Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes a storage battery and supplies a voltage from the battery to an electric load. The power supply apparatus includes first and second energizing paths connected in parallel between the battery and the load, a first switch making the first energizing path conductive and interrupting the first energizing path, and a second switch making the second energizing path conductive and interrupting the second energizing path. The power supply apparatus includes a first drive circuit that operates when a voltage is supplied and drives the first switch, a second drive circuit that operates when a voltage is supplied and drives the second switch into a conductive state in a case where the first switch is driven into a conductive state by the first drive circuit, first and second supply paths respectively supplying a voltage to the first and second drive circuits.

Abstract: A battery unit including a battery, a circuit board, a switching device which achieves charge or discharge of the battery, and a casing made up of a bottom and a peripheral wall. The battery is disposed on the bottom. The circuit board is arranged farther away from the bottom than from the battery. The switching device is located closer to the bottom than the circuit board is. The switching device has a visible area visually or optically perceived, as inwardly facing inside the casing from outside the circuit board, and includes a data-retaining area on which data on characteristics of the switching device is provided, for example, in the form of a code. This structure facilitates the ease with which the data on the characteristics of the switching device is visually or optically read out of the data-retaining area without having to have an increased size of the battery unit.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a first chip to restrict current flow in a first direction through a current path; a second chip to restrict the current flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction, through the current path; a wiring having one end connected to the first chip and the other end connected to the second chip, and provided as a part of the current path by relaying the first chip and the second chip; a lead frame having a first lead arranged and fixed with the first chip and a second lead is arranged and fixed with the second chip; and molding resin sealing the first chip, the second chip, the wiring and the lead frame. The wiring is a shunt resistor having a resistive body. The lead frame further has a sense terminal to detect a voltage drop across the resistive body.

Abstract: A battery unit including a battery, a circuit board, a switching device which achieves charge or discharge of the battery, and a casing made up of a bottom and a peripheral wall. The battery is disposed on the bottom. The circuit board is arranged farther away from the bottom than from the battery. The switching device is located closer to the bottom than the circuit board is. The switching device has a visible area visually or optically perceived, as inwardly facing inside the casing from outside the circuit board, and includes a data-retaining area on which data on characteristics of the switching device is provided, for example, in the form of a code. This structure facilitates the ease with which the data on the characteristics of the switching device is visually or optically read out of the data-retaining area without having to have an increased size of the battery unit.

Abstract: A power supply control apparatus is applied to a power supply system that includes an opening and closing unit that has a plurality of switches that are connected in series on an energization path over which energization from a voltage source is performed and a plurality of diodes that are respectively connected in parallel to the plurality of switches, in which the plurality of diodes include diodes that are arranged in opposite directions to each other. The power supply control apparatus includes a determining unit determining that an abnormal state has occurred in which a current is flowing to any of the plurality of diodes in a state in which the plurality of switches are turned off, and a control unit controlling the switch that is connected in parallel to the diode through which the current is flowing to an on-state, when the abnormal state is determined to have occurred.

Abstract: A power supply control apparatus is applied to a power supply system that includes an opening and closing unit that has a plurality of switches that are connected in series on an energization path over which energization from a voltage source is performed and a plurality of diodes that are respectively connected in parallel to the plurality of switches, in which the plurality of diodes include diodes that are arranged in opposite directions to each other. The power supply control apparatus includes a determining unit determining that an abnormal state has occurred in which a current is flowing to any of the plurality of diodes in a state in which the plurality of switches are turned off, and a control unit controlling the switch that is connected in parallel to the diode through which the current is flowing to an on-state, when the abnormal state is determined to have occurred.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes a storage battery and supplies a voltage from the battery to an electric load. The power supply apparatus includes first and second energizing paths connected in parallel between the battery and the load, a first switch making the first energizing path conductive and interrupting the first energizing path, and a second switch making the second energizing path conductive and interrupting the second energizing path. The power supply apparatus includes a first drive circuit that operates when a voltage is supplied and drives the first switch, a second drive circuit that operates when a voltage is supplied and drives the second switch into a conductive state in a case where the first switch is driven into a conductive state by the first drive circuit, first and second supply paths respectively supplying a voltage to the first and second drive circuits.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a first chip to restrict current flow in a first direction through a current path; a second chip to restrict the current flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction, through the current path; a wiring having one end connected to the first chip and the other end connected to the second chip, and provided as a part of the current path by relaying the first chip and the second chip; a lead frame having a first lead arranged and fixed with the first chip and a second lead is arranged and fixed with the second chip; and molding resin sealing the first chip, the second chip, the wiring and the lead frame. The wiring is a shunt resistor having a resistive body. The lead frame further has a sense terminal to detect a voltage drop across the resistive body.