Power supply device

Abstract

The present invention restarts a detection circuit and microcomputer in a low power consumption mode simply and easily with stability.　This power supply device comprises: a battery module (10) having a plurality of battery cells (1); a battery connection circuit (2) which detects battery information on the battery module (10) and which has a switching function for a low power consumption mode; a start circuit (3) which switches the battery connection circuit (2) from the low power consumption mode to an operating mode; and a start switch (4) which outputs an on / off signal to the start circuit (3). The battery connection circuit (2) is provided with: a detection circuit (21) which detects the battery information; and a microcomputer (22) which applies calculation processing to the battery information detected by the detection circuit (21). The start circuit (3) is provided with: a first switching circuit (6A) which outputs a first start pulse to the detection circuit (21) by the on / off signal input from the start switch (4); and a second switching circuit (6B) which outputs a second start pulse having a wider pulse width than that of the first start pulse to the microcomputer (22) by the on / off signal input from the start switch (4).

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , ,

[0003] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device including a battery module composed of a plurality of battery cells, and particularly to a power supply device connected with a battery connection circuit capable of switching to a low power consumption state in the battery module.

Background Art

[0002] A power supply device in which a plurality of battery cells are connected in series or parallel is connected with a battery connection circuit for detecting the state of each battery cell and controlling the charging current and the discharging current. The battery connection circuit detects the voltage, temperature, and current of the battery cells constituting the battery module with a detection circuit, and the detected signals are processed by a microcomputer through arithmetic operations. Further, in order to prevent over-discharge of the battery, this power supply device switches to a low power consumption mode, for example, a shutdown state, in which the power consumption of the battery connection circuit is minimized when the device is not in use. This power supply device includes a startup circuit for starting the detection circuit and the microcomputer of the battery connection circuit in the low power consumption mode and setting it to an operating mode.

[0003] The startup circuit can adopt a circuit configuration that outputs a startup pulse by pressing a push button of a manual operation switch, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 for example. However, the startup circuit with this circuit configuration has a drawback that if the startup pulse time is short, both the detection circuit and the microcomputer of the battery connection circuit cannot be started stably and surely. This is because there is a time delay until the microcomputer in the shutdown and low power consumption mode is started and can detect that a startup pulse has been input, that is, until the microcomputer enters a polling state and can detect the signal at the input terminal. This adverse effect can be eliminated by the user pressing the startup switch for a longer time than the set time, but not all users will necessarily press the startup switch in this state, resulting in an adverse effect that normal restart cannot always be achieved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] This invention was developed with the aim of solving the above problems, and an important objective of this invention is to provide a power supply device that allows all users to easily, simply, and stably restart a detection circuit and microcontroller in low-power mode. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A power supply device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a battery module having a plurality of rechargeable battery cells, a battery connection circuit connected to the battery module for detecting battery information and having a low-power mode switching function, a start circuit that outputs a start pulse for switching the battery connection circuit from low-power mode to operating mode, and a start switch that outputs an on / off signal to the start circuit. The battery connection circuit includes a detection circuit for detecting battery information of the battery module and a microcontroller for processing the battery information detected by the detection circuit. The start circuit includes a first switching circuit that outputs a first start pulse to the detection circuit in response to an on / off signal input from the start switch, and a second switching circuit that outputs a second start pulse with a wider pulse width than the first start pulse to the microcontroller in response to an on / off signal input from the start switch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The power supply device of the present invention has the feature that all users can easily, simply, and stably restart the detection circuit and microcontroller in low-power mode. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a circuit diagram of a power supply according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a circuit diagram of a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A power supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a battery module having a plurality of rechargeable battery cells, a battery connection circuit connected to the battery module that detects battery information and has a switching function that switches to a low power consumption mode in order to reduce the battery information of the battery module when not in use, a start circuit that outputs a start pulse to switch the battery connection circuit from the low power consumption mode to the operating mode, and a start switch that outputs an on / off signal to the start circuit. The battery connection circuit includes a detection circuit that detects battery information such as voltage, current, and temperature of the battery module, and a microcontroller that performs calculation processing on the battery information detected by the detection circuit. The start circuit includes a first switching circuit that outputs a first start pulse to the detection circuit in response to an on / off signal input from the start switch, and a second switching circuit that outputs a second start pulse with a wider pulse width than the first start pulse to the microcontroller in response to an on / off signal input from the start switch.

[0010] The power supply described above has the advantage that even if the user only presses the power switch for a very short time, both the detection circuit and the microcontroller can be reliably started up in operating mode. This means that both the detection circuit and the microcontroller can be switched to operating mode without being affected by the duration of the power switch press, so that all users can easily, reliably, and reliably switch both the detection circuit and the microcontroller from low power mode to operating mode by pressing the power switch.

