阅读说明：本技术 Ic芯片和使用该ic芯片的电路系统 (IC chip and circuit system using the same ) 是由 俞率智 于 2020-02-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及IC芯片和使用该IC芯片的电路系统。根据本发明的实施例的电路系统包括：第一IC芯片,其被布置在电路板上的第一电压区域中；以及第二IC芯片,其被布置在电路板上的第二电压区域中,其中,第一IC芯片和第二IC芯片中的每个设置有能够无线地发送/接收数据的数据通信单元和能够无线地发送/接收电力的电力发送/接收单元。第一IC芯片和第二IC芯片在第一电压区域和第二电压区域之间在绝缘状态下彼此无线地传送数据和电力。(The present invention relates to an IC chip and a circuit system using the same. Circuitry according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a first IC chip arranged in a first voltage region on a circuit board; and a second IC chip arranged in a second voltage region on the circuit board, wherein each of the first IC chip and the second IC chip is provided with a data communication unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data and a power transmission/reception unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power. The first IC chip and the second IC chip wirelessly transfer data and power to each other in an insulated state between the first voltage region and the second voltage region.)

1. A circuit system, comprising:

a first IC chip disposed in a first voltage region on a circuit board; and

a second IC chip disposed in a second voltage region on the circuit board,

wherein each of the first IC chip and the second IC chip is provided with a data communication unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data and a power transmission/reception unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power, and

the first IC chip and the second IC chip wirelessly transfer data and power to each other in an insulated state between the first voltage region and the second voltage region.

2. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first voltage region is a high voltage region of at least a predetermined voltage and the second voltage region is a low voltage region less than the predetermined voltage.

3. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first and second IC chips are spaced apart by at least a predetermined insulating distance to maintain the insulating state.

4. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first and second IC chips are arranged to be spaced apart by a shortest distance that satisfies a predetermined insulation distance.

5. The circuitry of claim 1, wherein the power transmitting/receiving unit wirelessly transmits/receives power using a wireless charging technique.

6. The circuit system of claim 1, wherein the circuit board is a circuit board of a Battery Management System (BMS).

7. An IC chip arranged in different voltage regions on a circuit board, respectively, the different voltage regions being required to transmit data and power in an insulated state, the IC chip comprising:

a data communication unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data between different IC chips; and

a power transmitting/receiving unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power between the different IC chips.

8. The IC chip of claim 7, wherein the different voltage regions include a first voltage region that is a high voltage region of at least a predetermined voltage and a second voltage region that is a low voltage region that is less than the predetermined voltage.

9. The IC chip according to claim 7, wherein the IC chips respectively arranged in the different voltage regions are arranged to be spaced apart by a shortest distance that satisfies a predetermined insulation distance.

10. The IC chip according to claim 8, wherein the power transmitting/receiving unit wirelessly transmits/receives power using a wireless charging technique.

11. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of battery cells; and

a battery management system that manages charging/discharging of the battery cells,

wherein the battery management system comprises:

a circuit element including at least a first IC chip and a second IC chip;

a first circuit board of a first voltage region, the first voltage region having a predetermined voltage range; and the number of the first and second groups,

a second circuit board of a second voltage region having a voltage range lower than that of the first voltage region,

wherein the first IC chip and the second IC chip are arranged in different boards among the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an IC chip and a circuit system using the same.

Background

In a conventional Battery Management System (BMS), in order to transmit data and power in an insulated state, insulating elements (e.g., digital isolators and transformers) are used between different voltage areas on a BMS board. For example, one side terminal of the insulating member is connected to a first voltage region (e.g., a high voltage region) of the BMS board, and the other side terminal of the insulating member is connected to a second voltage region (a low voltage region) of the BMS board.

Such an insulating member is arranged to connect different voltage regions, and thus it is necessary to satisfy setting criteria such as an insulation voltage, an insulation resistance value, and the like, in order to secure an insulation distance and a creepage distance (creepage distance) between the different voltage regions. Here, as the voltage difference between different voltage regions increases, the insulation distance and the creepage distance that need to be ensured increase. Therefore, as the voltage difference between the different voltage regions increases, the size of the insulating element increases.

