Battery apparatus for controlling plural batteries and control method of plural batteries

A battery apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of battery modules each having a plurality of battery cells being electrically connected in series, the plurality of battery modules being electrically connected in series;
• a plurality of first control devices provided in correspondence with the plurality of battery modules, respectively, each of the plurality of first control devices detecting a terminal voltage of each of the plurality of battery cells contained in a corresponding one of the plurality of battery modules;
• a first signal transmission path which is configured by electrically connecting the plurality of first control devices in series;
• a second control device;
• and
• a second signal transmission path configured for isolating electrical connection, a signal being transmitted between the second control device and the plurality of first control devices electrically connected in series via the second signal transmission path,
• wherein each of the first control devices includes:
• an analog to digital converter which receives the terminal voltages of the plurality of battery cells contained in the corresponding one of the plurality of battery modules and converts into digital values, respectively;
• a signal input circuit for receiving an electric signal being transmitted;
• a signal output circuit for outputting an electric signal;
• and a logic circuit,
• the first signal transmission path is configured in a manner that the signal output circuit of one of the plurality of first control devices is operated by a signal outputted from the logic circuit of the one of the plurality of first control devices and to be transmitted to the logic circuit of next one of the plurality of first control devices connected in series to the one of the plurality of first control devices to thereby transmit the signal outputted from the logic circuit of the one of the plurality of first control devices to the signal input circuit of the next one of the plurality of first control devices in a state of an electric signal, then the signal input circuit of the next one of the plurality of first control devices is operated by the electric signal thus transmitted to thereby transmit the signal outputted from the logic circuit of the one of the plurality of first control devices to the logic circuit of the next one of the plurality of first control devices, and the signal transmitted in the state of the electric signal through the first signal transmission path being transmitted to the second signal transmission path,
• the second signal transmission path is configured to transmit the received signal to the second control device, and
• each of signals representing the terminal voltages of the plurality of battery cells, that are converted into the digital values by the analog to digital converter, respectively, is transmitted in a state of an electrical signal in the first signal transmission path and transmitted to the second signal transmission path, then transmitted within the second signal transmission path to the second control device.