Battery controller and junction box with the same battery controller

• US 6,191,558 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2000
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Arai, Yoichi, Satake, Syuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US09/522,170
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132, 320/130, 320/104, 320/107, 307/64
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A junction box includes a battery controller. The battery controller includes a high voltage battery remaining capacity measuring portion, a low voltage battery remaining capacity measuring portion and a charging instruction portion. The high voltage battery remaining capacity measuring portion collects predetermined plural pairs of voltage value and current value, obtains an approximate straight line on current-voltage coordinates based on the predetermined plural pairs of the data according to least square method, and then obtains a voltage value based on the approximate straight line and a predetermined current value so as top estimate a remaining capacity of the high voltage battery. The low voltage battery remaining capacity measuring portion collects predetermined plural pairs of voltage value and current value, obtains an approximate straight line on current-voltage coordinates based on the predetermined plural pairs of the data according to least square method, and then obtains a voltage value based on the approximate straight line and a predetermined current value so as to estimate a remaining capacity of the low voltage battery. The charging instruction portion dispatches an instruction for charging the high voltage battery and low voltage battery when it is determined that the remaining capacity of each of the high voltage battery and low voltage battery is below a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A battery controller contained in a junction box which is provided between a high voltage battery and a load and includes a high voltage system portion which receives a predetermined high voltage from said high voltage battery and supplies to said load and a low voltage system portion which generates a predetermined low voltage based on said predetermined high voltage and supplies to a low voltage battery and said load, said battery controller comprising:

a remaining capacity measuring means for collecting predetermined plural pairs of voltage value and current value for each of said high voltage system portion and said low voltage system portion, obtaining an approximate straight line on current-voltage coordinates based on the predetermined plural pairs of the data according to least square method and then obtaining a voltage value based on the approximate straight line and a predetermined current value so as to estimate a remaining capacity of each of said high voltage battery and said low voltage battery; and

a means for dispatching an instruction for charging said high voltage battery and said low voltage battery when it is determined that the remaining capacity of each of said high voltage battery and said low voltage battery estimated by the remaining capacity measuring means is below a predetermined value.

2. A battery controller according to claim 1 wherein said remaining capacity measuring means collects predetermined plural pairs of the voltage value and the current value for each of said high voltage system portion and said low voltage system portion, averages each of the voltage value and the current value so as to obtain a pair of averaged voltage value and averaged current value, and repeats the processing until a predetermined number of each of the averaged voltage value and the averaged current value is collected so as to obtain an approximate straight line on the current-voltage coordinates according to the least square method, based on data on the predetermined number of pairs of the averaged voltage value and the averaged current value.

3. A junction box provided between a high voltage battery and a load, on which a predetermined high voltage is applied from a high voltage battery, the box comprising:

a high voltage system portion which receives a high voltage from said high voltage battery and supplies to said load;

a low voltage system portion which generates a predetermined low voltage based on said predetermined high voltage and supplies to a low voltage battery and said load;

a high voltage system power component detecting means for detecting a voltage value and a current value in said high voltage system portion;

a low voltage system power component detecting means for detecting a voltage value and a current value in said low voltage system portion;

a high voltage battery remaining capacity measuring means for collecting predetermined plural pairs of voltage value and current value based on the voltage value and current value detected by the high voltage system power component detecting means, obtaining an approximate straight line on current-voltage coordinates according to least square method based on the predetermined plural pairs of the data, and obtaining a voltage value according to the approximate straight line and a predetermined current value so as to estimate a remaining capacity of said high voltage battery;

a low voltage battery remaining capacity measuring means for collecting predetermined plural pairs of voltage value and current value based on the voltage value and current value detected by the low voltage system power component detecting means, obtaining an approximate straight line on current-voltage coordinates according to least square method based on the predetermined plural pairs of the data, and obtaining a voltage value according to the approximate straight line and a predetermined current value so as to estimate a remaining capacity of said low voltage battery; and

a means for dispatching an instruction for charging said high voltage battery and said low voltage battery when it is determined that the remaining capacity of each of said high voltage battery and said low voltage battery estimated by the high voltage battery remaining capacity measuring means and the low voltage battery remaining capacity measuring means is below a predetermined value.