In addition, when the insulating member is damaged, the BMS board is damaged due to insulation breakdown. Further, although the insulating member itself is designed to ensure a predetermined creepage distance as described above, if a circuit system to which the insulating member is to be applied requires insulation having a longer creepage distance than that ensured by the insulating member, the insulating member cannot be applied.

Disclosure of Invention

[ problem ] to

An object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies on providing a circuit system and an IC chip using two IC elements capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data and power in an insulated state in place of an insulating element.

[ solution ]

The circuit system according to the embodiment of the invention comprises: a first IC chip arranged in a first voltage region on a circuit board; and a second IC chip arranged in a second voltage region on the circuit board, wherein each of the first IC chip and the second IC chip is provided with a data communication unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data and a power transmission/reception unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power. Here, the first IC chip and the second IC chip wirelessly transfer data and power to each other in an insulated state between the first voltage region and the second voltage region.

The first voltage region may be a high voltage region of at least a predetermined voltage, and the second voltage region may be a low voltage region of less than the predetermined voltage.

The first IC chip and the second IC chip may be spaced apart by at least a predetermined insulation distance to maintain an insulated state. For example, the first IC chip and the second IC chip may be arranged to be spaced apart by a shortest distance that satisfies a predetermined insulation distance.

The power transmitting/receiving unit may wirelessly transmit/receive power using, for example, a wireless charging technology.

For example, the circuit board may be a circuit board of a Battery Management System (BMS).

An IC chip according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged in different voltage regions on a circuit board that require data and power transmission in an insulated state, respectively, and includes: a data communication unit capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data between different IC chips; and a power transmitting/receiving unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power between different IC chips.

Here, the different voltage regions include a first voltage region that is a high voltage region of at least a predetermined voltage and a second voltage region that is a low voltage region of less than the predetermined voltage.

For example, the IC chips respectively arranged in the different voltage regions are arranged to be spaced apart by the shortest distance satisfying a predetermined insulation distance.

The power transmitting/receiving unit may wirelessly transmit/receive power using, for example, a wireless charging technology.

Further, the present invention may be implemented as a battery pack. The battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of battery cells; and a battery management system that manages charge/discharge of the battery cells, wherein the battery management system includes: a circuit element including at least a first IC chip and a second IC chip; a first circuit board of a first voltage region having a predetermined voltage range; a second circuit board of a second voltage region having a voltage range lower than that of the first voltage region, wherein the first and second IC chips are arranged in different boards among the first and second circuit boards.

[ Effect of the invention ]

According to the present invention, two IC elements capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data and power in an insulated state are used instead of the insulating element, thereby enabling a circuit to be designed regardless of ensuring a creepage distance or insulation breakdown due to the insulating element. Further, since the size of each IC element is not affected by the insulation distance and the creepage distance, it is not necessary to increase the size in consideration of the insulation distance and the creepage distance. Therefore, the present invention can meet the technical trend of requiring increased battery voltage and smaller package when designing a circuit.

Other effects of the present invention will be further described according to the embodiments.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a battery pack.

Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of circuitry according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a first IC chip and a second IC chip according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a wireless power transfer technique using an inductive coupling scheme.

Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a circuit system using a conventional insulating element.

Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of a circuit system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a Battery Management System (BMS) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments, but includes various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives to the various embodiments of the present invention. With respect to the description of the figures, like reference numerals may refer to like elements.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Unless otherwise indicated, terms in the singular may include the plural. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Commonly used terms defined in dictionaries may be interpreted as having a meaning that is the same as or similar to the contextual meaning defined in the prior art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. According to circumstances, even terms defined herein should not be construed to exclude embodiments of the present invention.

The terms "first," "second," "A," "B," "a," "B," and the like may be used herein to describe elements of embodiments of the invention. However, these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, and the nature or order of these elements is not limited by these terms. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected," "coupled" or "accessed" to another element, it can be directly connected to or accessed by the other element or intervening elements may be present.

The configuration of the battery pack will be described with reference to fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a battery pack.

As shown in fig. 1, the battery pack B includes: a battery module 1 including at least one battery cell and capable of being charged/discharged; a switch unit 2 connected in series to the positive terminal side or the negative terminal side of the battery module 1 to control the charging/discharging current of the battery module 1; and a battery management system 3 that monitors the voltage, current, temperature, and the like of the battery B to prevent overcharging and overdischarging.

Here, the switching unit 2 may control a current for charging or discharging the battery module 1 using a semiconductor switching element such as at least one MOSFET.

Further, the BMS 3 may measure or calculate voltages and currents of the gate, the source, and the drain of the semiconductor switching element to monitor the voltage, the current, the temperature, etc. of the battery pack B, and may measure the current, the voltage, and the temperature of the battery pack using various sensors 4 disposed adjacent to the semiconductor switching element. The BMS 3 may include: a plurality of terminals as an interface for receiving inputs of measured values of the above-described various parameters, and a circuit connected to the terminals to process the input values.

Further, the BMS 3 may control on/off of the MOSFETs and may be connected to the battery module 1 to monitor the state of the battery module 1.

Further, the BMS 3 may be connected to the upper controller 7. The BMS 3 may transmit information on the state and control of the battery to the upper controller 7 or may control the operation of the battery pack B based on a control signal applied from the upper controller 7. The BMS 3 may exchange various signals and data with the upper controller 7 wirelessly or by wire. The battery pack B may be, for example, a vehicle battery pack, and the upper controller 7 may be a Microcontroller (MCU) of a vehicle system. However, the application field of the upper level controller 7 is not limited to the vehicle field, and the upper level controller 7 may thus be applied to any case (for example, an Energy Storage System (ESS)) in which a plurality of battery packs are used and managed.

Further, the BMS 3 may be implemented as a circuit system including different voltage regions and arranged on a circuit board when designing a circuit.

Here, the present invention is characterized in that, instead of using a conventional insulating element, two IC chips having an inter-chip wireless data communication function and an inter-chip wireless power transmission/reception function are used in order to perform data communication and transfer power between different voltage regions.

In detail, a circuit system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of circuitry according to an embodiment of the invention.

As shown in fig. 2, a circuit system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least a first voltage region 10 and a second voltage region 20 as different voltage regions on a circuit board 30.

The first voltage region 10 is, for example, a high voltage region of at least a predetermined voltage, and represents a first circuit unit.

The second voltage region 20 is, for example, a low voltage region smaller than a predetermined voltage, and represents a second circuit unit.

For example, each of the first voltage region 10 and the second voltage region 20 may include a circuit configuration such as a Microcontroller (MCU) for controlling various processes and each element of the BMS, a memory in which an operating system program and various programs (e.g., a battery charging/discharging control program, a battery abnormality diagnosis program, etc.) are recorded, an input/output interface providing an input interface and an output interface between the battery and/or the switching unit, and a communication interface capable of communicating with the outside via a wired/wireless communication network. Alternatively, the above configuration may be provided to only one of the first voltage region 10 and the second voltage region 20 as needed. Alternatively, some of the above configurations may be provided to only one of the first and second regions 10 and 20, and some of the above configurations may be provided to both the first and second regions 10 and 20.

In order to maintain the insulation state, the first voltage region 10 and the second voltage region 20 are spaced apart by at least a predetermined insulation distance D.

For example, the first voltage region 10 and the second voltage region 20 may be disposed on a single circuit board in a state in which a predetermined insulation distance is secured, or may be disposed on separate single circuit boards, respectively. Fig. 2 illustrates that the first voltage region 10 and the second voltage region 20 are arranged on a single circuit board 30.

Here, although the first voltage region is described as the high voltage region and the second voltage region is described as the low voltage region, the present invention is not limited thereto, and thus, the first voltage region may be the low voltage region and the second voltage region may be the high voltage region.

The circuit system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first IC chip 11 and a second IC chip 21.

The first IC chip 11 is an integrated circuit chip arranged in the first voltage region 10 on the circuit board 30.

The second IC chip 21 is an integrated circuit chip arranged in the second voltage region 20 on the circuit board 30.

The first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 are characterized by wirelessly transmitting data and power to each other in an insulated state.

