Abstract: A voltage measuring device includes a current detecting section that detects a charging or discharging current of a multiple-set battery; block voltage detecting sections that detect voltages of a plurality blocks respectively; and a control section that outputs a request to the block voltage detecting sections via a first communication line to acquire voltage data. Each of the block voltage detecting sections includes an active power source and a lower-power source. The control section transmits a low-power consumption mode setting signal to the block voltage detecting sections respectively when the charging or discharging current has not been detected by the current detecting section for a first time period. Each of the block voltage detecting sections switches an operating mode from a normal mode to a low-power consumption mode when the low-power consumption mode setting signal is received.

Abstract: A state monitoring unit monitors a state of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series. The state monitoring unit includes: a plurality of voltage monitoring devices provided in a high voltage side and a controller provided in a low voltage side electrically isolated with the high voltage side. The controller transmits a common voltage measurement command to the respective voltage monitoring devices connected via a communication channel in a daisy-chain scheme. The controller includes a storage for storing latency time determined based on a required time for each of the voltage monitoring devices elapsing from transmission of the common voltage measurement command with respect to the communication channel to voltage measurement of the unit cells, and measures charging/discharging current of the assembled battery when the latency time has elapsed from the transmission of the common voltage measurement command with respect to the communication channel.

Abstract: A state monitoring unit monitors a state of an assembled battery in which unit cells are connected in series. The state monitoring unit includes a plurality of voltage monitoring devices and a controller. The controller transmits a common voltage measurement command to the voltage monitoring devices connected in a daisy-chain scheme. Each of the voltage monitoring devices measures the voltage of the corresponding unit cells in response to the command that is received from the controller or the adjacent voltage monitoring device at a leading end of the communication channel, and transmits the command to the adjacent voltage monitoring device at a termination of the communication channel. When received the measured voltage from the adjacent voltage monitoring device at the termination, the voltage monitoring device transmits it with the own measured voltage. The controller determines the abnormality in reception state based on the number of received, measured voltages.

Abstract: A voltage measuring apparatus measures an output voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series and are divided into a plurality of blocks. The apparatus includes: a block voltage detection section which detects a voltage of at least one of the plurality of blocks and provides an analog voltage signal; a reference power supply which generates a reference voltage; a sampling voltage generation section which generates a sampling voltage based on the reference voltage; a storage for storing voltage date corresponding to the sampling voltage; and an A/D conversion section of the block voltage detection section that digitizes the sampling voltage with the reference voltage for A/D conversion. A difference between the digitized sampling voltage and the voltage data is calculated and it is determined that abnormality occurs in the A/D conversion section when the difference is larger than a threshold.

Abstract: A control unit includes a control device that outputs a first command signal to an equalizing unit, which has a discharge circuit for solving a dispersion of cell voltage in respective cells of a battery and a switch unit for connecting the discharge circuit to at least one of the cells, and a command signal outputting circuit that outputs a second command signal to the equalizing unit so that a connection between the discharge circuit and the at least one of the cells is forcibly disconnected, when an abnormal operation of the control device, disabling an output of the first command signal, is detected. When the equalizing unit receives the first command signal, the discharge circuit is connected to the at least one of the cells by the switch unit to discharge the at least one of the cells.

Abstract: A switch element is configured to decrease an impedance of a voltage-detection integrated circuit that detect voltage between both ends of unit cells of a higher-ordered battery block, for adjacently-connected pair of the higher-ordered battery block and a lower-ordered battery block. The voltage-detection integrated circuit is configured to detect disconnection of an electrical wire when voltage between both ends of a lowest-ordered unit cell that is detected with the switch element turned on is equal to or lower than a threshold.

Abstract: There is provided a voltage measuring apparatus for measuring a voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series. The voltage measuring apparatus comprises: block voltage detection sections, each section measuring a voltage of each block of a plurality of blocks into which the plurality of unit cells are divided; a reference voltage output section provided in each of the voltage detection sections to output a reference voltage; a difference voltage calculating section which calculates a difference voltage between measured values of the reference voltages measured by two block voltage detection sections; a difference voltage determination section which determines whether each of the difference voltages exceeds a given threshold voltage or not; and an abnormality determination section which determines that abnormality occurs in the voltage measuring apparatus when at least one of the difference voltages is determined as greater than the threshold voltage.

Abstract: There is provided a voltage monitoring apparatus for monitoring an output voltage of an assembled battery. The voltage monitoring apparatus comprises: voltage monitoring sections, each section monitoring a voltage of each block of the plurality of blocks into which the plurality of unit cells are divided, wherein the voltage monitoring sections are connected one another through communication lines; and a control unit which is connected to the voltage monitoring section through the communication lines. The voltage monitoring section compares the respective detected voltages of the unit cells with the threshold voltage to determine a result of the comparison, and transmits the comparison result to the control unit. In a case where the threshold voltage is changed, the control unit transmits a registration signal indicating the changed threshold voltage, and when received the registration signal, the voltage monitoring section changes the stored threshold voltage to the changed threshold voltage.

Abstract: A voltage monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of voltage monitoring sections corresponding to a plurality of blocks of unit cells of a multiple-set battery respectively and a main control section. Each of the voltage monitoring section includes a voltage detection section which detects voltages of the unit cells of a corresponding block, a voltage adjustment section which adjusts the voltages of the unit cells of the corresponding block so that the voltages are uniformized, an active power source which obtains power from the unit cells of the corresponding block, and supplies power to the voltage detection section and the voltage adjustment section, a power source switching section which switches a power supply mode and a power disconnect mode of the active power source, and a low consumption power source which obtains the power from the unit cells of the corresponding block, and supplies power to the power source switching section.

Abstract: A control circuit turns on a switching element to discharge a capacitor, and after a voltage between both ends of the capacitor becomes zero, the control circuit turns off the switching element. The control circuit measures the voltage V1, V2 between both ends of the capacitor after the first predetermined time is passed and after the second predetermined time is passed, and calculate a change rate (V1/V2). If V1/V2 is equal to or less than 0.5, the disconnection is detected.

Abstract: A battery cell voltage measurement device for a battery pack constructed by battery cells (E1, E2, . . . , En) includes measurement-and-processing blocks (11 to 1n) connected to each other via communication lines (CL1, CL2). The blocks measure a terminal voltage of corresponding each of the battery cells, monitor battery cell status, generate a signal indicative of a monitoring result of the battery cell, perform voltage level shifting of the signal on a per-block basis, and transmit the level-shifted signal to a neighboring block via the line (CL2). A controller (CON) connected to one of the blocks via the line controls the blocks, receives the level-shifted signal from the block connected thereto. Resistors (Ra, Rb) for protection provided on the communication lines (CL1, CL2) protect circuit components of the blocks from malfunction when a potential difference occurs between the blocks.

Abstract: A substrate includes a plurality of voltage-detection components, each of which includes (a) an upper connecting terminal that protrudes from one of a pair of first sides opposite each other of a body of a voltage-detection component and is connected to an adjacent voltage-detection component of an adjacent higher-ordered battery block of the battery pack, and (b) a lower connecting terminal that protrudes from the other of the pair of the first sides of the body and is connected to an adjacent voltage-detection component of an adjacent lower-ordered battery block of the battery pack. The plurality of voltage-detection components are aligned on the substrate in a direction substantially orthogonal to the pair of the first sides of the body of the component.

Abstract: A voltage detection apparatus includes: a battery including unit cells mutually connected in series; a first block including at least one of the unit cells; a second block including at least one of the unit cells, and provided adjacent to the first block; a first voltage detector connected to the first block, which detects a voltage between both ends of the unit cell in the first block, and which includes: a current source; a current detection element connected to the current source; and a voltage measuring unit which detects a voltage between both ends of the current detection element; and a second voltage detector connected to the second block, which has a similar construction with the first voltage detector. An abnormality detector of the voltage detection apparatus detects an abnormality of the voltage detectors in accordance with the voltages between both ends of the current detection elements.

