Method and apparatus for measuring the voltage of a power source
First Claim
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1. A system for determining cell voltage of a power source having multiple cells, the system comprising:
- a voltage sensing circuit for determining the cell voltage, anda transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage sensing circuit, and a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a single cell of the power source via a unidirectional current conducting device,a single transformer being provided for determining voltage of the cell.
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Abstract
Various concepts and techniques are disclosed for measuring the voltage of a power source. An apparatus includes a voltage metering circuit and a transformer having a first winding coupled to the voltage metering circuit and a second winding for coupling to a power source.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for determining cell voltage of a power source having multiple cells, the system comprising:
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a voltage sensing circuit for determining the cell voltage, and a transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage sensing circuit, and a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a single cell of the power source via a unidirectional current conducting device, a single transformer being provided for determining voltage of the cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of determining voltage of an individual cell of a power source having multiple cells using only a single transformer having first and second windings, the second winding being configured for coupling across terminals of the individual cell via a unidirectional current conducting device, the method comprising the steps of:
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exciting the first winding; and sampling voltage at the first winding when excited. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for determining voltages of individual cells of a power source having multiple cells, the system comprising:
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a voltage determining circuit, a first transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a first switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a first cell of the power source, and a second transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a second switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a second cell of the power source, the voltage determining circuit being configured to turn on the first switch and turn off the second switch for determining voltage of the first cell, the voltage determining circuit being further configured to turn on the second switch and turn off the first switch for determining voltage of the second cell. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of sensing voltages of individual cells of a power source having multiple cells using a voltage sensing circuit, a first transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a first switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a first cell of the power source, and a second transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a second switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a second cell of the power source, the method comprising the steps of:
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sensing voltage of the first cell by turning on the first switch and turning off the second switch, and sensing voltage of the second cell by turning on the second switch and turning off the first switch. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A system for determining voltages of individual cells of a power source having multiple cells, the system comprising:
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a processing circuit, a first transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the processing circuit, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a first cell of the power source via a first unidirectional current conducting device, a second transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the processing circuit, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a second cell of the power source via a second unidirectional current conducting device, and a calibration circuit for providing reference values representing maximum and minimum cell voltages of the power source, the processing circuit being configured to determine voltages of the first and second cells using the reference values.
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21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by a processor, the processor being configured to determine cell voltages of a power source having multiple cells using a plurality of sensing transformers, each of the sensing transformers including a first winding configured for coupling to the processor, and a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of an individual cell of the power source via a unidirectional current conduction device, the instructions comprising:
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a program code for determining a reference voltage using a reference transformer; and a program code for determining the cell voltages based on the reference voltage using the sensing transformers, a single sensing transformer being used for determining voltage of the individual cell. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification