Battery protection circuit and method thereof

1. A battery protection circuit for protecting a battery pack, comprising:

a hardware protection circuit, comprising at least one comparator, a reference voltage source and a first output control module, wherein each of the at least one comparator has an input terminal electrically connected to one battery unit in the battery pack to acquire a voltage of the battery unit, and has the other input terminal electrically connected to the reference voltage source to use a reference voltage of the reference voltage source as a fixed threshold, the comparator is configured to compare the voltage of the battery unit with the fixed threshold to generate a corresponding comparison result at an output terminal thereof, and the first output control module is configured to receive the comparison result and take a corresponding protective action;

a software protection circuit, comprising an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) module, a threshold setting module, a logic module and a second output control module, wherein the ADC module is configured to acquire a voltage of each of battery units in the battery pack and convert it into a digital signal, the threshold setting module is for use by a user to set a preset threshold, the logic module is configured to compare the preset threshold with the digital signal to generate a corresponding comparison result, and the second output control module is configured to receive the comparison result and take a corresponding protective action; and

a current detecting circuit, comprising a current detecting element and a current detecting module, wherein the current detecting module is connected in parallel with the current detecting element to detect for a current flowing through the current detecting element, and wherein if a current flowing through the current detecting element is detected by the current detecting module, then the battery pack is in an active status; and if no current flowing through the current detecting element is detected by the current detecting module or if the current flowing through the current detecting element is smaller than the preset threshold, then the battery pack is not in the active status,

wherein the current detecting circuit is configured to detect whether the battery pack is in the active status, and when the battery pack is not in the active status, the hardware protection circuit is used to execute a protective operation; and when the battery pack is in the active status, the software protection circuit is used to execute the protective operation.

2. The battery protection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the hardware protection circuit is electrically connected to the software protection circuit to detect a status of the software protection circuit, and wherein when the battery pack is in the active status, the software protection circuit is used to execute the protective operation, and when the software protection circuit is in an abnormal status, the hardware protection circuit is used instead to execute the protective operation.

3. The battery protection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the current detecting element is a current detecting resistor, a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor, a current mirror circuit or a battery itself.

4. A battery protection circuit for protecting a battery pack, comprising a hardware protection circuit, a software protection circuit and a current detecting circuit, wherein the current detecting circuit is configured to detect whether the battery pack is in an active status, and when the battery pack is not in the active status, the hardware protection circuit is used to execute a protective operation; and when the battery pack is in the active status, the software protection circuit is used to execute the protective operation.

5. The battery protection circuit of claim 4 , wherein the hardware protection circuit is electrically connected to the software protection circuit to detect a status of the software protection circuit, and wherein when the battery pack is in the active status, the software protection circuit is used to execute the protective operation, and when the software protection circuit is in an abnormal status, the hardware protection circuit is used instead to execute the protective operation.

6. The battery protection circuit of claim 4 , wherein the current detecting circuit comprises a current detecting element and a current detecting module, the current detecting module is connected in parallel with the current detecting element to detect for a current flowing through the current detecting element, and wherein if a current flowing through the current detecting element is detected by the current detecting module, then the battery pack is in the active status; and if no current flowing through the current detecting element is detected by the current detecting module or if the current flowing through the current detecting element is smaller than a preset threshold, then the battery pack is not in the active status.

7. The battery protection circuit of claim 6 , wherein the current detecting element is a current detecting resistor, an MOS transistor, a current mirror circuit or a battery itself.

8. The battery protection circuit of claim 4 , wherein the hardware protection circuit comprises at least one comparator, a reference voltage source and a first output control module, wherein each of the at least one comparator has an input terminal electrically connected to one battery unit in the battery pack to acquire a voltage of the battery unit, and has the other input terminal electrically connected to the reference voltage source to use a reference voltage of the reference voltage source as a fixed threshold, the comparator is configured to compare the voltage of the battery unit with the fixed threshold to generate a corresponding comparison result at an output terminal thereof, and the first output control module is configured to receive the comparison result and take a corresponding protective action.

9. The battery protection circuit of claim 4 , wherein the software protection circuit is a Microcomputer circuit.

10. The battery protection circuit of claim 9 , wherein the software protection circuit comprises an ADC module, a threshold setting module, a logic module and a second output control module, wherein the ADC module is configured to acquire a voltage of each of battery units in the battery pack and convert it into a digital signal, the threshold setting module is for use by a user to set a preset threshold, the logic module is configured to compare the preset threshold with the digital signal to generate a corresponding comparison result, and the second output control module is configured to receive the comparison result and take a corresponding protective action.

11. A battery protection method for use in a battery protection circuit to protect a battery pack, the battery protection circuit comprising a hardware protection circuit, a software protection circuit and a current detecting circuit, the battery protection method comprising:

using the current detecting circuit to detect whether the battery pack is in an active status;

using the hardware protection circuit to execute a protective operation if it is detected that the battery pack is not in the active status; and

using the software protection circuit to execute the protective operation if it is detected that the battery pack is in the active status.

12. The battery protection method of claim 11 , wherein the step of using the software protection circuit to execute the protective operation if it is detected that the battery pack is in the active status further comprises:

detecting for an abnormal status of the software protection circuit;

if it is detected that the software protection circuit is not in the abnormal status, then continuing to use the software protection circuit to execute the protective operation; and

if it is detected that the software protection circuit is in the abnormal status, then using the hardware protection circuit instead to execute the protective operation.