VEHICLE-USE ELECTRICITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, VEHICLE-USE ELECTRICITY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND VEHICLE-USE ELECTRICAL LOAD

• US 20120029747A1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Goto, Masahiro, Katoh, Kunio, Hasegawa, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00

Abstract

The vehicle-use electricity management system includes an electricity demand detection means to detect electricity consumed by electrical loads, and an electricity price information generation means to generate electricity price information indicative of a price of electricity supplied to the electrical loads based on the electricity demand. At least one of the electrical loads includes an electricity consumption ability determination means to determine whether electricity supplied to the own electrical load can be consumed unconditionally based on comparison between the electricity price information received from the electricity price information generation means and electricity consumption ability information stored in the own electrical load, and an electricity consumption control means to control an amount of electricity consumed by the own electrical load based on a determination result made by the electricity consumption ability determination means.

Claims

1. A vehicle-use electricity management system for a vehicle having

a plurality of electrical loads and an electricity supply means to supply electricity to the electrical loads, comprising:

an electricity demand detection means to detect electricity consumed by the electrical loads as electricity demand;

an electricity price information generation means to generate electricity cost information indicative of a price of electricity supplied to the electrical loads as an electricity price based on the electricity demand detected by the electricity demand detection means;

wherein

at least one of the electrical loads includes an electricity consumption ability determination means to determine whether electricity supplied from the electricity supply means to the own electrical load can be consumed unconditionally based on comparison between the electricity price information received from the electricity price information generation means and electricity consumption ability information stored in the own electrical load, and an electricity consumption control means to control an amount of electricity consumed by the own electrical load based on a determination result made by the electricity consumption ability determination means.

2. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 1, wherein the electricity price generated by the electricity price information generation means increases with increase of the electricity demand.

3. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 1, wherein the electricity supply means includes an electricity generation section, an electricity output section to output electricity generated by the electricity generation section to the electrical loads as an operating voltage directly or through a voltage converter, and an electricity generation cost calculation means to calculate a cost of generating electricity by the electricity generation section as an electricity generation cost,

the electricity price information generation means being configured to generate the electricity price information based on the electricity demand detected by the electricity demand detection means and the electricity generation cost calculated by the electricity generation cost calculation means.

4. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 3, wherein the electricity price indicated by the electricity price information generated by the electricity price information generating means increases with increase of the electricity generation cost calculated by the electricity generation cost calculation means.

5. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 1, wherein the electricity supply means includes an electricity generation section having an electricity storage means, an electricity output section to output electricity generated by the electricity generation section to the electrical loads as an operating voltage directly or through a voltage converter, and an electricity storage information acquisition means to acquire electricity storage information indicative of a remaining capacity of the electricity storage means,

the electricity price information generating means being configured to generate the electricity price information based on at least the electricity demand detected by the electricity demand detection means and the electricity storage information acquired by the electricity storage information acquisition means.

6. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 5, wherein the electricity price shown by the electricity price information generated by the electricity price information generation means increases with decrease of the remaining capacity of the electricity storage means indicated by the electricity storage information acquired by the electricity storage information acquisition means.

7. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 3, wherein the electricity generation cost calculation means calculates the electricity generation cost based on a consumption of energy used to generate traction force of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle is configured to be able to run by traction force generated by an internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle,

the electricity generation section includes an electricity generating means to generate electricity by at least one of the traction force generated by the internal combustion engine and torque of an axle of the vehicle, and an electricity storage means to store electricity generated by the electricity generating means,

the electricity output section is configured to output electricity generated by the electricity generating means to the electrical loads as an operating voltage directly or through a voltage converter, and

the electricity generation cost calculation means calculates the electricity generation cost based on an amount of fuel consumed by the internal combustion engine as energy to generate traction force of the vehicle such that the electricity generation cost increases with increase of the amount of fuel consumed by the internal combustion engine.

9. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 8, wherein the electricity cost calculation means includes an electricity generation cost calculation means to calculate a cost of generating electricity by the electricity generating means, and an electricity storage cost calculation means to calculate an electricity storage cost indicative of a cost of electricity stored in the electricity storage means, and is configured to calculate the electricity generation cost as a sum of the electricity generation cost weighted by contribution ratio thereof to total electricity supplied to the electrical loads and the electricity storage cost weighted by contribution ratio thereof to the total electricity supplied to the electrical loads.

10. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle is configured to be able to run by traction force generated by an electrical motor mounted on the vehicle,

the electricity generation section includes an electricity generating means to generate electricity from torque of an axle of the vehicle, and an electricity storage means to store electricity as energy used to generate the traction force and electricity generated by the electricity generating means,

the electricity supply section is configured to supply electricity stored in the electricity storage means to the electrical loads through a step-down converter, and

the electricity generation cost calculation means calculates the electricity generation cost based on decrease per unit time of electricity stored in the electricity storage means such that the electricity generation cost increases with decrease of electricity stored in the electricity storage means.

11. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 8, further comprising an electricity storage information acquisition means to acquire electricity storage information indicative of at least one of a remaining capacity and an extent of deterioration of the electricity storage means,

the electricity price information generation means generates the electricity price information based on the electricity demand detected by the electricity demand detection means, the electricity generation cost calculated by the electricity generation cost calculation means, and the electricity storage information acquired by the electricity storage information acquisition means.

12. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 11, wherein the electricity price information generation means generates the electricity price information based on the electricity storage information such that the electricity price increases with decrease of the remaining capacity of the electricity storage means and with progress of deterioration of the electricity storage means.

13. The vehicle-use electricity management system according to claim 1, wherein the electricity consumption control means operates to decrease electricity consumption of the own electrical load when the electricity consumption ability determination means determines that the own electrical load cannot consume electricity supplied from the electricity supply unconditionally.

14. A vehicle-use electricity information management apparatus mounted on a vehicle having a plurality of electrical loads and an electricity supply means to manage electricity supplied from the electricity supply means to the electrical loads, comprising:

an electricity price information generation means to generate electricity price information indicative of a price of electricity supplied from the electricity supply means to the electrical loads based on an electricity demand of the electrical loads; and

an output means to output the electricity price information generated by the electricity price information generating means to at least one of the electrical loads.

15. The vehicle-use electricity information management apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the electricity supply means includes an electricity generation section, an electricity output section to output electricity generated by the electricity generation section to the electrical loads directly or through a voltage converter, and the electricity price information generation means generates the electricity price information based on the electricity demand, and electricity generation cost indicative of a cost of electricity generated by the electricity generation section.

16. The vehicle-use electricity information management apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the electricity supply means includes a electricity generation section having an electricity storage means, an electricity output section to supply electricity generated by the electricity generation section to the electrical loads directly or through a voltage converter, and the electricity price information generation means generates the electricity price information based on at least the electricity demand, and a remaining capacity of the electricity storage means.

17. A vehicle-use electrical load mounted on a vehicle and configured to operate on electricity supplied from an electricity supply means mounted on the vehicle, comprising:

an electricity consumption determination means to determine whether the vehicle-use electrical load can consume electricity supplied form the electricity supply means unconditionally based on comparison between electricity price information received from the electricity supply means and electricity consumption ability information set in the vehicle-use electrical load, the electricity price information indicating a price of electricity supplied from the electricity supply means, the electricity consumption ability information indicating a level of ability to consume electricity supplied from the electricity supply mean; and

electricity consumption control means to control an amount of electricity consumed by the vehicle-use electrical load in accordance with a determination result by the electricity consumption determination means.