Here, the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 are spaced apart by at least an insulation distance D to maintain an insulated state. For example, the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 may be arranged to be spaced apart by the shortest distance that satisfies the predetermined insulation distance D. That is, it is desirable that the distance between the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 be as close to the insulation distance D as possible. Due to this configuration, the efficiency of inter-chip data communication and power transmission/reception can be maximized, and the influence of noise occurring in circuit units such as the first voltage region 10 and the second voltage region 20 can be minimized.

Each of the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 may include a data communication unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data between different IC chips and a power transmission/reception unit capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power between different IC chips.

In detail, the first IC chip and the second IC chip will be described with reference to fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a first IC chip and a second IC chip according to an embodiment of the invention.

As shown in fig. 3, the first IC chip 11 includes a first data communication unit 11A capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data to/from the second IC chip 21 and a first power transmission/reception unit 11B capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power to/from the second IC chip 21. Also, the second IC chip 21 includes a second data communication unit 21A capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data to/from the first IC chip 11 and a second power transmission/reception unit 21B capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving power to/from the first IC chip 11.

For example, data communication may be performed wirelessly between the first data communication unit 11A and the second data communication unit 21A using, for example, a short-range communication technique. The data communication may be a two-way communication or a one-way communication. Short-range communication techniques are well known and will not be described in detail.

Further, power transmission/reception may be performed wirelessly between the first power transmission/reception unit 11B and the second power transmission/reception unit 21B using, for example, a wireless power transmission technique. For example, power may be supplied from a power source such as a battery module to the first power transmission/reception unit 11B to transfer the power to the second power transmission/reception unit 21B.

The wireless power transmission technology may use, for example, an inductive coupling scheme or the like. According to the inductive coupling scheme, a magnetic field is generated in a coil of a transmitting end to induce electric energy in a coil of a receiving end, thereby transmitting power, wherein the supplied power can be controlled by adjusting variables such as the number of coil turns of the transmitting and receiving ends, the size and position of the two coils, and the distance between the two coils. For example, as shown in fig. 4, the first power transmission/reception unit 11B, i.e., the transmitting terminal T side, may include a transmitting terminal coil T2 and an oscillator T1, the oscillator T1 converting DC power into an AC signal that may be wirelessly transmitted and outputting the AC signal. Further, the second power transmission/reception unit 21B, i.e., the receiving terminal R side, may include a receiving terminal coil R1, a rectifier R2 for converting an AC signal into a DC signal, and an RC filter R3 for removing noise. Further, in addition to the inductive coupling scheme, a resonant magnetic coupling scheme or an RF-based scheme may be used.

For example, the power transmitting/receiving units such as the first power transmitting/receiving unit 11B and the second power transmitting/receiving unit 21B may wirelessly transmit/receive power using a wireless charging technology.

Since such a wireless power transfer technique is a known technique applied to wireless charging of a battery, a more detailed description is not provided.

Further, each of the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 is described as including both the data communication unit and the power transmission/reception unit, but may include only the power transmission/reception unit according to the embodiment, for example.

Further, although fig. 3 shows only the data communication units 11A and 21A and the power transmission/reception units 11B and 21B of the first and second IC chips 11 and 21, the illustration is for convenience only, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand that interfaces such as various terminals, control circuits, and the like may be included.

For example, the circuit board 30 may be a circuit board of a BMS. Also, the BMS may be a BMS applied to a battery pack of a vehicle.

According to the prior art, as shown in fig. 5, an insulation distance D is set between the first voltage region 210 and the second voltage region 220 in the circuit system 200 according to international insulation standards (e.g., IEC 16950-1, IEC 62477, UL) related to insulation distance and insulation testing. For example, in the case where the first voltage region 210 is a high voltage region of 1000V and the second voltage region 220 is a low voltage region of less than 5V, an insulation distance of at least 8mm is required to secure the insulation distance D for the 1000V circuit system. Further, the first voltage region 210 and the second voltage region 220 having the insulation distance therebetween transmit/receive signals/data and power via the insulation element 215 (e.g., a digital isolator and a transformer). The insulating member is required to satisfy an insulation distance and a creepage distance suitable for a system voltage, and to pass an insulation test for the insulation distance and the creepage distance. In particular, as the circuitry voltage increases, the size of the insulating element increases as the certification or standards related to insulation become more stringent.

