Vehicle battery charge control apparatus and a vehicle battery charge control method

• US 20020060551A1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Published: 05/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikeda, Sadafumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,509,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1446 in response to parameters of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

In a charge control apparatus for a vehicle battery comprising a control device that controls charge/discharge of the battery, a deceleration standby state detection device that detects a deceleration standby state of the vehicle and a decelerating state detection device that detects a decelerating state of the vehicle, the control device implements control so as to start a discharge at the battery if the deceleration standby state detection device detects that the vehicle is in a deceleration standby state and implements control so as to start a battery charge by halting battery discharge and storing the power generated by the generator if the decelerating state detection device detects that the vehicle is in a decelerating state following the discharge start.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery charge control apparatus comprising;

a generator that generates power by converting regenerative energy manifesting when the vehicle decelerates to power;

a control device that controls charge/discharge of the battery;

a deceleration standby state detection device that detects a deceleration standby state of the vehicle; and

a decelerating state detection device that detects a decelerating state of the vehicle, wherein;

said control device implements control so as to start a discharge at the battery if said deceleration standby state detection device detects that the vehicle is in a deceleration standby state and implements control so as to start a battery charge by halting the battery discharge and storing the power generated at said generator if said decelerating state detection device detects that the vehicle is in a decelerating state following a discharge start.

2. A vehicle battery charge control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;

an opening detection device that detects an accelerator pedal depressing degree or a throttle opening degree wherein;

said decelerating standby state detection device detects that the vehicle is in a decelerating standby state by detecting with said opening detection device that said accelerator pedal depressing degree or said throttle opening degree has decreased to a value equal to or smaller than a specific predetermined opening degree; and

said decelerating state detection device detects that the vehicle is in a decelerating state by detecting with said opening detection device that said accelerator pedal depressing degree or said throttle opening degree is 0.

3. A vehicle battery charge control apparatus comprising;

a power generation means for generating power by converting regenerative energy manifesting when the vehicle decelerates to power;

a control means for controlling charge/discharge of the battery;

a deceleration standby state detection means for detecting a deceleration standby state of the vehicle; and

a deceleration start detection means for detecting a decelerating state of the vehicle, wherein;

said control means implements control so as to start a discharge at the battery if said deceleration standby state detection means detects that the vehicle is in a deceleration standby state and implements control so as to start a battery charge by halting the battery discharge and storing the power generated at said power generation means if said decelerating state detection means detects that the vehicle is in a decelerating state following the discharge start.

4. A method of vehicle battery charge control comprising;

detecting as to whether or not the vehicle is in a deceleration standby state;

starting a battery discharge if the vehicle is detected to be in the deceleration standby state;

detecting as to whither or not the vehicle is in a deceleration state; and

starting a battery charge by utilizing regenerative power by halting the battery discharge if the vehicle is detected to be in a decelerating state following the battery discharge start.

5. A vehicle battery charge control apparatus comprising;

a generator that generates power by converting regenerative energy manifesting when the vehicle is decelerating to power;

a control device that controls charge/discharge of the battery;

an acceleration detection device that detects acceleration of the vehicle; and

a timer that measures the length of discharge time having elapsed since a battery discharge start, wherein;

said control device implements control so as to start a battery discharge if said acceleration detection device detects that the acceleration of the vehicle has been lowered to a value equal to or less than 0 and implements control so as to start a battery charge by halting the battery discharge and storing the power generated at said generator when the discharge time measured by said timer matches a predetermined length of time.

6. A vehicle battery charge control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising;

a vehicle speed detection device that detects vehicle speed, wherein;

said acceleration detection device ascertains the acceleration of the vehicle based upon the vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed detection device.

7. A vehicle battery charge control apparatus comprising;

a power generation means for generating power by converting regenerative energy manifesting when the vehicle is decelerating to power;

a control means for controlling charge/discharge of the battery;

an acceleration detection means for detecting acceleration of the vehicle; and

a time count means for measuring the length of discharge time having elapsed since a battery discharge start, wherein;

said control means implements control so as to start a battery discharge if said acceleration detection means detects that the acceleration of the vehicle has been reduced to a value equal to or less than 0 and implements control so as to start a battery charge by halting the battery discharge and storing the power generated at said power generation means when the discharge time measured by said time count means matches a predetermined length of time.

8. A method of vehicle battery charge control comprising;

detecting an acceleration of the vehicle;

starting a battery discharge if the detected acceleration is determined to have been reduced to a value equal to or less than 0; and

starting a battery charge by halting the battery discharge and using regenerative power when the length of time having elapsed since the battery discharge start matches a predetermined length of time.