Patent ID: 7999554

Claim:
Voltage translator circuitry for translating a floating cell voltage of at least one of a plurality of battery cells to a ground referenced cell voltage, said voltage translator circuitry comprising: a single operational amplifier comprising: a positive supply terminal configured to receive a positive supply voltage, a negative supply terminal configured to receive a negative supply voltage, an inverting input coupled to a path wherein said path is configured to be individually coupled to a positive terminal of each battery cell to be monitored, and a noninverting input configured to be individually coupled to a corresponding negative terminal of each said battery cell to be monitored wherein a voltage, Vcell-, between said non-inverting input and a ground terminal depends on which of the plurality of battery cells is being monitored; a first circuitry configured to adjust said negative supply voltage in response to Vcell- so that said negative supply voltage is less than Vcell- for each battery cell to be monitored, wherein said first circuitry comprises a first voltage regulating device, a first current source and a first transistor; and a second circuitry configured to adjust said positive supply voltage in response to Vcell- so that said positive supply voltage is greater than Vcell- for each battery cell to be monitored, wherein said second circuitry comprises a second voltage regulating device, a second current source and a second transistor.