Apparatus and method for detecting battery pack voltage

• US 7,352,155 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wang, Wei, Li, Guoxing
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANSEN, STUART ALAN
• Application Number:
  US11/451,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20070285054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/132, 320/118, 320/120, 320/122, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 320/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An apparatus and method for detecting battery pack voltage is disclosed. The voltage detection apparatus includes a plurality of selectors for providing a cell voltage of a predetermined cell, a detector buffer for receiving the cell voltage of the predetermined cell and supplying an intermediate voltage, a data process circuit for processing the intermediate voltage to acquire a voltage value indicative of the cell voltage of the predetermined cell, wherein each selector includes a plurality of switches and a plurality of level shifters, each switch being controlled by one of the plurality of level shifters to operate with a safe gate-source voltage, source-bulk voltage and reverse-biased body diode.

Claims

1. A voltage detection apparatus for a battery pack, the battery pack having a plurality of battery blocks, each battery block including a plurality of cells connected in series, each cell having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, the voltage detection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of selectors, each selector being coupled to one of the plurality of battery blocks for determining a predetermined cell, each selector including a switch box and a switch controller, the switch controller being capable of receiving at least one voltage signal from the coupled battery block and controlling a status of the switch box;

a detector buffer coupled to the plurality of selectors for receiving a cell voltage of the predetermined cell and supplying an intermediate voltage, the detector buffer having an inverting terminal and a non-inverting terminal; and

a data process circuit coupled to the detector buffer for processing the intermediate voltage to acquire a voltage value indicative of the cell voltage of the predetermined cell.

2. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch box having a plurality of switches, each odd-numbered switch being coupled to the positive electrode of one of the plurality of cells in the coupled battery block, and each even-numbered switch being coupled to the negative electrode of one of the plurality of cells in the coupled battery block, and wherein the switch controller having a plurality of level shifters, each level shifter receiving the at least one voltage signal from the coupled battery block, and each level shifter being coupled to one of the plurality of switches for supplying a control signal to the coupled switch.

3. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the predetermined cell being selected when the odd-numbered and even-numbered switches respectively coupled to the positive and negative electrodes of the predetermined cell are turned on.

4. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein each level shifter receiving a selection signal and generating the control signal according to the selection signal to control the coupled switch.

5. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control signal having a magnitude and the magnitude being determined by the at least one voltage signal.

6. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein each level shifter further comprising a power terminal and a level terminal, the power terminal being coupled to the positive electrode of a first cell in the coupled battery block for receiving a first voltage signal and the level terminal being coupled to the positive electrode of a second cell in the coupled battery block for receiving a second voltage signal.

7. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first cell having a highest voltage potential in the coupled battery block.

8. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein each switch further comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, the first terminal of each odd-numbered switch being connected to the positive electrode of one of the plurality of cells, the first terminal of each even-numbered switch being connected to the negative electrode of one of the plurality of cells, the second terminal of each odd-numbered switch being connected to a first node, the second terminal of each even-numbered switch being connected to a second node, and the control terminal of each switch receiving the control signal.

9. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 8, wherein a voltage difference between the first node and the second node being the cell voltage of the predetermined cell.

10. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of switches being a P-MOSFET and a bulk of the P-MOSFET being connected to a highest voltage potential in the coupled battery block.

11. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the switch box further supplying a common mode voltage to the detector buffer for calibrating the voltage value indicative of the cell voltage of the predetermined cell.

12. The voltage detection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the common mode voltage being acquired when a voltage at a predetermined electrode of the predetermined cell being passed to both the non-inverting terminal and the inverting terminal of the detector buffer through the switch box.

13. A method for detecting a voltage of each cell in a battery pack, the battery pack having a plurality of cells connected in series, comprising the steps of:

predetermining a cell to be detected in response to a selection signal;

receiving at least one voltage signal from the battery pack;

generating a plurality of control signals according to the selection signal and the at least one voltage signal;

selecting the predetermined cell under control of the plurality of control signals, the predetermined cell having a cell voltage;

acquiring an intermediate voltage based on the cell voltage of the predetermined cell; and

acquiring a voltage value indicative of the cell voltage of the predetermined cell according to the intermediate voltage.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of converting the intermediate voltage from analog to digital before acquiring the voltage value indicative of the cell voltage of the predetermined cell.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each control signal having a magnitude determined by the selection signal and the at least one voltage signal.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of selecting the predetermined cell further comprising the steps of:

supplying the plurality of control signals to a plurality of switches; and

turning on the switches that are coupled to the predetermined cell under control of the plurality of control signals.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

providing a common mode voltage; and

calibrating the voltage value indicative of the cell voltage of the predetermined cell based on the common mode voltage.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of providing the common mode voltage further comprising the steps of:

applying a voltage at a predetermined electrode of the predetermined cell to the inverting terminal and the non-inverting terminal of a detector buffer.

19. An electronic system, comprising:

a battery pack having a plurality of cells connected in series, the plurality of battery cells being divided into a plurality of battery blocks;

an electronic equipment attached to and powered up by the battery pack;

a digital device capable of predetermining a cell from the plurality of cells and providing selection signals; and

a voltage detection apparatus coupled to the digital device for receiving the selection signals and coupled to the battery pack for selecting the predetermined cell according to the selection signals and detecting a voltage of the predetermined cell, the voltage detection apparatus including a plurality of switch boxes and a plurality of switch controllers, each switch box being coupled to one of the plurality of battery blocks, and each switch controller being coupled to one of the plurality of battery blocks for receiving voltage signals and to one of the plurality of switch boxes for supplying control signals.

20. The electronic equipment system of claim 19, wherein the control signals determining a status of each switch box to select the predetermined cell.

21. The electronic equipment system of claim 19, wherein magnitudes of the control signals ensuring each switch box in normal operation.

22. The electronic equipment system of claim 21, wherein the voltage signals from the coupled battery block determining the magnitudes of the control signals.