CHARGING CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20160152155A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyashita, Michihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,682,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/28 Accelerator pedal thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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

Abstract

In a vehicle has a generator and a secondary battery, when a power storage ratio of the secondary battery becomes less than or equal to a first threshold value, until the power storage ratio becomes a second threshold value, which is greater than the first threshold value, a charging control apparatus sets an upper limit of power generation voltage of the generator other than during deceleration of the vehicle, to be higher than an upper limit of the power generation voltage other than during deceleration of the vehicle when the power storage ratio is greater than the second threshold value. The charging control apparatus is provided with: a changing device configured to change the second threshold value so that the second threshold value approaches the first threshold value when a discharge-charge tendency of the secondary battery based on past data associated with the power storage ratio is a charge tendency.

Claims

1. A charging control apparatus mounted on a vehicle comprising a generator and a secondary battery that can store electric power generated by the generator, said charging control apparatus being configured in such a manner that when a power storage ratio, which is a ratio of a power storage amount of the secondary battery to full capacity, becomes less than or equal to a first threshold value, until the power storage ratio becomes a second threshold value, which is greater than the first threshold value, an upper limit of power generation voltage of the generator other than during deceleration of the vehicle is set to be higher than an upper limit of the power generation voltage other than during deceleration of the vehicle when the power storage ratio is greater than the second threshold value, said charging control apparatus comprising:

a changing device configured to change the second threshold value so that the second threshold value approaches the first threshold value when a discharge-charge tendency of the secondary battery based on past data associated with the power storage ratio is a charge tendency.

2. The charging control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said changing device changes the second threshold value so that the second threshold value deviates from the first threshold value when the discharge-charge tendency is a discharge tendency.