US 12,255,639 B2
FET controlling apparatus and method
Yang-Soo An, Daejeon (KR); and Sang-Jin Lee, Daejeon (KR)
Assigned to LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/438,604
Filed by LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Nov. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/KR2020/017002
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 13, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/107653, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 3, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2019-0153701 (KR), filed on Nov. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0149836 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. H03K 17/687 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H03K 17/687 (2013.01) [H02J 7/007 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A field-effect transistor (FET) controlling apparatus for controlling an operation state of a FET that includes a drain terminal connected to a battery cell, a gate terminal and a source terminal, the FET controlling apparatus comprising:
a capacitor configured to be connected in parallel with the FET between the gate terminal and the source terminal through a discharging line;
a plurality of switches including at least two switches configured to connect the capacitor to the gate terminal and the source terminal;
a voltage source configured to be electrically connected to the capacitor through a charging line and configured to charge the capacitor in response to the charging line being electrically connected, the voltage source being isolated from the battery cell connected to the drain terminal of the FET and configured to only connect to and form a closed circuit with at least two switches of the plurality of switches to charge the capacitor;
a measurer configured to measure a voltage of the source terminal and a voltage of the capacitor; and
a controller configured to receive the voltage of the source terminal and the voltage of the capacitor from the measurer, set a target voltage based on the voltage of the source terminal, charge the capacitor by the voltage source by electrically connecting the charging line until the capacitor is completely charged so that the voltage of the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than the target voltage, and control the operation state of the FET by electrically connecting the discharging line after the capacitor is completely charged,
wherein the controller is configured to set the target voltage by adding a preset threshold voltage and the voltage of the source terminal, and
wherein the threshold voltage is set in advance as a voltage difference between the gate terminal and the source terminal, which converts the operation state of the FET to a turn-on state.