Electric vehicle

• US 6,833,784 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo R & D Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tokyo R & D Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishii, Hiroshi, Aoki, Takashi, Ohnuma, Nobuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US10/069,531
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/425.5, 340/428, 340/426.11, 340/426.33, 340/426.36, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.21, 340/5.3, 340/5.31, 307/10.1, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.4, 307/10.5, 307/10.7
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/23 using manual input of alphanumerical codes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electric vehicle (1) including a rechargeable secondary battery (30), an electric motor (9) for driving a running section such as wheels and the like and a controller (5) for conducting control to drive the electric motor by electric power from the secondary battery (30) is provided with a nonvolatile memory (6) for storing a password, a display and operation unit (7) for inputting a password, means (the controller (5) may also serve) for bringing the vehicle into a state capable of being driven only when the password inputted through the display and operation unit (7) matches the password stored in the memory (6).

Claims

1. An electric vehicle including at least a pack of rechargeable secondary battery and a charger for charging said secondary battery which are mounted on a vehicle main body to be attachable/detachable thereto/therefrom respectively, an electric motor for driving a running section such as wheels and the like, and a controller for conducting control to drive said electric motor by electric power of said secondary battery, comprising:

nonvolatile memories for storing a password arranged in said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger respectively; and

a display and operation unit for inputting a password and means for bringing said vehicle into a state capable of being driven only when the password inputted through said display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger, arranged in said vehicle main body.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wheel rotation detector for detecting rotation of the wheels;

an alarm generator such as a buzzer, a siren or the like; and

means for determining whether or not said vehicle is moved by a predetermined specified value or more based on rotation detection information from said wheel rotation detector in a key-OFF state or in a waiting state, allowing said alarm generator to give an alarm and said display and operation unit to display a request for input of a password when the determination is made that said vehicle is moved by the predetermined specified value or more, and thereafter stopping the alarm by said alarm generator only when the password inputted through said display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wheel rotation detector for detecting rotation of the wheels;

an alarm generator such as a buzzer, a siren or the like; and

means for determining whether or not said vehicle is moved by a predetermined specified value or more based on rotation detection information from said wheel rotation detector in a key-OFF state or in a waiting state, allowing said display and operation unit to display a request for input of a password when the determination is made that said vehicle is moved by the predetermined specified value or more, and thereafter allowing said alarm generator to give an alarm when a password is not inputted through said display and operation unit in a predetermined period of time or when the inputted password does not match all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said display and operation unit has a password change mode selector, and

means is provided which, only when a password inputted through said display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger after a password change mode is selected by said password change mode selector, allows said respective memories to rewrite and store a new password inputted thereafter.

5. An electric vehicle including at least a pack of rechargeable secondary battery and a charger for charging said secondary battery which are mounted on a vehicle main body to be attachable/detachable thereto/therefrom respectively, an electric motor for driving a running section such as wheels and the like, and a controller for conducting control to drive said electric motor by electric power of said secondary battery, comprising:

nonvolatile memories for storing a password arranged in said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger respectively; and

a display and operation unit for inputting a password, a key switch, and means for bringing said vehicle into a state capable of being driven only when the password inputted through said display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger after said key switch turns ON, arranged in said vehicle main body.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a wheel rotation detector for detecting rotation of the wheels;

an alarm generator such as a buzzer, a siren or the like; and

means for determining whether or not said vehicle is moved by a predetermined specified value or more based on rotation detection information from said wheel rotation detector in a key-OFF state or in a waiting state, allowing said alarm generator to give an alarm and said display and operation unit to display a request for input of a password when the determination is made that said vehicle is moved by the predetermined specified value or more, and thereafter stopping the alarm by said alarm generator only when the password inputted through said display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a wheel rotation detector for detecting rotation of the wheels;

an alarm generator such as a buzzer, a siren or the like; and

means for determining whether or not said vehicle is moved by a predetermined specified value or more based on rotation detection information from said wheel rotation detector in a key-OFF state or in a waiting state, allowing said display and operation unit to display a request for input of a password when the determination is made that said vehicle is moved by the predetermined specified value or more, and thereafter allowing said alarm generator to give an alarm when a password is not inputted through said display and operation unit in a predetermined period of time or when the inputted password does not match all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said display and operation unit has a password change mode selector, and

means is provided which, only when a password inputted through said display and operation unit matches all of the passwords stored in said respective memories of said vehicle main body, each said secondary battery and said charger after a password change mode is selected by said password change mode selector, allows said respective memories to rewrite and store a new password inputted thereafter.