Control apparatus and method for electric vehicles

• US 5,690,186 A
• Filed: 09/17/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Masao, Fujii, Takaaki, Honda, Satoshi, Nakazawa, Yoshihiro, Sugioka, Kouichi, Sinmura, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US08/714,267
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 180/219, 180/220, 286/37.15, 297/195.1, 364/424.06, 340/438
• US Class Current: 180/273
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2202/00 Motorised scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/00 Motorcycles characterised by position of motor or engine rider propulsion with addition source of power, e.g. auxiliary combustion engine or electric motor B62M6/00; frames characterised by position of engine B62K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A control apparatus of an electric vehicle for effectively limiting the operation of the vehicle when it is determined that a driver of the electric vehicle is not sitting in the seat and an accelerator opening of the electric vehicle is in a position corresponding to a minimum value. A motor driving enablement circuit generates a motor driving command which selectively limits operation of the electric vehicle in accordance with these determinations. In addition, when a state in which the driver is not occupying the seat continues for a period of time exceeding a predetermined value, a motor halt controller issues a motor halt command for halting a motor of the electric vehicle. Based on the motor driving enablement command and the motor halt command, a power supply controller controls the supply of power to the motor of the electric vehicle.

Claims

1. A seat detecting apparatus for verifying that a driver of an electric vehicle has occupied a seat of the electric vehicle, the seat detecting apparatus comprising:

a seat lock engagement unit installed on the seat;

seat lock members engaged to said seat lock engagement unit for holding the seat in a closed state,

said seat lock members displaceable in a closing direction of the seat when the seat is not occupied by the driver, displacement of said seat lock members being detectable through said seat lock engagement unit when the driver occupies the seat.