IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,649,365
Granted Patent B2
US 12,649,365 · App. 17/635,084 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Circuit arrangement for discharging at least one energy accumulator charged to a high voltage

Inventors: Florin-Constantin Berinde (Munich, DE); Septimiu Lica (Munich, DE); Aurelian Kotlar (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
B60L3/0046B60L53/20B60L58/10H02M1/322B60L3/0007B60L2210/10H02J2207/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,649,365
App. No.
17/635,084
Granted
Jun 9, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A circuit arrangement discharges at least one energy store charged to a high voltage in a motor vehicle. The circuit arrangement includes a discharge circuit which is connected in parallel with the energy store and contains an auxiliary microcontroller for actuating the discharge circuit. The auxiliary microcontroller can be operated with a low voltage of 3-5 volts and contains a first voltage supply circuit for supplying the auxiliary microcontroller with the low voltage of 3-5 volts, which first voltage supply circuit is fed from a buffer capacitor with a voltage of 10-15 volts. The circuit arrangement further contains a main microcontroller, which is configured to actuate the auxiliary microcontroller so that the latter actuates the discharge circuit.

Claims (25)

1 . A circuit configuration for discharging at least one energy store charged to a high voltage in a motor vehicle, the circuit configuration comprising:

a discharge circuit connected in parallel with the at least one energy store;

an auxiliary microcontroller for actuating said discharge circuit, said auxiliary microcontroller being operated with a low voltage of 3-5 volts;

a buffer capacitor;

a first voltage supply circuit for supplying said auxiliary microcontroller with the low voltage of 3-5 volts, said first voltage supply circuit being fed from said buffer capacitor with a voltage of 10-15 volts;

a main microcontroller configured to actuate said auxiliary microcontroller so that said auxiliary microcontroller actuates said discharge circuit;

a second voltage supply circuit, said buffer capacitor being connected, for charging, to said second voltage supply circuit, said second voltage supply circuit being connected to and supplied with power by a continuous positive voltage terminal of a vehicle battery in an electrical on-board power supply network of the motor vehicle; and

said auxiliary microcontroller being directly supplied with a voltage only by said first voltage supply circuit.

2 . The circuit configuration according to claim 1 ,

wherein said discharge circuit has a discharge resistor and a discharge transistor connected in series with said discharge resistor; and

further comprising a driver circuit, said auxiliary microcontroller being connected to said discharge circuit via said driver circuit.

3 . The circuit configuration according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuating control circuit;

further comprising a high-voltage battery; and

wherein said discharge circuit has a DC-to-DC converter, said DC-to-DC converter is connected, on an output side, to said high-voltage battery and is connected to said actuating control circuit, which is connected to said auxiliary microcontroller.

4 . The circuit configuration according to claim 3 , wherein said discharge circuit further has a discharge resistor and a discharge transistor connected in series with said discharge resistor, said discharge resistor and discharge transistor are connected in parallel with said DC-to-DC converter.

5 . The circuit configuration according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an electrically decoupled line; and

a monitoring circuit, a high potential of a high voltage is connected to said monitoring circuit, which is connected to said auxiliary microcontroller and, via said electrically decoupled line, to said main microcontroller.

6 . The circuit configuration according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuation line connected between said main microcontroller and said auxiliary microcontroller, said actuation line being electrically decoupled.

7 . The circuit configuration according to claim 3 ,

further comprising a further actuating control circuit;

further comprising a low-voltage battery; and

wherein said discharge circuit has a further DC-to-DC converter, which is connected, on an output side, to said low-voltage battery and is connected to said further actuating control circuit, said further actuating control circuit is connected to said auxiliary microcontroller.

8 . The circuit configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said discharge transistor is an insulated-gate bipolar transistor, which is connected to said driver circuit, which is connected to said second voltage supply circuit.

9 . The circuit configuration according to claim 5 , wherein said electrically decoupled line is one of a plurality of electrically decoupled lines being formed with optocouplers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2022
From: BERINDE, FLORIAN-CONSTANTIN; LICA, SEPTIMIU; KOTLAR, AURELIAN
To: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Reel/Frame 059499/0741 →
Priority Claims (2)
EP 19465544 · Aug 14, 2019 · regional
DE 10 2019 212 377.5 · Aug 19, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220289031A1 · Sep 15, 2022
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