Voltage detection apparatus and method of reducing dispersion of dark currents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310443-B2
Application number	US-201213984227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2012
Priority date	Feb 28, 2011
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A voltage detection apparatus includes a plurality of voltage detection units, each of which detects cell voltages of plural cells in each of blocks in a battery module. Each of blocks includes the plural cells connected in series. The plurality of voltage detection units are respectively supplied with power via power supply lines connected to the blocks. The plurality of voltage detection units are respectively provided with a plurality of current increase units for increasing dark currents so that the dark currents flowing through the power supply lines respectively become a same target value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A voltage detection apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of voltage detection units, each of which detects cell voltages of plural cells in each of blocks in a battery module, the each of blocks including the plural cells connected in series;
a plurality of power supply circuits, to which power is supplied via power supply lines connected to the blocks respectively;
a dark current adjustment unit that adjusts dark currents respectively flowing through the plurality of power supply lines;
a plurality of current increase units that increases the dark currents so that the dark currents respectively flowing through the power supply lines from the blocks when the voltage detection apparatus is in a sleep state become a same target value; and
a plurality of current detection units which respectively detect the dark currents flowing through the plurality of power supply lines,
wherein the plurality of voltage detection units are respectively supplied with the power from the plurality of power supply circuit via the power supply lines; and
wherein the dark current adjustment unit includes:
a target value setting unit which sets the target value based on the dark currents detected by the plurality of current detection units; and
a current control unit which changes resistance values of the plurality of current increase units so that each of the dark currents flowing through the plurality of power supply lines becomes the target value.

2. The voltage detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the current increase units is a resistor which has one end and the other end;
wherein one end of the resistor is connected to the power supply line connected to one end of the corresponding block; and
wherein the other end of the resistor is held to the same voltage as that of the other end of the corresponding block.

3. The voltage detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the resistor is a variable resistor whose resistance value is adjustable.

4. The voltage detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the voltage detection units includes a constant voltage power supply circuit;
wherein each of the current increase units is a resistor which has one end and the other end;
wherein the one end of the resistor is connected to an output terminal of the constant voltage power supply circuit; and
wherein the other end of the resistor is held to a predetermined voltage.

5. The voltage detection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the resistor is a variable resistor whose resistance value is adjustable.

6. The voltage detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the target value is set to a maximum value of the dark current in the case of not providing the current increase unit or a value exceeding the maximum value.

7. A method of reducing the dispersion of dark currents flowing through a plurality of voltage detection units each of which detecting cell voltages of plural cells in each of blocks in a battery module, the each of blocks including the plural cells connected in series, the method comprising:
detecting the dark currents flowing through the plurality of voltage detection units which are respectively supplied with power via power supply lines connected to the blocks;
setting a target value based on the detected dark currents;
adjusting the dark currents flowing through the plurality of voltage detection units by a plurality of current increase units respectively provided in the plurality of voltage detection units for increasing the dark currents flowing through the plurality of voltage detection units so that the dark currents flowing through the power supply lines when the voltage detection apparatus is in a sleep state become the target value; and
changing resistance values of the plurality of current increase units so that each of the dark currents flowing through the plurality of power supply lines becomes the target value.

Assignees

• Shimizu Hidehiko
• Matsuura Kimihiro
• Tatara Yusuke
• Uchida Shintaro
• Yamamoto Takayuki
• Yazaki Corp
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Hidehiko
• Matsuura Kimihiro
• Tatara Yusuke
• Uchida Shintaro
• Yamamoto Takayuki

Classifications

• H02J7/54

  Passive balancing, e.g. using resistors or parallel MOSFETs · CPC title

• G01R31/396 Primary

  Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery · CPC title

• G01R31/3835

  involving only voltage measurements · CPC title

• H02J7/0016

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01R31/362

  Physics · mapped topic