Power system for electric vehicle

• US 6,483,272 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Terada, Junji, Yamada, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US09/581,703
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/109, 320/116, 320/103
• US Class Current: 320/103
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

In a motorized vehicle power system 403 provided with a rechargeable battery 400, a battery control unit 401 for executing control of battery conditions including the remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery 400 and a charging unit 402 for charging the rechargeable battery 400, the charging unit 402 is provided with a discharging device 404 for executing refreshing discharge of the rechargeable battery 400 and a discharge control device 405 for controlling the refreshing discharge by the charging device 404 on the basis of a refreshing discharge requirement signal sent from the battery control unit 401.

Claims

1. A motorized vehicle power system provided with a rechargeable battery, a battery control unit for executing control of battery conditions, a charging unit for charging said rechargeable battery, said charging unit being provided with a discharging means for executing a refreshing discharge of said rechargeable battery, said charging unit including a discharge control means for controlling said refreshing discharge executed by said charging device, said battery control unit including means for detecting a remaining capacity of said rechargeable battery based on signals transmitted from said battery through said charging unit and transmitting a refreshing discharge requirement signal to said charging unit for effecting a refreshing discharge.

2. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the discharge control means of the charging unit controls the discharging means so as to enable refreshing discharge by the discharging means only when the refreshing discharge requirement signal is received from the battery control unit.

3. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the discharge control means displays on a display means the information of the reception of the refreshing discharge requirement signal from the battery control unit upon receiving the signal.

4. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the discharge control means operates to execute refreshing discharge by the discharging means when a refreshing switch is turned on within a specified time and thereafter execute charging and operates to execute charging when said refreshing switch is not turned on while the information of the reception of the refreshing discharge requirement signal from the battery control unit is displayed on the display means.

5. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the battery control unit decides that the refreshing discharge is necessary when the refreshing discharge is not executed down to the completion of refreshing after the display of the necessity of the preceding refreshing discharge.

6. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the discharge control means operates to start the refreshing discharge by the discharging means and display the refreshing as being in operation on the display means upon receiving the refreshing discharge requirement signal and operates to stop the refreshing discharge and execute charging when a refresh cancel switch is turned on.

7. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery control unit decides whether or not the refreshing discharge is necessary on the basis of at least any one of the number of times of charging, the number of times of discharging or the number of cycles of charging and discharging, counted from the initial or preceding refreshing discharge.

8. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery control unit decides that the refreshing discharge is necessary when a difference larger than a specified quantity exists between a battery effective capacity perceived by said battery control unit and a discharge capacity below a specified setting voltage.

9. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery control unit adjusts the number of times of charging on the basis of either a battery temperature at the time of starting charging or a battery temperature at the time of ending charging and determines that a refreshing discharge is necessary when the adjusted number of times of charging becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

10. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the battery control unit increases the adjustment as the battery temperature becomes higher.

11. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the battery control unit counts the number of times of charging by a specified quantity when discharging is executed after the end of the charging.

12. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a removable battery casing is adapted to be mounted on the associated vehicle and the removable battery casing has the battery control unit built-in as a unit with it.

13. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery, the battery control unit and the charging unit are mounted on the associated vehicle.

14. A motorized vehicle power system as claimed in claim 13, wherein a removable battery casing is adapted to be mounted on the associated vehicle and the removable battery casing has the battery control unit built-in as a unit with it.

15. A motorized vehicle and power system comprised of a vehicle frame a rechargeable battery carried by said vehicle frame, a battery control unit for executing control of battery conditions carried by said vehicle frame and including means for detecting a remaining capacity of said rechargeable battery and a charging unit for charging rechargeable battery, said charging unit being provided with a discharging means for executing a refreshing discharge of said rechargeable battery and a discharge control means for controlling said refreshing discharge executed by said charging device on the basis of a refreshing discharge requirement signal sent from said battery control unit.

16. A motorized vehicle and power system as set forth in claim 15 wherein a removable battery casing is adapted to be mounted on the vehicle and the removable battery casing has the battery control unit built-in as a unit with it.

17. A motorized vehicle and power system as set forth in claim 16 wherein the charging unit is carried by the vehicle frame.