Non-isolated type voltage sensor

• US 6,489,786 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Takemoto, Hisashi, Satake, Syuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JIMMY
• Application Number:
  US09/686,368
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 324/522, 324/427, 324/117, 324/434, 324/713, 324/433, 324/120, 324/126, 324/117.R, 324/117.H, 324/158.1, 320/164
• US Class Current: 324/713
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements

Abstract

A non-isolated type voltage sensor is provided between a battery of less than 60 V and a circuit having a resistor, an end of which is connected to a wire harness while another end is connected to a reference power supply. The non-isolated type voltage sensor includes voltage dividing circuits, which include plural resistors connected in series such that those resistors are connected to the battery in parallel so as to obtain a voltage proportional to a terminal voltage of the battery and less than the reference voltage at a desired voltage dividing point of the plural resistors, a voltage follower, which receives an input of a voltage from the voltage dividing point of the voltage dividing circuit, and a voltage-current conversion circuit including a FET so as to supply a current proportional to a low impedance output voltage obtained through the voltage follower to the ground through a resistor.

Claims

1. A non-isolated type voltage sensor provided between a battery and a circuit having a pull-up resister which is connected to a reference power supply and a cable, the non-isolated type voltage sensor comprising:

a voltage dividing circuit comprising a plurality of resistors connected in series such that the voltage dividing circuit is connected to said battery in parallel, so as to obtain a voltage proportional to a terminal voltage of said battery and less than said reference voltage at a desired voltage dividing point of said plural resistors;

a voltage follower which receives an input of a voltage from the voltage dividing point of said voltage dividing circuit; and

a voltage-current conversion circuit in which an input thereof is connected to an output of said voltage follower while an output thereof is connected to said cable so that a current proportional to a low impedance output voltage obtained through said voltage follower flows to the ground through an output resistor.

2. A non-isolated type voltage sensor according to claim 1 wherein said voltage-current conversion circuit comprises:

a field effect transistor a source of which is connected to said cable while a drain thereof is connected to said output resistor;

an output resistor which is connected to a drain of said field effect transistor and said ground, the output resistor having a resistance higher than a resistance of said pull-up resistor; and

an amplifier in which an output of said voltage follower is connected to a non-inverted input thereof, an inverted input thereof is connected to said output resistor and an output thereof is connected to a gate of said field effect transistor.

3. A non-isolated type voltage sensor provided between a battery and a circuit having a pull-up resistor which is connected to ground and a cable, including:

a voltage detecting circuit for obtaining a voltage proportional to a voltage of said battery at a voltage dividing point and supplying a first current proportional to a low impedance output voltage obtained from a voltage at said voltage dividing point to the ground through a first output resistor; and

a voltage-current conversion circuit for supplying a second current proportional to a voltage signal determined by said first current to said cable through a second output resistor.

4. A non-isolated type voltage sensor according to claim 3 wherein said circuit having the first pull-up resistor includes a differential amplifying circuit which is connected to the same type of ground as ground of said battery and said cable, the differential amplifying circuit carrying out differential amplification with said ground as a reference,

said voltage detecting circuit comprising:

a voltage dividing circuit containing a plurality of resistors connected in series such that the voltage dividing circuit is connected to said battery in parallel, so as to obtain a voltage proportional to a terminal voltage of said battery and less than said reference voltage at a desired voltage dividing point of said plural resistors;

a voltage follower which receives an input of a voltage at the voltage dividing point of said voltage dividing circuit; and

a first voltage-current conversion circuit in which an input thereof is connected to an output of said voltage follower so that said first current obtained through said voltage follower and proportional to a low impedance output voltage flows to the ground through said first output resistor,

said voltage-current conversion circuit being comprised of a second voltage-current conversion circuit in which a second pull-up resistor having the same resistance as said first output resistor, said pull-up resistor being connected to the reference power supply, and supplies said second current proportional to a low impedance output voltage obtained from a voltage signal at the connecting point between said second pull-up resister and said first voltage-current conversion circuit to said cable through said second output resistor.

5. A non-isolated type voltage sensor according to claim 4 wherein said first voltage-current conversion circuit comprises:

a first field effect transistor a source of which is connected to an input of said second voltage-current conversion circuit while a drain thereof is connected to said first output resistor;

a first output resistor which is connected to a drain of said first field effect transistor and said ground; and

a first amplifier in which an output of said voltage follower is connected to a non-inverted input thereof, an inverted input thereof is connected to said first output resistor and an output thereof is connected to a gate of said field effect transistor,

said second voltage-current conversion circuit comprising;

a second pull-up resistor which is connected to said reference power supply and a source of said first field effect transistor;

a second output resistor which is connected to said reference power supply;

a second field effect transistor a source of which is connected to said second output resistor while a drain thereof is connected to said cable; and

a second amplifier in which a non-inverted input thereof is connected to a source of said first field effect transistor, a non-inverted input thereof is connected to said second output resistor and a source of said second field effect transistor and an output thereof is connected to a gate of said second field effect transistor.