Battery management circuit and related techniques using MOSFET power switch with intelligent switch control
First Claim
1. In a system including a power supply configured to generate a supply voltage, an electrical load configured to receive the supply voltage, a battery pack comprising at least one battery and a battery management circuit for managing the battery pack, the battery management circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal configured to be coupled to two opposing terminals of the power supply and two opposing terminals of the electrical load, and having a third terminal and a fourth terminal configured to be coupled to two opposing terminals of the at least one battery, the battery management circuit comprising:
- a switching circuit having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the battery management circuit, a second terminal, and a control terminal;
a current sensing circuit having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of said switching circuit, a second terminal coupled to the control terminal of said switching circuit, and a third terminal coupled to the third terminal of the battery management circuit, said current sensing circuit configured to receive a current signal from said switching circuit, measure a direction of the current signal, and provide a current sensing signal indicative of the direction of the current signal at the second terminal of said current sensing circuit; and
a battery measurement circuit having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of said switching circuit and at least a second terminal coupled to the first and second terminals of the at least one battery, said battery measurement circuit configured to measure one or more characteristics of the at least one battery and provide a battery measurement signal in response thereto at the first terminal of the battery measurement circuit, wherein a control signal corresponding to the current sensing signal and the battery measurement signal controls current flow through the first terminal and the second terminal, that provide current conducting terminals, of said switching circuit.
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Abstract
A circuit includes a power supply configured to generate a supply voltage, an electrical load coupled to receive the supply voltage from the power supply, and a switching circuit. The switching circuit has a first terminal coupled to a first terminal of the electrical load, a second terminal, and a control terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal of the switching circuit correspond to current conducting terminals of the switching circuit. The circuit also includes a current sensing circuit and at least one battery having a first terminal coupled to a corresponding terminal of the current sensing circuit. The circuit additionally includes a battery measurement circuit having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the switching circuit and at least a second terminal coupled to the first terminal and a second terminal opposing the first terminal of the at least one battery.
7 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a system including a power supply configured to generate a supply voltage, an electrical load configured to receive the supply voltage, a battery pack comprising at least one battery and a battery management circuit for managing the battery pack, the battery management circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal configured to be coupled to two opposing terminals of the power supply and two opposing terminals of the electrical load, and having a third terminal and a fourth terminal configured to be coupled to two opposing terminals of the at least one battery, the battery management circuit comprising:
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a switching circuit having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the battery management circuit, a second terminal, and a control terminal; a current sensing circuit having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of said switching circuit, a second terminal coupled to the control terminal of said switching circuit, and a third terminal coupled to the third terminal of the battery management circuit, said current sensing circuit configured to receive a current signal from said switching circuit, measure a direction of the current signal, and provide a current sensing signal indicative of the direction of the current signal at the second terminal of said current sensing circuit; and a battery measurement circuit having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of said switching circuit and at least a second terminal coupled to the first and second terminals of the at least one battery, said battery measurement circuit configured to measure one or more characteristics of the at least one battery and provide a battery measurement signal in response thereto at the first terminal of the battery measurement circuit, wherein a control signal corresponding to the current sensing signal and the battery measurement signal controls current flow through the first terminal and the second terminal, that provide current conducting terminals, of said switching circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A circuit comprising:
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a power supply having a first terminal and a second terminal, which are two opposing terminals, said power supply configured to generate a supply voltage; a electric load having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of said power supply and a second terminal, which is opposing the first terminal and coupled to the second terminal of said power supply, said electrical load configured to receive the supply voltage from said power supply; a switching circuit having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of said electrical load, a second terminal, and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal provide current conducting terminals of said switching circuit, said switching circuit including; a plurality of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), each MOSFET of said plurality of MOSFETs having a source terminal, a drain terminal and a gate terminal, wherein the source terminals of said plurality of MOSFETs are coupled to the first terminal of said switching circuit, the drain terminals of said plurality of MOSFETs are coupled to the second terminal of said switching circuit, and the gate terminals of said plurality of MOSFETs are coupled to the control terminal of said switching circuit; and a plurality of diodes, each diode of the said plurality of diodes having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, wherein the positive terminals of said plurality of diodes are respectively coupled to corresponding ones of the source terminals of said MOSFETs and the negative terminals of said plurality of diodes are respectively coupled to corresponding ones of the drain terminals of said MOSFETs; a current sensing circuit having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of said switching circuit, a second terminal coupled to the control terminal of said switching circuit, and a third terminal, said current sensing circuit configured to receive a current signal from the second terminal of said switching circuit at the first terminal thereof, measure a direction of the current signal, and provide a current sensing signal corresponding to the direction of the current signal in response thereto at the second terminal of said current sensing circuit; at least one battery having a first terminal coupled to the third terminal of said current sensing circuit and a second opposing terminal coupled to the second terminal of said electrical load; and a battery measurement circuit having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of said switching circuit and at least a second terminal coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal of said at least one battery, said battery measurement circuit configured to measure one or more characteristics of said at least one battery and provide a battery measurement signal in response thereto at the first terminal of said battery measurement circuit, wherein a control signal corresponding to the current sensing signal and the battery measurement signal controls current flow through the current conducting terminals of said switching circuit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification