Capacity indicating device and method thereof
First Claim
1. A capacity indicating device for a vehicle battery, comprising:
- a first indicator including a display configured to selectively indicate a first prescribed energy capacity of a first portion of a vehicle battery capacity at full battery capacity and present battery capacity, which varies over time as power is consumed;
a second indicator configured to indicate when the vehicle battery capacity is discharged below a second prescribed energy capacity representing a second portion of the vehicle battery capacity; and
an indication control unit configured to control activation of the first indicator based on the present battery capacity, control activation of the second indicator and correct the second prescribed capacity in response to the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery to maintain the first prescribed energy capacity after the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A capacity indicating device is configured to indicate a fully charged state when full recharging has been conducted even if the battery is degraded; hold the possible traveling distance per segment roughly constant; and make it easy to estimate the possible cruising distance. The capacity indicating device has an indication control unit that: (1) allocates a prescribed portion of the battery capacity of a vehicle to a capacity adjustment region that serves to adjust the battery capacity as it decreases due to degradation of the battery; (2) calculates the degradation degree of the battery based on the detected voltage value and current value; (3) corrects the capacity adjustment region a based on the calculated degradation degree; and (4) indicates the present battery capacity using segments that are not affected by the degradation of the battery.
41 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A capacity indicating device for a vehicle battery, comprising:
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a first indicator including a display configured to selectively indicate a first prescribed energy capacity of a first portion of a vehicle battery capacity at full battery capacity and present battery capacity, which varies over time as power is consumed;
a second indicator configured to indicate when the vehicle battery capacity is discharged below a second prescribed energy capacity representing a second portion of the vehicle battery capacity; and
an indication control unit configured to control activation of the first indicator based on the present battery capacity, control activation of the second indicator and correct the second prescribed capacity in response to the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery to maintain the first prescribed energy capacity after the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of indicating capacity of a vehicle battery, comprising:
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allocating a vehicle battery capacity of the vehicle battery into sections that at least include a battery capacity indication section with a first prescribed energy capacity of a first portion of the vehicle battery capacity at full battery capacity and a capacity adjustment section with a second prescribed energy capacity of a second portion of the vehicle battery capacity;
indicating a present battery capacity of the vehicle battery by a first indicator based on a present energy capacity allocated to the battery capacity indication section, which vanes over time as power is consumed; and
correcting the second prescribed energy capacity of capacity adjustment section in response to changes in the vehicle battery capacity resulting from degradation of the vehicle battery such that changes in the vehicle battery capacity resulting from degradation of the vehicle battery maintains the first prescribed energy capacity. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of indicating capacity of a vehicle battery, comprising:
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indicating a present battery capacity of the vehicle battery by a first indicator based on a present energy capacity, which varies over time as power is consumed;
producing an indication by a second indicator when the vehicle battery capacity is discharged below a second prescribed energy capacity representing a second portion of the vehicle battery capacity; and
correcting the second prescribed capacity in response to the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery to a corrected second prescribed capacity such that the corrected second prescribed capacity is indicated by the second indicator and the first prescribed energy capacity is maintained after the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A capacity indicating device for a vehicle battery, comprising:
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a first indicating means for selectively indicating a first prescribed energy capacity of a first portion of a vehicle battery capacity at full battery capacity and present battery capacity, which varies over time as power is consumed;
a second indicating means for indicating when the vehicle battery capacity is discharged below a second prescribed energy capacity representing a second portion of the vehicle battery capacity; and
an indication control unit means for controlling activation of the first indicating means based on the present battery capacity, controlling activation of the second indicating means and correcting the second prescribed capacity in response to the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery to maintain the first prescribed energy capacity after the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery.
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17. A vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle battery with a vehicle battery capacity;
an electrically driven motor electrically coupled to the battery and operatively coupled to drive at least one vehicle wheel;
a capacity indicating device operatively coupled to the vehicle battery, the indicating device including a first indicator including a display configured to selectively indicate a first prescribed energy capacity of a first portion of the vehicle battery capacity at full battery capacity and present battery capacity, which varies over time as power is consumed;
a second indicator configured to indicate when the vehicle battery capacity is discharged below a second prescribed energy capacity representing a second portion of the vehicle battery capacity; and
an indication control unit configured to control activation of the first indicator based on the present battery capacity, control activation of the second indicator and correct the second prescribed capacity in response to the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery to maintain the first prescribed energy capacity after the degree of degradation of the vehicle battery. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification