Charge control circuit and charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit

• US 8,450,982 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Takeshita, Junji, Yamanaka, Yuji, Matsuda, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US12/409,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20090237142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 320/150, 320/152, 320/153
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature

Abstract

A charge control circuit equipped with a function of controlling a charging current to be supplied to a secondary battery, comprises: a detecting unit for monitoring a temperature; and a charge control unit for controlling so as to break the charging current when the monitored temperature rises to a temperature equal to or more than a predetermined set temperature, decrease the charging current as the monitored temperature becomes higher when the monitored temperature is in a predetermined temperature range lower than the set temperature, flow the charging current having a predetermined current value in a state where the monitored temperature is lower than a lower limit temperature of the temperature range, or flow the charging current having a current value smaller than the current value when the monitored temperature is within a range of from an upper limit temperature of the temperature range to the set temperature.

Claims

1. A charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a current controlling transistor provided between a voltage input terminal and an output terminal;

a control circuit which controls the current controlling transistor to control a charging current to be supplied to a secondary battery; and

a chip temperature detection circuit provided with a temperature detecting element to detect a chip temperature, the chip temperature detection circuit outputting a voltage according to a detected temperature,

wherein the control circuit controls the current controlling transistor so as to;

(i) decrease the charging current in accordance with an increase in the chip temperature when the chip temperature is within a predetermined temperature range lower than a set temperature of breaking the charging current;

(ii) flow the charging current having a predetermined current value when the chip temperature is lower than a lower limit temperature of the temperature range; and

(iii) flow the charging current having a value smaller than the predetermined current value when the chip temperature is within a range from an upper limit temperature of the temperature range to the set temperature of breaking the charging current, and

wherein the chip temperature detection circuit includes;

a subtraction circuit which subtracts a voltage generated by the temperature detecting element from a predetermined voltage;

an inverting amplifying circuit which performs inverting amplification of an output of the subtraction circuit;

a first comparator which compares an output of the inverting amplifying circuit with a first voltage;

a first selection section controlled by an output of the first comparator to selectively transmit either of the output of the inverting amplifying circuit and the first voltage to a subsequent stage, the first selection section outputting the output of the inverting amplifying circuit when the output of the inverting amplifying circuit is lower than the first voltage and outputting the first voltage when the output of the inverting amplifying circuit is higher than the first voltage;

a second comparator which compares the output of the inverting amplifying circuit with a second voltage lower than the first voltage; and

a second selection section controlled by an output of the second comparator to selectively transmit either of the output of the inverting amplifying circuit and the second voltage to a subsequent stage, the second selection section outputting the output of the inverting amplifying circuit when the output of the inverting amplifying circuit is higher than the second voltage and outputting the second voltage when the output of the inverting amplifying circuit is lower than the second voltage.

2. The charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detecting element comprises one of a diode and an NPN transistor.

3. The charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a constant current controlling amplifier for controlling a control voltage so that a voltage according to an output charging current may be fed back and a constant current may flow through the current controlling transistor,

wherein the charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit is configured so that an output voltage of the chip temperature detection circuit may be supplied to the constant current controlling amplifier as a reference side voltage.

4. The charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the lower limit temperature of the temperature range is within a range of 80°

C. to 100°

C., the upper limit temperature of the temperature range is within a range of 90°

C. to 120°

C., and a temperature difference of the temperature range is within a range of 5°

C. to 20°

C., both inclusive.

5. The charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein a rate of change of the charging current in the temperature range is within a range of 0.04 C/°

C. to 0.08 C/°

C.

6. The charge controlling semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the chip temperature detection circuit is provided with a voltage comparing circuit to output a signal to control the current controlling transistor not to flow any currents therethrough when a voltage generated by the temperature detecting element becomes lower than a predetermined constant voltage or higher than a predetermined constant voltage.