SOLAR BATTERY SYSTEM

• US 20170267113A1
• Filed: 03/14/2017
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: HARADA, Tadakazu
• Granted Patent: US 10,399,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

Abstract

A solar battery system includes a first electronic control unit disposed in a vehicle cabin of a vehicle, the first electronic control unit including a control unit repeating a charging period and a stop period during a period of time from ignition-off to ignition-on of the vehicle, the charging period being a period of charging the electric storage device with generated electric power of a solar battery, the stop period being a period of stopping the charging of the electric storage device with the generated electric power of the solar battery. The control unit sets a length of each of the charging periods shorter as the temperature in the vehicle cabin is higher at the time of starting each of the charging periods.

Claims

1. A solar battery system, comprising

a solar battery mounted in a vehicle;

an electric storage device that supplies electric power to an electric motor serving as a driving force source of the vehicle;

an electric power converter provided between the solar battery and the electric storage device; and

a first electronic control unit disposed in a vehicle cabin, the first electronic control unit including

a control unit that operates the electric power converter so as to charge the electric storage device with generated electric power of the solar battery, the control unit repeating a charging period and a stop period during a period of time from ignition-off to ignition-on of the vehicle, the charging period being a period of charging the electric storage device with the generated electric power, the stop period being a period of stopping the charging of the electric storage device with the generated electric power, and

an acquisition unit that acquires temperature in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle, wherein

the control unit sets a length of each of the charging periods shorter as the temperature in the vehicle cabin is higher, the temperature being acquired by the acquisition unit at a time of starting each of the charging periods.

2. The solar battery system according to claim 1, further comprising a clock that outputs time, wherein

the acquisition unit estimates the temperature in the vehicle cabin from the time.

3. The solar battery system according to claim 1, further comprising

a room temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the vehicle cabin, wherein

the acquisition unit acquires the temperature in the vehicle cabin based on an output signal of the room temperature sensor.

4. The solar battery system according to claim 1, further comprising

a determination unit that determines a temperature state of the first electronic control unit, wherein

the control unit starts the charging periods, when the determination unit determines that the temperature of the first electronic control unit is equal to or less than a specified temperature.

5. The solar battery system according to claim 1, further comprising

a controller, wherein

the controller includes a first charging control unit and a second charging control unit,

the first charging control unit performs operation control of the electric power converter during a period of time from the ignition-on to the ignition-off of the vehicle so as to perform control processing that charges an auxiliary battery with the generated electric power of the solar battery,

the second charging control unit performs operation control of the electric power converter during a period of time from the ignition-off to the ignition-on of the vehicle so as to perform control processing that charges the electric storage device and the auxiliary battery with the generated electric power of the solar battery,

the second charging control unit transmits a signal requesting permission of charging the electric storage device to a second electronic control unit that performs integrated control of the entire vehicle at a time of starting each of the charging periods,

when a permission signal is received from the second electronic control unit that performs integrated control of the entire vehicle, the second charging control unit performs control of repeating the charging period and the stop period for the electric storage device and performs control of repeating a charging period and a stop period for the auxiliary battery, the charging period being a period of charging the auxiliary battery with the generated electric power, the stop period being a period of stopping charging of the auxiliary battery with the generated electric power, and

when the permission signal is not received, the second charging control unit performs control of repeating the charging period and the stop period for the auxiliary battery, while maintaining the electric storage device in a charging stop state.

6. The solar battery system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit sets a length of each of the charging periods shorter in a plurality of stages as the temperature in the vehicle cabin is higher, the temperature being acquired by the acquisition unit at a time of starting each of the charging periods.

7. The solar battery system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit continuously sets a length of each of the charging periods shorter as the temperature in the vehicle cabin is higher, the temperature being acquired by the acquisition unit at a time of starting each of the charging periods.