Abstract: The fault diagnosis device is for a multiplexer having inner channels selectable by a selection signal. At least two of the inner channels are assigned with input channels. Two of the inner channels in a mutually exclusive relationship are assigned with first and second diagnostic channels. Input voltages of the first and second diagnostic channels are applied with first and second diagnostic voltages, respectively. The fault diagnostic device includes a voltage detection section configured to detect a first detection voltage appearing at the output channel when the first diagnostic channel is selected and a second detection voltage appearing at the output channel when the second diagnostic channel is selected, and a diagnosis section configured to determine that the multiplexer is faulty upon detecting that the first detection voltage is different from the first diagnostic voltage or the second detection voltage is different from the second diagnostic voltage.

Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus a plurality of connection lines, a monitoring circuit, a first filter circuit, and a second filter circuit. The monitoring circuit is provided with a pair of sensing terminals for each pair of positive and negative electrode terminals of each of a plurality of battery cells of a battery pack. The plurality of connection lines includes a plurality of common line and first and second branch lines. The first filter circuit includes first resistors located on the first and second branch lines connected to the pair of sensing terminals, and a first capacitor located between the first and second branch lines connected to the pair of sensing terminals. The second filter circuit includes a second resistor located on the plurality of connection lines, and a second capacitor connected in series between the plurality of connection lines without passing through the first resistors or the second resistor.

Abstract: A battery pack unit includes: a plurality of battery cells each having an electrode; a battery pack constituted by the plurality of battery cells being laminated in a lamination direction; an electrode connecting member electrically connecting electrodes of mutually adjacent battery cells; a cell monitor substrate that monitors a state of every battery cell and a control unit electrically connected to the cell monitor substrate, receiving a signal transmitted from the cell monitor substrate. The cell monitor substrate and the control unit are arranged in the lamination direction and arranged in parallel with the electrode connecting member at a side of the electrode surface.

Abstract: An equalization device for equalizing voltages of battery cells connected in series includes equalization switches, resistors, and a control circuit. Each equalization switch has energization terminals interposed between terminals of a corresponding battery cell. A current path between the energization terminals conducts when a control voltage not less than a threshold voltage is applied between control terminals of the equalization switch. Each resistor is connected between the control terminals of the corresponding equalization switch. The control circuit switches an equalization execution state and an equalization stop state in accordance with an equalization signal provided for each battery cell. In the execution state, the control circuit passes an electric current through the corresponding resistor to generate the control voltage not less than the threshold voltage. In the stop state, the control circuit causes the corresponding resistor to generate the control voltage less than the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A plurality of voltage switching circuits 41 are provided in a switching unit 40 to relatively change a reference voltage to plural levels, thus detecting a spontaneous change of the reference voltage. A range of relative change in the reference voltage by the plurality of voltage switching circuits 41 is set to a usage voltage range 81 or 82 as a part of a total voltage range 80 of each of cells 1a to 1d. This eliminates the need to provide voltage switching circuits 41 required to relatively change the reference voltage over the total voltage range of each of the cells 1a to 1d, making it possible to minimize the number of the voltage switching circuits 41 for each of the cells 1a to 1d. Thus, it is possible to prevent the size of a battery pack control apparatus 2 from increasing.

Abstract: A first monitor circuit 50 and a second monitor circuit 60 each having an identical configuration are provided in a voltage monitor. A threshold switching section 41 switches a threshold of each of switching units 51 and 61 provided in the respective monitor circuits 50 and 60 to a same value. Each of comparators 53 and 63 compares the threshold with a reference voltage to output a result of the comparison. A fault detecting section 42 compares the respective outputs from the comparators 53 and 63 with each other to detect a characteristic shift of the threshold of each of the monitor circuits 50 and 60.

Abstract: The battery voltage monitoring apparatus has a structure in which, for each adjacent two of battery cells, the positive electrode of the battery cell on the higher voltage side and the negative electrode of the battery cell on the lower voltage side are connected to a corresponding one of common terminals provided in an RC filter circuit. The common terminal is branched into first and second branches respectively connected with a first resistor and a second resistor. The first and second resistors are connected to a corresponding one of positive side detection terminals and a corresponding one of negative side detection terminals, respectively. A capacitor is connected across a corresponding one of pairs of the positive side and negative side detection terminals. Switches for making short circuits respectively between the positive side detection terminals and between the negative side detection terminals corresponding to each adjacent two battery cells are provided.

