Voltage monitoring system and voltage monitoring module

• US 9,632,144 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Kiuchi, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun
• Application Number:
  US14/641,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20150177329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 779 Days
• Field of Search: 324434
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• 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 10/48 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 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• 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

Abstract

In a voltage monitoring system, a voltage monitoring module includes an adjusting current control circuit to generate an adjusting current so that the operating current consumed by the voltage monitoring modules reaches a specified value corresponding to a first operation current setting command, and stops generating the adjusting current according to an operating current switching command; and an operating current measurement circuit to measure the operating current according to the operating current measuring command following the operating current switching command; and in which a module control circuit sends a second operation current setting command based on the operating current that was measured, and the adjusting current control circuit generates an adjusting current so that the operating current reaches a specified value corresponding to the second operating current setting command.

Claims

1. A method of operating a voltage monitoring system configured to monitor a voltage of a plurality of battery cells coupled in series,

the voltage monitoring system comprising:

a voltage monitoring module including an adjusting current control circuit; and

a module control circuit configured to control the voltage monitoring module,

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) generating a first operating current setting command by a module control circuit;

(b) generating an adjusting current in response to the first operating current setting command so that an operating current consumed in the voltage monitoring module reaches a first value corresponding to the first operating current setting command;

(c) generating an operating current switching command by the module control circuit;

(d) halting generating of the adjusting current in response to the operating current switching command;

(e) generating an operating current measuring command by the module control circuit;

(f) measuring the operating current in response to the operating current measuring command;

(g) generating a second operating current setting command, by the module control circuit, based on the measured operating current; and

(h) generating an adjusting current, by the adjusting current control circuit, in response to the second operating current setting command so that the operating current reaches a second value corresponding to the second operating current setting command.