[0011] A power supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a detection circuit with a first input terminal to which a first start pulse is input, and a microcontroller with a second input terminal to which a second start pulse is input. The detection circuit detects the first start pulse and supplies a power supply voltage to the microcontroller to put it into a polling state. The microcontroller, in the polling state, detects the second start pulse and decides to switch from low power consumption mode to operating mode.

[0012] The power supply unit described above has the advantage of reducing power consumption when the microcontroller is not in use by switching it to a low-power mode, while also being able to reliably switch to the operating mode when the microcontroller is in use by detecting the second start pulse input to the second input terminal.

[0013] A power supply device according to a third embodiment of the present invention comprises a startup circuit which includes an input circuit that outputs "High" when the startup switch is turned ON, and an output circuit which is connected to the output side of the input circuit, and the output circuit which includes a first switching circuit that outputs a first startup pulse and a second switching circuit that outputs a second startup pulse.

[0014] The power supply unit described above converts the on / off signal of the start switch into "High" and "Low" signals in the input circuit, and the first and second switching circuits output the start pulse to the input terminals of the detection circuit and the microcontroller, thereby switching the detection circuit and the microcontroller to the low power consumption mode.

[0015] A power supply device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a detection circuit with a first input terminal to which a first start pulse is input, a microcontroller with a second input terminal to which a second start pulse is input, a first switching circuit with a first FET that outputs a "High" signal from the input circuit to the first input terminal of the detection circuit, a second switching circuit with a second FET that outputs a "High" signal from the input circuit to the second input terminal of the microcontroller, and a parallel circuit of a capacitor and a resistor connected between the output side of the second FET and the ground line.

[0016] The power supply unit described above has a simple circuit configuration consisting of a capacitor and a resistor in parallel connected to the output side of the input FETs. The first and second FETs stably output the "High" signal input from the input circuit to the detection circuit and the microcontroller, while the second startup pulse with a wide pulse width is output to the second input terminal, which has the advantage of being able to stably and reliably switch the microcontroller from low power consumption mode to operating mode.

[0017] A power supply device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention comprises a first switching circuit which includes a first FET that outputs a "High" signal from an input circuit to a first input terminal of a detection circuit, a second switching circuit which includes a second FET that outputs a "High" signal from an input circuit to a second input terminal of a microcontroller, the first FET uses the voltage of a battery module as the power supply voltage, and the first FET includes a coupling capacitor connected in series with its gate.

[0018] The power supply unit described above has the advantage of reducing the power consumption of the first FET when the start switch is ON. This is because the coupling capacitor cuts out the DC component and inputs only the AC component from the input circuit to the gate of the first FET, preventing the first FET from being held ON. Therefore, even if the user holds the start switch ON for a long time continuously, the first FET will not be held ON continuously. Furthermore, in a circuit configuration where the power supply voltage of the first FET is the voltage of the battery module, power can be supplied to the first FET without stepping down the battery module voltage with a DC / DC converter, resulting in a simpler circuit configuration. However, the power supply voltage of the first FET becomes higher and the power consumption increases. Nevertheless, by inputting only the AC component to the gate of the first FET with the coupling capacitor, the ON time can be shortened, thus achieving the advantage of reducing the power consumption of the first FET with a high power supply voltage.

[0019] A power supply device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention includes a diode connected in series with the gate of a second FET.

[0020] The above battery module has the feature that it can accurately input the "High" signal of the input circuit to the gate of the second FET and output a second startup pulse from the second FET to the microcontroller.

[0021] The power supply device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention includes a low-voltage power supply in which a detection circuit steps down the voltage of the battery module and supplies a power supply voltage to the second FET.

[0022] The above power supply device has the feature that it can reduce the power consumption of the second FET that outputs a second startup pulse with a wide pulse width. This is because the power supply voltage of the second FET is made lower than the voltage of the battery module. The second FET is turned on at the timing of outputting a second startup pulse to the microcontroller and charges the capacitor connected to the output side to a "High" voltage. By making the power supply voltage of the second FET lower than the voltage of the battery module and setting it to an optimal voltage for the "High" voltage, a circuit that divides the voltage of the battery module like the first FET to obtain a startup pulse of a predetermined voltage is not required. The first FET can be turned on for a short time and output a first startup pulse to the startup circuit, but since the second FET allows a charging current of the capacitor to flow and outputs a second startup pulse with a wide pulse width, the drain-source current in the on state is large, and the power loss becomes large in a circuit configuration that outputs a startup pulse by resistive voltage division.

[0023] The power supply device according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention is such that the detection circuit detects the first startup pulse and operates the low-voltage power supply in an operation mode to supply a power supply voltage to the second FET.

[0024] The power supply device according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention includes a microcontroller power supply in which a detection circuit steps down the voltage of the battery module and supplies a power supply voltage to the microcontroller. The above power supply device can supply a power supply voltage from the detection circuit to the microcontroller.

