Vehicle refresh charge control device

• US 10,421,369 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueki, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US15/101,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20160303985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1446 in response to parameters of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1492 by means of controlling devices between the generator output and the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A charge control apparatus includes a control device configured to execute a refresh charge to fully charge a battery upon a predetermined refresh charge start condition being met, and execute a predetermined control according to a vehicle travel state under a situation where the control device does not execute the refresh charge, the predetermined control involving at least one of charging and discharging the battery. The control device suppresses the refresh charge when the control device detects at least one of a predetermined input from an external device and a predetermined vehicle operation.

Claims

1. A charge control apparatus, comprising a control device configured to execute a refresh charge to fully charge a battery upon a predetermined refresh charge start condition being met, and execute a predetermined control according to a vehicle travel state under a situation where the control device does not execute the refresh charge, the predetermined control involving at least one of charging and discharging the battery, wherein

the control device suppresses the refresh charge when the control device detects a predetermined vehicle operation and a predetermined input from an external device,

the external device is portable, and

the predetermined input is an input that represents a demand for a transition to a problem solving mode.

2. The charge control apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the control device detects the predetermined vehicle operation during an execution of the refresh charge, the control device stops executing the refresh charge.

3. The charge control apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the control device detects the predetermined vehicle operation under a situation where the control device does not execute the refresh charge, the control device prevents the refresh charge until a predetermined condition is met.

4. The charge control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined control includes at least one of an idling stop control to be executed in a vehicle stop state or traveling state, and a charge control to control an alternator according to a travel state of the vehicle.

5. The charge control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined vehicle operation is a pedal operation including at least one operation which would not normally be performed by a driver.

6. A charge control apparatus, comprising a control device configured to execute a refresh charge to fully charge a battery upon a predetermined refresh charge start condition being met, and execute a predetermined control according to a vehicle travel state under a situation where the control device does not execute the refresh charge, the predetermined control involving at least one of charging and discharging the battery, wherein:

the control device suppresses the refresh charge when the control device detects at least one of a predetermined input from an external device and a predetermined vehicle operation including at least one operation that would not be normally performed by a driver,

the predetermined refresh charge start condition is met upon a counter value, incremented according to an elapsed time or a travel distance from a completion of the latest execution of the refresh charge, exceeding a predetermined threshold, and

the counter value is decreased to a predetermined counter value or kept without being incremented at a current value until a predetermined condition is met, when at least one of the predetermined input and the predetermined vehicle operation is detected.

7. The charge control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the counter value is decreased to the predetermined counter value when at least one of the predetermined input and the predetermined vehicle operation is detected, and

the predetermined counter value is a predetermined value, if the counter value at a timing when at least one of the predetermined input and the predetermined vehicle operation is detected is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

8. The charge control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the predetermined counter value is 0, if the counter value at a timing when at least one of the predetermined input and the predetermined vehicle pedal operation is detected is not greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

9. The charge control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the predetermined vehicle operation is a pedal operation.

10. A charge control apparatus, comprising a control device configured to execute a refresh charge to fully charge a battery upon a predetermined refresh charge start condition being met, and execute a predetermined control according to a vehicle travel state under a situation where the control device does not execute the refresh charge, the predetermined control involving at least one of charging and discharging the battery, wherein:

the control device suppresses the refresh charge when the control device detects at least one of a predetermined input from an external device and a predetermined vehicle operation including at least one operation that would not be normally performed by a driver,

the predetermined refresh charge start condition is met upon a cumulative charge/discharge electricity amount of the battery, accumulated from a completion of the latest execution of the refresh charge, exceeding a predetermined threshold, the cumulative charge/discharge electricity amount being obtained by integrating in time absolute values of a charge current and a discharge current of the battery, and

the cumulative charge/discharge electricity amount is decreased to a predetermined value or kept at a current value without being accumulated until a predetermined condition is met, when at least one of the predetermined input and the predetermined vehicle operation is detected.