Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus includes a first voltage detector provided to a first short circuit connected to a target cell, a second voltage detector connected to the target cell and provided to a second short circuit, a switch forming a closed circuit connected to an assembled battery and including a resistor, a third voltage detector detecting an inter-terminal voltage between positive and negative electrode terminals of the assembled battery, a switch abnormality determination section determining, in a state where the switch is driven in a closing direction, presence or absence of abnormal opening of the switch based on a difference between detection voltages obtained by the first and second voltage detectors, and a disconnection determination section determining, in the state where the switch is driven in the closing direction, presence or absence of disconnection at the assembled battery based on a detection voltage obtained by the third voltage detector.

Abstract: A control module is arranged in alignment with a battery module in a longitudinal direction. The battery module includes battery cells that are aligned in the longitudinal direction and each have upper and lower end faces opposite to each other in a height direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The control module includes a busbar configured to electrically connect the battery module to an electrical load, a switch configured to switch electrical connection of the busbar with the electrical load between a connected state and a disconnected state, and a controller that controls the switch. In the height direction, the busbar is located closer to the upper end faces of the battery cells than to the lower end faces; the controller is located closer to the lower end faces of the battery cells than to the upper end faces; and the switch is located between the busbar and the controller.

Abstract: A control module is arranged in alignment with a battery module in a longitudinal direction. The control module includes a busbar, a switch and a current sensor configured to detect electric current flowing through the busbar. The current sensor includes a magneto-electric transducer and a magnetic field suppressor. The magneto-electric transducer is configured to convert a magnetic field, which depends on the electric current flowing through the busbar and passes through the magneto-electric transducer along a plane perpendicular to a height direction, into an electrical signal. The magnetic field suppressor is configured to suppress external magnetic fields from passing through the magneto-electric transducer along the plane perpendicular to the height direction. The switch includes a pair of magnets that are magnetized and opposed to each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal and height directions. The current sensor is aligned with the magnets in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus includes a first voltage detector provided to a first short circuit connected to a target cell, a second voltage detector connected to the target cell and provided to a second short circuit, a switch forming a closed circuit connected to an assembled battery and including a resistor, a third voltage detector detecting an inter-terminal voltage between positive and negative electrode terminals of the assembled battery, a switch abnormality determination section determining, in a state where the switch is driven in a closing direction, presence or absence of abnormal opening of the switch based on a difference between detection voltages obtained by the first and second voltage detectors, and a disconnection determination section determining, in the state where the switch is driven in the closing direction, presence or absence of disconnection at the assembled battery based on a detection voltage obtained by the third voltage detector.

Abstract: A voltage-detecting device applied to a battery pack includes a serially connected body of plural battery cells. Serially connected bodies of at least two of the battery cells of the battery pack form detection blocks; each of the respective battery cells of a detection block, or a serially connected body of a number of battery cells in a detection block that is less than the number of the battery cells of the detection block is taken to be a battery for which voltage is to be detected. Monitoring units includes a main voltage-detecting unit for detecting terminal voltage of each of the batteries; a positive-electrode-side input unit electrically connected to the positive-electrode side of a detection block; a negative-electrode-side input unit electrically connected to the negative-electrode side thereof; and sub voltage-detecting units for detecting terminal voltage of the detection blocks as the state of the battery pack.

Abstract: A fault detection system is provided which includes power lines connecting between a DC power supply and electric equipment, switches respectively provided to the power lines, a capacitor connected to the power lines at a position where a distance to the electric equipment is shorter than a distance between the switches and the electric equipment, a charging unit charging the capacitor before the switches are turned on, a detection section connected to the power line at a connecting point where a distance to the DC power supply is shorter than a distance between the switches and the DC power supply, and detecting a change in an electric potential of the connecting point, and a determination section determining whether a short-circuit fault has occurred in any one of the switches based on a difference in the electric potential of the connecting point between before and after the capacitor is charged.

