Controller for automobile

• US 6,194,792 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanou, Masayuki, Matsumoto, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): POLK, SHARON A
• Application Number:
  US09/319,225
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/109, 307/9.1, 361/160, 361/194, 180/446, 335/136
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0457 characterised by control features of the drive means as such

Abstract

A vehicle controller is provided for supplying a driving current to a large current load. A smoothing capacitor is previously charged to reduce the ripple component in an operating current. Thereafter, a relay contact is closed and the operating current is supplied to a load from a DC power unit. Thus, the rush current to the capacitor is reduced when supplying the operating current to the load through the relay contact. It is, therefore, possible to use a relay having a contact current capacity smaller than that of a conventional relay and requiring less cost and reduce the product cost.

Claims

1. A vehicle controller comprising:

a relay contact for controlling and outputting a driving current to a load from a power supply;

a capacitor connected between said relay contact and the earth such that said capacitor can be charged to a fully charged voltage by said power supply through said relay contact;

control means for precharging said capacitor to a predetermined precharged voltage before closing said relay contact; and

fault detecting means for detecting an abnormal state of said relay contact when said capacitor is precharged to a voltage which is greater than a predetermined threshold lying between said fully charged voltage and said predetermined precharged voltage.

2. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined precharged voltage for said capacitor can be set to an optional value.

3. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein said control means precharges said capacitor for a predetermined time and thereafter, cuts off precharging.

4. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein said control means is constructed such that it does not influence a precharging voltage of said capacitor, where said precharging voltage is used in determining an abnormal state when said relay contact is welded.

5. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein said control means starts an operation of an internal constant voltage circuit upon start of said controller and immediately starts precharging said capacitor.