# US 10,312,495 B2 · Battery module with alarm line > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,495 B2 - Document ID: US10312495B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/973,177 - Filed: 2013-08-22 - Published: 2014-02-27 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-23 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH; Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH; Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Stefan Butzmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312495B2 ## CPC - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 3/0069: {relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current} - B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) - B60L 3/12: Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} - B60L 58/10: for monitoring or controlling batteries - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - H01M 10/482: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H01M 50/296: characterised by terminals of battery packs (terminals of batteries H01M50/543) - H01M 50/51: Connection only in series - H01M 50/574: Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current - B60L 2240/545: Temperature - B60L 2240/547: Voltage - B60L 2240/549: Current - B60L 2250/10: by alarm - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A battery module for a battery system includes two terminals, via which the battery module can be electrically connected to the battery system. Furthermore, the battery module has a battery string, which connects the two terminals to one another and has at least one battery cell connected in series and/or in parallel with the battery string. The battery module comprises a battery module circuit, which is configured, upon receiving an alarm signal, to bridge the battery module via the terminals thereof. The at least one battery cell is connected to a monitoring circuit associated with the battery cell. The monitoring circuit is connected to an alarm line via an electrical connection. The alarm line is connected to an input of the battery module circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery module for a battery system, comprising: two terminals configured to be electrically connected to the battery system; a battery string configured to connect the two terminals to one another, the battery string including a plurality of battery cells connected in series and/or in parallel with the battery string; a plurality of battery monitoring circuits, each battery monitoring circuit being connected to one battery cell in the plurality of battery cells via an electrical connection, wherein at least one battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits is configured to apply an alarm signal to an alarm line in response to detecting that the one battery cell in the plurality of battery cells is in a critical state; and a battery module circuit connected to each battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits via the alarm line that is connected to one input of the battery module circuit and to each battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits, the battery module circuit being configured to bridge the battery module via the two terminals upon receiving the alarm signal to disconnect the plurality of battery cells from any load in response to receiving the alarm signal from any battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein at least one battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits detects that at least one battery cell in the plurality of battery cells is in the critical state in response to detection that: (i) an overcurrent flows through the at least one battery cell, (ii) the at least one battery cell has an overvoltage, (iii) the at least one battery cell has an undervoltage, or (iv) the at least one battery cell has an overtemperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection includes an isolator and a switching device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the switching device includes a semiconductor element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery module according claim 1, wherein the battery module circuit includes a half-bridge circuit, via which the battery module is configured to be bridged via the terminals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The battery module according to claim 5, wherein a switching device of the half-bridge circuit includes at least one semiconductor switch. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the battery module circuit includes a logic and driver circuit having an input connected to the alarm line and a first output connected to a control electrode of a first switching device of the half-bridge circuit, and a second output connected to a control electrode of a second switching device of the half-bridge circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery module circuit includes a control unit, via which at least one contactor of the battery system that can be connected to the battery module can be driven and/or which is configured to instigate the bridging of the battery module via the terminals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the control unit includes a microcontroller. ### Claim 10 A battery comprising: a battery module including two terminals configured to be electrically connected to a battery system, a battery string configured to connect the two terminals to one another, the battery string including a plurality of battery cells connected in series and/or in parallel with the battery string, a plurality of battery monitoring circuits, each battery monitoring circuit being connected to one battery cell in the plurality of battery cells via an electrical connection, wherein at least one battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits is configured to apply an alarm signal to an alarm line in response to detecting that the one battery cell in the plurality of battery cells is in a critical state, and a battery module circuit connected to each battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits via the alarm line that is connected to one input of the battery module circuit and to each battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits, the battery module circuit being configured to bridge the battery module via the two terminals upon receiving the alarm signal to disconnect the plurality of battery cells from any load in response to receiving the alarm signal from any battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits. ### Claim 11 A motor vehicle comprising: a drive system; and a battery module connected to the drive system, the battery module including: two terminals configured to be electrically connected to a battery system, a battery string configured to connect the two terminals to one another, the battery string including a plurality of battery cells connected in series and/or in parallel with the battery string, a plurality of battery monitoring circuits, each battery monitoring circuit being connected to one battery cell in the plurality of battery cells via an electrical connection, wherein at least one battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits is configured to apply an alarm signal to an alarm line in response to detecting that the one battery cell in the plurality of battery cells is in a critical state, and a battery module circuit connected to each battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits via the alarm line that is connected to one input of the battery module circuit and to each battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits, the battery module circuit being configured to bridge the battery module via the two terminals upon receiving the alarm signal to disconnect the plurality of battery cells from the drive system in response to receiving the alarm signal from any battery monitoring circuit in the plurality of battery monitoring circuits.