CAR-MOUNTED INFORMATION APPARATUS AND INFORMATION TRANSFER SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC CAR

• US 20110251753A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3885 Transmission of map data to client devices; Reception of map data by client devices
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

To securely prevent from battery depletion and enable transfer data without troubling a user, a communication address data storage unit stores a communication address datum such as an IP address, a telephone number of the predetermined information management apparatus arranged outside an electric car. When an accessory switch of the electric car is in OFF state, it is judged by a charge state judge unit whether or not the battery is in charging. When it is judged by the charge state judge unit that the battery is in charging, a control unit controls a radio communication unit to execute at least one action of transmitting updatable data and receiving update data for updating the updatable data between the information management apparatus. As a result, the car-mounted information apparatus can communicate by radio with the information management apparatus outside the electric car while the battery is in charging.

Claims

1. A car-mounted information apparatus acted by electric power supplied from a battery of an electric car, comprising:

an updatable data storage unit storing updatable data;

a communication address data storage unit storing a communication address datum corresponding a predetermined information management apparatus arranged outside the electric car;

a charge state judge unit judging whether or not the battery is in charging when an accessory switch of the electric car is in OFF state;

a radio communication unit communicating between the information management apparatus, to which the communication address datum corresponds, by the electric power supplied from the battery in charging; and

a control unit controlling the radio communication unit to execute at least one action of transmitting the updatable data and receiving update data for updating the updatable data between the information management apparatus when the charge state judge unit judges that the battery is in charging;

an update unit acted by the electric power from the battery in charging, and updating the updatable data according to the update data received by the radio communication unit; and

a voltage value decrease detecting unit detecting decrease of voltage value at the terminal of the battery when the charge state judge unit judges that the battery is in charging,

wherein the charge state judge unit analyzes change of voltage value at a terminal of the battery, and judges whether or not the battery is in charging based on an analyzed result, wherein the radio communication unit is enabled to communicate by radio between the information management apparatus shown by the communication address datum, according to judging, which is judged by the charge state judge unit that the battery is in charging,

wherein the control unit controls the radio communication unit to transmit a notification datum for disabling radio communication between the information management apparatus toward the information management apparatus when the decrease of voltage value is detected by the voltage value decrease detecting unit.

2. The car-mounted information apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a present position data acquiring unit acquiring a present position data of the electric car; and

a present position judge unit judging whether or not the present position data acquired by the present position data acquiring unit corresponds to a radio communicatable position which is communicatable between the information management apparatus,

wherein the charge state judge unit judges whether or not the battery is in charging when it is judged that the present position data corresponds to the radio communicatable position.

7. An information transfer system for electric car comprising:

the car-mounted information apparatus according to claim 1; and

an information management apparatus arranged outside the electric car,

wherein the information management apparatus comprises;

an outside radio communication unit communicating between the radio communication unit of the car-mounted information apparatus; and

an outside control unit controlling the outside radio communication unit to execute at least one action of receiving the updatable data and transmitting the update data between the car-mounted information apparatus.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. A car-mounted information apparatus acted by electric power supplied from a battery of an electric car, comprising:

an updatable data storage unit storing updatable data;

a communication address data storage unit storing a communication address datum corresponding a predetermined information management apparatus arranged outside the electric car;

a charge state judge unit judging whether or not the battery is in charging when an accessory switch of the electric car is in OFF state;

a radio communication unit communicating between the information management apparatus, to which the communication address datum corresponds, by the electric power supplied from the battery in charging;

a control unit controlling the radio communication unit to execute at least one action of transmitting the updatable data and receiving update data for updating the updatable data between the information management apparatus when the charge state judge unit judges that the battery is in charging;

an update unit acted by the electric power from the battery in charging, and updating the updatable data according to the update data received by the radio communication unit; and

a voltage value decrease detecting unit detecting decrease of voltage value at the terminal of the battery while the charge state judge unit judges that the battery is in charging,

wherein the charge state judge unit analyzes change of voltage value at a terminal of the battery, and judges whether or not the battery is in charging based on an analyzed result, wherein the radio communication unit is enabled to communicate by radio between the information management apparatus shown by the communication address datum, according to judging, which is judged by the charge state judge unit that the battery is in charging,

wherein the control unit controls the radio communication unit to transmit a notification datum notifying an abnormal state of charging the battery B toward the information management apparatus when the decrease of voltage value at the terminal is detected by the voltage value decrease detecting unit.

9. The car-mounted information apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a present position data acquiring unit acquiring a present position data of the electric car; and

a present position judge unit judging whether or not the present position data acquired by the present position data acquiring unit corresponds to a radio communicatable position which is communicatable between the information management apparatus,

wherein the charge state judge unit judges whether or not the battery is in charging when it is judged that the present position data corresponds to the radio communicatable position.

10. An information transfer system for electric car comprising:

the car-mounted information apparatus according to claim 8; and

an information management apparatus arranged outside the electric car, wherein the information management apparatus comprises;

an outside radio communication unit communicating between the radio communication unit of the car-mounted information apparatus; and

an outside control unit controlling the outside radio communication unit to execute at least one action of receiving the updatable data and transmitting the update data between the car-mounted information apparatus.