# US 10,320,039 B2 · Semiconductor device, battery monitoring system, and method of monitoring battery

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- Number: US 10,320,039 B2
- Document ID: US10320039B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/798,654
- Filed: 2015-07-14
- Published: 2016-01-21
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2014-07-15
- Assignees: Lapis Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Lapis Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hidekazu Kikuchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320039B2

## CPC

- H01M 10/486: {for measuring temperature}
- H01M 10/443: {in response to temperature}
- H01M 10/48: Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569)
- G01R 31/3835: involving only voltage measurements
- H01M 10/441: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially}
- H02J 7/663: {using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence)}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a voltage generation circuit configured to generate a specific voltage; a first terminal configured to output the specific voltage; a second terminal configured to receive a temperature sensitive voltage; an analog/digital conversion circuit configured to convert the specific voltage and the temperature sensitive voltage to digital values; a storage unit configured to store the specific voltage and the temperature sensitive voltage; and a third terminal configured to transmit the specific voltage and the temperature sensitive voltage to an external semiconductor device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a voltage generation circuit configured to generate a voltage having a specific voltage value;
a first terminal connected to the voltage generation circuit and configured to output the voltage generated with the voltage generation circuit;
a second terminal connected to the first terminal through a connecting point between a temperature sensitive element and a resistor of a circuit for detecting a temperature of a subject, in which the temperature sensitive element is connected to the resistor in series, said second terminal being configured to receive a temperature sensitive voltage as a voltage at the connecting point;
an analog/digital conversion circuit configured to convert the specific voltage value and a voltage value of the temperature sensitive voltage that are analog values to digital values, respectively, so that the specific voltage value and the voltage value of the temperature sensitive voltage are measured;
a storage unit configured to store the specific voltage value and the voltage value of the temperature sensitive voltage thus measured with the analog/digital conversion circuit so that an external semiconductor device calculates the temperature of the subject; and
a third terminal configured to transmit the specific voltage value and the voltage value of the temperature sensitive voltage thus stored in the storage unit to the external semiconductor device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said voltage generation circuit is configured to generate a reference voltage so that the analog/digital conversion circuit converts the specific voltage value and the voltage value of the temperature sensitive voltage to the digital values according to the reference voltage generated with the voltage generation circuit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said second terminal is configured to receive the temperature sensitive voltage for detecting a temperature of a rechargeable battery as the subject.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device according to claim 3, further comprising a fourth terminal configured to receive a voltage generated with the rechargeable battery.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, further comprising:
a first switch connected between the voltage generation circuit and the analog/digital conversion circuit;
a second switch connected between the second terminal and the analog/digital conversion circuit;
a third switch connected between the fourth terminal and the analog/digital conversion circuit; and
a control circuit configured to control the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a switch circuit for switching the first potential and the second potential according to one single switching signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

A battery monitoring system, comprising:
said semiconductor device according to claim 3; and
said external semiconductor device that receives the specific voltage value and the voltage value of the temperature sensitive voltage stored in the storage unit through the third terminal so that the external semiconductor device calculates a temperature of the rechargeable battery according to a specific equation with the specific voltage value and the voltage value of the temperature sensitive voltage as variables.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a voltage generation circuit;
a first terminal connected to the voltage generation circuit;
a second terminal;
a third terminal;
a first switch;
a second switch; and
an analog/digital conversion circuit connected to the first terminal through the first switch, the second terminal, and a circuit for detecting a temperature of a subject,
wherein said analog/digital conversion circuit is connected to a rechargeable battery through the second switch and the third terminal.