[0025] The power supply device according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention is such that the detection circuit detects the first startup pulse and operates the microcontroller power supply in an operation mode to supply a power supply voltage to the microcontroller.

[0026] The above power supply unit has the advantage of reducing power consumption by setting the microcontroller power supply, which supplies power voltage to the microcontroller, to a low-power mode when not in use. When the start switch is pressed and the detection circuit enters operating mode, it can supply power voltage from the microcontroller power supply to the microcontroller, thereby reducing the power consumption of the microcontroller.

[0027] The power supply device according to the 11th embodiment of the present invention includes a detection circuit that provides a low-voltage power supply that steps down the voltage of the battery module to supply a power supply voltage to the second FET, and a microcontroller power supply is used in combination with the low-voltage power supply to supply a power supply voltage to the microcontroller and the second FET.

[0028] The power supply device according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention has a battery module output voltage of 30V or higher and a low-voltage power supply output voltage of 5V or lower.

[0029] The power supply device according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention has a battery module output voltage of 30V or higher and a microcontroller power supply output voltage of 5V or lower.

[0030] The power supply device according to the 14th embodiment of the present invention is a push-button switch that outputs an ON signal when the start switch is pressed.

[0031] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (for example, "up," "down," and other terms including these) will be used as needed. The use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the meaning of these terms does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Also, parts with the same reference numerals appearing in multiple drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts or components. Furthermore, the embodiments described below illustrate specific examples of the technical concept of the present invention and do not limit the present invention to those described below. Also, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc., of the components described below are intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified. Moreover, the content described in one embodiment or example is applicable to other embodiments and examples. Additionally, the size and positional relationships of the members shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0032] (Power supply 100) The power supply unit 100 in Figure 1 includes a battery module 10 in which multiple rechargeable battery cells 1 are connected in series or parallel, a battery connection circuit 2 connected to the battery module 10 that detects battery information and has a low-power consumption mode switching function to reduce power consumption when not in use, a start circuit 3 that outputs a start pulse to switch the battery connection circuit 2 from low-power mode to operating mode, and a start switch 4 that outputs an on / off signal to the start circuit 3. The battery connection circuit 2 includes a detection circuit 21 that detects battery information such as the cell voltage of the battery module 10, and a microcontroller 22 that performs calculation processing on the battery information detected by the detection circuit 21. The start circuit 3 includes a first switching circuit 6A that outputs a first start pulse to the detection circuit 21 in response to an on / off signal input from the start switch 4, and a second switching circuit 6B that outputs a second start pulse with a wider pulse width than the first start pulse to the microcontroller 22 in response to an on / off signal input from the start switch 4, thereby putting the microcontroller 22 into an operating state.

[0033] (Battery module 10) The battery module 10 increases its charge and discharge capacity by connecting multiple battery cells 1 in series, in parallel, or in series and parallel. The battery module 10 is set to the optimal voltage and charge and discharge capacity for the application of the power supply unit 100 by the number of battery cells 1 and the number of cells connected in series or parallel. The power supply unit 100 is used for various applications, for example, in energy storage devices and power supply units 100 for vehicle operation. Power supply units used in energy storage devices have an output voltage of, for example, 40V to 100V for the battery module 10, while power supply units for vehicle operation have an output voltage of 200V to 400V for the battery module 10. The battery cells 1 are preferably non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries such as lithium-ion secondary batteries or lithium polymer secondary batteries, which can increase the charge and discharge capacity relative to weight and volume. However, the present invention does not specify a particular battery cell, and all other rechargeable secondary batteries currently in use or to be developed in the future, such as all-solid-state batteries, can also be used.

[0034] (Detection circuit 21, microcontroller 22) The detection circuit 21 detects the state of the battery module 10, i.e., battery information, and the microcontroller 22 processes the battery information input from the detection circuit 21. The battery information detected by the detection circuit 21 includes, for example, the voltage and temperature of the battery cells 1 that make up the battery module 10, and the current of the battery module 10. The detection circuit 21 detects this battery information as analog signals. The detection circuit 21 converts the detected analog signals into digital signals and outputs them to an external control circuit (not shown). The power supply unit 100, which detects the voltage and temperature of the battery cells 1 and the current of the battery module 10 via the battery connection circuit 2, outputs the battery information to the external control circuit, which controls the charging and discharging of the battery module 10. This power supply unit 100 can charge and discharge the battery module 10 while preventing overcharging and over-discharging of the battery cells 1. Furthermore, the power supply unit 100, which is equipped with a detection circuit 21 that detects the temperature of the battery cells 1, has the advantage of being able to safely charge and discharge by maintaining the temperature of the battery cells 1 at a set temperature. However, the power supply unit 100 described above does not necessarily specify the battery information detected by the battery connection circuit 2 as voltage, temperature, and current. For example, it can also detect the remaining capacity of each battery cell 1 as battery information and output it externally.

