Battery charge control system for a hybrid vehicle driven by an electric motor and an internal combustion engine
First Claim
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1. A battery charge apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- electric drive means for rotating wheels of the hybrid vehicle;
a plurality of batteries serially connected to one another to supply electric power to said electric drive means;
generator means driven by an internal combustion engine for generating electric power to charge said serially-connected batteries;
state-of-charge detecting means for detecting a state-of-charge of each of said serially-connected batteries; and
charge control means for independently charging each of said serially-connected batteries when a dispersion of the state-of-charge of each battery detected by said state-of-charge detecting means is larger than a predetermined value, thereby charging each battery in accordance with an actual state-of-charge of that battery and for uniformly charging all of said serially-connected batteries when said dispersion of the state-of-charge of each battery is smaller than said predetermined value .
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Abstract
A hybrid vehicle comprises a motor driving the vehicle'"'"'s wheels, multiple batteries supplying electric power to the motor, and a generator driven by an internal combustion engine to generate electric power for charging the batteries. Battery sensors detect terminal voltages of the batteries. An ECU controls a DC/DC converter to distribute electric power to independently charge the batteries through charge lines in accordance with the shortage of charge in respective batteries when excess electrical power is available from the generator even after a required amount of electrical power from the generator is used to rotate wheels.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A battery charge apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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electric drive means for rotating wheels of the hybrid vehicle; a plurality of batteries serially connected to one another to supply electric power to said electric drive means; generator means driven by an internal combustion engine for generating electric power to charge said serially-connected batteries; state-of-charge detecting means for detecting a state-of-charge of each of said serially-connected batteries; and charge control means for independently charging each of said serially-connected batteries when a dispersion of the state-of-charge of each battery detected by said state-of-charge detecting means is larger than a predetermined value, thereby charging each battery in accordance with an actual state-of-charge of that battery and for uniformly charging all of said serially-connected batteries when said dispersion of the state-of-charge of each battery is smaller than said predetermined value . - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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22. A battery charge apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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electric drive means for rotating wheels of the hybrid vehicle; a plurality of batteries serially connected to one another to supply electric power to said electric drive means; a generator means driven by an internal combustion engine for generating electric power to charge said serially-connected batteries; state-of-charge detecting means for detecting a state-of-charge of each of said serially-connected batteries, charge control means for independently charging each of said serially-connected batteries when a dispersion of the state-of-charge detected by said state-of charge detecting means is larger than a predetermined value and for uniformly charging all of said serially-connected batteries when said dispersion of the state-of-charge of each battery is smaller than said predetermined value; and distribution ratio change means for changing a distribution ratio according to which electric power is supplied by said charge control means from said generator means to respective batteries to eliminate the dispersion of the states-of-charge of said serially-connected batteries. - View Dependent Claims (23, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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24. A battery charge method for a hybrid vehicle having a plurality of serially-connected batteries, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting a state-of-charge value of each of said serially-connected batteries; judging whether a dispersion of a state-of-charge value of each of said serially-connected batteries is within a predetermined allowable zone; and determining a distribution ratio, according to which electric power is supplied from a generator to respective serially-connected batteries for charging said serially-connected batteries, said distribution ratio being set in such a manner that all of said serially-connected batteries are uniformly charged when said dispersion of the state-of-charge value is within said predetermined allowable zone, while some of batteries having low states of charge are independently charged when said dispersion of the state-of-charge value is out of said predetermined allowable zone, thereby eliminating the dispersion of state-of-charge value. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification