System for controlling operation of a contactor using a high side sense circuit and a low side sense circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170259-B2
Application number	US-201615230767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A system for controlling operation of a contactor is provided. The system stops outputting a control signal to open the contactor, and then measures a low side sense signal from a low side sense circuit electrically coupled to a low side end of a contactor coil, or a high side sense signal from a high side sense circuit that is electrically coupled to a high side end of the contactor coil, to determine whether the contactor has a closed operational position, and if not, the system stops outputting another control signal to open the contactor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling operation of a contactor having a contactor coil and a contact, comprising:
a microcontroller having an analog-to-digital converter, and a first output port controlling whether a low side end of the contactor coil is electrically coupled to electrical ground, and a second output port controlling whether a high side end of the contactor coil receives an energization voltage;
a low side sense line being electrically coupled to the low side end and a low side sense circuit and the analog-to-digital converter;
the microcontroller stopping a generation of a first control signal on the first output port to electrically de-coupled the low side end of the contactor coil from the electrical ground;
the low side sense circuit receiving a first signal from the low side sense line and outputting a low side sense signal corresponding to the first signal;
the analog-to-digital converter receiving the low side sense signal and outputting a low side sense value corresponding to the low side sense signal; and
the microcontroller stopping a generation of a second control signal on the second output port to remove the energization voltage from the high side end of the contactor coil to move the contact to the open operational position in response to the low side sense value being greater than a first threshold voltage value indicating that the contact has a closed operational position after the microcontroller stopped generating the first control signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a low side driver circuit having an input node and an output node, the input node being electrically coupled to the first output port, the output node being electrically coupled to the low side end.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the low side sense voltage sense line being electrically coupled to the output node and the low side sense circuit.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a high side driver circuit having an input node and an output node, the input node being electrically coupled to the second output port, the output node being electrically coupled to the high side end.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery module electrically coupled to a first end of the contact; and
an electrical load electrically coupled to a second end of the contact.

6. A system for controlling operation of a contactor having a contactor coil and a contact, comprising:
a microcontroller having an analog-to-digital converter, and a first output port controlling whether a low side end of the contactor coil is electrically coupled to electrical ground, and a second output port controlling whether a high side end of the contactor coil receives an energization voltage;
a high side sense line being electrically coupled to the high side end and a high side sense circuit and the analog-to-digital converter;
the microcontroller stopping a generation of a first control signal on the second output port to remove the energization voltage from the high side end of the contactor coil to de-energize the contactor coil;
the high side sense circuit receiving a first signal from the high side sense line and outputting a high side sense signal corresponding to the first signal;
the analog-to-digital converter receiving the high side sense signal and outputting a high side sense value corresponding to the high side sense signal; and
the microcontroller stopping a generation of a second control signal on the first output port to electrically de-couple the low side end of the contactor coil from the electrical ground to move the contact to the open operational position in response to the high side sense value being greater than a first threshold voltage value indicating that the contact has a closed operational position after the microcontroller stopped generating the first control signal.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a high side driver circuit having an input node and an output node, the input node being electrically coupled to the second output port, the output node being electrically coupled to the high side end.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the high side voltage sense line being electrically coupled to the output node and the high side sense circuit.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a battery module electrically coupled to a first end of the contact; and
an electrical load electrically coupled to a second end of the contact.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the microcontroller receiving a command message to open the contact of the contactor, from an external controller; and
the microcontroller stopping the generation of the first control signal on the first output port, in response to the command message.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the microcontroller receiving a command message to open the contact of the contactor, from an external controller; and
the microcontroller stopping the generation of the first control signal on the second output port, in response to the command message.

12. A system for controlling operation of a contactor having a contactor coil and a contact, comprising:
a microcontroller having an analog-to-digital converter and first and second output ports;
a low side sense line being electrically coupled to the low side end and a low side sense circuit and the analog-to-digital converter;
the microcontroller stopping a generation of a first control signal on the first output port to electrically de-couple the low side end of the contactor coil from electrical ground to de-energize the contactor coil;
the low side sense circuit receiving a first signal from the low side sense line and outputting a low side sense signal corresponding to the first signal;
the analog-to-digital converter receiving the low side sense signal and outputting a low side sense value corresponding to the low side sense signal; and
the microcontroller stopping a generation of a second control signal on the second output port to remove the energization voltage from the high side end of the contactor coil to move the contact to the open operational position in response to the low side sense value being greater than a first threshold voltage value after the microcontroller stopped generating the first control signal.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Katrak Kerfegar K
• Tipnis Kunal

Classifications

• H02J7/663 Primary

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• H02J7/0031

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01H47/32 Primary

  Energising current supplied by semiconductor device · CPC title

• F02N11/087

  Details of the switching means in starting circuits, e.g. relays or electronic switches · CPC title