CHARGE CONTROLLER AND CHARGE CONTROL METHOD

• US 20180194238A1
• Filed: 12/28/2017
• Published: 07/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,486,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 11/00 Circuit arrangements for providing service supply to auxiliaries of stations in which electric power is generated, distributed or converted
• 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 90/12 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

An electronic control unit is configured to start external charging in accordance with a time schedule. The electronic control unit is configured to acquire information about electric power rates of electric power supplied from the power source outside the vehicle in each specified time slot. The electronic control unit is configured to determine the time schedule so as to execute the external charging continuously from a start to an end of the external charging without stopping the external charging and execute the external charging at the time when the electric power cost in a case where the external charging is continuously executed is the lowest.

Claims

1. A charge controller that controls execution of external charging to charge an electric storage device mounted on a vehicle with a power source outside the vehicle, the charge controller comprising:

an electronic control unit configured to;

i) start the external charging in accordance with a time schedule;

ii) acquire information about electric power rates of electric power supplied from the power source in each specified time slot; and

iii) determine the time schedule so as to execute the external charging continuously from a start to an end of the external charging without stopping the external charging and execute the external charging at a time when an electric power cost in a case where the external charging is continuously executed is the lowest.

2. The charge controller according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, even when a request time schedule set in accordance with a request from a user includes a stop of the external charging during a period from the start to the end of the external charging, continuously executes the external charging and execute the external charging at a time when the electric power cost in the case where the external charging is continuously executed is the lowest.

3. The charge controller according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to notify the user of a change of the time schedule from the request time schedule to the time schedule which is determined by the electronic control unit.

4. The charge controller according to claim 2, wherein a device that operates with execution and stop of the external charging is provided in a charge path extending from the power source to the electric storage device.

5. The charge controller according to claim 4, wherein:

the device includes a relay; and

the electronic control unit is configured to execute processing of determining the time schedule when a total number of times of operation of the relay exceeds a threshold.

6. The charge controller according to claim 5, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to notify the user of a change of the time schedule from the request time schedule to the time schedule which is determined by the electronic control unit.

7. A charge control method for controlling execution of external charging to charge an electric storage device mounted on a vehicle with a power source outside the vehicle, the charge control method comprising:

acquiring information about electric power rates of electric power supplied from the power source in each specified time slot;

determining a time schedule of the external charging so as to execute the external charging continuously from a start to an end of the external charging without stopping the external charging and execute the external charging at a time when an electric power cost in a case where the external charging is continuously executed is the lowest; and

starting the external charging in accordance with the time schedule.