Hot plugging protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10177564-B2
Application number	US-201615053487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

An overcharge protection circuit comprises a first series of first terminals a second series of second terminals, a first overvoltage protection device connected between each consecutive pair of first terminals, a current balancing device connected between each consecutive pair of second terminals, and a second overvoltage protection device connected between a first terminal and a second terminal. The second overvoltage protection device is configured to pass a current if a voltage over the second overvoltage protection device exceeds a threshold. The second overvoltage protection device may comprise a bidirectional ESD diode, while both the first overvoltage protection device and the second overvoltage protection device may comprise a unidirectional ESD diode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An overcharge protection circuit comprising
a first series of first terminals;
a second series of second terminals;
a first overvoltage protection device connected between each consecutive pair of first terminals;
a current balancing device connected between each consecutive pair of second terminals; and
a second overvoltage protection device connected between a first terminal and a second terminal;
wherein the second overvoltage protection device is configured to pass a current if a voltage over the second overvoltage protection device exceeds a threshold.

2. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the second overvoltage protection device comprises a bidirectional ESD diode.

3. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first overvoltage protection device comprises a unidirectional ESD diode.

4. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the current balancing device comprises an electronic switch.

5. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 4 , wherein the electronic switch is configured to be controlled by an ESD diode.

6. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first series and the second series comprise equal numbers of terminals.

7. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 1 , wherein a second overvoltage device is connected between each terminal of the first series and each corresponding terminal of the second series.

8. A battery stack control circuit comprising
a first series of first terminals;
a second series of second terminals;
a first overvoltage protection device connected between each consecutive pair of first terminals;
a current balancing device connected between each consecutive pair of second terminals; and
a second overvoltage protection device connected between a first terminal and a second terminal,
wherein the second overvoltage protection device is configured to pass a current if a voltage over the second overvoltage protection device exceeds a threshold;
wherein the first terminals are configured to measure a voltage of batteries of the battery stack; and
wherein the second terminals are configured to drive a current of batteries of the battery stack.

9. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the second overvoltage protection device comprises a bidirectional ESD diode.

10. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the first overvoltage protection device comprises a unidirectional ESD diode.

11. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the current balancing device comprises an electronic switch.

12. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 11 , wherein the electronic switch is configured to be controlled by an ESD diode.

13. The overcharge protection circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the first series and the second series each comprise fifteen terminals.

14. An apparatus comprising
a stack of batteries having a set of battery terminals; and
at least one overcharge protection circuit comprising
a first series of first terminals;
a second series of second terminals;
a first overvoltage protection device connected between each consecutive pair of first terminals;
a current balancing device connected between each consecutive pair of second terminals; and
a second overvoltage protection device connected between a first terminal and a second terminal;

wherein the second overvoltage protection device is configured to pass a current if a voltage over the second overvoltage protection device exceeds a threshold; and
wherein each battery terminal is connected to both a first terminal and a corresponding second terminal.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the second overvoltage protection device comprises a bidirectional ESD diode.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first overvoltage protection device comprises a unidirectional ESD diode.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the second overvoltage protection device comprises an electronic switch configured to be controlled by an ESD diode.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein each first terminal is connected to a battery terminal via a resistor.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first terminals are configured to
measure a voltage of batteries of the battery stack; and
wherein the second terminals are configured to drive a current of batteries of the battery stack.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein a lowest voltage battery terminal and a highest voltage battery terminal are connected to a respective second terminal via a resistor.

Assignees

• Freescale Semiconductor Inc
• Nxp Usa Inc

Inventors

• Givelin Philippe Jean-Marie Lucien
• Besse Patrice
• De Bortoli Serge

Classifications

• H02H9/04

  responsive to excess voltage (lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T) · CPC title

• H02H9/046

  responsive to excess voltage appearing at terminals of integrated circuits · CPC title

• G06F13/4081

  Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging (current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004) · CPC title

• H02H9/045 Primary

  adapted to a particular application and not provided for elsewhere · CPC title

• H02H9/004 Primary

  in connection with live-insertion of plug-in units (involving communication with a central processing unit G06F13/40) · CPC title