Abstract: In a voltage detection apparatus for a battery pack, a pair of electric paths are respectively connected to a pair of ends of a unit battery defined as one of battery cells configuring a respective cell group or one of serial connections of the battery cells. A voltage detecting unit detects voltage across terminals of the unit battery via the electric paths. An electrically conductive member connects: a positive terminal of one of two adjacent cell groups and a negative terminal of the other of the two adjacent cell groups. A bypass connects one of the electric paths connected to one of both ends of the conductive member; and the other of the pair connected to the other of the both ends. A bypassing unit disposed in the bypass allows current to flow in the bypass when voltage across both terminals of the conductive member has exceeded a specified voltage.

Abstract: In a voltage monitoring apparatus, a capacitor circuit includes at least one capacitor. Input-side switches are connected to electrode terminals of at least one battery cell, and apply voltage to terminals of the capacitor. A voltage detection circuit includes a pair of voltage sensing terminals connected to terminals of the capacitor, and detects the potential difference across voltage sensing terminals. Output-side switches are connected to terminals of the capacitor, and apply voltage across terminals of the capacitor to the voltage sensing terminals. An impedance circuit is connected to the voltage sensing terminals. A stabilizing power circuit is connected to the voltage sensing terminals via the impedance circuit, and stabilizes voltage of the voltage sensing terminals. Based on the detected voltage when one of the output-side switches is turned on, an on-failure of the remaining output-side switches which should not be turned on are detected by a control unit.

Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus a plurality of connection lines, a monitoring circuit, a first filter circuit, and a second filter circuit. The monitoring circuit is provided with a pair of sensing terminals for each pair of positive and negative electrode terminals of each of a plurality of battery cells of a battery pack. The plurality of connection lines includes a plurality of common line and first and second branch lines. The first filter circuit includes first resistors located on the first and second branch lines connected to the pair of sensing terminals, and a first capacitor located between the first and second branch lines connected to the pair of sensing terminals. The second filter circuit includes a second resistor located on the plurality of connection lines, and a second capacitor connected in series between the plurality of connection lines without passing through the first resistors and the second resistor.

Abstract: The fault diagnosis device is for a multiplexer having inner channels selectable by a selection signal. At least two of the inner channels are assigned with input channels. Two of the inner channels in a mutually exclusive relationship are assigned with first and second diagnostic channels. Input voltages of the first and second diagnostic channels are applied with first and second diagnostic voltages, respectively. The fault diagnostic device includes a voltage detection section configured to detect a first detection voltage appearing at the output channel when the first diagnostic channel is selected and a second detection voltage appearing at the output channel when the second diagnostic channel is selected, and a diagnosis section configured to determine that the multiplexer is faulty upon detecting that the first detection voltage is different from the first diagnostic voltage or the second detection voltage is different from the second diagnostic voltage.

Abstract: A voltage detection device including a multiplexer provided with a plurality of input channels connected to respective battery cells and an output channel connected to an analog-to-digital (AD) converter. The multiplexer is further provided with an additional input channel that is connected to a voltage source that supplies a fault detection voltage. A multiplexer controller is triggered by an input trigger signal to instruct the multiplexer to sequentially connect the input channels and the additional input channel to the output channel according to a predetermined voltage detection sequence. An abnormality detector determines that there exists an abnormality in the multiplexer controller on the basis of an output of the AD converter when the AD converter detects the fault detection voltage at a timing different from a normal timing defined by the voltage detection sequence. This enables the voltage detection device to self-diagnose the multiplexer controller.

Abstract: In a voltage monitor, an abnormality detecting unit receives first information outputted from a first obtaining unit and second information outputted from a second obtaining unit, and determines that an abnormality that affects on at least one of first and second diagnostic thresholds arises in the voltage monitor when the first information is different from the second information. The abnormality detecting unit receives a first forced signal outputted from a first forced-output unit and a second forced signal outputted from a second forced-output unit. The abnormality detecting unit determines whether a timing at which the level of the first diagnostic threshold is switched for each step is deviated from a timing at which the level of the second diagnostic threshold is switched for a corresponding step based on a result of a comparison between the first forced signal and the second forced signal.

