Assembled battery monitoring device

1. An assembled battery monitoring device that monitors an assembled battery having one or a plurality of cell groups in which a plurality of cells are connected in series, comprising:

one or more integrated circuit units, each of which is provided to correspond to each of the one or more cell groups of the assembled battery, that respectively measure the voltages of the cells of the corresponding cell group and perform cell balancing in order respectively to adjust the capacities of the cells of the corresponding cell group;

a control unit that controls the integrated circuit unit by performing communication with the integrated circuit unit; and

a power supply unit that supplies power to the control unit, wherein:

according to supply of the power from the power supply unit, the control unit causes the integrated circuit unit to start or to stop the cell balancing, and sets a timer period for starting of the power supply unit to cause the power supply unit to stop supply of the power; and

according to the timer period, the power supply unit activates and commences supply of the power, and

wherein:

the control unit transmits a command to the integrated circuit unit for measurement of the voltages of the cells of the corresponding cell group,

in response to the command from the control unit, the integrated circuit unit measures the voltages of the cells of the corresponding cell group, and transmits the results of those measurements to the control unit, and

the control unit determines whether or not the cell balancing is required on the basis of the results of measurement of the voltages of the cells received from the integrated circuit unit, and causes the integrated circuit unit to start the cell balancing if the decision is that the cell balancing is required, and

wherein:

the power supply unit is connected to a timer starting circuit that is capable of setting a first timer period and a second timer period,

after having stopped supply of the power by the power supply unit, when the first timer period or the second timer period has elapsed, the timer starting circuit activates the power supply unit and thereby causes it to start supply of the power, and

the control unit:

if the first timer period elapses and the power supply unit is activated, causes the integrated circuit unit to start the cell balancing, and sets the second timer period to the timer starting circuit, and

if the second timer period elapses and the power supply unit is activated, causes the integrated circuit unit to stop the cell balancing, and sets the first timer period to the timer starting circuit.

2. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates a required time period for the cell balancing on the basis of the results of measurement of the voltages of the cells received from the integrated circuit unit, and sets the second timer period on the basis of the result of that calculation.

3. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 1 , further comprising the timer starting circuit.

4. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 3 , wherein the power supply unit comprises a main power supply circuit for supplying the power to the control unit, and a standby power supply circuit for always supplying standby power to the timer starting circuit.

5. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the power supply unit is connected to a higher level system that controls the assembled battery monitoring device;

the power supply unit activates and starts supply of the power in response to a higher level activation signal outputted from the higher level system; and

if the power supply unit has been activated according to the higher level activation signal, the control unit causes the power supply unit to stop supply of the power when the output of the higher level activation signal from the higher level system is stopped.

6. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 5 , wherein:

the timer starting circuit causes the power supply unit to activate by outputting to the power supply unit a timer activation signal whose voltage level is different from that of the higher level activation signal; and

on the basis of the voltage level of an input signal to the power supply unit, the control unit determines whether the input signal is the higher level activation signal or is the timer activation signal.

7. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 5 , wherein the timer starting circuit is provided within the higher level system.