Battery pack and method of controlling the same

1. A battery pack comprising:

a secondary battery formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series;

a control section measuring a voltage at each of the plurality of battery cells and controlling each part according to the result of the measurement;

a charge/discharge control circuit temporarily inhibiting charging and discharging of the secondary battery under control exercised by the control section;

an interruption circuit interrupting charge and discharge currents of the secondary battery under control exercised by the control section to inhibit charging and discharging of the secondary battery permanently;

a discharge circuit discharging a predetermined battery cell among the plurality of battery cells under control exercised by the control section;

a capacity measuring section measuring the amount of electricity discharged from the battery cell at the discharge circuit; and

a storage section storing total discharge amount information indicating a total amount of discharged electricity measured by the capacity measuring section and a charge/discharge inhibition record indicating a count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions imposed on the secondary battery by the charge/discharge control circuit, wherein

first and second thresholds for determining the safety of the secondary battery are set in association with the value of the total amount of discharged electricity indicated by the total discharge amount information and the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions indicated by the charge/discharge inhibition record;

the control section determines the state of cell balance between the plurality of battery cells based on the result of the measurement, performs a leveling process to achieve a proper cell balance by controlling the discharge circuit to discharge a battery cell having a high voltage among the plurality of battery cells when it is determined that the cell balance has been lost, and updates the total discharge amount information based on the amount of discharged electricity measured by the capacity measuring section,

the control section compares the total amount of discharged electricity indicated by the total discharge amount information stored in the storage section with the first threshold, controls the charge/discharge control circuit to inhibit charging and discharging of the secondary battery temporarily when it is determined that the total amount of discharged electricity is in the excess of the first threshold as a result of the comparison, and updates the charge/discharge inhibition record; and

the control section compares the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions indicated by the charge/discharge inhibition record stored in the storage section with the second threshold and controls the interruption circuit to inhibit charging and discharging of the secondary battery permanently when it is determined that the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions is in the excess of the second threshold as a result of the comparison.

2. A battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the control section controls the discharge circuit to terminate the leveling process when it is determined that a proper cell balance has been achieved by the leveling process.

3. A battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the control section continues the leveling process when the value of the total amount of discharged electricity is equal to or smaller than the first threshold as a result of the comparison between the value of total amount of discharged electricity and the first threshold.

4. A battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein

a third threshold for determining the safety of the secondary battery is set in association with the value of the total amount of discharged electricity;

the control section determines the state of cell balance again when it is determined that the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions is equal to or smaller than the second threshold as a result of the comparison between the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions and the second threshold;

the control section continues the leveling process when it is determined that the cells are imbalanced as a result of the determination; and

the control section controls the interruption circuit to inhibit charging and discharging of the secondary battery permanently when it is determined that the value of the total amount of discharged electricity is in the excess of the third threshold as a result of the comparison between the value of the total amount of discharged electricity and the third threshold.

5. A battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein

the control circuit controls the discharge circuit to terminate the leveling process and controls the charge/discharge control circuit to cancel the temporary charge/discharge inhibition when it is determined that a proper cell balance have been achieved as a result of the determination of the state of cell balance.

6. A battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the control section continues the leveling process when it is determined that the value of the total amount of discharged electricity is equal to or smaller than the third threshold as a result of the comparison between the value of the total amount of discharged electricity and the third threshold.

7. A control method comprising:

measuring a voltage at each of a plurality of series-connected battery cells of a secondary battery and controlling each part according to the result of the measurement;

measuring the amount of electricity discharged from a predetermined battery cell among the plurality of battery cells through a discharge circuit for discharging the battery cells;

storing total discharge amount information indicating a total amount of discharged electricity measured by at the capacity measuring step and a charge/discharge inhibition record indicating a count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions imposed on the secondary battery by a charge/discharge control circuit for temporarily inhibiting charging and discharging of the secondary battery in a storage section, wherein

first and second thresholds for determining the safety of the secondary battery are set in association with the value of the total amount of discharged electricity indicated by the total discharge amount information and the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions indicated by the charge/discharge inhibition record; and

the control step includes the steps of

determining the state of cell balance between the plurality of battery cells based on the result of the measurement, performing a leveling process to achieve a proper cell balance by controlling the discharge circuit to discharge a battery cell having a high voltage among the plurality of battery cells when it is determined that the cell balance has been lost, and updating the total discharge amount information based on the amount of discharged electricity measured at the capacity measuring step,

comparing the total amount of discharged electricity indicated by the total discharge amount information stored in the storage section with the first threshold, controlling the charge/discharge control circuit to inhibit charging and discharging of the secondary battery temporarily when it is determined that the total amount of discharged electricity is in the excess of the first threshold as a result of the comparison, and updating the charge/discharge inhibition record; and

comparing the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions indicated by the charge/discharge inhibition record stored in the storage section with the second threshold and permanently inhibiting charging and discharging of the secondary battery by controlling an interruption circuit which interrupts charge and discharge currents of the secondary battery to inhibit charging and discharging of the secondary battery permanently, when it is determined that the count of temporary charge/discharge inhibitions is in the excess of the second threshold as a result of the comparison.