Multi-series battery control system

A battery system, comprising:

• a unit lithium battery cell assembly including a plurality of unit lithium battery cells that are electrically connected in series and each include a plurality of lithium battery cells that are electrically connected in series;
• a plurality of lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuits that are provided to respectively correspond to the plurality of unit lithium battery cells, each detect terminal voltages of a plurality of lithium battery cells of a corresponding unit lithium battery cell, and each adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells;
• and
• a plurality of lithium-battery-cell-monitor integrated circuits that are respectively paired with the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuits, and each are connected with a plurality of lithium battery cells that are connected with a corresponding paired lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit to be used to monitor the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the corresponding paired lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit, wherein:
• each of the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuits includes
• a plurality of voltage terminals that are provided to be used to electrically connect with terminals of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell,
• a voltage detection unit that detects terminal-to-terminal voltages of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell that are taken in via the plurality of voltage terminals,
• a plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals that are provided to be used to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell,
• a plurality of switches that are respectively and electrically connected with the plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals, and each form a discharge circuit at each of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell,
• a driving unit that drives each of the plurality of switches,
• a communication unit that inputs/outputs a signal,
• a signal input terminal that is provided to be used to input a signal to the communication unit,
• a signal output terminal that is provided to be used to output a signal from the communication unit,
• a switch abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches, wherein:
• the switch abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches by judging whether or not the switch is operated according to driving operation of the driving unit, and outputs an abnormality detection result from the communication unit via the signal output terminal;
• each of the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-monitor integrated circuits includes a signal input terminal to input a signal, and a signal output terminal to output a signal;
• a first signal transmission line via which a signal is transmitted in series through the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuits is provided among the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuits so that a signal is outputted from a signal output terminal of a 1st lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit based upon a signal inputted at a signal input terminal of the 1st lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit to be inputted at a signal input terminal of a 2nd lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit;
• a second signal transmission line via which a signal is transmitted in series through the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-monitor integrated circuits is provided among the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-monitor integrated circuits so that a signal is outputted from a signal output terminal of a 1st lithium-battery-cell-monitor integrated circuit based upon a signal inputted at a signal input terminal of the 1st lithium-battery-cell-monitor integrated circuit to be inputted at a signal input terminal of a 2nd lithium-battery-cell-monitor integrated circuit;
• and
• a signal indicating the abnormality detection result outputted via the signal output terminals of the plurality of lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuits is transmitted via the first signal transmission line.

A lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit that is used to detect a state of each of a plurality of lithium battery cells electrically connected in series and to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells, comprising:

• a plurality of voltage terminals that are provided to be used to electrically connect with terminals of the plurality of lithium battery cells;
• a voltage detection circuit that detects terminal-to-terminal voltages of the plurality of lithium battery cells that are taken in from the plurality of voltage terminals;
• a plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals that are provided to be used to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells;
• a plurality of switches that are respectively and electrically connected with the plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals, and each form a discharge circuit that adjusts a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells;
• a driving unit that drives each of the plurality of switches;
• a communication unit that inputs/outputs a signal via a signal input/output terminal;
• a switch abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches, wherein:
• the switch abnormality detection unit judges whether or not an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches exists by receiving a signal from the driving unit and a signal indicating a state of each of the plurality of switches, and outputs a signal indicating an abnormality from the communication unit via the signal input/output terminal.

A lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit that is provided to correspond to each of a plurality of unit lithium battery cells that constitute a unit lithium battery cell assembly by being electrically connected in series and each include a plurality of lithium battery cells that are electrically connected in series, and is used to detect a state of each of a plurality of lithium battery cells of a corresponding unit lithium battery cell and to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell, comprising:

• a plurality of voltage terminals that are provided to be used to electrically connect with terminals of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell;
• a voltage detection circuit that detects terminal-to-terminal voltages of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell that are taken in from the plurality of voltage terminals;
• a plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals that are provided to be used to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell;
• a plurality of switches that are respectively and electrically connected with the plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals, and each form a discharge circuit that adjusts a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells of the corresponding unit lithium battery cell;
• a driving unit that drives each of the plurality of switches;
• a communication unit that inputs/outputs a signal via a signal input/output terminal;
• a switch abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches, wherein:
• the switch abnormality detection unit judges whether or not an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches exists by receiving a signal from the driving unit and a signal indicating a state of each of the plurality of switches, and outputs a signal indicating an abnormality from the communication unit via the signal input/output terminal.

A lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit that is provided to correspond to a plurality of lithium battery cells electrically connected in series, is paired with a first integrated circuit that is connected with terminals of the plurality of lithium battery cells, is electrically connected with the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit, and is used to detect a state of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit and to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of voltage terminals that are provided to be used to electrically connect with terminals of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit;
• a voltage detection circuit that detects terminal-to-terminal voltages of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit that are taken in via the plurality of voltage terminals;
• a plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals that are provided to be used to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit;
• a plurality of switches that are respectively and electrically connected with the plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals, and each form a discharge circuit that adjusts a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit;
• a driving unit that drives each of the plurality of switches;
• a communication unit that inputs/outputs a signal via a signal input/output terminal;
• a switch abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches, wherein:
• the switch abnormality detection unit judges whether or not an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches exists by receiving a signal from the driving unit and a signal indicating a state of each of the plurality of switches, and outputs a signal indicating an abnormality from the communication unit via the signal input/output terminal.

A lithium-battery-cell-control integrated circuit that is provided to correspond to each of a plurality of unit lithium battery cells that constitute a unit lithium battery cell assembly by being electrically connected in series and each include a plurality of lithium battery cells that are electrically connected in series, is paired with a first integrated circuit that is connected with terminals of the plurality of lithium battery cells of a corresponding unit lithium battery cell, is electrically connected with the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit, and is used to detect a terminal voltage of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit and to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit, comprising:

• a plurality of voltage terminals that are provided to be used to electrically connect with terminals of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit;
• a voltage detection circuit that detects terminal-to-terminal voltages of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit that are taken in via the plurality of voltage terminals;
• a plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals that are provided to be used to adjust a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit;
• a plurality of switches that are respectively and electrically connected with the plurality of state-of-charge-adjust terminals, and each form a discharge circuit that adjusts a state of charge of each of the plurality of lithium battery cells connected with the paired first integrated circuit;
• a driving unit that drives each of the plurality of switches;
• a communication unit that inputs/outputs a signal via a signal input/output terminal;
• a switch abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches, wherein:
• the switch abnormality detection unit judges whether or not an abnormality of each of the plurality of switches exists by receiving a signal from the driving unit and a signal indicating a state of each of the plurality of switches, and outputs a signal indicating an abnormality from the communication unit via the signal input/output terminal.