Multiplex voltage measurement apparatus

• US 6,677,758 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Maki, Ichiro, Yudahira, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/402,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 324/429-434
• US Class Current: 324/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• 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: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A multiplex voltage measurement apparatus includes: (N+1) voltage detection terminals connected to N serially connected voltage sources; a capacitor which is charged with a voltage value of any of the N voltage sources; a first sample switch for selectively connecting odd-numbered voltage detection terminals among the (N+1) voltage detection terminals to a first terminal of the capacitor; a second sample switch for selectively connecting even-numbered voltage detection terminals among the (N+1) voltage detection terminals to a second terminal of the capacitor; a voltage measurement circuit for measuring the voltage value stored in the capacitor; a third sample switch for connecting the first terminal and the second terminal of the capacitor to the voltage measurement circuit; and a polarity controller for controlling the first and second sample switches such that one of the N voltage sources is selected while the third sample switch is open.

Claims

1. A multiplex voltage measurement apparatus, comprising:

(N+1) voltage detection terminals connected to N serially connected voltage sources;

a capacitor which is charged with a voltage value of any of the N voltage sources;

a first sample switch for selectively connecting odd-numbered voltage detection terminals among the (N+1) voltage detection terminals to a first terminal of the capacitor;

a second sample switch for selectively connecting even-numbered voltage detection terminals among the (N+1) voltage detection terminals of a second terminal of the capacitor;

a voltage measurement circuit for measuring the voltage value stored in the capacitor;

a third sample switch for connecting the first terminal and the second terminal of the capacitor to the voltage measurement circuit; and

a polarity controller for controlling the first and second sample switches such that one of the N voltage sources is selected while the third sample switch is open,

wherein a failure in the first and second sample switches is detected based on the voltage value measured by the voltage measurement circuit.

2. A multiplex voltage measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polarity controller allows the first and second sample switches to sequentially select among the N voltage sources in a one-by-one manner such that the capacitor is alternately charged with voltage values having opposite polarities.