MALFUNCTION DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM AND MALFUNCTION DIAGNOSIS METHOD FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE ON-BOARD DEVICE

• US 20090299561A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Takuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03504 adapted to avoid loss of fuel or fuel vapour, e.g. with vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A malfunction diagnosis system includes: a malfunction diagnosis section that performs a malfunction diagnosis for an on-board device of an electric vehicle when supplied with electric power from either an electric storage section or an external power source; a malfunction diagnosis request section that requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis; an external power source connector that supplies electric power from the external power source; and an external power source connection determination section that determines whether the external power source connector is connected to the external power source. The malfunction diagnosis request section changes at least either the number of times that the malfunction diagnosis section is requested to carry out malfunction diagnosis or the period of time the malfunction diagnosis section is requested to carry out malfunction diagnosis depending whether the external power source connector is connected to the external power source.

Claims

1. A malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device, comprising:

a malfunction diagnosis section that performs diagnosis to determine whether a malfunction has occurred in the electric vehicle on-board device when the malfunction diagnosis section is supplied with electric power from at least one of a electric storage section and an external power source;

a malfunction diagnosis request section that requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis;

an external power source connector that supplies electric power from the external power source, which supplies electric power from outside, to the malfunction diagnosis section and the malfunction diagnosis request section when the external power source connector is connected to the external power source; and

an external power source connection determination section that determines whether the external power source connector is connected to the external power source;

wherein the malfunction diagnosis request section changes at least one of the number of times that the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis and the period of time for which the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis depending on whether the external power source connection determination section had determined that the external power source connector is connected to the external power source.

2. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, wherein the external power source is an external power source that is removably connectable to the electric vehicle.

3. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, wherein the number of times that the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis when it is determined that the external power source connector is connected to the external power source is greater than the number of times that the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis when it is determined that the external power source connector is not connected to the external power source.

4. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, wherein the period of time for which the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis when it is determined that the external power source connector is connected to the external power source is longer than the period of time for which the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis when it is determined that the external power source connector is not connected to the external power source.

5. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, wherein the electric storage section is a low-voltage secondary battery that supplies electric power to the malfunction diagnosis section, the malfunction diagnosis request section, and the external power source connection determination section,

the malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device, further comprising:

a battery control section that includes the external power source connection determination section and is supplied with electric power from the low-voltage secondary battery;

an ignition switch that opens and closes the connection between the battery control section and the low-voltage secondary battery; and

a relay that is controlled by the battery control section to open and close the connection of the low-voltage secondary battery with the malfunction diagnosis request section and the malfunction diagnosis section;

wherein the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis after the ignition switch has changed from an open state to a closed state and electric power is supplied from the low-voltage secondary battery.

6. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 5, further comprising a time measurement control section that controls the ignition switch so that the ignition switch is closed after a lapse of a predetermined period of time after the ignition switch is opened,

wherein the malfunction diagnosis request section controls the ignition switch so that the ignition switch is opened when the malfunction diagnosis section completes the malfunction diagnosis.

7. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, further comprising a on-board device state detection section that detects the state of the electric vehicle on-board device,

wherein the malfunction diagnosis section receives a detection signal from the on-board device state detection section, and determines whether a malfunction has occurred in the electric vehicle on-board device based on the detection result that is indicated by the detection signal.

8. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation section that carries out an abnormal time operation if the number of times that the malfunction diagnosis section has determined that a malfunction has occurred in the electric vehicle on-board device is greater than a predetermined value.

9. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 8, wherein the abnormal time operation is to warn the driver of the malfunction.

10. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 8, wherein the abnormal time operation is to record the part in which the malfunction occurred in a readable form.

11. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, wherein the malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device perform malfunction diagnosis on an evaporative emission control device.

12. The malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, wherein the malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device is applied to a hybrid vehicle in which the electric storage section is charged while the vehicle is driven.

13. A malfunction diagnosis method for an electric vehicle on-board device used to perform diagnosis to determine whether a malfunction has occurred in an electric vehicle on-board device using the malfunction diagnosis system for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 1, the method comprising:

an external power source connection determination process in which the external power source connection determination section determines whether the external power source connector is connected to the external power source; and

a malfunction diagnosis process in which the malfunction diagnosis request section changes at least one of the number of times that the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis and the period of time for which the malfunction diagnosis request section requests the malfunction diagnosis section to carry out malfunction diagnosis depending whether the external power source connection determination section determines that the external power source connector is connected to the external power source, and the malfunction diagnosis section carries out diagnosis to determine whether a malfunction has occurred in the electric vehicle on-board device according to the request.

14. A malfunction diagnosis method for an electric vehicle on-board device, comprising:

diagnosing whether a malfunction has occurred in the electric vehicle on-board device using electric power that is supplied from at least one of an electric storage section and an external power source which supplies electric power from outside;

using the electric power supplied from the external power source for the malfunction diagnosis if the external power source is connected;

determining whether the external power source connector is connected to the external power source; and

changing at least one of the number of times that malfunction diagnosis is carried out and the period of time for which malfunction diagnosis is carried out depending on whether the connection state has determined that the external power source connector is connected to the external power source.

15. The malfunction diagnosis method for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 14, wherein the number of times that malfunction diagnosis is carried out when it is determined that the external power source connector is connected to the external power source is greater than the number of times that malfunction diagnosis is carried out when it is determined that the external power source connector is not connected to the external power source.

16. The malfunction diagnosis method for an electric vehicle on-board device according to claim 14, wherein the period of times for which malfunction diagnosis is carried out when it is determined that the external power source connector is connected to the external power source is longer than the period of time for which malfunction diagnosis is carried out when it is determined that the external power source connector is not connected to the external power source.