Patent ID: 8163411

Claim:
An abnormality detection apparatus for a battery pack including a plurality of unit batteries each of which is constituted by one, or adjacent two or more of battery cells, the abnormality detection apparatus being connected through detection lines to both electrodes of each of the unit batteries, and configured to detect a voltage across each of the unit batteries on the basis of voltages between each two adjacent detection lines, the abnormality detection apparatus comprising: a first determining function of making a first determination that abnormality is present when a voltage across a unit battery of interest is higher than a first threshold; a second determining function of making a second determination that abnormality is present when the voltage across the unit battery of interest is lower than a second threshold lower than the first threshold; a short-circuit function of making a short-circuit between a detection line of interest connected to one electrode of a unit battery of interest and an adjacent detection line connected to the other electrode of the unit battery of interest; a third determining function of making a third determination that there is faulty electrical continuity in the detection line of interest if the first determining function makes the first determination and the second determining function makes the second determination when the short circuit function makes the short-circuit; and a fourth determining function of making a fourth determination on presence of at least one of an overcharge condition and an overdischarge condition of the unit battery of interest on the basis of a determination result of at least one of the first and second determining functions, on condition that the third determining function does not make the third determination.