Temperature compensated current measuring device and battery pack using the same

• US 8,173,287 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Sim, Sesub
• Primary Examiner(s): Ridley, Basia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cullen, Sean P
• Application Number:
  US12/238,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20090087725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 429/90
• US Class Current: 429/92
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/203 Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/44 Modifications of instruments for temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/32 Compensating for temperature change
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC

Abstract

A battery pack, and more particularly, a temperature compensated current measuring device which can accurately measure an actual current flowing in a circuit of a charging/discharging path in the battery pack. The temperature compensated current measuring device includes a conductor in which current flows, a temperature sensor disposed around the conductor to measure a temperature of the conductor, and a temperature compensated current detection circuit part electrically connected to two positions of the conductor to measure a voltage between the two positions, electrically connected to the temperature sensor to measure a temperature of the conductor, and measuring the current flowing in the conductor by using the measured temperature and the voltage as an input signal. Thus, it is possible to accurately calculate an actual charging/discharging current with the temperature compensated current measuring device and effectively control the charging capacity of the battery pack.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a charging/discharging switching element electrically connected to a high-current path of the rechargeable battery;

a conductor electrically connected to the high-current path in which a current for charging/discharging of the rechargeable battery flows;

a temperature sensor disposed around the conductor to measure a temperature of the conductor; and

a charging/discharging control circuit electrically connected to the rechargeable battery to measure a voltage of the rechargeable battery, electrically connected to two positions of the conductor to measure a voltage between two positions of the conductor, and electrically connected to the temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the conductor;

wherein the charging/discharging control circuit is programmed to calculate a charging/discharging current flowing in the conductor by using a previously memorized lookup table for temperature resistance, the measured voltage between the two positions of the conductor, and the temperature measured from the conductor as input signals; and

to adjust the charging/discharging current flowing in the charging/discharging switching element according to the previously memorized lookup table for temperature-resistance, the measured voltage between the two positions of the conductor, the voltage of the rechargeable battery and the temperature measured from the conductor.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the charging/discharging control circuit comprises:

a temperature compensated current detection part comprising;

a voltage detection part connected to the two positions of the conductor to measure the voltage between the two positions;

a temperature detection part electrically connected to the temperature sensor to detect a voltage value corresponding to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor; and

an arithmetic operation part for converting the voltage value corresponding to the temperature measured by the temperature detection part into a resistance value of the conductor by using the previously memorized lookup table for temperature-resistance and for calculating the charging/discharging current flowing in the conductor by using the resistance value and the voltage between the two positions of the conductor measured by the voltage detection part; and

a charging/discharging part electrically connected to the rechargeable battery to measure the voltage of the rechargeable battery, electrically connected to the charging/discharging switching element and the high-current path for charging/discharging of the rechargeable battery, electrically connected to receive a current volute of the charging/discharging current from the temperature compensated current detection part, and electrically connected to the charging/discharging switching element to adjust the charging/discharging current flowing in the charging/discharging switching element.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the charging/discharging control circuit comprises:

a temperature compensated current detection part comprising;

a transducer electrically connected to the temperature sensor to convert a detected resistance value of the temperature sensor into a voltage value;

an A/D converter connected to the two position of the conductor to convert a measured analog voltage into a digital voltage; and

a micro controller unit electrically connected to the transducer and the A/D converter to receive the voltage value output from the transducer and the A/D converter; and

a charging/discharging part electrically connected to the rechargeable battery to measure the voltage of the rechargeable battery, electrically connected to the charging/discharging switching element to switch on/off the charging/discharging switching element, electrically connected to receive a current value of the charging/discharging current from the temperature compensated current detection part, and electrically connected to the charging/discharging switching element to adjust the charging/discharging current flowing in the charging/discharging switching element.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the charging/discharging switching element is formed in a field effect transistor (FET).

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the conductor is formed in a conductive wire.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the conductor is a printed circuit pattern formed on an insulating substrate.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the conductor is formed of one selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and gold.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the conductor is extended along one direction with a uniform thickness and a width using the same material, and a resistance value of the conductor increases according to an increase of the length and the resistance value thereof changes according to the temperature.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is formed in one of a thermistor or an integrated circuit type temperature sensor.

10. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the two positions of the conductor electrically connected to the charging/discharging control circuit are at two ends of the conductor, and the temperature sensor is arranged on the conductor and between the two positions of the conductor.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the charging/discharging control circuit is further programmed to calculate a life cycle of the rechargeable battery by using the measured voltage of the rechargeable battery and the calculated charging/discharging current, and electrically connected to the charging/discharging switching element to further adjust the charging/discharging current flowing in the charging/discharging switching element according to the life cycle of the rechargeable battery.