Modular device for protecting and monitoring a battery
First Claim
1. A modular device for protecting and monitoring a battery, said battery having a plurality of cells, the modular device comprising:
- at least one master integrated circuit; and
a sequence of slave integrated circuit modules coupled to the at least one master integrated circuit with each slave integrated circuit module of the sequence of slave integrated circuit modules configured to couple to and be associated with a cell of the plurality of cells of the battery and with each slave integrated circuit module of the sequence of slave integrated circuit modules comprising;
detection circuitry adapted to detect data comprising one or more of the temperature, voltage or charge status, and malfunctioning of a first cell of the plurality of cells;
a VCN input terminal operable to electrically couple to the first cell of the plurality of cells to provide a first voltage value corresponding to a negative voltage value of the first cell;
a VCP input terminal operable to electrically couple to the first cell of the plurality of cells to provide a second voltage value corresponding to a positive voltage value of the first cell and a negative voltage value of an adjacent cell of the plurality of cells, enabling the voltage of the first cell to be monitored by the first slave integrated circuit;
a VCPP input terminal operable to electrically couple with the adjacent cell of the plurality of cells to provide a third voltage value corresponding to a positive voltage value of the adjacent cell;
andan interface operable to send said detected data to the at least one master integrated circuit and operable to exchange detected data with an adjacent slave integrated circuit module associated with the adjacent cell in the plurality of cells, wherein the interface receives the second and third voltage values and wherein the second and third voltage values provide low and high reference voltages for signals exchanged with the adjacent slave integrated circuit module,wherein said at least one master integrated circuit is adapted to send commands to a slave integrated circuit module in response to the detected data comprising one or more of the temperature, voltage or charge status, and malfunctioning detected by the slave integrated circuit module.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A modular device having at least one master integrated circuit, and one or more slave integrated circuit modules coupled to the at least one master integrated circuit with each slave integrated circuit module of the one or more slave integrated circuit modules coupled to and associated with only a single cell of the battery. Each slave integrated circuit module of the one or more slave integrated circuit modules further comprises: detection circuitry adapted to detect data comprising one or more of the temperature, voltage or charge status, and malfunctioning of the single cell associated with and monitored by the slave integrated circuit; and an interface operable to send said detected data to the at least one master integrated circuit. The at least one master integrated circuit is adapted to send commands to a slave integrated circuit module in response to the detected data detected by the slave integrated circuit module.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A modular device for protecting and monitoring a battery, said battery having a plurality of cells, the modular device comprising:
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at least one master integrated circuit; and a sequence of slave integrated circuit modules coupled to the at least one master integrated circuit with each slave integrated circuit module of the sequence of slave integrated circuit modules configured to couple to and be associated with a cell of the plurality of cells of the battery and with each slave integrated circuit module of the sequence of slave integrated circuit modules comprising; detection circuitry adapted to detect data comprising one or more of the temperature, voltage or charge status, and malfunctioning of a first cell of the plurality of cells; a VCN input terminal operable to electrically couple to the first cell of the plurality of cells to provide a first voltage value corresponding to a negative voltage value of the first cell; a VCP input terminal operable to electrically couple to the first cell of the plurality of cells to provide a second voltage value corresponding to a positive voltage value of the first cell and a negative voltage value of an adjacent cell of the plurality of cells, enabling the voltage of the first cell to be monitored by the first slave integrated circuit; a VCPP input terminal operable to electrically couple with the adjacent cell of the plurality of cells to provide a third voltage value corresponding to a positive voltage value of the adjacent cell; and an interface operable to send said detected data to the at least one master integrated circuit and operable to exchange detected data with an adjacent slave integrated circuit module associated with the adjacent cell in the plurality of cells, wherein the interface receives the second and third voltage values and wherein the second and third voltage values provide low and high reference voltages for signals exchanged with the adjacent slave integrated circuit module, wherein said at least one master integrated circuit is adapted to send commands to a slave integrated circuit module in response to the detected data comprising one or more of the temperature, voltage or charge status, and malfunctioning detected by the slave integrated circuit module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A slave integrated circuit module for protecting and monitoring a cell of a plurality of cells of a battery, comprising:
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a detection element adapted to detect data comprising one or more of temperature, voltage or charge status, and malfunctioning of a first cell associated with the slave integrated circuit module; a VCN input terminal operable to electrically couple to the first cell of the plurality of cells to provide a first voltage value corresponding to a negative voltage value of the first cell; a VCP input terminal operable to electrically couple to the first cell of the plurality of cells to provide a second voltage value corresponding to a positive voltage value of the first cell and a negative voltage value of an adjacent cell of the plurality of cells, enabling the voltage of the first cell to be monitored by the first slave integrated circuit; a VCPP input terminal operable to electrically couple with the adjacent cell of the plurality of cells to provide a third voltage value corresponding to a positive voltage value of the adjacent cell; and an interface, to which the detection element is coupled, that is adapted to send said detected data to an at least one master integrated circuit, and operable to exchange detected data with an adjacent slave integrated circuit module associated with the adjacent cell in the plurality of cells, wherein the interface receives the second and third voltage values and wherein the second and third voltage values provide low and high reference voltages for signals exchanged with the adjacent slave integrated circuit module, wherein if the slave integrated circuit module is a first slave integrated circuit module of a plurality of slave integrated circuit modules, the interface of the slave integrated circuit module sends its said detected data directly to the at least one master integrated circuit, and if the slave integrated circuit module is not the first slave integrated circuit module of a plurality of slave integrated circuit modules, the interface of the slave integrated circuit module sends its said detected data to the first slave integrated circuit module for delivery of the detected data by the first slave integrated circuit module to the at least one master integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification