Voltage monitoring method and circuit for electrical energy storage device

• US 20090009177A1
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nesscap Company Limited (Tesla Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nesscap Company Limited (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Sung Min, Kim, Kwang Kyeom
• Application Number:
  US11/772,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009177A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/434
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/04 Voltage dividers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• 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 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a voltage monitoring method and circuit for an electrical energy storage device. The voltage monitoring method includes detecting the voltages of one or more unit cells constituting the electrical energy storage device; generating logical signals depending on the respective levels of the detected voltages; and generating a detection signal indicating whether the unit cells are abnormal in response to the logical signals.

Claims

1. A voltage monitoring method for an electrical energy storage device, comprising:

detecting voltages of one or more unit cells constituting the electrical energy storage device;

generating logical signals depending on respective levels of the detected voltages; and

generating a detection signal indicating whether the unit cells are abnormal in response to the logical signals.

2. The voltage monitoring method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detecting the voltages of the unit cells is performed using one or more switching elements that are turned on/off at a predetermined voltage.

3. The voltage monitoring method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generating the logical signals comprises:

activating one or more light-emitting elements only when levels of the detected voltages fall within a set operating voltage range; and

outputting the logical signals by activating one or more light-receiving elements in response to outputs of the light-emitting elements.

4. The voltage monitoring method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generating the logical signals comprises:

inactivating one or more light-emitting elements only when levels of the detected voltages fall within a set operating voltage range; and

outputting the logical signals by activating one or more light-receiving elements in response to outputs of the light-emitting elements.

7. The voltage monitoring method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the generating the detection signals comprises receiving the logical signals and performing an AND operation, through which a logic high signal is output only when all of the unit cells are normal.

5. The voltage monitoring method as set forth in claim any one of 3 and 4, wherein the light-emitting elements and the light-receiving elements are electrically isolated from each other.

6. The voltage monitoring method as set forth in claim any one of 3 and 4, wherein the generating the logical signals comprises outputting the logical signals using one or more opto-couplers.

8. A voltage monitoring circuit for an electrical energy storage device, comprising:

one or more unit cells constituting the electrical energy storage device;

one or more voltage detection units for detecting respective voltages of the unit cells using one or more switching elements that are turned on/off at a predetermined voltage;

one or more unit circuits for generating respective logical signals depending on levels of voltages detected by the voltage detection units; and

a logical operation unit for performing logical operation on the logical signals and generating a detection signal indicating whether the unit cells are abnormal.

9. The voltage monitoring circuit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the unit circuits comprise:

one or more light-emitting elements activated only when the voltages detected by the voltage detection unit fall within a set operating voltage range; and

one or more light-receiving elements, electrically isolated from the light-emitting elements and configured to output the logical signals in response to respective outputs of the light-emitting elements.

10. The voltage monitoring circuit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the unit circuits comprises:

one or more light-emitting elements activated only when the voltages detected by the voltage detection units fall within a set operating voltage range; and

one or more light-receiving elements electrically isolated from the light-emitting elements and configured to output the logical signals in response to respective outputs of the light-emitting elements.

11. The voltage monitoring circuit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the unit circuits comprise one or more opto-couplers.

12. The voltage monitoring circuit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the logical operation unit comprises an AND gate that receives the logical signals and outputs a logic high signal only when all of the unit cells are normal.

13. The voltage monitoring circuit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the voltage detection units are arranged on one side of a printed circuit board, and the unit circuits and the logical operation unit are arranged on a remaining side of the printed circuit board.