A power supply system includes a battery disposed on a vehicle lower portion; a feeder line electrically coupled to the battery, wired inside a hollow front pillar that couples a vehicle upper portion with the vehicle lower portion, and configured to supply electric power from the battery to the vehicle upper portion; and a power distributor disposed on the vehicle upper portion, electrically coupled to the feeder line, and configured to distribute the electric power that is input from the feeder line to load devices disposed on a vehicle. As a result, the power supply system can improve the workability of wiring work.

A power supply system includes a battery disposed on a vehicle lower portion; a feeder line electrically coupled to the battery, wired inside a hollow front pillar that couples a vehicle upper portion with the vehicle lower portion, and configured to supply electric power from the battery to the vehicle upper portion; and a power distributor disposed on the vehicle upper portion, electrically coupled to the feeder line, and configured to distribute the electric power that is input from the feeder line to load devices disposed on a vehicle. As a result, the power supply system can improve the workability of wiring work.

A method for operating a battery of a parked motor vehicle includes determining an operating state of the motor vehicle, determining a current charging state of the battery when the operating state of the motor vehicle is a parked state, determining a first upper charging state limit value of the battery, first active lowering of the charging state of the battery when the current charge state is greater than the first upper charging state limit value, determining a second upper charging state limit value of the battery, and ending the first active lowering of the charging state when the charge state of the battery falls below the second upper charging state limit value. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle.

A method for operating a battery of a parked motor vehicle includes determining an operating state of the motor vehicle, determining a current charging state of the battery when the operating state of the motor vehicle is a parked state, determining a first upper charging state limit value of the battery, first active lowering of the charging state of the battery when the current charge state is greater than the first upper charging state limit value, determining a second upper charging state limit value of the battery, and ending the first active lowering of the charging state when the charge state of the battery falls below the second upper charging state limit value. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle.

A power supply system (120) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first power supply device (121), a second power supply device (122), and an addition circuit (123). The first power supply device (121) includes a first driving circuit that outputs a first direct current from a first power supply input and a first control circuit that controls the first driving circuit. The second power supply device (122) includes a second driving circuit that outputs a second direct current from a second power supply input and a second control circuit that monitors the first driving circuit and controls the second driving circuit. The addition circuit (123) is connected to an output terminal of each of the first and second power supply devices (121, 122) and outputs a third direct current that is a value obtained by adding the first and second direct currents to a load device (on-board illumination device (110)).

A power supply system (120) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first power supply device (121), a second power supply device (122), and an addition circuit (123). The first power supply device (121) includes a first driving circuit that outputs a first direct current from a first power supply input and a first control circuit that controls the first driving circuit. The second power supply device (122) includes a second driving circuit that outputs a second direct current from a second power supply input and a second control circuit that monitors the first driving circuit and controls the second driving circuit. The addition circuit (123) is connected to an output terminal of each of the first and second power supply devices (121, 122) and outputs a third direct current that is a value obtained by adding the first and second direct currents to a load device (on-board illumination device (110)).

An apparatus for controlling electric current includes a power supply for supplying a voltage, a driving circuit for receiving the voltage from the power supply to supply a first current to a load electrically connected thereto, and a control circuit electrically connected to the load and the driving circuit and for receiving the voltage from the power supply to supply a second current to the load.

A semiconductor device includes first and second semiconductor chips mounted on one package. In the first semiconductor chip, a current generation circuit generates a sense current in accordance with a load current and a fault current indicating that an abnormality detection circuit has detected an abnormality, and allows either one of the currents to flow through a current detecting resistor in accordance with presence or absence of detection of the abnormality. In the second semiconductor chip, a storage circuit stores a current value of the fault current obtained in an inspection process of the semiconductor device as a determination reference value. An arithmetic processing circuit sets a standard range based on the determination reference value, and determines presence or absence of detection of the abnormality based on whether or not a current value indicated by a digital signal of an analog-digital conversion circuit is included within the standard range.

A semiconductor device includes first and second semiconductor chips mounted on one package. In the first semiconductor chip, a current generation circuit generates a sense current in accordance with a load current and a fault current indicating that an abnormality detection circuit has detected an abnormality, and allows either one of the currents to flow through a current detecting resistor in accordance with presence or absence of detection of the abnormality. In the second semiconductor chip, a storage circuit stores a current value of the fault current obtained in an inspection process of the semiconductor device as a determination reference value. An arithmetic processing circuit sets a standard range based on the determination reference value, and determines presence or absence of detection of the abnormality based on whether or not a current value indicated by a digital signal of an analog-digital conversion circuit is included within the standard range.