Patent ID: 11876189
Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G  Y | IPC G  H

Claim 8:
9. A battery system, comprising plural battery modules which operate respectively in a bottom mode, a top mode and a middle mode during an enabled state; wherein the plural battery modules include a bottom battery module, a top battery module and at least one middle battery module; wherein the bottom battery module is configured to be operable in the bottom mode, the top battery module is configured to be operable in the top mode, and the at least one middle battery module is configured to be operable in the middle mode; wherein each of the plural battery modules includes:
a battery unit, including at least a battery, wherein the battery unit generates a battery unit voltage between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery unit; and
a battery control circuit, powered by the battery unit voltage and configured to operably detect the battery unit voltage and/or to control the battery unit, wherein the battery control circuit includes an enable terminal, an upstream input terminal, an upstream output terminal, a downstream input terminal, and a downstream output terminal;
wherein when the upstream input terminal is at an upstream enabling level, the battery module enters the enabled state;
wherein the battery module enters a mode determining step during the enabled state, wherein in the mode determining step:
when the enable terminal is at an operation enabling level and the upstream input terminal is at an upstream disabling level, the battery module is determined to be operating in the bottom mode;
when the enable terminal is at an operation disabling level, the upstream input terminal is at the upstream enabling level, and the downstream input terminal is at a downstream enabling level, the battery module is determined to be operating in the top mode; or
when the enable terminal is at the operation disabling level, the upstream input terminal is at the upstream enabling level, and the downstream input terminal is at a downstream disabling level, the battery module is determined to be operating in the middle mode;

wherein after the mode determining step, the battery control circuit conducts a daisy chain upstream step and a daisy chain downstream step;
wherein in the daisy chain upstream step, when one of the plural battery modules is determined to be operating in the bottom mode or the middle mode, the upstream output terminal of said one battery module switches to the upstream enabling level; after the daisy chain upstream step, the battery control circuit conducts the daisy chain downstream step;
wherein in the daisy chain downstream step:
when said one battery module operates in the top mode, the downstream output terminal of said one battery module switches to the downstream enabling level; or
when said one battery module operates in the middle mode, and the downstream input terminal of said one battery module is at a downstream enabling level, the downstream output terminal of said one battery module switches to the downstream enabling level;

wherein the bottom battery module, the at least one middle battery module and the top battery module are coupled in sequence to form a daisy chain;
wherein in the bottom battery module and at least one middle battery module, the upstream output terminal of each battery control circuit is coupled to the upstream input terminal of a neighboring battery control circuit in an upstream direction;
wherein in the top battery module and at least one middle battery module, the downstream output terminal of each battery control circuit is coupled to the downstream input terminal of a neighboring battery control circuit in an downstream direction;
wherein all the battery units of the plural battery modules are connected in series to generate a battery system voltage between a battery output positive terminal and a battery output negative terminal of the battery system;
wherein the battery control circuit of the bottom battery module corresponds to a bottom battery control circuit, and the enable terminal of the bottom battery control circuit is configured to receive a daisy chain starting signal from a master control circuit, wherein when the daisy chain starting signal switches to the operation enabling level, a daisy chain enabling procedure is started; and the upstream input terminal of the bottom battery control circuit is coupled to a reference voltage which is at the upstream disabling level;
wherein after each battery module of the battery system finishes the mode determining step, the upstream step and the downstream step, the bottom battery control circuit informs the master control circuit that the daisy chain enabling procedure has finished.