[0035] The detection circuit 21, which detects voltage and current, is not shown in the diagram, but includes a voltage detection circuit that detects the voltage of the battery cells 1 constituting the battery module 10, a temperature detection circuit that detects the temperature of a specific battery cell 1, a current detection circuit that detects the charge and discharge current of the battery module 10, and an A / D converter that converts the analog signals detected by these detection circuits into digital signals. However, the power supply device 100 of the present invention does not specify the circuit configuration of the detection circuit 21 of the battery connection circuit 2, and for example, it can also be a detection circuit that detects other parameters of the battery module 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the detection circuit 21 includes a microcontroller power supply 23 that steps down the voltage of the battery module 10 to supply power voltage to the microcontroller 22. The detection circuit 21 detects that a first startup pulse has been input from the startup circuit 3 and starts up the microcontroller power supply 23. The detection circuit 21 starts up the microcontroller power supply 23 upon detecting the first startup pulse, but there is a time delay of, for example, several hundred microsecs to several milliseconds between the input of the first startup pulse and the output of a normal power voltage to the microcontroller 22 by the microcontroller power supply 23. Therefore, the microcontroller power supply 23 supplies power voltage to the microcontroller 22 after a predetermined time delay from the input of the first startup pulse to the detection circuit 21. In low-power mode, the microcontroller power supply 23 does not supply power voltage to the microcontroller 22 that is not in operating mode.

[0037] Furthermore, the detection circuit 21 also includes a low-voltage power supply 24 that supplies the power supply voltage to the second FET9 of the startup circuit 3, which will be described later. The low-voltage power supply 24 does not supply power supply voltage to the second FET9 in the low-power mode of the detection circuit 21. Preferably, the low-voltage power supply 24 is supplied to the second FET9 at the timing when the first startup pulse is input. The low-voltage power supply 24 has a lower power supply capacity compared to the microcontroller power supply 23, and can supply the low-voltage power supply 24 to the second FET9 with a smaller time delay from the first startup pulse. The detection circuit 21, which uses separate power supplies for the microcontroller power supply 23 and the low-voltage power supply 24, has the advantage of being able to supply power supply voltage to the second FET9 with a smaller time delay of the low-voltage power supply 24, and can also supply the optimal power supply voltage to both the microcontroller 22 and the second FET9. However, the detection circuit 21 can also supply power voltage to the microcontroller 22 and the second FET 9 by using the microcontroller power supply 23 in conjunction with the low-voltage power supply 24, or by using the low-voltage power supply 24 in conjunction with the microcontroller power supply 23.

[0038] The microcontroller power supply 23 and the low-voltage power supply 24 can be DC / DC converters that step down the voltage of the battery module 10 and output it. In the low-power mode of the detection circuit 21, the DC / DC converter keeps the semiconductor switching element in the off state and cuts off the output voltage. Upon detecting the first startup pulse, both the microcontroller power supply 23 and the low-voltage power supply 24 are set to operating mode to supply power voltage to the microcontroller 22 and the second FET 9. Since the DC / DC converter of the low-voltage power supply 24 supplies less power than the microcontroller power supply 23 of the second FET 9, the startup time delay can be reduced by, for example, increasing the switching frequency of the DC / DC converter or reducing the capacitance of the electrolytic capacitor in the smoothing circuit to reduce output voltage ripple.

[0039] The microcontroller 22 processes the digital signals input from the detection circuit 21. The microcontroller 22's processing involves comparing the detected voltage of the battery cell 1 with the minimum and maximum voltages, outputting a signal to the main control circuit (not shown) to determine the maximum charge / discharge current of the battery module 10, or calculating the remaining capacity of the battery module 10 and battery cell 1 from the voltage and current of the battery module 10 and battery cell 1, outputting the remaining capacity to an external control circuit, or even displaying the remaining battery capacity by lighting up an LED.

[0040] The detection circuit 21 and microcontroller 22 are equipped with a switching function that detects when they are not used for a set time or when they detect an external signal, and switches to a low-power mode to suppress unnecessary power consumption. In low-power mode, the microcontroller 22 preferably enters a shutdown state to further reduce power consumption. When a startup pulse is input from the startup circuit 3 while in low-power mode, the detection circuit 21 and microcontroller 22 restart and return to operation mode. Both the detection circuit 21 and microcontroller 22 enter low-power mode to suppress unnecessary power consumption. The detection circuit 21 stops supplying power voltage to enter low-power mode, and the microcontroller 22 preferably enters a shutdown state to switch to low-power mode. However, the microcontroller 22 does not necessarily have to enter a shutdown state, but can also reduce power consumption by entering a hibernation state or sleep state. Therefore, in this specification, "low power consumption mode" means all states that reduce power consumption compared to the normal operating state, preferably the shutdown state, but it is not necessarily limited to the shutdown state and is used to include modes that reduce power consumption, such as hibernation and sleep states.