Abstract: The battery fault determination apparatus includes battery monitor sections connected in a daisy chain, each of which is provided for a corresponding one of unit batteries each including battery cells connected in series to monitor the battery cells and output an output signal indicative of a monitoring result, and a control section configured to output a control signal to the battery monitor sections. The control signal and the output signal are cascaded through the battery monitor sections causing each battery monitor section to perform a state change between a state to monitor overcharge of the battery cells and a state to monitor wire breakage. Each battery monitor section is configured to receive the control signal from the immediately upstream-side battery monitor section, make a detection whether the state change has been performed correctly, and output the output signal including a detection result to the immediately downstream-side battery monitor section.

Abstract: The battery voltage monitoring apparatus has a structure in which, for each adjacent two of battery cells, the positive electrode of the battery cell on the higher voltage side and the negative electrode of the battery cell on the lower voltage side are connected to a corresponding one of common terminals provided in an RC filter circuit. The common terminal is branched into first and second branches respectively connected with a first resistor and a second resistor. The first and second resistors are connected to a corresponding one of positive side detection terminals and a corresponding one of negative side detection terminals, respectively. A capacitor is connected across a corresponding one of pairs of the positive side and negative side detection terminals. Switches for making short circuits respectively between the positive side detection terminals and between the negative side detection terminals corresponding to each adjacent two battery cells are provided.

Abstract: The battery voltage monitoring apparatus has a structure in which, for each adjacent two of battery cells, the positive electrode of the battery cell on the higher voltage side and the negative electrode of the battery cell on the lower voltage side are commonly connected to a corresponding one of common terminals provided in an RC filter circuit. The common terminal is branched into a first branch connected to one end of a first resistor and a second branch connected to one end of a second resistor, the first resistor being connected to a corresponding one of positive side detection terminals at the other end thereof, the second resistor being connected to a corresponding one of negative side detection terminals at the other end thereof. A capacitor is connected across a corresponding one of pairs of the positive side and negative side detection terminals.

Abstract: A plurality of voltage switching circuits 41 are provided in a switching unit 40 to relatively change a reference voltage to plural levels, thus detecting a spontaneous change of the reference voltage. A range of relative change in the reference voltage by the plurality of voltage switching circuits 41 is set to a usage voltage range 81 or 82 as a part of a total voltage range 80 of each of cells 1a to 1d. This eliminates the need to provide voltage switching circuits 41 required to relatively change the reference voltage over the total voltage range of each of the cells 1a to 1d, making it possible to minimize the number of the voltage switching circuits 41 for each of the cells 1a to 1d. Thus, it is possible to prevent the size of a battery pack control apparatus 2 from increasing.

Abstract: A voltage detection device including a multiplexer provided with a plurality of input channels connected to respective battery cells and an output channel connected to an analog-to-digital (AD) converter. The multiplexer is further provided with an additional input channel that is connected to a voltage source that supplies a fault detection voltage. A multiplexer controller is triggered by an input trigger signal to instruct the multiplexer to sequentially connect the input channels and the additional input channel to the output channel according to a predetermined voltage detection sequence. An abnormality detector determines that there exists an abnormality in the multiplexer controller on the basis of an output of the AD converter when the AD converter detects the fault detection voltage at a timing different from a normal timing defined by the voltage detection sequence. This enables the voltage detection device to self-diagnose the multiplexer controller.

Abstract: The abnormality detection apparatus for a battery pack includes a first determining function of making a first determination that abnormality is present when a voltage across a unit battery of interest is higher than a first threshold, a second determining function of making a second determination that abnormality is present when the voltage is lower than a second threshold lower than the first threshold, a short-circuit function of making a short-circuit between a detection line of interest connected to one electrode of a unit battery of interest and an adjacent detection line connected to the other electrode of the unit battery, and a third determining function of making a third determination that there is faulty electrical continuity in the detection line of interest if the first determining function makes the first determination and the second determining function makes the second determination when the short circuit function makes the short-circuit.

Abstract: A first monitor circuit 50 and a second monitor circuit 60 each having an identical configuration are provided in a voltage monitor. A threshold switching section 41 switches a threshold of each of switching units 51 and 61 provided in the respective monitor circuits 50 and 60 to a same value. Each of comparators 53 and 63 compares the threshold with a reference voltage to output a result of the comparison. A fault detecting section 42 compares the respective outputs from the comparators 53 and 63 with each other to detect a characteristic shift of the threshold of each of the monitor circuits 50 and 60.