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

• US 8,253,382 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• 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:
  US12/341,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/163, 324/434
• US Class Current: 320/132
• 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 each having a plurality of battery cells, said plurality of battery modules being connected in series and being located on a high potential side of the battery apparatus; and

a plurality of first control devices, corresponding to the plurality of battery modules, said first control devices being connected in series in an electrically non-isolated state on the high potential side of the battery apparatus and said first control devices being arranged to receive a command signal from a second control device located on a low potential side of the battery apparatus through a circuit device, said circuit device electrically separating the first control devices located on the high potential side and operating at a first voltage from the second control device located on the low potential side and operating at a second voltage smaller than the first voltage, and wherein said circuit device is configured such that the signal is transmitted from one of the first control devices and the second control device to the other of the first control devices and the second control device while the first control devices are electrically disconnected from the second control device, and wherein the first control devices detect a status of the plurality of battery cells which are included in a corresponding battery module, and

wherein the plurality of first control devices are integrated circuits having input and output signal circuits, and wherein said input signal circuit of one of the first control devices and output signal circuit of another of the first control devices have different reference potentials.

3. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said circuit device transmits the command signal from a low voltage signal line to a high voltage signal line.

4. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said circuit device is a potential converting unit.

5. The battery apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said circuit device is an isolating unit.

2. A battery apparatus comprising:

a first circuit region having a plurality of battery modules each having a plurality of battery cells, said plurality of battery modules being connected in series, and a plurality of first control devices connected in series in an electrically non-isolated state in said first circuit region, corresponding to the plurality of battery modules, to receive a command signal and detect a status of the plurality of battery cells which are included in a corresponding battery module; and

a second circuit region having a second control device for outputting the command signal to the first circuit region,

wherein the apparatus has a circuit device for electrically separating the first circuit region having a first reference potential from the second circuit region having a second reference potential that is lower than the first reference potential, and wherein said circuit device is configured such that the signal is transmitted from one of the first and second circuit regions to the other of the first and second circuit regions while the first circuit region is electrically disconnected from said second region.