[0041] The microcontroller 22 experiences a time delay of less than 1 second from the time the first startup pulse is input from the startup circuit 3 to the detection circuit 21 until it can detect input signals by polling multiple input terminals, i.e., during initial setup. The time delay from the input of the startup pulse to the polling state varies depending on the processing capacity of the microcontroller 22. To give a specific example of the time delay for a microcontroller 22 used in this type of application, for example, there is a time delay of approximately 1 msec from the time the first startup pulse is input to the detection circuit 21 until the microcontroller power supply 23 supplies power voltage to the microcontroller 22, approximately 70 msec for reset release, approximately 500 msec for microcontroller boot operation, approximately 3 msec for port switching, and approximately 130 msec for 16-channel port potential polling, resulting in a total time delay of approximately 700 msec. This microcontroller 22 can be restarted by inputting a second startup pulse with a pulse width of approximately 1 second.

[0042] The microcontroller 22 has a time delay of approximately 700 msec between the start switch 4 being pressed and the detection of the signal at the second input terminal 26, and then a time delay of approximately 700 msec before it enters a polling state and can detect the second start pulse. Therefore, by inputting a second start pulse with a pulse width longer than the time delay (which is approximately 1 second) to the microcontroller 22, a reliable restart can be achieved. The time delay until the microcontroller 22 can poll and detect the signal at the second input terminal 26 varies depending on the processing speed. Therefore, by making the pulse width of the second start pulse input to the second input terminal 26 longer than the time delay, the microcontroller 22 is reliably restarted.

[0043] (Startup circuit 3) The startup circuit 3 restarts the battery connection circuit 2 from low-power mode to operating mode using an on / off signal input from the startup switch 4. The startup circuit 3 includes an input circuit 5 that outputs "High" when the startup switch 4 connected to the input side is ON, and an output circuit 6 connected to the output side of the input circuit 5. The output circuit 6 includes a first switching circuit 6A that outputs a first startup pulse to the detection circuit 21, and a second switching circuit 6B that outputs a second startup pulse to the microcontroller 22. In Figure 1, the startup circuit 3 has an inverting FET 7 connected to the input side of the output circuit 6, and the first switching circuit 6A and the second switching circuit 6B connected to the output side of the inverting FET 7.

[0044] The activation switch 4 is a normally off manual switch, and a push-button switch that turns on when the button is pressed can be used. However, instead of a push-button switch, the activation switch 4 can also be any other switch that the user can operate to switch it on or off, such as a proximity switch.

[0045] The input circuit 5 includes an input transistor 51 whose base is connected to the ground line 19 via a start switch 4. The input transistor 51 is a bipolar transistor, with its base connected to the ground line 19 via the start switch 4 and its collector connected via a base resistor 52. The collector is connected to the positive side of the power supply line 18, which is the positive side of the battery module 10, via a first load resistor 53. When the start switch 4 is off, the input transistor 51 is on with its base connected to the collector. When the start switch 4 is pressed and switched to the on state, the base is connected to the emitter via the ground line 19 and switched to the off state.

[0046] In the input circuit 5 of Figure 1, the base of the input transistor 51 is connected to the collector via a base resistor 52. Therefore, when the start switch 4 is in the off state, base current is supplied via the base resistor 52, keeping it in the on state. The start switch 4 is a normally off switch; when the push button is not pressed, it is in the on state, keeping the input transistor 51 in the on state. The base resistor 52 is an electrical resistance that allows the base current to flow, keeping the input transistor 51 in the on state when the start switch 4 is in the off state.

[0047] In the bipolar transistor used as input transistor 51, the base current controls the collector current, and the product of the base current and the current amplification factor is the collector current. The current amplification factor of a typical transistor is around 100 to 500. Therefore, input transistor 51 can set the base current to 1 / 100 to 1 / 500 of the collector current. For example, input transistor 51 with a collector current of 50 μA to 100 μA and a current amplification factor of 100 can set the base current to 0.5 μA to 1 μA. This input transistor 51 can set the collector current to 50 μA by setting the resistance value to a base current of 0.5 μA.

[0048] The fact that the input transistor 51 can reduce its base current to 1 / 100 to 1 / 500 of the collector current is effective in significantly reducing the power consumption of the input circuit 5. This is because, in the low-power mode of the battery connection circuit 2, the power consumed by the input circuit 5 of the startup circuit 3 can be significantly reduced. The startup circuit 3 connects the first FET 8 and the second FET 9 to the output side of the input circuit 5. These FETs are kept in the off state and do not consume power in the low-power mode, and furthermore, the inverting FET 7 of the input circuit 5 is also in the off state and does not consume power when the startup switch 4 is not pressed in the low-power mode. When the startup switch 4 is not pressed in the low-power mode, only the input transistor 51 is in the on state and consumes power, so it is extremely important to reduce the power consumption of the input transistor 51 as much as possible.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, the input circuit 5 can also use an FET as the input transistor. In this input circuit 5, both the drain current flowing between the drain and source of the input FET 56 and the idle current flowing through the gate resistor 57 connected to the gate to keep the FET in the ON state flow through it. In order to keep the input FET 56 in a stable operating state, the idle current is set to a current value comparable to the drain current, so the current consumption of the startup circuit 3 is approximately twice the drain current of the input FET 56.

