Battery state monitoring circuit and battery device

• US 8,503,143 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ablic Inc. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Shohei, Sakurai, Atsushi, Sano, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W
• Application Number:
  US13/105,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 361/83
• US Class Current: 361/83
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• 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 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Provided is a battery state monitoring circuit which detects that a voltage of a secondary battery has decreased abruptly because of an overcurrent, thereby being capable of protecting a battery device from an abrupt decrease in voltage of the secondary battery caused by the overcurrent. The battery state monitoring circuit includes a voltage comparator circuit and a power supply voltage detection circuit for detecting an abrupt decrease in power supply voltage, in which the voltage comparator circuit detects a normal overcurrent while the power supply voltage detection circuit detects the abrupt decrease in power supply voltage caused by load short-circuit.

Claims

1. A battery state monitoring circuit, comprising:

a first reference voltage circuit;

a first voltage comparator circuit for comparing a reference voltage of the first reference voltage circuit and a voltage at an overcurrent detection terminal;

a power supply voltage detection circuit which is provided between two power supply voltage terminals, for detecting an abrupt decrease in a power supply voltage;

a first PMOS transistor including a gate connected to an output terminal of the first voltage comparator circuit;

a second PMOS transistor including a gate connected to an output terminal of the power supply voltage detection circuit;

a first delay circuit which is connected to a drain of the first PMOS transistor;

a second delay circuit which is connected to a drain of the second PMOS transistor; and

a control circuit which is connected to an output terminal of the first delay circuit and an output terminal of the second delay circuit.

2. A battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the two power supply voltage terminals comprise:

a power supply terminal VDD; and

a power supply terminal VSS, and

wherein the power supply voltage detection circuit comprises;

a current mirror circuit which is formed of two PMOS transistors and connected to the power supply terminal VDD;

current sources which are connected between the two PMOS transistors and the power supply terminal VDD and the power supply terminal VSS, respectively; and

a capacitor which is connected to gates of the two PMOS transistors.

3. A battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 2, wherein:

the first delay circuit comprises a first current source and a first capacitor which are connected in series; and

the second delay circuit comprises a second current source and a second capacitor which are connected in series.

4. A battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 3, wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor are formed in common.

5. A battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second reference voltage circuit;

a second voltage comparator circuit for comparing a reference voltage of the second reference voltage circuit and the voltage at the overcurrent detection terminal;

a third PMOS transistor including a gate connected to an output terminal of the second voltage comparator circuit; and

a third delay circuit which is connected to a drain of the third PMOS transistor,

wherein the second reference voltage circuit detects an overcurrent, the first voltage comparator circuit detects a load short-circuit state, and the power supply voltage detection circuit detects a decrease in the power supply voltage.

6. A battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a switch circuit which is provided between the output terminal of the power supply voltage detection circuit and the power supply terminal VDD,

wherein, when an overcurrent is detected, the switch circuit is turned OFF so that an output of the power supply voltage detection circuit becomes effective.

7. A battery device, comprising:

a secondary battery, a sense resistor, and a charge/discharge control switch circuit which are connected in series between two external terminals; and

the battery state monitoring circuit according to claim 1, including;

two power supply terminals which are connected across the secondary battery;

an overcurrent detection terminal which is connected to the sense resistor; and

a control terminal which is connected to the charge/discharge control switch circuit.