Battery load power detecting system

• US 20050024013A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Horii, Hiroaki, Asaumi, Hisao
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries

Abstract

A battery load power detecting system includes a generator current sensor which detects a current supplied from a generator to at least one of a battery and a load group including a steering device, and first and second load current sensors which detect a current supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery to the load group. A battery state monitor calculates a load power of the battery by multiplying a difference between both the currents by a voltage at a terminal of the battery detected by a voltage sensor. Therefore, the load state of the battery can be appropriately confirmed to avoid a situation where the steering device, e.g., a steering-by-wire type steering device, falls into an inoperable state due to power deficiency.

Claims

1. A battery load power detecting system for detecting a load power of a battery connected to a load group including a steering device adapted to provide a steering torque by a motor and to a generator driven by an engine,

the system comprising:

a voltage sensor which detects a voltage at a terminal of the battery;

a generator current sensor which detects a current supplied from the generator to at least one of the battery and the load group;

a load current sensor which detects a current supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery to the load group; and

a battery load power calculating means for calculating a load power of the battery based on the voltage detected by the voltage sensor, the current detected by the generator current sensor and the current detected by the load current sensor.

2. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the load current sensor comprises a first load current sensor which detects a current supplied from the battery to the steering device, and a second load current sensor which detects a current supplied from at least one of the generator and the battery to all members of the load group excluding the steering device, and wherein the battery load power calculating means controls an amount of power generated by the generator based on the current detected by the second load current sensor.

3. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the load current sensor comprises a single sensor, and wherein the battery load power calculating means controls an amount of power generated by the generator based on the current detected by the load current sensor.

4. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the battery load power calculating means calculates a remaining capacity of the battery from a multiplied value of the load power of the battery.

5. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 2, wherein the battery load power calculating means calculates a remaining capacity of the battery from a multiplied value of the load power of the battery.

6. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 3, wherein the battery load power calculating means calculates a remaining capacity of the battery from a multiplied value of the load power of the battery.

7. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the battery load power calculating means calculates the load power of the battery by multiplying a difference between both the detected currents by the voltage at the terminal of the battery detected by the voltage sensor.

8. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 1, further comprising a warning means which emits a warning when a remaining capacity of the battery is smaller than a threshold value.

9. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 4, further comprising a warning means which emits a warning when a remaining capacity of the battery is smaller than a threshold value.

10. A battery load power detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the steering device is a steering-by-wire steering device.