Charge and discharge protection circuit and battery pack with high withstand voltage

• US 5,936,384 A
• Filed: 06/04/1998
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RICOH Electronic Devices Co., Ltd. (Nisshinbo Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohsugi, Toshio, Fujiwara, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US09/090,588
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 320/164, 320/128, 320/134, 320/107, 320/112, 320/162, 320/163
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence

Abstract

In a charge and discharge protection circuit, those transistors constituting a level shifting circuit that may receive a relatively high voltage as a source level or a drain level have a high withstand voltage construction.

Claims

1. A charge and discharge protection circuit coupled to one of a secondary battery and a charger, for protecting the secondary battery from an overcharge state, an overdischarge state and an over-current state, comprising:

an overcharge detecting circuit for monitoring how the secondary battery is charged and for generating an overcharge detection signal;

a level shifting circuit for receiving the overcharge detection signal from the overcharge detecting circuit and for generating a charge control signal;

an overdischarge detecting circuit for monitoring how the secondary battery discharges itself and for generating an overdischarge detection signal;

an over-current detecting circuit for detecting an over-current state of the secondary battery and for generating an over-current detection signal;

a delay circuit for setting a delay time used when one of an overdischarge state and an over-current state is detected;

a short circuit detecting circuit for detecting a short circuit state and for generating a short circuit detection signal;

a plurality of protection diodes for protection of the overcharge and overdischarge protection circuit from static electricity, and wherein

transistors constituting the level shifting circuit that potentially receive a relatively high voltage from the charger as one of a source level and a drain level have a high withstand voltage construction.

2. The charge and discharge protection circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protection diodes have a high withstand voltage construction.

3. The charge and discharge protection circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pull-up resistor embodied by a pull-up transistor for preventing said charge and discharge protection circuit from becoming unstable when an overdischarge state is created, stopping a current supply to a load, and when terminals connected to the charger become open, and wherein

said pull-up transistor has a high withstand voltage construction.

4. The charge and discharge protection circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pull-down resistor embodied by a plurality of pull-down transistors for preventing said charge and discharge protection circuit from becoming unstable when terminals connected to the charger are short-circuited and then become open, wherein

those of said plurality of pull-down transistors that potentially receive a relatively high voltage as one of a source level and a drain level have a high withstand voltage construction.

5. The charge and discharge protection circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transistors have a LOCOS offset construction provided with an isolation film, a first offset oxide for ensuring that a source has a high withstand voltage, a second offset oxide for ensuring that a drain has a high withstand voltage, and a polysilicon gate formed to cover said offset oxides.

6. The charge and discharge protection circuit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pull-down transistor has a LOCOS offset construction provided with an isolation film, a first offset oxide for ensuring that a source has a high withstand voltage, a second offset oxide for ensuring that a drain has a high withstand voltage, and a polysilicon gate formed to cover said offset oxides.

7. The charge and discharge protection circuit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said high withstand voltage construction is a LOCOS offset construction provided with an isolation films, a first offset oxide for ensuring that a source has a high withstand voltage, a second offset oxide for ensuring that a drain has a high withstand voltage, and a polysilicon gate formed to cover said offset oxides.

8. A battery pack comprising:

a battery cell;

two terminals connected to one of a charger and a load;

a charge and discharge protection circuit connected to said battery cell so as to protect said battery cell from an overcharge state, an overdischarge state and an over-current state;

a discharge transistor connected in series between the load and said battery cell so as to control a discharge current supplied from said battery cell to the load;

a charge transistor connected in series between the charger and said battery cell so as to control a charge current from the charger to said battery cell;

a capacitor for setting a delay time used in detecting the overcharge state;

wherein

said charge and discharge protection circuit comprises;

an overcharge detecting circuit for monitoring how the battery cell is charged and for generating an overcharge detection signal;

a level shifting circuit for receiving the overcharge detection signal from the overcharge detecting circuit and for generating a charge control signal;

an overdischarge detecting circuit for monitoring how the battery cell discharges itself and for generating an overdischarge detection signal;

an over-current detecting circuit for detecting an over-current state of the battery cell and for generating an over-current detection signal;

a delay circuit for setting a delay time used when one of an overdischarge state and an over-current state is detected;

a short circuit detecting circuit for detecting a short circuit state and for generating a short circuit detection signal;

a plurality of protection diodes for protection of the overcharge and overdischarge protection circuit from static electricity, and wherein

transistors constituting the level shifting circuit that potentially receive a relatively high voltage from the charger as one of a source level and a drain level have a high withstand voltage construction.