Addressable integrated circuit and method thereof

• US 9,158,727 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Gorbold, Jeremy, Gibbons, James, Creedon, Tadhg, O'Riordan, Katherine, Reidy, John, Morrissey, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano, Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUAREZ, FELIX E
• Application Number:
  US12/771,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19, 702/61, 702/104, 702/120, 702/150, 702/158, 702/187, 702/188, 235/383, 340/5.1, 714/746
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 12/0661 and decentralised selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4247 on a daisy chain bus

Abstract

An exemplary method and system of addressing an integrated circuit within a daisy chain network. In the exemplary method, the address of the integrated circuit may be initialized to a predetermined initial address. The integrated circuit may receive a command that includes a type identifier and an address field. Based on the type identifier, the type of command may be determined. As a result of the determination, reading the address from the address field. The read address may be stored in a register. The address may be modified, and may be output. Upon receipt of the data or a command, the integrity of the data including data within the received command, may be confirmed by an error checking algorithm.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a monitoring circuit to measure at least one voltage present on an input of the integrated circuit;

a first transceiver for point-to-point connection to a first adjacent integrated circuit in a daisy chain network, the first transceiver to receive an input signal from the network representing a command identified in a command type field, the input signal directed to one of a plurality of integrated circuits in the daisy chain network identified by an address value provided in an address field of the command, and for transmitting an output signal to the network;

a second transceiver for point-to-point connection to a second adjacent integrated circuit in the daisy chain network; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the first transceiver and configured to determine a type of the command;

wherein, when the provided address value matches an address of the integrated circuit, the controller;

executes the command; and

causes the first transceiver to issue corresponding output signal content, wherein when the command comprises an instruction to report measurements, the controller causes the first transceiver to output data representing a measurement of the monitoring circuit; and

wherein, when the provided address value does not match the address of the integrated circuit, the controller causes the second transceiver to transmit the command to a next segment of the daisy chain network.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the input signal is received from one of a processor and another integrated circuit.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the command is to reset the addresses of all the integrated circuits in the network.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein the resetting occurs during initialization.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein the resetting further comprises:

assigning a particular current address to the integrated circuit;

modifying the current address to a next address in a sequence;

forwarding the received address reset command, including the next address as a designated address, to the next integrated circuit.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the current address is one of a predetermined address and a specified address.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

execute an error checking algorithm on the input signal to confirm that the command in the input signal is correctly addressed to the integrated circuit by using the provided address in the address field of the command to confirm the provided address is not corrupted; and

send a response to a processor if the result of the error checking algorithm indicates that the input signal was sent to the integrated circuit in error.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein a processor responsively issues an address reset command.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the command is to forward the command to a next integrated circuit in the network.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is in one of a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the monitoring circuit is communicatively coupled to the controller and is configured to measure parameters of at least one of a battery, cells of a battery, and a battery stack, the parameters including at least one of temperature data, voltage data, and current data.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein the measured parameters are from a lithium ion battery.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the command is to actuate a switch.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the input signal is received from the daisy chain network on a downstream side of the integrated circuit and the transceiver outputs measurement data to the downstream side of the integrated circuit.

15. A method of addressing an integrated circuit, comprising:

measuring an electrical signal presented at an input of the integrated circuit;

in a daisy chain network, receiving an input signal from the network representing a command identified in a command type field, the input signal directed to one of a plurality of integrated circuits in the daisy chain network identified by an address value provided in an address field of the command, and transmitting an output signal to the network; and

with a controller communicatively coupled to the transceiver;

determining a type of the command;

based on the type of the command and the address value, executing the command; and

issuing corresponding output signal content, wherein when the command comprises an instruction to report measurements, the integrated circuit outputs signal measurements to the daisy chain network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the input signal is received from one of a processor and another integrated circuit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein executing the command comprises resetting the addresses of all the integrated circuits in the network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the resetting occurs during initialization.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the resetting further comprises:

assigning a particular current address to the integrated circuit;

modifying the current address to a next address in a sequence;

forwarding the received address reset command, including the next address as a designated address, to the next integrated circuit.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the current address is one of a predetermined address and a specified address.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising the controller:

executing an error checking algorithm on the input signal to confirm that the command in the input signal is correctly addressed to the integrated circuit by using the provided address in the address field of the command to confirm the provided address is not corrupted; and

sending a response to a processor if the result of the error checking algorithm indicates that the input signal was sent to the integrated circuit in error.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising responsively issuing an address reset command with a processor.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein executing the command comprises forwarding the command to a next integrated circuit in the network.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit is in one of a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising with a measurement circuit communicatively coupled to the controller:

measuring parameters of at least one of a battery, cells of a battery, and a battery stack, the parameters including at least one of temperature data, voltage data, and current data; and

outputting signals representative of the measured parameter values.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the measured parameters are from a lithium ion battery.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein executing the command comprises actuating a switch.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the input signal is received from the daisy chain network on a downstream side of the integrated circuit and the measurement data is issued to the downstream side of the integrated circuit.

29. An integrated circuit for monitoring battery voltages in a wired network, comprising:

a monitoring circuit to measure at least one voltage present on an input of the integrated circuit;

a transceiver for receiving an input signal from the wired network representing a command, and for transmitting an output signal to the wired network; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to;

determine a type of the command; and

when the command is an address reset command, to;

assign the address of the integrated circuit based on an address value received in the command;

modify the current address to a next address in a sequence; and

forward the received address reset command, including the next address as a designated address, to the next integrated circuit.

30. The integrated circuit of claim 29, wherein the controller further, when the command is an address reset command,

assigns a new address to the integrated circuit based on an address value received in the command;

modifies the current address to a next address in a sequence; and

forwards the received address reset command, including the next address as a designated address, to the other integrated circuit.