Battery state monitoring circuit and battery apparatus

• US 6,340,889 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ablic Inc. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/546,196
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/117, 320/118, 320/119, 320/120, 320/121, 320/122, 324/433
• US Class Current: 324/433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery state monitoring circuit having a divided battery voltage monitor circuit, and a battery apparatus employing the same. The configuration is adopted in which a divided battery voltage monitor circuit is provided in order to be able to output the divided voltage value of the total voltage of a plurality of secondary batteries. As a result, the number of switches for use in a change-over switch circuit is decreased and a differential amplifier circuit having the high withstanding voltage becomes unnecessary. Thus, it is possible to monitor the battery voltages of the secondary batteries with a simple circuit.

Claims

1. In a battery state monitoring circuit having a control circuit for controlling current limiting means to adjust a current of a plurality of series-connected secondary batteries each being chargeable and dischargeable and calculating at least a voltage of the secondary batteries:

a battery voltage monitor circuit for monitoring a voltage of the secondary batteries comprising a voltage divider circuit having a plurality of resistors for dividing a total voltage of the plurality of series-connected secondary batteries into a plurality of divided voltages corresponding to each of the batteries;

an output terminal for outputting the divided voltages to the control circuit; and

a plurality of switches for selectively connecting respective ones of the secondary batteries and the resistors to the output terminal;

wherein the control circuit controls the switches sequentially to individually measure a divided voltage and calculates a voltage of each of the secondary batteries based on a measured divided voltage and resistance values of the resistors so that the voltage of each of the secondary batteries may be individually calculated.

2. A battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 1;

wherein the values of the resistors of the voltage divider circuit are set so that the divided output voltages the divided battery voltage monitor circuit equals the mean battery voltage value of selected batteries.

3. A battery apparatus comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable secondary batteries;

current limiting means for adjusting a current of the secondary batteries;

a battery state monitoring circuit for controlling the current limiting means and calculating at least a voltage of the secondary batteries; and

external connection terminals comprising a positive external connection terminal and a negative external connection terminal for connecting the batteries to an external device;

wherein the battery state monitoring circuit comprises the battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 1.

4. A battery apparatus comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable secondary batteries;

current limiting means for adjusting a current of the secondary batteries;

a battery state monitoring circuit for controlling the current limiting means and monitoring at least a voltage of the secondary batteries; and

external connection terminals comprising a positive external connection terminal and a negative external connection terminal;

wherein the battery state monitoring circuit comprises the battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 2.

5. A battery powered electronic apparatus having a rechargeable battery pack;

wherein the rechargeable battery pack comprises the battery apparatus according to claim 3.

6. A battery powered electronic apparatus having a rechargeable battery pack;

wherein the rechargeable battery pack comprises the battery apparatus according to claim 4.

7. A rechargeable battery pack comprising:

a plurality of series-connected rechargeable batteries;

external connection terminals connectable to a charger for charging the batteries and to a load driven by the batteries;

one or more switching elements for selectively disconnecting the batteries from the external connection terminals;

a battery state monitoring circuit for monitoring a voltage of the batteries; and

a control circuit for receiving an output of the battery state monitoring circuit, calculating the voltage of the respective batteries, and controlling the switch elements to disconnect the battery from the external connection terminals when the batteries are in one of an overcharged state and an overdischarged state;

wherein the battery state monitoring circuit comprises a voltage divider circuit comprising a plurality of series-connected resistors for dividing a total voltage of the plurality of batteries into a plurality of divided voltages corresponding to each of the batteries, an output terminal for supplying the divided voltages to the control circuit, and a plurality of switches for selectively connecting respective ones of the batteries and the resistors to the output terminal; and

wherein the control circuit controls the switches sequentially to individually measure a divided voltage and calculates a voltage of each of the batteries based on a measured divided voltage and the resistance values of the resistors.

8. A rechargeable battery pack according to claim 7;

wherein the plurality of resistors and switches of the voltage dividing circuit are arranged so that a resistor and a switch are connected in parallel to each of the batteries.

9. A rechargeable battery pack according to claim 8;

wherein the resistance values of the resistors are equal to each other so that an output of the voltage dividing circuit is a mean voltage value of batteries selected by the switches of the voltage dividing circuit.

10. A battery device comprising:

current limiting means for limiting a current flowing in rechargeable series-connected batteries;

a control circuit for controlling the current limiting means to adjust the current flowing in the plurality of batteries and calculating at least a voltage of the batteries; and

a voltage divider circuit for monitoring individual voltages of the batteries comprising a plurality of series-connected resistors for dividing a total voltage of the plurality of batteries into a plurality of divided voltages corresponding to each of the batteries, an output terminal for supplying the divided voltages to the control circuit, and a plurality of switches for selectively connecting respective ones of the batteries and the resistors to the output terminal;

wherein the control circuit controls the switches sequentially to individually measure a divided voltage and calculates a voltage of each of the batteries based on the measured divided voltage and the resistance values.

11. A battery device according to claim 10;

further comprising external connection terminals comprising a positive external connection terminal and a negative external connection terminal for connecting the batteries to an external device.

12. A battery device according to claim 10;

wherein the values of the resistors of the voltage divider circuit are set so that the divided output voltages the divided battery voltage monitor circuit equal the mean battery voltage value of selected batteries.