Integrated Circuit with Shared Terminals for Battery Voltage Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional integrated circuits with built-in status-monitoring units for battery cells face challenges in downsizing while maintaining reliability, as sharing wiring for voltage detection leads to potential short circuits and increased terminal count, compromising both downsizing and reliability.

Innovation Solution

The integrated circuit design includes separate first and second connection terminals, switches connecting adjacent second terminals in series, and a switch control section to manage electrical signals and discharge operations, allowing for shared terminals for discharge and voltage detection without compromising redundancy or increasing terminal count.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate wiring is provided for voltage detection and discharge control to each battery cell, then reliability of voltage detection is improved, but the number of terminals increases and the integrated circuit cannot be downsized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of voltage detectionVSAvoidnumber of terminals

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the voltage detection function and discharge control function into a single integrated circuit chip. Multiple battery cells share common terminals for both voltage detection and discharge control operations, reducing the total number of terminals while maintaining functional integration and reliability through unified circuit design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated circuit is designed with multi-functional terminals that serve dual purposes: detecting voltage across battery cells and controlling discharge operations. This universal terminal design allows the same terminal to be used for both measurement and control functions, thereby reducing the overall terminal count while preserving system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Device complexity

If wiring for voltage detection is shared between multiple battery cells to reduce terminal count, then the integrated circuit can be downsized, but the risk of short circuits and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveterminal countVSAvoidreliability of voltage detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated circuit internally segments the voltage detection paths for different battery cells, providing electrically isolated detection channels within the chip. This segmentation prevents short circuits between cells while allowing external terminals to be shared, thus maintaining reliability without increasing terminal count.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated circuit acts as an intermediary device that receives voltage signals from multiple battery cells through shared terminals, processes them through isolated internal detection circuits, and provides discharge control. This intermediary function enables terminal sharing while preventing direct electrical interference or short circuits between battery cells.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the number of terminals is increased to provide redundancy for voltage detection, then detection reliability is improved, but the dimension of the integrated circuit cannot be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoiddimension of integrated circuit

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated circuit employs a nested structure where multiple voltage detection functions are integrated within a single chip package. The detection circuits for different battery cells are nested within the same physical footprint, allowing redundant detection capabilities without proportionally increasing the external dimensions of the integrated circuit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a two-dimensional terminal arrangement to a three-dimensional integrated circuit structure, stacking multiple detection circuits and functional blocks vertically within the chip. This dimensional change allows increased functional density and redundancy without significantly increasing the planar footprint or overall device dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10627453B2Integrated circuit with built-in status monitoring unit and power supply device provided with said integrated circuit

Publication Date: 2020.04.21 SANYO ELECTRIC CO LTD

AI summary

A integrated circuit includes a plurality of first connection terminals (410) and second connection terminals (420) for receiving an input of electrical signals, a first detection section, a second detection section, a plurality of switches (432), and a switch control section (430). The first detection section is connected to first connection terminals (410) and obtains input electrical signals. The second detection section is connected to second connection terminals (420). Each switch (432) connects adjacent second connection terminals (420) among second connection terminals (420) to each other, and are connected to each other in series. Switch control section (430) controls to turn off switches (432) and allows electrical signals input to second connection terminals (420) to be input to the second detection section, and controls to turn on any switch among switches (432) to bring adjacent second connection terminals (420) into electrical continuity.