CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. National Phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2018/031829, filed on Aug. 28, 2018, which in turn claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2017-164276, filed on Aug. 29, 2017, the entire disclosures of which Applications are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a voltage detection circuit, a voltage measurement apparatus, and an assembled battery system.

BACKGROUND ART

FIG. 1Ais a block diagram of a voltage measurement apparatus showing data acquisition from a voltage detection circuit101in a voltage measurement apparatus of a conventional example.FIG. 1Bis a block diagram of the voltage measurement apparatus showing data acquisition from a voltage detection circuit103in the voltage measurement apparatus of the conventional example. Referring toFIGS. 1A and 1B, the voltage measurement apparatus of the conventional example is configured to include a host apparatus100made up of a micro control unit (MCU) and a communication circuit, and voltage detection circuits101,102and103. In this case, each of B1, B2and B3is a battery cell (hereinafter, referred to as cell). For example, a plurality of batteries is connected in series, and BA is an assembled battery configured by connecting the cells B1, B2and B3in series.

In the conventional example, as shown inFIG. 1A, the MCU transmits a data readout command to one of the three voltage detection circuits101,102and103connected in a daisy chain. The command is delivered to all the voltage detection circuits101,102and103connected in the daisy chain, and only the voltage detection circuit having become a target transmits reply data. The reply data is sequentially delivered through the daisy chain, and the MCU receives the returned data.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

Patent Document

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. JP5503924B2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

In the conventional example, the frequency of data transmission in the downstream voltage detection circuit close to the MCU is higher, and the frequency of data transmission in the upstream voltage detection circuit distant from the MCU, is lower. As a result, in current consumption or power consumption during data communication, a difference generates between the voltage detection circuits, resulting in nonuniformity of the plurality of cell voltages.

An object of the present invention is to reduce variations in power consumption during communication among a plurality of voltage detection circuits.

Means For Dissolving the Problems

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a voltage detection circuit for measuring each cell voltage of an assembled battery configured by connecting a plurality of cells in series. The voltage detection circuit is defined as a first voltage detection circuit. The voltage detection circuit includes:

a reply signal generation circuit that generates a reply signal containing data detected by the first voltage detection circuit;

an upstream transfer circuit that transfers a signal received by an upstream communication circuit to downstream;

a dummy current consumption circuit that consumes a predetermined dummy current; and

a control circuit that controls the reply signal generation circuit, the upstream transfer circuit, and the dummy current consumption circuit to selectively operate any one of the reply signal generation circuit, the upstream transfer circuit, and the dummy current consumption circuit, based on a communication command signal.

Effect of the Invention

Therefore, according to the present invention, based on a communication command signal received from the host apparatus, the control circuit controls the reply signal generation circuit, the upstream transfer circuit, and the dummy current consumption circuit to selectively operate one of them. As a result, it is possible to reduce variations in power consumption during communication among the plurality of voltage detection circuits and make the power consumption uniform.