[0050] The startup circuit 3 in Figure 1 sets the collector current of the input transistor 51 to the same value as the drain current of the FET in Figure 2, and reduces the base current to a nearly negligible value of 1 / 100 to 1 / 500 of the collector current. In Figure 2, when the startup switch 4 is off, both the drain current and the idle current of the gate resistor of the input FET 56 are approximately equal, and the startup circuit 3 consumes about twice the current of the input FET's drain current. Because the startup circuit 3 in Figure 1 can reduce the base current of the input transistor 51 to an extremely small value of 1 / 100 to 1 / 500 of the collector current, the current consumption of the startup circuit 3 can be reduced by 50% compared to the input FET. Since the startup circuit 3 always consumes power with both the input FET and input transistor 51 in the ON state when the startup switch 4 is off, reducing this power consumption reduces the power consumption of the power supply unit 100 in low power consumption mode, and thus achieves the excellent feature of suppressing wasted power consumption of the battery in this mode.

[0051] The input transistor 51 has a first load resistor 53 connected to its collector. The first load resistor 53 is set to have a high electrical resistance in order to reduce the collector current of the input transistor 51 when it is on. This is because when the input transistor 51 is on, it connects the power line 18 to the ground line 19 via the first load resistor 53 and flows a collector current, and this collector current decreases inversely proportional to the electrical resistance of the first load resistor 53. When the start switch 4 is switched from off to on, the collector voltage of the input transistor 51 becomes a "High" voltage, which is divided by the first load resistor 53 and the base resistor 52 of the input transistor 51. The "High" and "Low" signals output from the collector of the input transistor 51 are input to the output circuit 6.

[0052] (Output circuit 6) The output circuit 6 includes an inverting FET 7 connected to the output side of the input transistor 51, and a first switching circuit 6A and a second switching circuit 6B connected to the output side of the inverting FET 7.

[0053] (Inverting FET7) The inverting FET 7 is an n-channel FET that inverts the "High" and "Low" signals input from the input transistor 51 and outputs them to the first FET 8 and the second FET 9. The inverting FET 7 has its gate connected to the collector of the input transistor 51, its source connected to the ground line 19, and its drain connected to the positive power line 18 of the battery module 10 via the second load resistor 12. When the start switch 4 is off, the inverting FET 7 is kept off by the input transistor 51, which is in the ON state, with its gate connected to the ground line 19. When the start switch 4 is on, a "High" signal is input to the gate, turning the FET 7 on and connecting the second load resistor 12 to the ground line 19 to output a "Low" signal.

[0054] (First switching circuit 6A) The first switching circuit 6A includes a first FET 8 that outputs a "High" signal input from the inverting FET 7 as a first start pulse to a first input terminal 25 provided in the detection circuit 21. The gate of the first FET 8 is connected to the drain, which is the output side of the inverting FET 7, via a coupling capacitor 13. The coupling capacitor 13 inputs a signal that occurs when the inverting FET 7 is switched from off to on, causing the drain voltage of the inverting FET 7 to rise from "Low" to "High", as a trigger signal to the gate of the first FET 8, temporarily switching the first FET 8 to the ON state. The first FET 8 is switched to the ON state only when an ON voltage is input from the coupling capacitor 13. The time for which the coupling capacitor 13 inputs an ON voltage to the first FET 8 and turns it ON can be determined by the capacitance of the coupling capacitor 13 and the electrical resistance of the gate resistor 14. The on-time of the first FET 8 can be increased by increasing the capacitance of the coupling capacitor 13 and the electrical resistance of the gate resistor 14. However, since the first FET 8 outputs a first startup pulse to the detection circuit 21 when it is on, the capacitance of the coupling capacitor 13 and the electrical resistance of the gate resistor 14 are set so that the pulse width of the first startup pulse is a specific duration.

[0055] The coupling capacitor 13 is connected in series with the coupling resistor 15. The coupling resistor 15 controls the drain current by adjusting the gate current at the moment the first FET 8 is switched on. The product of the drain current of the first FET 8 and the electrical resistance of the third load resistor 16 becomes the voltage value of the first startup pulse. Therefore, the voltage of the first startup pulse is set to an optimal value by adjusting the voltage division ratio of the third load resistor 16 and the drain current of the first FET 8.

