Method and apparatus for measuring the voltage of a power source
AssigneeLinear Technology Corporation
InventorJames Michael Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various concepts and techniques are disclosed for measuring the voltage of a power source. An apparatus includes a voltage metering circuit and a transformer having a first winding coupled to the voltage metering circuit and a second winding for coupling to a power source.
Claims24
A system for determining cell voltage of a power source having multiple cells, the system comprising:
- a voltage sensing circuit for determining the cell voltage, and
- a transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage sensing circuit, and a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a single cell of the power source via a unidirectional current conducting device,
- a single transformer being provided for determining voltage of the cell.
A method of determining voltage of an individual cell of a power source having multiple cells using only a single transformer having first and second windings, the second winding being configured for coupling across terminals of the individual cell via a unidirectional current conducting device, the method comprising the steps of:
- exciting the first winding;
- and
- sampling voltage at the first winding when excited.
A system for determining voltages of individual cells of a power source having multiple cells, the system comprising:
- a voltage determining circuit,
- a first transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a first switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a first cell of the power source, and
- a second transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a second switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a second cell of the power source,
- the voltage determining circuit being configured to turn on the first switch and turn off the second switch for determining voltage of the first cell,
- the voltage determining circuit being further configured to turn on the second switch and turn off the first switch for determining voltage of the second cell.
A method of sensing voltages of individual cells of a power source having multiple cells using a voltage sensing circuit, a first transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a first switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a first cell of the power source, and a second transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the voltage determining circuit via a second switch, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a second cell of the power source, the method comprising the steps of:
- sensing voltage of the first cell by turning on the first switch and turning off the second switch, and
- sensing voltage of the second cell by turning on the second switch and turning off the first switch.
A system for determining voltages of individual cells of a power source having multiple cells, the system comprising:
- a processing circuit,
- a first transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the processing circuit, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a first cell of the power source via a first unidirectional current conducting device,
- a second transformer having a first winding configured for coupling to the processing circuit, and having a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of a second cell of the power source via a second unidirectional current conducting device, and
- a calibration circuit for providing reference values representing maximum and minimum cell voltages of the power source,
- the processing circuit being configured to determine voltages of the first and second cells using the reference values.
A computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by a processor, the processor being configured to determine cell voltages of a power source having multiple cells using a plurality of sensing transformers, each of the sensing transformers including a first winding configured for coupling to the processor, and a second winding configured for coupling across terminals of an individual cell of the power source via a unidirectional current conduction device, the instructions comprising:
- a program code for determining a reference voltage using a reference transformer;
- and
- a program code for determining the cell voltages based on the reference voltage using the sensing transformers, a single sensing transformer being used for determining voltage of the individual cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.