Power supply monitoring apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,369,460 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harness System Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Keizo, Aoki, Kazuhiro, Endoh, Takeshi, Takagi, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ballato, Josie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/522,618
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31, 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 307/10.7, 307/38, 307/39, 307/30, 320/132, 701/29, 439/34, 702/63, 702/57, 361/87, 361/93
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence

Abstract

A power supply monitoring apparatus, for which a plurality of different preset reference current values and corresponding permitted times are provided, includes: a cutoff device; current detection circuits; overcurrent detection circuits; an idle-up command circuit; and a low voltage detection circuit. When an overcurrent detection circuit detects a current value equaling or exceeding at least one of the preset reference current values, and when that condition continues for a time equaling or exceeding a permitted time corresponding to the pertinent reference current value, the circuit transmits a command to the cutoff device to interrupt the current supplied to a power feeding path. Further, when the idle-up command circuit detects an increase in a supplied current, an idle-up command is issued.

Claims

1. A power supply monitoring apparatus for vehicle, which monitors the state of a power supplied by a battery to an electric appliance, comprising:

a cutoff unit, which is located along a power feeding path between the battery and the electric appliance, for interrupting a current flowing along the power feeding path;

a current detector for detecting the value of a current flowing across the electric appliance; and

a first command unit, for which a plurality of different reference current values and a plurality of corresponding permitted times are set, for detecting a condition wherein the value of the current detected by said current detector equals or exceeds at least one of the plurality of reference current values, is continued for a period that equals or exceeds ones of the plurality of permitted times that corresponds to the reference current value, and for outputting a command to said cutoff unit to interrupt the current flowing along the power feeding path.

2. The power supply monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an idle-up command unit, for determining whether the value of the current detected by said current detector equals or exceeds an idle-up reference value that has been decided in advance, and for outputting an idle-up command to an engine control unit.

3. The power supply monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of connectors, to each of which the electric appliance is to be connected, are located along power feeding paths downstream of said cutoff unit;

wherein one current detector and one first command unit are paired and provided for each of the connectors, or for a predetermined number of the connectors; and

wherein, when the values of the currents detected by said current detectors of said paired devices are added together and the total current value that is obtained equals or exceeds the idle-up reference value, said idle-up command unit outputs said idle-up command.

4. The power supply monitoring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connectors are power supply outlets to which electric appliance power reception connection plugs are detachably connected.

5. The power supply monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second command unit, for determining whether the value of a voltage upstream of said cutoff unit along the power feeding path is less than or equals a reference voltage value that has been decided in advance, and for outputting a command to said cutoff unit to interrupt the current flowing along the power feeding path.