Cell voltage measuring device for cell module

• US 6,362,626 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Furukawa, Kimihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/822,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20010026161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 324/429, 320/120, 320/121, 320/122
• US Class Current: 324/429
• 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 invention provides a cell voltage measuring device for a cell module wherein component cells are theoretically divided into a plurality of (n) cell blocks 111 to 11n. A plurality of potential detecting lines extending from respective potential detecting points of each of the cell blocks are provided with potential holding means 12 having capacitor blocks each for holding the potentials of the potential detecting points of the cell block, and cell voltage measuring means 14 for measuring the voltage of the cells based on the potentials of the potential detecting points held by the potential holding means 12. Flying capacitors are provided for each cell block.

Claims

1. A cell voltage measuring device for a cell module comprising a plurality of cells connected together in series, the cells constituting the cell module being theoretically divided into a plurality of (n) cell blocks (111) to (11n), a plurality of potential detecting lines extending from respective potential detecting points of each of the cell blocks and being provided with potential holding means (12) for holding the potentials of the potential detecting points of the cell block, and cell voltage measuring means (14) for measuring the voltage of the cells based on the potentials of the potential detecting points held by the potential holding means (12), control means (17) being operable for controlling the operations of the potential holding means (12) and the cell voltage measuring means (14), the potential holding means (12) comprising:

a plurality of (n) pre-switch blocks (121) to (12n) connected to the plurality of (n) cell blocks (111) to (11n) respectively and each comprising a plurality of switches capable of opening or closing the potential detecting lines extending from the cell block, and

a plurality of (n) capacitor blocks (131) to (13n) connected to the plurality of (n) cell blocks (111) to (11n) by way of the plurality of (n) pre-switch blocks (121) to (12n) respectively and each comprising a plurality of capacitors for holding the potentials of the potential detecting points of the cell block, the voltage measuring means (14) comprising;

a plurality of (n) post-switch blocks (141) to (14n) connected to the plurality of (n) cell blocks (111) to (11n) respectively by way of the potential holding means (12) and each comprising a plurality of switches for opening or closing the potential detecting lines extending from the cell block, and

a voltage measuring circuit for selecting voltage signals for each cell block from among those obtained by the potential detecting lines via the post-switch blocks (141) to (14n) to measure the voltage of each cell constituting the cell block.

2. A cell voltage measuring device according to claim 1 wherein the voltage measuring circuit comprises a difference computing circuit (150) for calculating the potential difference between two potential detecting lines extending from electrode terminals of each cell and included among the potential detecting lines from each cell block, and an AD converter (160) having connected thereto output terminals of the computing circuit (150).