In other words, since the conventional insulating member is disposed on the gap between the first voltage region 210 and the second voltage region 220, the insulation distance D and the creepage distance to be ensured increase with an increase in voltage difference between the first voltage region 210 and the second voltage region 220 due to the design of the circuitry, resulting in an increase in the size (or length) of the insulating member. The increased size of the insulating element is detrimental to reliability testing, such as pull testing for circuit boards (e.g., PCBs), and does not meet the technological trend of requiring smaller packages. Further, in the case where the circuit board is flexible, a large or long insulating member may be broken or separated when the circuit board is bent. Therefore, the conventional insulating member cannot cope with the increased voltage of the battery.

However, according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, two IC elements capable of wirelessly transmitting/receiving data and power in an insulated state are used instead of the insulating element, thus making it possible to design a circuit regardless of ensuring a creepage distance or insulation breakdown due to the insulating element. Further, since the size of each IC element is not affected by the insulation distance and the creepage distance, it is not necessary to increase the size in consideration of the insulation distance and the creepage distance. Therefore, the present invention can meet the technical trend of increasing the battery voltage and smaller package when designing a circuit.

A circuit system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of a circuit system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 6, a circuit system according to another embodiment of the present invention may be designed such that the first voltage region 10 and the second voltage region 20 are arranged on different circuit boards 30A and 30B instead of a single circuit board.

For example, the first voltage region 10 may be disposed on the first circuit board 30A, and the second voltage region 20 may be disposed on the second circuit board 30B. The first circuit board 30A and the second circuit board 30B may be laminated. Here, the first IC chip 11 is arranged in the first voltage region 10 on the first circuit board 30A, and the second IC chip 21 is arranged in the second voltage region 20 on the second circuit board 30B.

The first circuit board 30A and the second circuit board 30B are spaced apart by a predetermined insulation distance D. That is, the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 are also spaced apart by the predetermined insulation distance D. Further, the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 are arranged in corresponding positions on the circuit board when viewed in the lamination direction, i.e., in a planar view. Therefore, as described above, the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 can wirelessly transmit data and power to each other in an insulated state.

According to the present invention, since the circuit boards can be separated and laminated using two IC chips, the circuit can be designed more freely than in the related art, thus providing an advantage in terms of securing space. Further, when the first circuit board 30A and the second circuit board 30B are designed as a laminate type, the first circuit board 30A and the second circuit board 30B keep the same insulation distance D as a whole, and therefore the first IC chip 11 and the second IC chip 21 may be located at any position on the circuit boards as long as they are arranged in the same position (i.e., corresponding position) of the circuit boards in the laminating direction (i.e., vertical direction). Therefore, the circuit can be designed more freely.

Further, although the separated circuit boards are designed as a laminate type in the above-described embodiments, the separated circuit boards may be arranged side by side.

Further, although the circuit system has been described, the present invention can be implemented as an IC chip applied to the circuit system. Therefore, the IC chip according to the present invention can be applied in place of the insulating member in any field of circuits using the insulating member.

In another embodiment, the present invention may be implemented as a battery pack.

For example, a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells and a battery management system for managing charge/discharge of the battery cells. The battery management system includes: a circuit element including at least a first IC chip and a second IC chip; a first circuit board having a first voltage region of a predetermined voltage range; and a second circuit board having a second voltage region of a voltage range lower than that of the first voltage region. Here, the first IC chip and the second IC chip are arranged in different boards of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

Also, the BMS of the present invention may be shown as hardware as shown in fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a Battery Management System (BMS) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 7, the battery management system 300 includes: an MCU 310 for controlling various processes and each element; a memory 320 in which an operating system program and various programs (for example, a battery charge/discharge control program, a battery abnormality diagnosis program, etc.) are recorded; an input/output interface 330 providing an input interface and an output interface between the battery and/or the switching unit; a communication interface 340 capable of communicating with the outside (e.g., an upper controller) via a wired/wireless communication network; and an IC chip 350 that is arranged in different voltage regions and is capable of performing inter-chip wireless data communication and power transmission/reception. In other words, at least one circuit unit on the circuit board of the BMS may include the MCU 310, the memory 320, the input/output interface 330, the communication interface 340, and the IC chip 350.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the limited embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention and the following claims.