Abstract: A voltage detection apparatus includes: a battery including a plurality of unit cells mutually connected in series; a plurality of blocks, each block including at least one of the plurality of unit cells; a plurality of voltage detectors, each detector connected to respective one of the blocks, and detecting a voltage between both ends of the unit cell in the one of the blocks; a plurality of reference power sources, each source connected to respective one of the voltage detectors, and at least one of the reference power sources having higher accuracy than the other reference power sources; and a correcting unit which corrects a detection result of the voltage detector which is connected to the other reference power source on the basis of a detection result of the voltage detector which is connected to the reference power source with the higher accuracy.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide inexpensively a voltage detecting device for setting an address of each voltage detection IC even if a power source level of each voltage detection IC differs. A first transmitting line LT1 and a first receiving line LR1 connect a plurality of voltage detection ICs in series each other, and connect between the bottom voltage detection IC and the main microcomputer. The main microcomputer transmits an address number 0 to the bottom voltage detection IC. When the respective voltage detection ICs receive an address number through the first receiving line of a lower side from the main microcomputer, an address number adding 1 to the received address number is set as a self-address number. Furthermore, the respective voltage detection ICs transmit the address number which adds 1 to the received address number to the first transmitting line LT1 of an upper side.

Abstract: A base of a pnp transistor Tr1 is connected to an isolation device D1, an emitter thereof is connected to a cathode of a high voltage battery BH, and a collector thereof is connected to an anode of the high voltage battery BH. Npn transistors Tr21 to Tr2n are provided respectively to blocks B1 to Bn. Bases of the npn transistors Tr21 to Tr2n are connected to the collector of the transistor Tr1, emitters thereof are connected to anodes of corresponding blocks B1 to Bn, and collectors are connected to awakening terminals of high voltage measuring circuits 11 to 1n.

Abstract: A dimmer comprises a PWM circuit for driving through pulse width modulation and a switching device formed on the same chip. The switching device has a driving circuit, an overheat cut-off protecting circuit, a main control FETQA to be a semiconductor switch, a first reference FETQB for generating a reference voltage and a resistor. Furthermore, overcurrent detecting means is implemented by a comparator for detecting a difference between the reference voltage and a drain—source voltage of the main control FETQA and an output thereof cuts off and controls the driving circuit so that the main control FETQA is ON/OFF controlled. The overcurrent detecting means and ON/OFF control means have a soft start function of suppressing a rush current flowing to loads of an illuminating system.

Abstract: A disclosed battery supply control unit comprises a large current relay in which an excitation current continuously flows when it is in its connecting state and a small current relay in which a limited excitation current flows only at the time of changeover between its connecting state and non-connecting state. If loads require a large current, the large current relay and small current relay are maintained in the connecting state, and if the loads do not require the large current, the large current relay is maintained in the non-connecting state while the small current relay is maintained in the connecting state at least in a predetermined time.

Abstract: A dimmer (100) comprises a PWM circuit (401) for driving through pulse width modulation and a switching device (110) formed on the same chip. The switching device (110) has a driving circuit (111), an overheat cut-off protecting circuit (306), a main control FETQA to be a semiconductor switch, a first reference FETQB for generating a reference voltage and a resistor Rr1. Furthermore, overcurrent detecting means is implemented by a comparator CMP1 for detecting a difference between the reference voltage and a drain-source voltage of the main control FETQA and an output thereof cuts off and controls the driving circuit 111 so that the main control FETQA is ON/OFF controlled. The overcurrent detecting means and ON/OFF control means have a soft start function of suppressing a rush current flowing to loads (102a to 102n) of an illuminating system.