Voltage monitoring system and voltage monitoring module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9632144-B2
Application number	US-201514641392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2015
Priority date	May 31, 2011
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

In a voltage monitoring system, a voltage monitoring module includes an adjusting current control circuit to generate an adjusting current so that the operating current consumed by the voltage monitoring modules reaches a specified value corresponding to a first operation current setting command, and stops generating the adjusting current according to an operating current switching command; and an operating current measurement circuit to measure the operating current according to the operating current measuring command following the operating current switching command; and in which a module control circuit sends a second operation current setting command based on the operating current that was measured, and the adjusting current control circuit generates an adjusting current so that the operating current reaches a specified value corresponding to the second operating current setting command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a voltage monitoring system configured to monitor a voltage of a plurality of battery cells coupled in series,
the voltage monitoring system comprising:
a voltage monitoring module including an adjusting current control circuit; and
a module control circuit configured to control the voltage monitoring module,
the method comprising the steps of:
(a) generating a first operating current setting command by a module control circuit;
(b) generating an adjusting current in response to the first operating current setting command so that an operating current consumed in the voltage monitoring module reaches a first value corresponding to the first operating current setting command;
(c) generating an operating current switching command by the module control circuit;
(d) halting generating of the adjusting current in response to the operating current switching command;
(e) generating an operating current measuring command by the module control circuit;
(f) measuring the operating current in response to the operating current measuring command;
(g) generating a second operating current setting command, by the module control circuit, based on the measured operating current; and
(h) generating an adjusting current, by the adjusting current control circuit, in response to the second operating current setting command so that the operating current reaches a second value corresponding to the second operating current setting command.

Assignees

• Renesas Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Kiuchi Hideki

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/52

  for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries · CPC title

• B60L58/21

  having the same nominal voltage · 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