Battery apparatus for controlling plural batteries and control method of plural batteries

• US 8,098,047 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Hideki, Emori, Akihiko, Kudo, Akihiko, Kai, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Piggush, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US12/536,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20090302802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/163, 324/434
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/19 Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• 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: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Lower order control devices control plural battery cells configuring plural battery modules. An input terminal of the low order control device in the highest potential, an output terminal of the low order control device in the lowest potential, and a high order control device are connected by isolating units, photocouplers. Diodes which prevent a discharge current of the battery cells in the battery modules are disposed between the output terminal of the low order control device and the battery cells in the battery module on the low potential side. Terminals related to input/output of a signal are electrically connected without isolating among the plural low order control devices.

Claims

1. A battery apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of battery modules connected in series and each including a plurality of battery cells; and

a first control device group having a plurality of first control devices corresponding to the plurality of battery modules, respectively, each of the plurality of first control devices receiving a command signal transmitted from a second control device via an isolator and detecting states of the plurality of battery cells contained in a corresponding one of the plurality of battery modules,

wherein each of the first control devices is configured by an integrated circuit and the first control devices are connected in series,

wherein a plurality of the integrated circuits are connected in series in a manner that a signal output circuit of one integrated circuit and a signal input circuit of other integrated circuit between every adjacent two of the plurality of integrated circuits coupled in series are coupled by a signal transmission path in an electrically non-isolated manner, and

wherein a first integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits connected in series receives a wake-up signal sent from the second control device at the signal input circuit thereof via an isolator, and sends the wake-up signal from the signal output circuit of the first integrated circuit to the signal input circuit of a next integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits via the signal transmission path when an internal power supply circuit of the first integrated circuit is activated from a sleeping state.

2. The battery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a last integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits sends the wake-up signal received at the signal input circuit thereof from the signal output circuit thereof to the second control device when the last integrated circuit is activated from the sleeping state.

3. The battery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the wake-up signal sent from the signal output circuit of the last integrated circuit is transmitted to the second control device via an isolator.

4. A battery apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of battery modules connected in series and each including a plurality of battery cells; and

a first control device group having a plurality of first control devices corresponding to the plurality of battery modules, respectively, each of the plurality of first control devices receiving a command signal transmitted from a second control device via an isolator and detecting states of the plurality of battery cells contained in a corresponding one of the plurality of battery modules,

wherein each of the first control devices is configured by an integrated circuit and the first control devices are connected in series,

wherein a plurality of the integrated circuits are connected in series in a manner that a signal output circuit of one integrated circuit and a signal input circuit of other integrated circuit between every adjacent two of the plurality of integrated circuits connected in series are connected by a signal transmission path in an electrically non-isolated manner, and

wherein the plurality of the integrated circuits are activated from a sleeping state in a manner that a wake-up signal sent from the second control device is received via an isolator at the signal input circuit of a first integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits connected in series, then the wake-up signal is sent from the signal output circuit of one integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits to the signal input circuit of a next integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits connected in series with the one integrated circuit via the signal transmission path, and the sending of the wake-up signal is repeated to the last integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits in accordance with a coupling order of the plurality of the integrated circuits.

5. The battery apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a last integrated circuit of the plurality of the integrated circuits sends the wake-up signal received at the signal input circuit thereof from the signal output circuit thereof to the second control device when the last integrated circuit is activated from the sleeping state.

6. The battery apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wake-up signal sent from the signal output circuit of the last integrated circuit is transmitted to the second control device via an isolator.

7. A battery apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of battery modules electrically connected in series and each including a plurality of battery cells electrically connected in series;

a plurality of first control devices provided in correspondence with the plurality of battery modules, respectively, each of the plurality of first control devices detecting terminal voltages of the plurality of battery cells contained in corresponding one of the plurality of battery modules;

a first signal transmission path which is configured by electrically connecting the plurality of first control devices in series;

a second control device; and

a second signal transmission path including isolation means for isolating electrical connection, signals being transmitted between the second control device and the plurality of first control devices via the isolation means, respectively

wherein each of the first control devices includes;

an analog-to-digital converter which receives the terminal voltages of the plurality of battery cells contained in the corresponding one of the plurality of battery modules and converts the terminal voltages into digital values, respectively;

a signal input circuit for receiving an electric signal being transmitted;

a signal output circuit for outputting an electric signal;

a logic circuit; and

a power supply circuit for generating an operation voltage from voltage supplied from the corresponding one of the plurality of battery modules;

the first signal transmission path is configured in a manner that the signal output circuit of one of the plurality of first control devices is operated by a signal outputted from the logic circuit of the one of the plurality of first control devices and to be transmitted to the logic circuit of next one of the plurality of first control devices connected in series to the one of the plurality of first control devices to thereby transmit the signal outputted from the logic circuit of the one of the plurality of first control devices to the signal input circuit of the next one of the plurality of first control devices in a state of an electric signal, whereby the signal input circuit of the next one of the plurality of first control devices is operated by the electric signal thus transmitted to thereby transmit the signal outputted from the logic circuit of the one of the plurality of first control devices to the logic circuit of the next one of the plurality of first control devices, and the signal transmitted in the state of the electric signal through the first signal transmission path being transmitted to the second signal transmission path;

the second signal transmission path is configured to transmit the received signal to the second control device through the isolation means; and

in a case where the second control device outputs a wake-up signal via the second signal transmission path to the plurality of first control devices electrically connected in series, the wake-up signal is transmitted from the one of the plurality of first control devices sequentially through the plurality of first control devices according to the order of the series connection thereof to thereby place the plurality of first control devices in an activated state.

8. The battery apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the one of the plurality of first control devices turns the power supply circuit thereof on upon reception of the wake-up signal, and then outputs the wake-up signal to the next one of the plurality of first control devices or to the second control device via the second signal transmission path.

9. The battery apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second control device recognizes the activated state of the plurality of first control devices when the wake-up signal is returned from the plurality of first control devices electrically connected in series.