[0056] (Second switching circuit 6B) The second switching circuit 6B includes a second FET 9 that uses the rising "High" signal input from the inverting FET 7 as a trigger pulse and outputs a second startup pulse of a predetermined pulse width to a second input terminal 26 provided on the microcontroller 22. The second FET 9 has a parallel circuit of a capacitor 31 and a resistor 32 connected between the drain (output side) and the ground line 19, so that the pulse width of the second startup pulse output to the microcontroller 22 is set to a predetermined time width.

[0057] The second FET 9 has a diode 33 connected in series with its gate. The diode 33 is connected in a direction that inputs the signal from the change in the drain of the inverting FET 7 from "High" to "Low" as a trigger signal to the gate of the second FET 9. The p-channel second FET 9, whose gate voltage drops to the ground line 19 via the diode 33, has its gate connected to the drain side via the diode 33, and is switched to the ON state when the gate voltage is input. The ON state of the second FET 9 charges the capacitor 31 connected between the drain and the ground line 19, maintaining the drain voltage in a "High" state. The voltage of the capacitor 31, which is maintained at a "High" voltage, is output as a second start pulse to the second input terminal 26 provided on the microcontroller 22, starting the microcontroller 22. The pulse width of the second start pulse can be made longer by increasing the capacitance of the capacitor 31. For example, the capacitance of the capacitor 31 is set to a value that makes the pulse width of the second start pulse that starts the microcontroller 22 approximately 1 second. Since the capacitor 31 is gradually discharged by the resistor 32 connected in parallel, the electrical resistance of the resistor 32 can be increased, thereby lengthening the pulse width of the second starting pulse. Thus, the pulse width of the second starting pulse can be set to an optimal value by the time constant of the capacitance of the capacitor 31 and the electrical resistance of the resistor 32.

[0058] The second FET 9 does not receive voltage directly from the battery module 10, but receives voltage from the low-voltage power supply 24. The voltage of the low-voltage power supply 24 determines the voltage at which the second FET 9 turns on and charges the capacitor 31. The voltage across the capacitor 31 is gradually reduced by the resistor 32 to a voltage at which the second input terminal 26 of the microcontroller 22 can output a start pulse. The output voltage of the low-voltage power supply 24, i.e., the drain-source voltage of the second FET 9, is maintained for a predetermined time above the voltage at which the microcontroller 22 can recognize it as a "High" start pulse, even as the capacitor 31 discharges and the voltage gradually decreases. Therefore, the power supply voltage of the low-voltage power supply 24 is preferably set to several times the voltage at which the microcontroller 22 recognizes it as "High". The pulse width of the second start pulse can be set by the power supply voltage of the low-voltage power supply 24, which is the initial charging voltage of the capacitor 31, the capacitance of the capacitor 31, and the electrical resistance of the resistor 32. By increasing the voltage of the low-voltage power supply 24, increasing the capacitance of the capacitor 31, and increasing the electrical resistance of the resistor 32, the pulse width of the second startup pulse can be lengthened. Conversely, by decreasing these values, the pulse width of the second startup pulse can be shortened. Therefore, the voltage of the low-voltage power supply 24, the capacitance of the capacitor 31, and the electrical resistance of the resistor 32 are set to values ​​such that the pulse width of the second startup pulse is approximately 1 second or longer.

[0059] In Figure 1, the power supply unit 100 restarts the detection circuit 21 and microcontroller 22 of the battery connection circuit 2, which are in low power consumption mode, by the following operation. In low-power mode, when the device is not used for an extended period, both the detection circuit 21 of the battery connection circuit 2 and the microcontroller 22 are switched to low-power mode to reduce power consumption. The microcontroller 22 can preferably be put into a shutdown state to further reduce power consumption. In this state, the start switch 4 is off, the input transistor 51 is on, and the inverting FET 7, the first FET 8, and the second FET 9 are all off to reduce power consumption.

[0060] When the start switch 4 is pressed, the input transistor 51 turns off, the inverting FET 7 turns on, and the first FET 8 and the second FET 9 are switched on. The first switching circuit 6A, which has been switched on, instantaneously outputs a "High" first start pulse to the detection circuit 21, and the second switching circuit 6B outputs a second start pulse to the microcontroller 22. The detection circuit 21, which has received the first start pulse, starts up and supplies operating power to the microcontroller 22 from the microcontroller power supply 23, and also supplies operating power to the second FET 9 from the low voltage power supply 24. The microcontroller 22, which has been supplied with operating power, starts preprocessing, but does not reach a state in which it can detect the second start pulse input to the second input terminal 26, and enters a polling state after a predetermined time has elapsed. The second switching circuit 6B outputs a second startup pulse with a longer pulse width to the microcontroller 22. Even when the microcontroller 22 is in a polling state, the second startup pulse is input to the microcontroller 22, so the microcontroller 22 recognizes the second startup pulse, restarts from low-power mode, and enters normal operating mode. [Industrial applicability]