Abstract: A monitoring system is applied to an electrical system, which includes a DC power source and an electrical apparatus that is connected to the DC power source by a pair of electric power leads incorporating respective switches. To detect leakage current from the DC power source, a low-frequency AC signal is applied via a large-capacitance capacitor to a specific connection position, between a first terminal of the DC power source and the corresponding switch, and the resultant voltage of that signal is measured. To detect a short-circuit failure of one or both of the switches, a high-frequency AC signal is applied via a low-capacitance capacitor to the specific connection position, and the resultant signal voltage is measured. Judgement as to occurrence of leakage current and/or short-circuit failure is based on the measured signal voltage values.

Abstract: A failure inspection system includes a main circuit section, an electrically conductive member, capacitors, a signal generating section, a measurement section and a judgement section. The signal generating section generates a high-frequency AC signal and a low-frequency AC signal. The judgement section determines whether either one of two types of failure has occurred based on the voltage or the current of the high-frequency AC signal. If it is determined that a failure is occurring, the judgment section specifies that which of failures, a leakage current failure or a short-circuit failure, the failure that has occurred is, based on a measurement value of the low-frequency AC signal derived from the measurement section.

Abstract: A control module is arranged in alignment with a battery module in a longitudinal direction. The battery module includes battery cells that are aligned in the longitudinal direction and each have upper and lower end faces opposite to each other in a height direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The control module includes a busbar configured to electrically connect the battery module to an electrical load, a switch configured to switch electrical connection of the busbar with the electrical load between a connected state and a disconnected state, and a controller that controls the switch. In the height direction, the busbar is located closer to the upper end faces of the battery cells than to the lower end faces; the controller is located closer to the lower end faces of the battery cells than to the upper end faces; and the switch is located between the busbar and the controller.

Abstract: A control module is arranged in alignment with a battery module in a longitudinal direction. The control module includes a busbar, a switch and a current sensor configured to detect electric current flowing through the busbar. The current sensor includes a magneto-electric transducer and a magnetic field suppressor. The magneto-electric transducer is configured to convert a magnetic field, which depends on the electric current flowing through the busbar and passes through the magneto-electric transducer along a plane perpendicular to a height direction, into an electrical signal. The magnetic field suppressor is configured to suppress external magnetic fields from passing through the magneto-electric transducer along the plane perpendicular to the height direction. The switch includes a pair of magnets that are magnetized and opposed to each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal and height directions. The current sensor is aligned with the magnets in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A voltage-detecting device applied to a battery pack includes a serially connected body of plural battery cells. Serially connected bodies of at least two of the battery cells of the battery pack form detection blocks; each of the respective battery cells of a detection block, or a serially connected body of a number of battery cells in a detection block that is less than the number of the battery cells of the detection block is taken to be a battery for which voltage is to be detected. Monitoring units includes a main voltage-detecting unit for detecting terminal voltage of each of the batteries; a positive-electrode-side input unit electrically connected to the positive-electrode side of a detection block; a negative-electrode-side input unit electrically connected to the negative-electrode side thereof; and sub voltage-detecting units for detecting terminal voltage of the detection blocks as the state of the battery pack.

Abstract: A failure inspection system includes a main circuit section, an electrically conductive member, capacitors, a signal generating section, a measurement section and a judgement section. The signal generating section generates a high-frequency AC signal and a low-frequency AC signal. The judgement section determines whether either one of two types of failure has occurred based on the voltage or the current of the high-frequency AC signal. If it is determined that a failure is occurring, the judgment section specifies that which of failures, a leakage current failure or a short-circuit failure, the failure that has occurred is, based on a measurement value of the low-frequency AC signal derived from the measurement section.

