Electric vehicle battery contactor switch monitoring
US9146281B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 12, 2013 |
| Grant date | Sep 29, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/396
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Contactor switches between a multi-cell battery pack and an electric vehicle load are monitored. A main microcontroller having a chassis ground is digitally isolated from positive and negative busses of the battery pack. A battery monitoring IC having a plurality of auxiliary/thermistor A/D inputs measures respective voltages of battery cells. An evaluation switch is connected to a junction between a first contactor switch and the load. The evaluation switch is activated in response to a command received from the main microprocessor. A voltage divider is coupled between the output of the evaluation switch and the negative bus to provide a divided voltage output to one of the auxiliary/thermistor A/D inputs. The battery monitoring IC transmits a digital value representative of the divided voltage output to the main microprocessor via a serial data link, and the main microprocessor determines a state of the contactor in response to the digital value.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.