Voltage adjusting apparatus
View Patent ↗For providing a reliable voltage adjusting apparatus in low cost, a low-voltage control apparatus controls a high-voltage power supply circuit to be switched power off by transmitting a power-off signal through a second communication line arranged between the high-voltage power supply circuit and itself through an isolation unit when an information signal from an equalizing apparatus is not transmitted within a predetermined first malfunction judging period. The equalizing apparatus stops an equalizing process in itself when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit.
1. A voltage adjusting apparatus, comprising:
a low-voltage system comprising,
a low-voltage battery,
a low-voltage power supply circuit,
a low-voltage control unit driven by power supply through the low-voltage power supply circuit from the low-voltage battery;
a high-voltage system comprising,
a high-voltage battery formed with a plurality of battery unit cells and having a higher voltage value than the low-voltage battery,
a high-voltage power supply circuit,
an equalizing unit driven by power supply through the high-voltage power supply circuit from the high-voltage battery, and controlled by the low-voltage control unit, the equalizing unit detecting and equalizing a voltage value between both electrodes of each unit cell of the high-voltage battery as an equalizing process;
an isolating unit isolating electrically the low-voltage system and the high-voltage system;
a first communication line transmitting an information signal for the equalizing process between the low-voltage control unit and the equalizing unit through the isolating unit; and
a second communication line arranged through the isolating unit between the low-voltage control unit and the high-voltage power supply circuit,
wherein the low-voltage control unit transmits a power-off signal through the second communication line to the high-voltage power supply circuit when the information signal from the equalizing unit is not transmitted within a predetermined first malfunction judging period, and controls the high-voltage power supply circuit to be switched power off,
wherein the equalizing unit stops the equalizing process therein when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit is not transmitted within a predetermined second malfunction judging period.
2. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a low-voltage timer started by controlling of the low-voltage control unit to count the first malfunction judging period; and
a high-voltage timer started by controlling of the equalizing unit to count the second malfunction judging period.
3. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the equalizing unit comprises;
a voltage detecting circuit detecting the voltage value between the both electrodes of each unit cell of the high-voltage battery and outputting a voltage detect signal;
an equalizing circuit connected in parallel with the unit cell and including an equalizing element and a switch element, which are connected in series; and
a high-voltage control circuit controlling the voltage detecting circuit and the equalizing circuit,
wherein the switch element is controlled by the high-voltage control circuit so as to be turned on corresponding to the information signal from the low-voltage control unit, and so as to be turned off when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit is not transmitted within the second malfunction judging period.
4. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the equalizing unit comprises;
a voltage detecting circuit detecting the voltage value between the both electrodes of each unit cell of the high-voltage battery and outputting a voltage detect signal;
a select switch group provided at the voltage detecting circuit and selecting one unit cell from the plurality of unit cells;
an equalizing circuit connected through the select switch group in parallel with the selected one unit cell and including an equalizing element and a switch element, which are connected in series; and
a high-voltage control circuit controlling the voltage detecting circuit, the select switch group and the equalizing circuit,
wherein the switch element is controlled by the high-voltage control circuit so as to be turned on corresponding to the information signal from the low-voltage control unit, and so as to be turned off when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit is not transmitted within the second malfunction judging period.
5. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the equalizing unit stops the equaling process therein by transmitting the power-off signal to the high-voltage power supply circuit and controlling the high-voltage circuit to be switched off when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit is not transmitted within the second malfunction judging period.
6. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the equalizing unit comprises;
a voltage detecting circuit detecting the voltage value between the both electrodes of each unit cell of the high-voltage battery and outputting a voltage detect signal;
an equalizing circuit connected in parallel with the unit cell and including an equalizing element and a switch element, which are connected in series; and
a high-voltage control circuit controlling the voltage detecting circuit and the equalizing circuit,
wherein the switch element is controlled by the high-voltage control circuit so as to be turned on corresponding to the information signal from the low-voltage control unit, and so as to be turned off when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit is not transmitted within the second malfunction judging period.
7. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the equalizing unit comprises;
a voltage detecting circuit detecting the voltage value between the both electrodes of each unit cell of the high-voltage battery and outputting a voltage detect signal;
a select switch group provided at the voltage detecting circuit and selecting one unit cell from the plurality of unit cells;
an equalizing circuit connected through the select switch group in parallel with the selected one unit cell and including an equalizing element and a switch element, which are connected in series; and
a high-voltage control circuit controlling the voltage detecting circuit, the select switch group and the equalizing circuit,
wherein the switch element is controlled by the high-voltage control circuit so as to be turned on corresponding to the information signal from the low-voltage control unit, and so as to be turned off when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit is not transmitted within the second malfunction judging period.
8. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the equalizing unit stops the equaling process therein by transmitting the power-off signal to the high-voltage power supply circuit and controlling the high-voltage circuit to be switched off when the information signal from the low-voltage control unit is not transmitted within the second malfunction judging period.
9. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the low-voltage control unit and the high-voltage control circuit respectively include each microcomputer.
10. The voltage adjusting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the low-voltage control unit and the high-voltage control circuit respectively include each microcomputer.