Battery control circuit for multiple cells employing level shift circuits to avoid fault

A battery control circuit that is used for a battery protecting apparatus configured to protect a secondary battery in which a plurality of cells are connected in series, the battery control circuit comprising:

• a level shift circuit configured to shift respective levels of cell voltages of the plurality of cells to generate a plurality of level shift voltages;
• a minimum voltage output circuit including differential amplifier circuits for the plurality of respective level shift voltages, the respective differential amplifier circuits being configured to generate a plurality of output voltages by comparing the plurality of corresponding level shift voltages with a lowest voltage among the plurality of output voltages of the respective differential amplifier circuits, the minimum voltage output circuit being configured to output, based on voltages obtained by converting the plurality of output voltages into electric currents and flowing the electric currents to a same load, a minimum voltage corresponding to a cell voltage whose voltage value is lowest among the plurality of cell voltages;
• an over-discharge detecting circuit configured to detect over-discharging of the secondary battery based on the minimum voltage;
• and
• a minimum voltage cell specifying circuit configured to specify, based on the plurality of output voltages, a cell whose voltage value is lowest among the plurality of cells.

A battery control circuit that is used for a battery protecting apparatus configured to protect a secondary battery in which a plurality of cells are connected in series, the battery control circuit comprising:

• a level shift circuit configured to shift respective levels of cell voltages of the plurality of cells to generate a plurality of level shift voltages;
• a maximum voltage output circuit including differential amplifier circuits for the plurality of respective level shift voltages, the respective differential amplifier circuits being configured to generate a plurality of first output voltages by comparing the plurality of corresponding level shift voltages with a highest voltage among the plurality of first output voltages of the respective differential amplifier circuits, the maximum voltage output circuit being configured to output, based on first voltages obtained by converting the plurality of first output voltages into first electric currents and flowing the first electric currents to a first same load, a maximum voltage corresponding to a cell voltage whose voltage value is highest among the plurality of cell voltages;
• a maximum voltage cell specifying circuit configured to specify, based on the plurality of first output voltages, a cell whose voltage value is highest among the plurality of cells;
• and
• a minimum voltage output circuit including differential amplifier circuits for the plurality of respective level shift voltages, the respective differential amplifier circuits being configured to generate a plurality of second output voltages by comparing the plurality of corresponding level shift voltages with a lowest voltage among the plurality of second output voltages of the respective differential amplifier circuits, the minimum voltage output circuit being configured to output, based on second voltages obtained by converting the plurality of second output voltages into second electric currents and flowing the second electric currents to a second same load, a minimum voltage corresponding to a cell voltage whose voltage value is lowest among the plurality of cell voltages.