Automobile power source monitor

• US 6,630,749 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Satoshi, Endoh, Takeshi, Aoki, Kazuhiro, Takagi, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Polk, Sharon A.
• Application Number:
  US09/721,952
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.7, 307/38, 307/39, 307/30, 340/428, 340/438, 340/474, 320/132, 702/63
• US Class Current: 307/10.7
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries

Abstract

The automobile power source monitor is provided with: a breaker 11 mounted in the feeding path through which the electric power from the battery 1 is fed to the electric devices through the feed sockets A1-Am provided in the car; an engine stop detecting circuit 16 to detect the stop of the engine according to the L signal of the regulator IC 19, and to shut down the breaker 11 through the driving circuit 17; an over current detecting circuits C1-Cm to detect the over current according to the detecting values of the current detecting circuits B1-Bm, and to shut down the breaker 11; an idling-up instruction circuit 13 to detect the increase of the feeding current, and to instruct the idling-up; and a low voltage detecting circuit 15 to detect the lowering of the output voltage of the battery 1 and to shut down the breaker 11.

Claims

1. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition is monitored when electric power from a battery is supplied to one or more electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket;

an engine stop detecting section for detecting the engine stop and for making said shutdown section shut down the feeding path, wherein

when said engine stop detecting section detects the engine stop, said engine stop detecting section starts a counting operation for a predetermined time, and

as the counting operation of the predetermined time is completed, the feeding path is shut down by said shutdown section.

2. The automobile power source monitor according to claim 1, wherein

said engine stop detecting section detects the stop of the engine according to an output signal of a regulator IC.

3. The automobile power source monitor according to claim 1, wherein

said engine stop detecting section detects the stop of the engine by detecting the switching from an ON mode to indicate the operation continuance of the engine of an ignition switch to another mode to indicate the stop of the engine.

4. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition is monitored when electric power from a battery is supplied to one or more electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket;

an engine stop detecting section for detecting the engine stop and for making said shutdown section shut down the feeding path, and

a current detecting section to detect the value of the current flowing through the feed socket, wherein

as said engine stop detecting section detects the stop of the engine, the current value detected by said current detecting section is integrated as the time passes, and

as the integration value exceeds a predetermined reference value, the feeding path is shut down by said shutdown section.

5. The automobile power source monitor according to claim 4, wherein,

said engine stop detecting section detects the stop of the engine according to an output signal of a regulator IC.

6. The automobile power source monitor according to claim 4, wherein

said engine stop detecting section detects the stop of the engine by detecting the switching from an ON mode to indicate the operation continuance of the engine of an ignition switch to another mode to indicate the stop of the engine.

7. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition when the electric power from a battery is supplied to electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car, is monitored,

said automobile power source comprising:

on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket, a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path;

a current detecting section to detect the current value flowing to the electric devices through the feed socket;

annunciation section by which at least any one of a sound or a light can be outputted;

a shutdown control section which judges whether the current value detected by said current detecting section is the over current, and when it is judged to be the over current, which makes said shutdown section shut down the feeding path; and

annunciation control section to output the first annunciation output though said annunciation section, corresponding to the shutdown of said shutdown section by said first shutdown control section.

8. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition when the electric power from a battery is supplied to electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car, is monitored,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket, a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path;

a voltage detecting section to detect the output voltage of the battery;

an annunciation section by which at least any one of a sound or a light can be outputted;

a shutdown control section which judges whether the voltage value detected by said voltage detecting section is lowered lower than a predetermined reference level, and which makes said shutdown section shut down the feeding path when it is judged to be lower; and

an annunciation control section to output said first annunciation output through said annunciation section, corresponding to the shutdown of said shutdown section by said second shutdown control section.

9. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition when the electric power from a battery is supplied to electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car, is monitored,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket, a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path;

a current detecting section to detect the current value flowing to the electric devices through the feed socket;

an annunciation section by which at least any one of a sound or a light can be outputted;

an idling-up instruction section to judge whether the current value detected by said current detecting section is over than a predetermined idling-up reference, and to output the idling-up instruction to an engine control unit when it is judged to be over; and

an annunciation control section to output an annunciation output through said annunciation section, corresponding to the output of the idling-up instruction by said idling-up instruction section.

10. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition when the electric power form a battery is supplied to electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car, is monitored,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

an annunciation section by which at least any one of a sound or a light can be outputted;

an engine stop detecting section to detect the engine stop, and when the engine stop is detected, following the engine stop, which may include a predetermined delay processing, to make the shutdown section shut down the feeding path; and

an annunciation control section to output an annunciation output through said annunciation section, corresponding to the detection of the engine stop by said engine stop detecting section.

11. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition when electric power from a battery is supplied to one or more electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car, is monitored,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket, a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path;

a current detecting section to detect the current value flowing to the electric devices through the feed socket;

a voltage detecting section to detect the output voltage of the battery;

an annunciation section by which at least any one of a sound or a light can be outputted;

a first shutdown control section which judges whether the current value detected by said current detecting section is the over current, and when it is judged to be the over current, which makes said shutdown section shut down the feeding path;

a second shutdown control section which judges whether the voltage value detected by said voltage detecting section is lowered lower than a predetermined reference level, and which makes said shutdown section shut down the feeding path when it is judged to be lower;

an idling-up instruction section to judge whether the current value detected by said current detecting section is over than a predetermined idling-up reference, and to output the idling-up instruction to an engine control unit when it is judged to be over;

an engine stop detecting section to detect the engine stop, and when the engine stop is detected, following the detection, or after a predetermined delay processing, which makes said shutdown section shut down the feeding path; and

an annunciation control section to output a first annunciation output through said annunciation section, corresponding to the shutdown of said shutdown section by said first and second shutdown control sections, to output a second annunciation output through said annunciation section, corresponding to the output of the idling-up instruction by said idling-up instruction section, and to output a third annunciation output through said annunciation section, corresponding to the detection of the engine stop by said engine stop detecting section.

12. The automobile power source monitor according to claim 11, wherein

said engine stop detecting section, following the detection of the engine stop, integrates the current value detected by said current detecting section as the time passage, and as the integrated value exceeds a predetermined reference value, makes said shutdown section shut down the feeding path; and

said annunciation section further comprises;

a function to output said first annunciation output through said annunciation section, corresponding to the shutdown of said shutdown section by said engine stop detecting section.

13. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition is monitored when electric power from a battery is supplied to one or more electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket; and

an engine stop detecting section for detecting the engine stop and for making said shutdown section shut down the feeding path, when the engine stop is detected, wherein

said engine stop detecting section detects the stop of the engine according to an output signal of a regulator IC.

14. An automobile power source monitor by which a power supply condition is monitored when electric power from a battery is supplied to electric devices through a feed socket provided in a car,

said automobile power source monitor comprising:

a shutdown section to shut down the feeding path on a feeding path between the battery and the feed socket; and

an engine stop detecting section for detecting the engine stop and for making said shutdown section shut down the feeding path, when the engine stop is detected, wherein

said engine stop detecting section detects the stop of the engine by detecting the switching from an ON mode to indicate the operation continuance of the engine of an ignition switch to another mode to indicate the stop of the engine.