.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

checking in said non-ship mode whether a request signal for said battery to be enabled is received by detecting said clock signal and a data signal, via a bus engine in said communication circuitry.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

powering a signal detector in said communication circuitry via said battery to generate said first switching signal according to said clock signal;

generating a reference voltage in response to said first switching signal; and

powering said bus engine via said reference voltage.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said generating said first switching signal comprises generating said first switching signal according to a presence of said clock signal.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a second switching signal based on a variation of a difference between a terminal voltage of said battery management system and a reference voltage, wherein said reference voltage is less than a total of cell voltages in said battery; and

switching said battery management system from operating in said ship mode to operating in said non-ship mode according to said second switching signal.