[0061] The power supply device of the present invention can be effectively used in devices that reduce power consumption by operating in a low-power consumption mode when not in use, and restart by pressing a start switch when in use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 100…Power supply device 1…Battery cell 2…Battery connection circuit 3…Startup circuit 4…Start switch 5…Input Circuit 6…Output circuit 6A...First switching circuit 6B...Second switching circuit 7...Inverting FET 8...First FET 9...Second FET 10…Battery module 12…Second load resistance 13…Coupling capacitor 14…Gate resistor 15…Coupling resistor 16…Third load resistance 18…Power line 19... Grand Line 21...Detection circuit 22... Microcontroller 23... Microcontroller power supply 24... Low-voltage power supply 25...First input terminal 26...Second input terminal 31... Capacitor 32...Resistor 33…diode 51…Input transistor 52…Base resistor 53...First load resistance 56...Input FET 57…Gate Resistor

Claims

1. A battery module having multiple rechargeable battery cells, Connected to the aforementioned battery module to detect battery information, Furthermore, a battery connection circuit having a low power consumption mode switching function, A startup circuit that outputs a startup pulse to switch the battery connection circuit from low power mode to operating mode, The aforementioned startup circuit is equipped with a startup switch that outputs an on / off signal, The aforementioned battery connection circuit is A detection circuit for detecting battery information of the aforementioned battery module, It includes a microcontroller that performs calculations on battery information detected by a battery detection circuit, The aforementioned startup circuit The on / off signal input from the aforementioned start switch, The detection circuit includes a first switching circuit that outputs a first activation pulse. The on / off signal input from the aforementioned start switch, The aforementioned microcontroller, A power supply device comprising a second switching circuit that outputs a second activation pulse having a wider pulse width than the first activation pulse.

2. A power supply device according to claim 1, The detection circuit includes a first input terminal to which a first activation pulse is input, The microcontroller is equipped with a second input terminal to which a second start pulse is input, The detection circuit detects the first activation pulse and supplies a power supply voltage to the microcontroller to enter a polling state. A power supply device in which the microcontroller, which is in a polling state, detects a second startup pulse and decides to switch from low-power mode to operating mode.

3. A power supply device according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned startup circuit An input circuit that outputs "High" when the aforementioned start switch is ON, The system comprises an output circuit connected to the output side of the input circuit, The output circuit described above, A first switching circuit that outputs a first activation pulse, A power supply device comprising a second switching circuit that outputs a second activation pulse.

4. A power supply device according to claim 3, The detection circuit includes a first input terminal to which a first activation pulse is input, The microcontroller is equipped with a second input terminal to which a second start pulse is input, The first switching circuit includes a first FET that outputs the "High" signal of the input circuit to the first input terminal of the detection circuit. The second switching circuit includes a second FET that outputs the "High" signal of the input circuit to the second input terminal of the microcontroller. A power supply device comprising a parallel circuit of a capacitor and a resistor connected between the output side of the second FET and the ground line.

5. A power supply device according to claim 4, The first switching circuit includes a first FET that outputs the "High" signal of the input circuit to the first input terminal of the detection circuit. The second switching circuit includes a second FET that outputs the "High" signal of the input circuit to the second input terminal of the microcontroller. The first FET uses the voltage of the battery module as its power supply voltage. A power supply device comprising a coupling capacitor connected in series with the gate of the first FET.

6. A power supply device according to claim 5, A power supply device comprising a diode connected in series with the gate of the second FET.

7. A power supply device according to claim 5 or 6, The detection circuit comprises a power supply device that includes a low-voltage power supply that reduces the voltage of the battery module and supplies a power supply voltage to the second FET.

8. A power supply device according to claim 7, The power supply device, wherein the detection circuit detects the first startup pulse, sets the low-voltage power supply to an operating mode, and supplies the power supply voltage to the second FET.

9. A power supply device according to claim 8, The detection circuit comprises a power supply unit that includes a microcontroller power supply that reduces the voltage of the battery module and supplies a power supply voltage to the microcontroller.

10. A power supply device according to claim 9, The detection circuit detects a first startup pulse, sets the microcontroller power supply to an operating mode, and supplies a power supply voltage to the microcontroller.

11. A power supply device according to claim 9 or 10, The detection circuit includes the low-voltage power supply that reduces the voltage of the battery module and supplies a power supply voltage to the second FET, A power supply device in which the microcontroller power supply is used in conjunction with the low-voltage power supply to supply power voltage to the microcontroller and the second FET.

12. A power supply device according to any one of claims 7, 8, or 11, The output voltage of the aforementioned battery module is 30V or higher, A power supply device in which the output voltage of the low-voltage power supply is 5V or less.

13. A power supply device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, The output voltage of the aforementioned battery module is 30V or higher, A power supply device in which the output voltage of the microcontroller power supply is 5V or less.

14. A power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, A power supply device in which the aforementioned activation switch is a push-button switch that outputs an ON signal when pressed.

Images