Voltage monitoring module and voltage monitoring system to detect a current leakage

• US 10,895,603 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Issued: 01/19/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Kiuchi, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trischler, John T
• Application Number:
  US15/937,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20180217206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 324426
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage 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 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of 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

A voltage monitoring module including a first input terminal coupled to a high-voltage-side terminal of a battery cell through a first path including an external resistor, a first terminal coupled to the high-voltage-side terminal of the battery cell through a second path; a first switch coupled to the first input terminal, a second switch coupled to the first terminal; a second input terminal and a second terminal coupled to a low-voltage-side terminal of the battery cell, a third switch that is coupled to the second input terminal; a fourth switch that is coupled to the second terminal, and a control circuit that controls ON/OFF of the first through fourth switches, wherein an element that suppresses fluctuation of a voltage input to the first switch through the first input terminal that is coupled between the first switch and a fixed voltage.

Claims

1. A battery management device comprising:

a first terminal configured to detect a voltage of a first external electrode of a battery cell via a first path;

a second terminal configured to detect a voltage of a second external electrode of the battery cell via a second path;

a third terminal configured to couple with the first external electrode via a third path;

a fourth terminal configured to couple with the second external electrode via a fourth path;

a transistor configured to short-circuit the second terminal and the third terminal; and

a voltage measurement circuit configured to detect;

a first potential difference between the first path and the second path; and

a second potential difference between the third path and the fourth path, wherein

the battery management device is configured to detect a current leakage among the first path, the second path, the third path, and the fourth path by comparing the first potential difference and the second potential difference.

2. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage measurement circuit comprises:

a voltage detection circuit configured to detect a potential difference between a first node and a second node, and

a routing circuit configured to couple the first path or the third path with the first node, and configured to couple the second path or the fourth path with the second node.

3. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the first path includes a filter circuit.

4. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the first path includes a voltage protection circuit.

5. The battery management device according to claim 1,

wherein the first external electrode is a positive electrode of the battery cell, and

wherein the second external electrode is a negative electrode of the battery cell.

6. The battery management device according to claim 5,

wherein the third path includes a resistor, and

wherein the battery management device is configured to discharge a charge of the battery cell via the third path and the second path through the transistor.

7. A battery management device comprising:

a first terminal configured to detect a voltage of a first external electrode of a battery cell via a first path;

a second terminal configured to detect a voltage of a second external electrode of the battery cell via a second path;

a third terminal configured to couple with the first external electrode via a third path;

a fourth terminal configured to couple with the second external electrode via a fourth path;

a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, and a fourth transistor respectively coupled to the first terminal, the second terminal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal, the second transistor configured to short-circuit the second terminal and the third terminal;

a voltage measurement circuit configured to detect;

a first potential difference between the first path and the second path; and

a second potential difference between the third path and the fourth path; and

a control circuit configured to detect a current leakage among the first path, the second path, the third path, and the fourth paths by comparing the first potential difference and the second potential difference.

8. The battery management device according to claim 7, wherein the voltage measurement circuit comprises:

a voltage detection circuit configured to detect a potential difference between a first node and a second node, and

a routing circuit configured to couple the first path or the third path with the first node, and configured to couple the second path or the fourth path with the second node.

9. The battery management device according to claim 7, wherein the first path includes a filter circuit.

10. The battery management device according to claim 7, wherein the first path includes a voltage protection circuit.

11. The battery management device according to claim 7,

wherein the first external electrode is a positive electrode of the battery cell, and

wherein the second external electrode is a negative electrode of the battery cell.

12. The battery management device according to claim 11,

wherein the third path includes a resistor, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to discharge a charge of the battery cell via the third path and the second path through the transistor.

13. A battery control device comprising:

a first terminal configured to detect a voltage of a first external electrode of a battery cell via a first path;

a second terminal configured to detect a voltage of a second external electrode of the battery cell via a second path;

a third terminal configured to couple with the first external electrode via a third path;

a fourth terminal configured to couple with the second external electrode via a fourth path;

a transistor configured to short-circuit the second terminal and the third terminal;

a voltage measurement circuit configured to detect;

a first potential difference between the first path and the second path; and

a second potential difference between the third path and the fourth path; and

a control circuit configured to detect a current leakage among the first path, the second path, the third path, and the fourth paths by comparing the first potential difference and the second potential difference.

14. The battery control device according to claim 13,

wherein the voltage measurement circuit comprises:

a voltage detection circuit configured to detect a potential difference between a first node and a second node, and

a routing circuit configured to couple the first path or the third path with the first node, and configured to couple the second path or the fourth path with the second node.

15. The battery control device according to claim 13, wherein the first path includes a filter circuit.

16. The battery control device according to claim 13, wherein the first path includes a voltage protection circuit.

17. The battery control device according to claim 13,

wherein the first external electrode is a positive electrode of the battery cell, and

wherein the second external electrode is a negative electrode of the battery cell.

18. The battery control device according to claim 17,

wherein the third path includes a resistor, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to discharge a charge of the battery cell via the third path and the second path through the transistor.