CHARGE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20120049796A1
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: FUKATSU, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,854,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charge control device includes: a communication unit that receives a first instruction for setting a charging wait period, which is a period for waiting the charging operation by the battery charger, and a second instruction for setting a charging period, which is a period for executing the charging operation; a first timing unit that starts first timing operation for calculating a remaining charging wait period, which is a remaining period of the charging wait period, by subtracting an elapsed period from the charging wait period; a charging start unit that allows the battery charger to start the charging operation when the remaining charging wait period becomes zero; a second timing unit that starts second timing operation, together with start of the charging operation, for calculating a remaining charging period, which is a remaining period of the charging period, by subtracting an elapsed period from the charging period; and a charging stop unit that allows the battery charger to stop the charging operation when the remaining charging period becomes zero.

Claims

1. A charge control device that is mounted in an electric vehicle including a travel battery, which supplies an electric power to a travel driving source, and a battery charger, which executes charging operation for charging the travel battery by using a power supply, the charge control device comprising:

a communication unit that receives a first instruction for setting a charging wait period, which is a period for waiting the charging operation by the battery charger, and a second instruction for setting a charging period, which is a period for executing the charging operation, the first instruction and the second instruction being transmitted from a mobile device;

a first timing unit that starts first timing operation for calculating a remaining charging wait period, which is a remaining period of the charging wait period, by subtracting an elapsed period from the charging wait period;

a charging start unit that allows the battery charger to start the charging operation when the remaining charging wait period becomes zero;

a second timing unit that starts second timing operation, together with start of the charging operation, for calculating a remaining charging period, which is a remaining period of the charging period, by subtracting an elapsed period from the charging period; and

a charging stop unit that allows the battery charger to stop the charging operation when the remaining charging period becomes zero.

2. The charge control device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a period annunciation unit that transmits the remaining charging wait period and the remaining charge period to the mobile device through the communication unit to allow the mobile device to display the remaining charging wait period and the remaining charge period.

3. The charge control device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a determination unit that determines a first period as a display charging period if A>

B is satisfied when A=T1−

(24−

TB), where A is the first period, B is a threshold period shorter than the charging period, T1 is the remaining charging wait period, and TB is the charging period, the determination unit that transmits the display charging period to the mobile device through the communication unit.

4. The charge control device according to claim 2 further comprising:

a determination unit that determines a first period as a display charging period if A>

B is satisfied when A=T1−

(24−

TB), where A is the first period, B is a threshold period shorter than the charging period, T1 is the remaining charging wait period, and TB is the charging period, the determination unit that transmits the display charging period to the mobile device through the communication unit.

5. The charge control device according to claim 3, wherein

the charging period is set in a scheduled charging operation, and

the display charging period determination unit determines a charging period, which is set in previous scheduled charging operation, as the display charging period if A>

B is not satisfied.

6. The charge control device according to claim 4, wherein

the charging period is set in a scheduled charging operation, and

the display charging period determination unit determines a charging period, which is set in previous scheduled charging operation, as the display charging period if A>

B is not satisfied.

7. The charge control device according to claim 1, wherein

the power supply is a power supply supplied from an outlet provided in housing.

8. The charge control device according to claim 2, wherein

the power supply is a power supply supplied from an outlet provided in housing.

9. The charge control device according to claim 3, wherein

the power supply is a power supply supplied from an outlet provided in housing.

10. The charge control device according to claim 4, wherein

the power supply is a power supply supplied from an outlet provided in housing.

11. The charge control device according to claim 5, wherein

the power supply is a power supply supplied from an outlet provided in housing.

12. The charge control device according to claim 6, wherein

the power supply is a power supply supplied from an outlet provided in housing.