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

• US 8,169,190 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• 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 C
• Application Number:
  US12/418,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/163, 320/118, 320/134, 320/162, 324/434
• US Class Current: 320/118
• 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. An integrated circuit for controlling a lithium ion battery which is electrically coupled to a plurality of lithium ion battery cells electrically coupled in series, comprising:

a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage of each of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells;

a signal input and output circuit for inputting and outputting a signal;

a plurality of voltage detecting terminals which are electrically coupled to positive electrode sides and negative electrode sides of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells, respectively, the plurality of voltage detecting terminals applying terminal voltages of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells to the voltage detection circuit, respectively;

a plurality of charging state adjustment terminals for adjusting charging states of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells, respectively;

a signal input terminal for inputting the signal to the signal input and output circuit; and

a signal output terminal for outputting the signal from the signal input and output circuit, wherein the plurality of voltage detecting terminals and the plurality of charging state adjustment terminals are disposed in a manner that the charging state adjustment terminal is disposed between the voltage detecting terminal electrically coupled to the positive electrode side of the lithium ion battery cell and the voltage detecting terminal electrically coupled to the negative electrode side of the lithium ion battery cell; and

wherein the voltage detecting terminals and the charging state adjustment terminals are configured to be exposed to the outside of an IC package; and

wherein the signal input terminal and the signal output terminal are disposed on a side opposite to a side where the voltage detecting terminals and the charging state adjustment terminals are disposed.

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of voltage detecting terminals and the plurality of charging state adjustment terminals are disposed in an alternating manner.

3. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a driver circuit configured to control a state of charge.

4. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, the voltage detection circuit comprising at least one multiplexer and at least one analog-to-digital converter.

5. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising an overcharge and discharge detecting circuit.

6. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a terminal to supply power to a photo-coupler.

7. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the signal input circuit comprises a level shifter circuit, wherein the level shifter circuit controls a voltage level of a signal inputted via the signal input terminal into a voltage level of a ground terminal.

8. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a signal output circuit comprising a step-down circuit, wherein the step-down circuit steps down a voltage value of a signal outputted via the signal output terminal.

9. The integrated circuit according to claim 4, further comprising a reference power supply terminal for obtaining a voltage to be supplied to a reference power supply from each of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells.

10. The integrated circuit according to claim 9, wherein the reference power supply steps down the voltage supplied from a respective lithium ion battery cell between the reference power supply terminal and the analog-to-digital converter.

11. An integrated circuit for controlling a lithium ion battery which is electrically coupled to a plurality of lithium ion battery cells electrically coupled in series, comprising:

a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage of each of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells;

a signal input and output circuit for inputting and outputting a signal;

a plurality of voltage detecting terminals which are electrically coupled to positive electrode sides and negative electrode sides of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells, respectively, the plurality of voltage detecting terminals applying terminal voltages of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells to the voltage detection circuit, respectively;

a plurality of charging state adjustment terminals for adjusting charging states of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells, respectively;

a signal input terminal for inputting the signal to the signal input and output circuit; and

a signal output terminal for outputting the signal from the signal input and output circuit, wherein the plurality of voltage detecting terminals and the plurality of charging state adjustment terminals are disposed in a manner that the charging state adjustment terminal is disposed between the voltage detecting terminal electrically coupled to the positive electrode side of the lithium ion battery cell and the voltage detecting terminal electrically coupled to the negative electrode side of the lithium ion battery cell, and wherein a plurality of terminal sets each being configured by the voltage detecting terminal electrically coupled to the positive electrode side of the lithium ion battery cell, the voltage detecting terminal electrically coupled to the negative electrode side of the lithium ion battery cell and the charging state adjustment terminal are disposed in a coupling order of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells; and

wherein the voltage detecting terminals and the charging state adjustment terminals are configured to be exposed to the outside of an IC package; and

wherein the signal input terminal and the signal output terminal are disposed on a side opposite to a side where the voltage detecting terminals and the charging state adjustment terminals are disposed.

12. The integrated circuit according to claim 11, further comprising a driver circuit configured to control a state of charge.

13. The integrated circuit according to claim 11, the voltage detection circuit comprising at least one multiplexer and at least one analog-to-digital converter.

14. The integrated circuit according to claim 11, further comprising an overcharge and discharge detecting circuit.

15. The integrated circuit according to claim 11, further comprising a terminal to supply power to a photo-coupler.

16. The integrated circuit according to claim 11, wherein the signal input circuit comprises a level shifter circuit, wherein the level shifter circuit controls a voltage level of a signal inputted via the signal input terminal into a voltage level of a ground terminal.

17. The integrated circuit according to claim 11, further comprising a signal output circuit comprising a step-down circuit, wherein the step-down circuit steps down a voltage value of a signal outputted via the signal output terminal.

18. The integrated circuit according to claim 13, further comprising a reference power supply terminal for obtaining a voltage to be supplied to a reference power supply from each of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells.

19. The integrated circuit according to claim 18, wherein the reference power supply steps down the voltage supplied from a respective lithium ion battery cell between the reference power supply terminal and the analog-to-digital converter.