Abstract: A monitoring system is applied to an electrical system, which includes a DC power source and an electrical apparatus that is connected to the DC power source by a pair of electric power leads incorporating respective switches. To detect leakage current from the DC power source, a low-frequency AC signal is applied via a large-capacitance capacitor to a specific connection position, between a first terminal of the DC power source and the corresponding switch, and the resultant voltage of that signal is measured. To detect a short-circuit failure of one or both of the switches, a high-frequency AC signal is applied via a low-capacitance capacitor to the specific connection position, and the resultant signal voltage is measured. Judgement as to occurrence of leakage current and/or short-circuit failure is based on the measured signal voltage values.

Abstract: A fault detection system is provided which includes power lines connecting between a DC power supply and electric equipment, switches respectively provided to the power lines, a capacitor connected to the power lines at a position where a distance to the electric equipment is shorter than a distance between the switches and the electric equipment, a charging unit charging the capacitor before the switches are turned on, a detection section connected to the power line at a connecting point where a distance to the DC power supply is shorter than a distance between the switches and the DC power supply, and detecting a change in an electric potential of the connecting point, and a determination section determining whether a short-circuit fault has occurred in any one of the switches based on a difference in the electric potential of the connecting point between before and after the capacitor is charged.

Abstract: In each sensor unit, when a sensor control unit cannot detect current flowing to an output side, its address is set to the same address as a sensor unit of the last stage. In an ECU, if the set address and characteristic information of each sensor unit are not stored in a memory unit when the set addresses and the characteristic information of all the sensor units are received by an ECU control unit, the received set addresses and the characteristic information are stored. A failure check unit checks received characteristic information received by the ECU control unit with characteristic information stored in the memory unit. If one characteristic information is in disagreement, a sensor unit having such characteristic information is determined to be failing. If plural characteristic information are in disagreement, a sensor unit having characteristic information and closest to the ECU is determined to be failing.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a communication line having a high-level line and a low-level line, and printed wiring layers. The printed wiring layers are connected to the communication line so as to have a differential communication with an electronic control unit of an occupant protection system. First and second layers are ungrounded, and have a low-level conduction pattern connected to the low-level line and a circuit element having a standard corresponding to the low-level line. Third printed wiring layer is arranged between the first and second layers through insulations, and has a high-level conduction pattern connected to the high-level line.

Abstract: In each sensor unit, when a sensor control unit cannot detect current flowing to an output side, its address is set to the same address as a sensor unit of the last stage. In an ECU, if the set address and characteristic information of each sensor unit are not stored in a memory unit when the set addresses and the characteristic information of all the sensor units are received by an ECU control unit, the received set addresses and the characteristic information are stored. A failure check unit checks received characteristic information received by the ECU control unit with characteristic information stored in the memory unit. If one characteristic information is in disagreement, a sensor unit having such characteristic information is determined to be failing. If plural characteristic information are in disagreement, a sensor unit having characteristic information and closest to the ECU is determined to be failing.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a communication line having a high-level line and a low-level line, and printed wiring layers. The printed wiring layers are connected to the communication line so as to have a differential communication with an electronic control unit of an occupant protection system. First and second layers are ungrounded, and have a low-level conduction pattern connected to the low-level line and a circuit element having a standard corresponding to the low-level line. Third printed wiring layer is arranged between the first and second layers through insulations, and has a high-level conduction pattern connected to the high-level line.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes an integrated circuit, a capacitor, and first and second wires. The integrated circuit has a terminal connected to a power supply line or a signal line. The capacitor eliminates noise on the power supply line or the signal line. The first wire connects a first end of the capacitor to the terminal of the integrated circuit. The second wire connects a second end of the capacitor to a reference potential. A length of the first wire is substantially equal to a length of the second wire.

Abstract: A load sensor includes a optical fiber sensor that provides output analog signals in response to shocks of various magnitudes caused by hits by a vehicle on various objects, two or more amplifiers each of which approximates a non linear function of the analog signals and a unit that converts the linear functions into digital data. Therefore, each analog signal either in a lower magnitude range or a higher magnitude range can be amplified by one of the amplifiers that has a more suitable gain, so that the magnitude of the shock can be accurately converted into digital data for a pedestrian protection airbag system.